Hello Mitch, this is my first post and would like to give this a shot. I have some experience in this situation and would like to comment a little. I will first say I have yet to build a ukulele but for over twenty years I have had a business of building custom longbows and recurves for hunting. My bows have been sold all over the world, many to famous people and hunters you read about in the magazines! At one point I had a waiting list of almost three years. With recomendations and support of leading publications people who bought my bows always thought I was made of money because of this. Its all a big illusion! It's a job and nothing more.
But here is the real trick, I loved it so nothing else mattered. With the kids in bed and the wife sitting down for the evening I would make a cup of coffee and go out in the shop, turn on some jazz, and start carving away enjoying every second of it. People would always ask me how my bows turned out so perfect compared to many competitors. It took me along time to figure this out but here is the answer. My bows were infact flawless but thats because I built each one like it was my last, and because of this I had too many dam hours to really make any money, so to speak. The competition however built bows with visible glue joints and faint sanding marks in them and guess what they made more money. Many times I thought about going out and buying some CNC equipment and fire up the old assembly line but in the end I just couldn't do it. I have no regrets however because I loved every minute of it.
I have since sold the equipment and now have an interest in building a ukulele myself. I have spent some time looking at the ukuleles that the pros and the 1st timers have built here and all I see are beautiful works of art, all of which deserve a hats off. To think that all these fine instruments will most likely out live all of us is a cool thought, it's there imortality. This is a long post and I apologize, it's just that I can relate to all the folks who pour there harts out into a craft that in the end just makes a living. Working with your hands to make a living can be a very rewarding life but it's like everything else, once you get your feet wet things are always a little different. Myself, I am going to start with building just one, and I am going to build it like it's my last. Humbly, Mike J