Black walnut and red spruce tenor

RPA_Ukuleles · Aug 29, 2013

Started a new tenor build last week. Using hot hide glue for this build.

Spruce top is a single piece from a guitar top orphan. Walnut from a farm in North Carolina, got a slab of it about 10 years ago. Mahogany ply end blocks, and mahogany kerf linings. Bracing is spruce from century-old piano keys (got 88 of 'em!). Maple bridge patch. Neck will be Spanish cedar, with walnut veneer on the peghead. Fretboard is ebony. Not sure of the bindings yet, have some bloodwood that might look good.

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RPA_Ukuleles · Aug 29, 2013

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Will close up the box tonight!

Liam Ryan · Aug 29, 2013

That beautiful chocolate colour lends itself to so many fantastically contrasting purfling and binding combinations. Can't wait to see what you go with.

Skinny Money McGee · Aug 30, 2013

Did that walnut come from downed trees caused by Hurricane Isabel in 2003? There was so much lumber available after that hurricane. Still is actually. I lived in New Kent County (Quinton) during that storm.

RPA_Ukuleles · Aug 30, 2013

I don't know the exact county the walnut came from, but it was from old family property of a good friend. My friend had the (large) tree taken down and sent to a mill. He has a Proulx, and a Merrill guitar made from it, and they are fantastic. He also had a 10-foot slab dining table made - stunning, and all from a tree his mother used to swing in as a child. The property was subsequently sold to the North Carolina Zoo.

aaronckeim · Aug 30, 2013

Nice. Spruce and walnut is a winner!

RPA_Ukuleles · Aug 31, 2013

Got the box closed up today, and the neck carved, and fretboard slotted. Still haven't decided on the shape of the end of the fretboard.

This is the first Spanish cedar neck I've made, smelled nice while carving, but had to pay careful attention to the grain direction as it was a little more picky about that than mahogany. I did get a chance to use my new (old) spokeshave on it. Found one on ebay for $10, and it's fantastic. I saw a Pete Howlett video a while back in which he demonstrates carving a neck with a spokeshave, and it really made sense so I had been on the lookout for an old wooden model. Happy to have it, works just like Pete said.

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RPA_Ukuleles · Aug 31, 2013

The antique spokeshave:

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janthony1 · Aug 31, 2013

Really nice. Beautiful walnut.

Doug · Aug 31, 2013

That looks great Rodney. Love the shave too. One more thing to keep sharp though. But worth it.

dofthesea · Aug 31, 2013

Walnut is looking good. I'd be curious as to how it sounds.

ksquine · Aug 31, 2013

Looking great so far. That's some very pretty walnut

Skinny Money McGee · Sep 3, 2013

RPA_Ukuleles said:
I don't know the exact county the walnut came from, but it was from old family property of a good friend. My friend had the (large) tree taken down and sent to a mill. He has a Proulx, and a Merrill guitar made from it, and they are fantastic. He also had a 10-foot slab dining table made - stunning, and all from a tree his mother used to swing in as a child. The property was subsequently sold to the North Carolina Zoo.

Great story about the walnut. Can't wait to see the finished instrument

RPA_Ukuleles · Sep 3, 2013

Man, a three-day holiday weekend, and not one minute free to work on this uke. Torture I tell you!!

Gonna get back on it tonight. And tomorrow night, and the next night...

RPA_Ukuleles · Sep 20, 2013

Well this build is going slower than I hoped. But, have made some progress.

Decided on bloodwood bindings. They were a challenge to bend well, and a challenge to hide glue, but turned out nice. They really have a deep reflective glow in the sunlight.

The headstock overlay is walnut, with my "logo" initials inlay in maple.

Mostly together now. Have glued the fretboard and bridge on but not in the pic. Hoping to get her strung up this weekend.

Not sure what to expect of the tone on this one. When tapping on the bridge it has a tremendous bell-like echo-y ring to it. Seems like that's a good thing, but I've had them in the past that amplify less desirable tones/harmonics as well. Will know soon, gonna start with a set of Aquillas, high G.

UkeKiddinMe · Sep 20, 2013

What beautiful work.

CTurner · Sep 20, 2013

The inlay is so fine. Excellent work. Let us hear some sounds!

Les Corley · Sep 21, 2013

That's gonna be sweet, love the black walnut

ksquine · Sep 23, 2013

mmmm...very pretty

RPA_Ukuleles · Sep 24, 2013

Thanks for the kind words. Here she is strung up. Although, right now it has borrowed nut and saddle, have to make those and do a proper set-up this week. Going to its new home on Saturday.

The finish is open pore TruOil. On the next one, I'll fill the pores since walnut has such particularly large pores. The turnaround time on this one didn't allow for it. I'm okay with the open pore look, but I think a full buffed out gloss would bring out the walnut a little more. The spruce top ended up fairly glossy, but not buffed out. Brought out some of the bearclaw in it.

Has been a fun build and I'm pleased with the results. I have another set or two of the same wood so I'll be building a sibling soon.

Black walnut and red spruce tenor

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