Your custom ukuleles

etf

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Hi all,
Just wanted an overview of what made you pick the custom luthier you did and are you happy with the results?
I just wonder because it seems that in this day and age unless you are lucky enough to live close to a great luthier or well known company it's a matter of a leap of faith and an Internet order.
There are many great choices out there and we can all dream of the one we would have built if we won the lottery. That aside, what did you decide on and why? There are no cheap custom made ukuleles so what did you see in that independent luthier or well known company made custom that got you to part with your hard earned money?

I really look forward to reading your reasons.

ETF :cool:
 
If I had the money, I would have Rick Turner's bunch build me a Compass Rose..

As far as reason, they are beautiful, and Rick's reputation speaks for itself.
 
I am somewhat of a flamingo aficionado. I learned about Chuck Moore's ukuleles. He is the master of in-lay work. He is what I consider to be a true artist. His reputation for making a beautiful SOUNDING instrument is well-known. When I decided I wanted a custom, I wanted a beautiful sounding and gorgeous to look at ukulele. I wanted the exact instrument that Chuck made for me. All I really considered was a Moore Bettah. I knew if anyone could design and build my ideal ukulele it would be Chuck. And ya know what? It is PERFECT For me. I was happy to part with my money. Chuck is such a pleasure to work with. I still "talk" to him once in a while. I love that ukulele. Yeah, it's got bling, but I LOVE bling. But also it sounds awesome. May I some day be worthy.
 
I have two Mya-Moes and a third on the way. While the MM people describe their ukuleles more as "made-to-order" than custom, I think MM ukuleles fit within your your question because one is more likely to buy one from the luthier than to buy one in a retail place. I don't think I would have ordered my first MM sight unseen. I was introduced to MM ukuleles at the Wine Country Ukulele Festival in St. Helena, where MM has a booth every year, and I got to play a few Mm ukes and talk with Gordon and Char before deciding to buy one. MM's reputation and the demand for MM instruments played into my decision, but the main thing was playing some MM ukes and meeting the people who make them.

I'm going to order a Compass Rose sometime soon from Rick Turner. I'd been able to play a few at Gryphon Stringed instruments, but my interest in them went way up after I took Rick's ukulele building class in Oakland this past spring. Rick is a great guy and really committed to making wonderful instruments, and he brought with him to class one day a CR that was unbelievable.

I also have a Willie Wixom, I bought that one sight unseen and without playing it first off of his website (in that sense it wasn't custom to me) when he got some positive buzz here at UU this past spring, and I relied on that positive buzz as well as the opinions of some UUers I respect who had visited Willie at his studio and had played the uke I ended up buying. I really like it, but I'm considering whether to sell it to help pay for a CR.

I'm also considering ordering a custom ukulele from a luthier recommended by a UUer whose taste in luthiers I really respect. That luthier is local to me, so I'd want to meet and play some of the luthier's ukuleles before deciding.
 
I am somewhat of a flamingo aficionado. I learned about Chuck Moore's ukuleles. He is the master of in-lay work. He is what I consider to be a true artist. His reputation for making a beautiful SOUNDING instrument is well-known. When I decided I wanted a custom, I wanted a beautiful sounding and gorgeous to look at ukulele. I wanted the exact instrument that Chuck made for me. All I really considered was a Moore Bettah. I knew if anyone could design and build my ideal ukulele it would be Chuck. And ya know what? It is PERFECT For me. I was happy to part with my money. Chuck is such a pleasure to work with. I still "talk" to him once in a while. I love that ukulele. Yeah, it's got bling, but I LOVE bling. But also it sounds awesome. May I some day be worthy.

sukie... do you have pics? would love to see your 'baby' with the bling!!!!
 
Sukie! NOw that is a custom uke! Gorgeous!
 
Fortunately there are several well known fabulous luthiers in the SF Bay area which has allowed me to play examples of their work. I have a custom Graziano baritone, Pohaku tenor and Mya Moe baritone. I was initially attracted to each based upon their reputation. I also played several custom ukuleles at Gryphon Strings in Palo Alto. Mike DaSilva and Rick Turner are also in the Bay Area. If I wanted another ukulele I would certainly look to them.

I visited Tony Graziano at his home in Santa Cruz two years ago. I played a koa/cedar baritone he had built for his wife over 10 years ago. We then visited his studio where I played a new koa/spruce. I really liked the sound of both and bought the koa/spruce. This is the uke I haul around with me.

I also visited Peter Hurney (Pohaku) in Berkeley several times and played numerous custom tenors and baritones. I then ordered a Pohaku tenor and waited 6-8 months. That instrument arrived and almost made me forget about baritones. The Pohaku really sings.

A friend in our Thursday night uke group bought a Mya Moe concert resonator. I played that many times and I was really impressed with the action and the easy to play neck. I also spoke with Mark (mds725) about his Mya Moe ukuleles and became convinced to order a baritone from Mya Moe. The Mya Moe arrived in October and I have bonded instantly with that instrument.

It would be very difficult if I couldn't play a specific custom prior to purchase. I don't find recordings of ukuleles provide much help in predicting the actual sound and 'playability' of the instrument. The only uke I have purchased without playing prior to purchase is a near mint Martin Baritone from the 60s which I bought off EBay. It took a while to find the right strings but I finally found the perfect match for that instrument. I relied on the reputation of Martin ukuleles and I also was able to play an older Martin tenor.

