Build Thread: Cripple Creek 5-String Tenor

Jim Hanks

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The idea for this build stemmed from a recent thread:
https://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?138456-5-string-ukulele

In that thread, David Hanson (UU name tukanu), mentioned he could build one and posted a picture of a very nice looking 5-string guitar. After checking out some more of his work from his web site gallery (https://cripplecreekmandolins.com/), I reached out to David via email to kick some ideas around and see if he was in my league in terms of budget. He made me an offer I couldn't refuse, so here we are. :cool:

We're still in the "design and gathering materials" phase so it will be a while yet before progress pictures start rolling, but I figured I'd go ahead and start the thread so y'all can get excited too. :)

I'll make individual posts on the various design aspects. Tonight, I'll start with the neck and string configuration.
 
Neck and string configuration

It will be a standard 17" tenor scale length with 5 equally spaced strings. Exact width is still TBD, but string spacing will be closer to guitalele than uke, maybe even slightly narrower than typical guitalele.

My first thought was a banjo-like configuration with the fifth string starting at the fifth fret. David was not in favor of that, preferring it to run the full length of the fretboard. This will allow for a number of possibilities in terms of tuning.

It could be tuned linearly, DGCEA, which would extend the low end note range below a low G uke. But meh, just leave a string off a guitalele (or don't play the sixth string) for that.

Raising the D an octave, dGCEA seems much more interesting. This is essentially a "kiku" tuning (though a 6-string kiku would have an A 6th string a step above the low G). This tuning should add some nice chord voicing options to the typical low G tuning.

Also note that if the third string is tuned down, it gives dGBEA which is a reentrant baritone tuning on the bottom four strings, extending the high range end with the top string. Never seen that before.

The other intriguing option is to tune it like a mini-banjo anyway even with the long 5th string. This would be cGCEg where the 5th string is an octave higher than the 3rd string. This is really high for a tenor scale, but it is possible as Southcoast had a string for it. In fact, I think I have a couple leftover from cuatro sets. Hmm, Beansprout also does a standard banjo tuning of gDGBd which would be easier to get the g4 fifth string and rearranged guilele strings for the rest.

My mind is already spinning.

I'm not sure what I'll pick as the nut for a D4 string and C5 string will likely need to be a lot different. I'll probably opt for the kiku treatment and hope the high C string works "well enough" if I ever try that option.
 
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Glad to see your build thread, Jim. I remember that 5-string guitar David built, it looked and sounded really nice. Looking forward to updates.
 
Jim, you must be the King of Alternate Tunings and having an equal fifth string to play with seems like a whole other level of complexity. I am intrigued by this and look forward to the build thread and then the Tuning Thread.
 
Jim, you must be the King of Alternate Tunings and having an equal fifth string to play with seems like a whole other level of complexity. I am intrigued by this and look forward to the build thread and then the Tuning Thread.

The thing is, none of my tunings are "alternate" really. They are all transpositions of standard GCEA uke tuning or EADGBE guitar tuning with/without octave shifts on some strings. So my chord shapes are all the same. That's assuming I don't try the banjo tuning of course - I have not yet. The 5-string should be easier to play than guitar. ;)
 
Body Shape

Flipping through David's gallery, he has quite a number of different shapes in his uke repertoire, from traditional figure-8 to pineapple, even a nod to the Pineapple Sunday. But he also makes mandolins and their deeper cousin, the mandola. Y'all know I'm not big on tradition, so it's the latter shape that we settled upon. Here's an example of a mandola-themed uke:
gy2P28ol.jpg


And here's an actual mandola in progress:
0UoxcIIl.jpg


The body will be 12" wide and 3" deep. To give a sense of scale, here is a sketch beside a standard tenor:
ZoMXjPal.jpg
 
Will the volume of the body be the same as the traditional bout, or are you tinkering with that as well?

Should be pretty awesome when you are done. His mandolins look great. Really interesting project.
 
Will the volume of the body be the same as the traditional bout, or are you tinkering with that as well?

If you mean "air displaced", I would expect it to be more just looking at that last picture, but then the upper bout is smaller, so maybe it is about the same, I dunno.
 
Way to go brother Jim......you are the "King" of thinking out of the box, if not alternate tuning, love it. I look forward to the seeing the upcoming pictures and details. Congratulations
 
Jim, you are king of five strings. Five string instruments are in-between ukulele and guitar. You are better than Kieth Richards and Albert King.

 
Woods

This could still change up a little bit, but the current wood choices are:
lightly curled maple body, similar to this (might be my actual set):
b0fz7Kdl.jpg


cedar top ("to balance out the tone")
I8Hjpo6l.jpg


curly koa binding
Rosewood fingerboard and bridge.
Mahogany neck ("also help to soften the tone of the maple body")
 
Is it me or is this starting to get a little creepy? :anyone: :rofl:
Well you are not alone..
on that body, would you consider a splated flamed maple or something with a sap section to make it looks more interesting? It’s a custom build and I thought there’s plenty of stuff you could have. Jmho.
 
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