Novices review: The Uke Book Illustrated

Arcy

Strummin' in the Rain
Joined
Apr 19, 2018
Messages
1,597
Reaction score
1,265
Location
Redmond, WA
The Uke Book Illustrated arrived yesterday and I've read about halfway through. I'm really impressed, and from a novices point of view (some woodworking background, several starts that turned to kindling, but no completed instruments). It's one of the best and clearest lutherie books I've read.

The illustrations are excellent and the instructions are in a hand writing font, but very readable. In ways it feels more like an art book than a project manual. If it were hardcover it wouldn't be out of place on a coffee table. In soft-cover this will go in my workshop.

The project is a Spanish construction tenor ukulele built around a solara. It's all hand tools (so far the only sign of power has been dust collection) and assumes no woodworking background. There is lots of info on chisels, rasps, scrapers, shooting boards, etc. Except for the bending pipe it shows how to make all of the specialty jigs and tools, and it goes into very good detail about how to use them and where, how to set up for gluing and clamping, and how to clean up the squeeze out. The illustrations show each part built up or carved down in several steps at a level that would be difficult to pull off with photos.

I'm not going to follow it's instructions exactly (I have a router and I will use it), but after reading it I'm much more confidant in the areas that hand tools will be appropriate for me. Several steps that I thought I had understood are now much clearer.

The only negative is inherent in the scope: the book teaches how John Weissenrieder builds ukukeles. Several of the high level steps are done differently from other sources I've looked at (solara vs. molds, different radiusing jigs, fancy heel, etc.), and it doesn't mention other building styles or explain the advantages or disadvantages. Even so, the low level details are presented clearly enough and with enough explanation that the concepts will travel even if the details are different.

I'd be interested to know what an intermediate or advanced builder thinks. From an intermediate POV, does it cover the areas well that gave you trouble in your first build(s)? From an advanced POV, do the steps look as sound to someone who knows what they're doing as they do to me? Are there pieces that you'd recommend a novice without master oversight skip or do differently?

I'm still struggling to find time and space to build my Stewmac kit, so it may be a while before I can use anything here in a scratch build, but I'm certainly jazzed to do so. If only I weren't in a different state from my workshop!

--Rob
 
Thanks for this review. I'm a fairly novice instrument builder (one project completed), though I've been doing general woodworking for a number of years. I've skimmed through my copy of the book, and I think there's a ton of good information in there. The format is quite usable, and the art is great. I think a lot of your observations about the book are correct. But I've learned through the years that any "how to" about building something in wood requires translation by the reader to incorporate the skills and tools available to him or her.
 
I'll be getting this. I'm in an apartment, so my space and the amount of noise I can make are limited. Nearly all the other instruction I've found assumes you have at least a router. I've did illustrations for a book in my younger days and have a sense for how much work it is. Looking at the video promo, I was gobsmacked by the number and general quality.
 
Last edited:
I struggle to understand why the slipper heel is the most common form of suggested construction in these books - and I had a master-class instruction on this 3 years ago and still couldn't get my head around why someone would use it. Apart from the challenge of carving the heel plus the added complications this causes for both binding and finishing it is not modern or in my view sensible point to start your making career. But, what do I know? I've only been making for 25years and must have had my head so far in the sand that I have missed something.... and yes if tried it, the spline joint, the dowel joint, dovetail construction, butt joint and screw settling on a bolted neck joint. My ghast is always being flabbered by books that suggest this neck joint.
 
I struggle to understand why the slipper heel is the most common form of suggested construction in these books - and I had a master-class instruction on this 3 years ago and still couldn't get my head around why someone would use it. Apart from the challenge of carving the heel plus the added complications this causes for both binding and finishing it is not modern or in my view sensible point to start your making career. But, what do I know? I've only been making for 25years and must have had my head so far in the sand that I have missed something.... and yes if tried it, the spline joint, the dowel joint, dovetail construction, butt joint and screw settling on a bolted neck joint. My ghast is always being flabbered by books that suggest this neck joint.

I've completed just one neck (which is a bolt-on), but as a woodworker, the difficulties of building the Spanish heel neck shown in the book just jump off the page. I'm curious if there is any reason, other than tradition, to building a neck that way. Still, my initial skim through the book indicates that there is a lot of good information in there that is valuable to the novice builder (like me).
 
Thanks for the thread. Like Paul, i built my first uke in my house with just some traditional tools (trying to make some other...but not really efficient :D) so i'm just buying it for learn good advice (yet i'm agree with you concerning the neck :) )
 
That's what is so frustrating - there is always gems in these books set against too much bad advice.
 
That's what is so frustrating - there is always gems in these books set against too much bad advice.

