Build Thread: Tenor Guitalele by Jonathan Dale/Jupiter Ukulele

Jim Hanks

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This will be my second Jupiter. The first is #47, a baritone scale and body parlor guitar
https://forum.ukuleleunderground.co...nathan-Dale-Jupiter-Ukulele-47-Custom-Guilele

This one is going to be somewhat similar, just shrunk down to tenor scale and body size, and designed for standard linear ADGCEA guitalele tuning.

This thread will present some of the design choices.

Discussion on this one began with a blog post for his previous batch. This one:
http://jupiteruke.com/2019/11/18/ive-got-your-backs-2/

I really liked the look of the tamarind one and even asked if it was available to maybe turn into a guitalele. Alas, it was too far gone down the path to being a regular tenor. (And a very nice tenor it turned out to be. As of this writing, it is still available? What?!? http://jupiteruke.com/tenor-ukuleles/67-spalted-tamarind-redwood-tenor/ )

Anyway, Jon penciled me in for the next batch and contacted me about a month later to start talking specifics. He had some more of the tamarind so that was a shoo-in for the back&sides. For the top, Jon suggested Port Orford cedar. As he put it, "I have some nice sets cut from old beach logs out west. I have used it once, and I sent a set to a friend and fellow ukulele builder out west, and we both independently used the same words to describe the tone - "bell like". It had a kind of sparkling clarity, yet still a nice warm low end. "

That sounded good to me so away we go.
 
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Back Choices

Two sets to choose from for the back:
P3YDVVGm.png
xT4AIOdm.png

Higher res pics:
https://i.imgur.com/P3YDVVG.png
https://i.imgur.com/xT4AIOd.png
 
Oooo I really do love that Tamarind! Do you have anything in mind for possible binding?
 
I agree with your choice. Imagine how either one will look with a finish applied!

That was my thinking too. I also tend to go for the straighter grain on top. A nice gloss finish on the body, satin finish on the neck, classy!
It makes more sense to me to have the less complicated of the spalted backs/sides for long term reliability.
So, just to be annoying (again?), my choices: back #2 and top #4

Annoyance mode off, over and out.
 
That was my thinking too. I also tend to go for the straighter grain on top. A nice gloss finish on the body, satin finish on the neck, classy!
It makes more sense to me to have the less complicated of the spalted backs/sides for long term reliability.
So, just to be annoying (again?), my choices: back #2 and top #4

Annoyance mode off, over and out.

Did anyone else notice what looks like something at the top of back #1?
 
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