Pictures are in my profile. Hope this helps.
 
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simply beautiful! That is a great, great design.. simple concept but awesome execution! did you come up with the flamingo idea?
Other than telling him I wanted a flamingo theme, I let Chuck do as he wished. Here's the thing -- I totally love Chuck's work. I love his style. I love his sense of balance and what works. I told him I wanted a flamingo and would totally trust him to do what he wanted. I will admit I begged, really, really begged for a sound hole something. What he did took my breath away the first time I saw it. I believe if you love an artist's work you need to let them be.
 
Other than telling him I wanted a flamingo theme, I let Chuck do as he wished. Here's the thing -- I totally love Chuck's work. I love his style. I love his sense of balance and what works. I told him I wanted a flamingo and would totally trust him to do what he wanted. I will admit I begged, really, really begged for a sound hole something. What he did took my breath away the first time I saw it. I believe if you love an artist's work you need to let them be.

guess I should put myself on the 2 year waiting list :drool:
 
I'm waiting for a Compass Rose which should be ready any time now.

I picked a CR because I already knew Rick by his reputation and standing in the industry before I ever stumbled across a ukulele. I wanted something made by a living legend and I love the tone of the Compass Rose instruments.

Also, when I first joined UU there was an article in the luthiers lounge about using non-traditional tone woods for ukuleles and someone was questioning how someone could use something like walnut, successfully. This quote from Pete Howlet's response has always stuck in my mind " . . . because he's Rick Turner, and he's bloody good."

Even though I'm just learning . . . I wanted something a professional could/would use.

I want a Rick Turner Compass Rose.
 
Though I don't have a custom uke yet, I had Bradford Donaldson put me on his waiting list. His ukes are works of art, and it seems anyone that has his uke is very happy with it. Plus, he's just a great guy, which is my main reason to have him build me one. I mean, any luthier that will share their ideas and send instrument plans for a child's uke is just an awesome person.

Dan
 
I'm new to this game but here in the UK we don't get the range of ukes you do in The States. We often have to travel long distances to see a wide range of instruments so buying over the web and through extensive phone calls seems common in those seeking something a little different. This is even more the case with baritones and things like 6 or 8 strings and customs. Also, by the time you add import tax and VAT and postage to internationally sourced ukes the prices of better quality instruments start mounting up. This goes more so for high end customs.

A custom uke for me has been a way round this lack of availability as I've been able to assess builders through feedback on social media and hear their work and reviews on youtube, then have discussions with them regarding the fine detail and my specific needs and wants.

Yes, you could always get a uke that is not what you thought it would be but some of the luthiers I have spoken with will take the uke back if it doesn't turn out how you imagined, sell it on and then have another go at making one for you once they have your feedback.

Build materials are of interest to me and I have started looking at instruments from sustainable, locally produced timber.

Build time is also important to me as with a longer period of time I know that I will have quite possibly needed to spend the money on something else by the time the build slot comes up, let alone the instrument being finished.

There is also the thorny subject of price. Without wishing to bring the conversations from another thread here, not everyone is able to cover the cost of a top end custom uke, even with a savings plan. Maybe I could afford a top end, "Boutique" custom uke in 20 years time, I just don't earn enough now and with two young kids the situation is not going to improve for the foreseable future.

So to summarise. key points for me are:

Reputation and feedback
Sound/build quality, materials from research
Discussions with the luthier - Can they/will they make what you're after? Getting what you need, not necessarily what you want. Do you make a connection with them and get good communication? A custom uke is very personal, you want to feel involved.
Affordability and build time
 
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My first custom made was from a french "amateur" luthier, a very nice pineapple ukulele in a beautiful first grade koa, no bindings, danish oil finish, very simple and great sounding.
I also have a Glyph, tenor after Dias model, I wait 3 years for this one, following the advice of Wilfried Welti. Wonderful instrument, radiused top and back, very thin woods, great sound, clear and rich, perfect playability.
The next one will be a "made to order" more than custom, by Brüko (you can choose woods, simple decorations, type of tuning machines) but I think the cheapest custom ukes (in Europe) with very good quality (German made). I will have it in a few days and will review it here of course.

edit : received today... review in a few moments...
 
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Ben, if you're worried about paying import tax and not being able to try before you buy, there's some great UK luthiers.

http://petehowlettukulele.co.uk/ - Can personally vouch for Pete, own 5 of his. He takes his time but by God they're worth the wait.

http://tinguitar.com/ - Rob's cheaper and quicker but they're still lovely ukes.

http://www.stuartlongridge.co.uk/Orby Publications.html - Heard good thinks about Stewart too.

Hey Nixon,

Longridge yew soprano arrived last week. Lovely uke.

Tinguitar baritone ordered.

Also Quex (Ukulian) 8 string tenor on the way.

It may sound a bit strange saying I haven't got a lot of money and then posting that. There is a lot of juggling going on as pots of money have become available for a short period of time. At the end of it though I will have three instruments for what I might have spent on one. Maybe when I finally decide on my ultimate uke, who knows?
 
Thank you for your replies, great reading and great views on the subject. Please keep them coming, the more you say the more I learn about the topic.

ETF:cool:
 
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