I'll will send you my book by post so you will cross out and correct over the text :D Thanks Pete :)
 
I'm with Pete. The Spanish heel (not to mention the dovetail joint) should have vanished decades ago. It's another example of luthiers hobbling themselves to satisfy a quest to honor a questionable tradition.
 
I am yet to get my copy, but from the sample chapters which have been around for a while, I am very taken with the idea of drawings and paintings to illustrate the construction process. I wish I could draw like that. I will dissent on the idea of the Spanish heel style of construction. I don't think they are difficult to do, and the advantage is that it lines up the neck and body centreline and puts the top of the neck in the same place as the soundboard, two important aspects of building which are all to easy for the novice builder to get wrong. If I may be allowed a moment a gratuitous self promotion, my book on building ukuleles is just about ready for the printer. It offers three different ways to attach necks (including the Spanish). The are a couple of chapters available as a pdf download at http://www.mcdonaldstrings.com/ukulelebook.html if you care to take a look. Prepublication ordering will be available soon and I am sure there will be lots of things about it for people to criticise :cool:.
 
As a novice builder I built my first uke with a bolt on then switched to Spanish heel for my second and found it has a lot of advantages. Granted it does make carving the heel more difficult, and does require some hand cutting of binding and purfling channels around the neck and heel, but as mentioned by Graham it allows for much easier neck alignment and makes the fit between neck and body much cleaner (especially if the upper bout has any curvature) as on my first build I struggled to 'floss' without changing the neck angle and alignment.

I would recommend novice builders try both methods early on to see what works for them.
 
My copy arrived this morning and I have spent the afternoon reading through it. It is a gorgeous concept and the drawings/paintings allow a focus in just that part of the procedure being shown. Essentially it is about making a little, four stringed, classical guitar and that is entirely fine if at times overly complicated. The one problem that I have is that there does not seem to be any information on locating or gluing the bridge, the making of which is covered in some detail.

Cheers
 
My copy arrived few day ago, love it, with a lot of little tips that i will use on my project :)
Very useful
 
If I may be allowed a moment a gratuitous self promotion, my book on building ukuleles is just about ready for the printer. It offers three different ways to attach necks (including the Spanish). The are a couple of chapters available as a pdf download at http://www.mcdonaldstrings.com/ukulelebook.html if you care to take a look. Prepublication ordering will be available soon and I am sure there will be lots of things about it for people to criticise :cool:.

That looks like a very good book. Let us know when it is available.
 
I struggle to understand why the slipper heel is the most common form of suggested construction in these books - and I had a master-class instruction on this 3 years ago and still couldn't get my head around why someone would use it. Apart from the challenge of carving the heel plus the added complications this causes for both binding and finishing it is not modern or in my view sensible point to start your making career. But, what do I know? I've only been making for 25years and must have had my head so far in the sand that I have missed something.... and yes if tried it, the spline joint, the dowel joint, dovetail construction, butt joint and screw settling on a bolted neck joint. My ghast is always being flabbered by books that suggest this neck joint.

Your recommendation(s) for an alternative book suitable for the beginner using hand tools would be appreciated. Simple construction to produce a decent sounding instrument would be good. Obviously those that want the best sounding instruments will either have to become more skilled or pay a professional to build one for them. However a lot of players aspire to someday build something passable for themselves, please do recommend a better text to guide them on that first build ... and maybe some of the early subsequent builds that might well follow it.
 
I don't read comic books. I was completely put off by the illustrations and text, though the neck joint by itself made me put the book away. Graham McDonald's book
is far more useful.
 
Yes, that is a practical goal. I would never put one of my home-mades up against a Timms or a KoAloha. I like the satisfaction of putting something together that sounds like a ukulele.

It might be ‘some time’ before Pete answers my original question seeking his recommendation for a more suitable and simple text. No book will ever satisfy all the people but constructive criticism and comment is nearly always helpful. Whilst we wait for Pete’s response would you please name the text(s) you have (already) found particularly helpful?

That ‘perfect’ book - ideally just the one, two at a push - that has already enabled you to build something passable for yourself using simple tools and simple processes (passable: sounds good enough to play with friends, looks like it was built with some care and gives you pleasure to use).
 
Last edited:
It might be ‘some time’ before Pete answers my original question seeking his recommendation for a more suitable and simple text. No book will ever satisfy all the people but constructive criticism and comment is nearly always helpful. Whilst we wait for Pete’s response would you please name the text(s) you have (already) found particularly helpful?

That ‘perfect’ book - ideally just the one, two at a push - that has already enabled you to build something passable for yourself using simple tools and simple processes (passable: sounds good enough to play with friends, looks like it was built with some care and gives you pleasure to use).

You seem to be replying to the wrong post. Look at jcalkin's post.
 
Top Bottom