Kiwaya make one, but it's in the upper price regions. (
link)
Thanks for the info. A bit out of my price range, but good to know they are making one.
The Ohana CK35-8 is due out in October. It has taken longer than expected and may sell for about $289 or so...
Thanks for the info. This ^ is more of what I am looking for and priced more down-to-earth for mere mortals. I will keep an eye out for this one.
Brian Mahon on Facebook would be happy to make you a gorgeous one at a very attractive price.
His ukes are nice indeed and I never heard of him before, so thanks for bringing him to my attention.
Liam from
Wunderkammer ukuleles makes one as well, but it is around $700...
Thanks for this info and pointing out this luthier, also new to me as of now. His instruments looks and sound great! This price range would be a bit of a stretch for me at this point, especially since this uke would be a sort of niche player and not my main player, but I will keep him in mind for future should I want to upgrade.
Here's something that will definitely inspire you Booli. Neal is a wonderful player and a member here at UU.
WOW, yes Campbell, indeed is is a very good player and something to aspire to. Thanks for sharing this video.
I should also mention that my main intent for a Taropatch is to tune it in FIFTHS, CGDA like a MANDOLA.
Why dont I just get a MANDOLA?
Well, I detest steel strings at this point in time and really do NOT want to play them if I do not have to.
Aquila makes a string set for concert (31U) in CGDA fifths tuning and if use those strings I dont have to think about it.
I have measured the 2 wound strings in this set at they are 0.035" and 0.030" for the C and G respectively, and thus have replaced them with the Thomastik-Infeld CHROME flatwound 'completely squeakless' CF35 and CF30 strings which are the same gauges, and any old E and A concert uke strings work just fine, if tuned to D and A upon first installation, and not higher for the 'E' string, otherwise if tuned to E and later detuned to D, the string has no tension and sound and plays like a rubber band...
I would like to have to chorusing effect sound that you get with doubled courses like on an 8-string uke, and the string tension on concert scale is much nicer to play for this than on a tenor, unless you use VERY LIGHT gauge strings, and then your intonation suffers, and there's not enough torque to drive the top to resonate properly, so that is why I am looking at purpose-build 8-string concert scale ukes, and i.e., the Taropatch quest.
Would there be a good way to modify a uke headstock to accept 8 tuners, I would first try this on a cheap sub-$100 concert uke to see if I like the sound, but the other concern is that doubling the string tension is likely to cause the instrument to implode, or at the very least pull the bridge off - I mean we are typically talking about 37lbs of tension on a concert uke and then to double that to 74lbs, for something NOT braced and built for it - I would expect disaster.
I am hopeful that Ohana follows through, and maybe inspires competition from Kala, Gretsch and Cordoba et al, so that maybe there will be more choices....
OTHERWISE - OMG - I may have to sell a foot, in order to get some cash to buy the tools necessary to build one myself - HA HA HA - but I have NO space and will be moving in the next 4-6 months so likely such a project is but a fantasy until maybe a year from now, so I have to BUY a pre-made on if I want one sooner than that (and also KEEP my left foot)