Hamalele, my first build.

bonesigh

bonesigh

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Okay, I'm no luthier but I think my first build came out okay. Made the fret board out of a piece of extra siding from the house. A lot of mistakes, looks kind of cruddy but, hey, I'm proud anyway! Thought you might be interested in some pictures and a sound sample. Do you think it might sound better with a wooden sound board? Should I just leave it as it is cuz it's just not gonna get much better?

This was fun and I'm already looking forward to the next build. I've already made a ceramic body for one at our local pottery place.



hamalele 001.jpghamalele 002.jpghamalele 007.jpghamalele 005.jpghamalele 003.jpg
 
Nice sounding hamalele - with a name like that it's gotta be good.
 
What a Ham!
That things sounds pretty good, I wouldn't change the top. It's fine.
It has sort of a smokey flavor... I mean tone. :D
 
That sounds great! And you play well.
 
your hamalele is really amazing. I wouldn't change a thing on it as it is a piece of bon-e-fide folk art. You may onto something there.
 
I'm impressed. Sounds pretty good and your playing was very good also!!
Edstrummer.
 
Great job, and welcome to the world of builders of ham-tin instruments. I am also a member, having built a hamalele, and a hamolin.
Just like great tonewood, good ham-tins are hard to find, especially since the "improvement" of the plastic top.
On the hamalele I had a all-tin can, and cut a soundhole out of the top, and picked out the ham so the instrument had it's own natural tin soundboard.
The hamolin had its plastic top removed and a spruce top was substituted when the ham was removed.
There are lots of esoteric and delicate points when building ham-tin instruments, but I'll leave that for the next world symposium.
 
Congrats on a great sounding uke and great playing too.....
 
Sounds pretty good
That deep body can makes it look a little PORKY yuk yuk yuk
Talk about making a silk purse out of a sow's ear ba dum bum
Thank you, I'll be here all week
 
Great fun looking instrument with its own personality and sound. I especially like how it sounds picked, but also strummed in the great "Latin" section from at about 2:30. Look forward to seeing and hearing about your next home-made build. I've built home made instruments, (Bowed Psaltery, Appalachian Dulcimers, Electric Bouzouki and a Hammered Dulcimer) but not a Uke, as yet.
 
I love the sound and your inventiveness with the materials you used. What song are you playing at first?
 
hey bonesigh that is totally awesome!!! Congrats on your first build and on some great playing to boot. I love it! :)
 
David Newton said:
Great job, and welcome to the world of builders of ham-tin instruments. I am also a member, having built a hamalele, and a hamolin.
Just like great tonewood, good ham-tins are hard to find, especially since the "improvement" of the plastic top.
On the hamalele I had a all-tin can, and cut a soundhole out of the top, and picked out the ham so the instrument had it's own natural tin soundboard.
The hamolin had its plastic top removed and a spruce top was substituted when the ham was removed.
There are lots of esoteric and delicate points when building ham-tin instruments, but I'll leave that for the next world symposium.
Click to expand...

Awsome. Thanks for the compliment. Looks like I have a way to go though. This one is a ham-plastic fantastic uke.
 
Thanks again everyone. I didn't expect to get so many compliments. She's a pretty modest uke.

Lovinforkful...It's a nothing song! I just started playing some chords with no idea of where I was going with it!
 
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