New Ukes Day! Twin Compass Roses

mds725

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A year ago last week, I met with Rick Turner at his shop in Santa Cruz to discuss a custom Compass Rose baritone. Rick had just begun exploring the idea of building baritones using the jumbo-shaped body he'd already been using for tenor and concert ukuleles, and he told me that he had become interested in the sound of an octave-lower GCEA ukulele to complement a friend's GCEA tenor when they played together. Because I had begun playing a steel string tenor guitar that was tuned DGBE, I also asked him whether he would be interested in designing and building a Compass Rose steel string baritone. At the time, I ordered a nylon string baritone Compass Rose strung octave lower GCEA. A few months later, I asked Rick if he could add to my order a steel string baritone strung DGBE.

Today, I drove back to Santa Cruz to pick up my (fraternal) twin Compass Rose baritones. Both have Adirondack Spruce soundboards and Amazon Rosewood backs and sides. They look great and sound magnificent. The octave lower GCEA baritone seems to handle the low range really well and with great clarity, and the DGBE steel string is clear, crisp and loud. The only glitch is that there were supposed to be MOP markers on the faces of the fretboards (there are side markers). I'm going to ask Rick whether they can be added, but I love these two instruments just as they are.

Rick thinks that steel string baritones are going to become a huge hit. Mine already is.

Here's a photo. The steel string baritone is on the right, with the angled saddle.

_p1040032.jpg

I'll post a sound sample, although I won't be able to do that until after Christmas.
 
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Whoa!!! And they're jumbos no less. I guess the Maxi has arrived.
 
Wow, congratulations on your CRs. Hope you post a video later.
 
Aloha Mark,
Congrats, Wow they look amazing jumbo baritones....How many compass roses you have now man.... I am so jealous..Happy Strummings...
 
Congratulations ! Very nice! BTW I like how they look without the top fret markers.
Can't wait to hear how they sound.
 
Congratulations Mark. Looks like they will make for a Happy Holiday season!
 
Nice! Congrats.

They are hard to tell apart. You get em' mixed up?
 
Beautiful, congrats!
 
Wow!

Beautiful, I love those voluptuous curves.

More pics please when you get a chance!
 
dang dude, I don't think I've ever seen a NUD with twins--and so innovative, too--can't wait to hear how they sound
 
Nice Mark . . .
 
Boy, just when I thought I had my UAS under control. A steel string bari. sure is tempting. Perhaps if I sold my Webber Bari. and a few others. Will have to contact Rick and see about one.
 
Mark,
How is the octave lower sound?
I did that to a regular baritone and it was great when I was accompanying standard GCEA ukes, but it was a little to muddy (for my taste) as a solo instrument.
Beautiful ukes and Rick does such a fine job.
 
TWO Compass Roses? You must be out of your mind! Who on earth would have TWO Compass Roses?

:rolleyes:
 
Nice pair! Is yours the one on Rick's Facebook page showing the bracing with the carbon fibre re-inforcements?

An octave lower bari is intriguing and I'm wondering...how low can you go?

I wonder if it is possible to make a uke two octaves lower so it is in the bass guitar range and still be tuned GCEA instead of EADG? It would really be a bass uke, instead of a uke bass.

But I digress...looking forward to hearing your sound sample!
 
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