Stress is not the only important issue here in my mind...
The fact is that with a ukulele we have a very small area of wood that vibrates to create the sound we want to hear....We also have nowhere near the energy available from placing metal strings under the tensions that you see in a mountain dulcimer or the like.....Therefore, we need to understand how to coax as much as we can out of that area. So, there is a weight to strength issue as well as the issue of which wood transfers that energy (of the plucked nylon string under relatively low tension) into a clear musical sound with good volume....or said another way : We have the dynamics of the structure holding itself together under tension and we have the dynamics of making something that sounds musical and has volume. All with a rather small source of energy.
If you want to make your own determination sometime, start by taking a piece of spruce and a piece of poplar that are the same size ....hold them close to your ear with two fingers about 20% in from the edge of the length and tap with a finger on the other hand (or use a yarn covered mallet or something to strike it)....Which one gives you a more pleasing sound? And which one gives you more volume? What about sustain or any of the other complexities you may want to tease out of an instrument....
Then take that and add it into the equation of other bits you have learned: strength to weight ratios, etc. and make your choice....
You can build a ukulele out of a cardboard box if you choose to .....It is not a question of what can be done....it is a question of what you want out of the instrument you are spending a good bit of your time making.... Sometimes you have to go ahead and take the time to experiment to get the answer you are looking for....I personally like to experiment as my time is precious and so are the woods I work with....
So in short, poplar can be used as an "OK" tone wood if the proper considerations are given to it....I think printer2 siad it well with
But to me, in my experimentation, spruce outshines poplar in every way (is also cheap and if sourced correctly rather sustainable) and I do not waste my time making instruments that are just "OK" with the amount of work and $ I put into them....
I hope this helps and all the best on your adventure!
The fact is that with a ukulele we have a very small area of wood that vibrates to create the sound we want to hear....We also have nowhere near the energy available from placing metal strings under the tensions that you see in a mountain dulcimer or the like.....Therefore, we need to understand how to coax as much as we can out of that area. So, there is a weight to strength issue as well as the issue of which wood transfers that energy (of the plucked nylon string under relatively low tension) into a clear musical sound with good volume....or said another way : We have the dynamics of the structure holding itself together under tension and we have the dynamics of making something that sounds musical and has volume. All with a rather small source of energy.
If you want to make your own determination sometime, start by taking a piece of spruce and a piece of poplar that are the same size ....hold them close to your ear with two fingers about 20% in from the edge of the length and tap with a finger on the other hand (or use a yarn covered mallet or something to strike it)....Which one gives you a more pleasing sound? And which one gives you more volume? What about sustain or any of the other complexities you may want to tease out of an instrument....
Then take that and add it into the equation of other bits you have learned: strength to weight ratios, etc. and make your choice....
You can build a ukulele out of a cardboard box if you choose to .....It is not a question of what can be done....it is a question of what you want out of the instrument you are spending a good bit of your time making.... Sometimes you have to go ahead and take the time to experiment to get the answer you are looking for....I personally like to experiment as my time is precious and so are the woods I work with....
So in short, poplar can be used as an "OK" tone wood if the proper considerations are given to it....I think printer2 siad it well with
As, it is NOT just about what materials were used to make the instrument....it is also the ability of the builder to coax the proper tone out of those materials whilst maintaining the instruments structural integrity. With this being said there are things we can spend our time on because we feel it is worth it....like for me finding sustainable alternatives to tropical hardwoods that are becoming scarce, or new styles of bracing, etc. Then there are things that are not worth it....Only you know the answer to that question.
But to me, in my experimentation, spruce outshines poplar in every way (is also cheap and if sourced correctly rather sustainable) and I do not waste my time making instruments that are just "OK" with the amount of work and $ I put into them....
I hope this helps and all the best on your adventure!
