Pineapple mezzo soprano on the way

gerardg · Dec 14, 2013

Hello folks.
Several pics on my new building affair.
An all mahogany pineapple mezzo soprano.
363 mm scale, 13th fret joining neck.
Rosewood 2.8 mm thickness fingerboard (not finished at this time...).
Bookmatched top and back, arched back.

Ho, yeah!
See my new ukulele GG blog here:

http://gg-ukuleles-artisanaux.eklablog.com/

Bye,
Gerard (GG).

gerardg · Dec 15, 2013

The mahogany neck in progress.
This time, I use a very very hard mahogany.
I prefer, generaly, cedar wood, soft, light,
with sort of trussrod (carbon tube) for stiffness,
and sustain gain.

So, all the ways are made to go, no?

mketom · Dec 15, 2013

Very nice work Gerard! Will you still reinforce the neck with a carbon tube since you have a very hard wood to work with? Is a hard mahogany more stable and does not need the truss rod?

gerardg · Dec 15, 2013

Thank's for comment.
You're right.
No neck reinforcement neck with hard mahogany wood.
My ukulele neck are very low thickness, about 11.5 mm under the first fret,
and about 12 mm. under the 9th.
So, they have no round shape.
Near flat U shape, or crescent moon.
Not better ways to obtain thickness, you know.
So, with soft cedar, ultra strong Ø 6 mm. carbon tube
is, for me, a very goog solution
to avoid bending and twist neck, even on soprano scale.
And with cedar neck,with these sort of trussrod, sustain is realy better.
Following the building stories of my ukes here,
if you want:
http://www.ukulele.fr/forum/index.php?topic=13935.2070
The best for you.
See you.
Gg

mketom said:
Very nice work Gerard! Will you still reinforce the neck with a carbon tube since you have a very hard wood to work with? Is a hard mahogany more stable and does not need the truss rod?

gerardg · Dec 26, 2013

Neck in progress.
Not finished at all.
Just in progress.
This mahogany is realy very hard, so very stiff.
Good point for sustain.
For balance point, because the pineapple body (more heavier than a Martin type body),
I think handling feeling 'll be ok...
This uke is my #14, and will be ok for sound in 2014...

gerardg · Jan 1, 2014

Neck glued on the body.
Special care about the perfect axial line neck/body.
Heel should perfectly fit to le curved sides.
Not so easy, taking care, working slowly, and checking often: my personnal way.
Rosewood heel cap in progress.

orangeena · Jan 2, 2014

Amazing job fitting that heel to those compound curves. I am planning to try a bolt/glue on neck for my next soprano instead of the spanish heel technique. Hope I can get the fit halfway as good as you have.

gerardg · Jan 2, 2014

Thank's for comment.
See here video about cheking the job
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4YlibPdIPU&feature=youtu.be
On all my ukes, even 16" scale, 14 fret joining, I use dowelled joint, hard wood, Ø 10 mm x L. 35 mm ,
equal parts in front body block and heel neck. 1 mm gap for easy center job.
Easy and efficient.

orangeena said:
Amazing job fitting that heel to those compound curves. I am planning to try a bolt/glue on neck for my next soprano instead of the spanish heel technique. Hope I can get the fit halfway as good as you have.

orangeena · Jan 3, 2014

Nice website Gerard. Love the track by Mathilde

gerardg · Jan 4, 2014

Mathilde's voice very cool, very sensitive,
and she's a funny talented young girl.
So, it's a windy summer beach uke session...
Just for fun!
So, here the neck finished, with fingerboard glued and trimed.
Crescent moon shape, not very thick.

Hippie Dribble · Jan 4, 2014

Yes, Mathilde's song is beautiful. The website looks wonderful Gerard and this mezzo soprano pineapple ukulele is very beautiful. Whoever is to own it will be very happy. Blessings of the New Year to you brother, hope you have a great 2014!

gerardg · Jan 11, 2014

Hello Jon. Thank's.
Yes, Mathilde is talended, and very fresh (18 or 19 years old).

So, about pineapple mezzo,
a friend of mine is going to listen about patience, hé, hé, hé...
Just starting Danish (called also French finish, but I use Liberon Danish Oil, so...) Oil finish.

more pics here

La Perdrix · Jan 14, 2014

eugene ukulele said:
Whoever is to own it will be very happy.

hé hé hé...
hello Gérard...!

gerardg · Jan 18, 2014

Hey Jon, go here ! ...

gerardg · Jan 24, 2014

Just finishing 14th apply Danish Oil Liberon, with #2000 grit sand paper.
2 weeks drying time before polish cloth.
Loprinzi conditioner cream on fingerboard.

More pics on the web site...