Build No2 a bit of bling...

Parto

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Just strung this up and sounds really good, lots of sustain, intonation spot on, good action at the 12th so very happy. It has a wider bout than traditional tenor so next on the list is building a case.
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When I see an instrument that looks this good and the post says it's only no 2, I instantly look for no 1 ( that must have been good too). You dont appear to have posted that one.

I'm wondering why you chose that shape with such a large lower bout and whether you really did all that inlay work which looks great.

Even without the inlay work, you know how to make a good looking instrument.

I'm glad you are happy with the sound.
 
The shape was inspired by one of my favourite guitar makers (Casimi). The first looked good but was overbuilt so is just a wall hanger but lessons learnt.

I didn't do the fretboard and headstock inlay. That is a skill set I just don't have at this point. I bought an unslotted fingerboard blank with the inlay in fairly inexpensively from Thailand.
 
Modifying an instrument which doesn't play well is a challenge. The skills required to dismantle and remake are not the same as those to build. The last thing that you want to do is take apart something that's taken some time to put together: its easier to start another instrument as you have done.

I've been making ukes as a hobby now for over 4 yrs and in the last year or so have reworked some of my earlier ones. They are no longer 'precious' so my work to improve them was really an attempt to extend my skills. Whether I succeeded or not was not so important but in reality improvements resulted in all cases.

In the last few months I've bought a few old guitars off Ebay and set about rebuilding and refinishing them: in each case the back has been removed to modify or replace bracing etc. Its surprising how quickly confidence grows, when you have done a few.

The simple point I'm trying to make is that your good looking no 1 may become a great instrument at some point in the future should you have the desire and acquire the skills to rebuild it.
 
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