NUD: Bonanza Homestead Walnut Concert

Cluze

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Well the nice folks from FedEx are still working and just dropped off my Bonanza Homestead. My wife bought a tenor in cherry earlier this year. I liked it so much I ordered myself a concert in black walnut the day after her arrived!

It looks, plays, and sounds great! It has an amazing chime and sustain. The sound isn't quite as full as some of my non-thin-line instruments, but it still has plenty of volume. I am super happy with it.

I'll try to post some pictures this afternoon, but if you don't know about Bonanza or about their Homestead line, you are missing out on a hidden American gem!
 
Are you gonna show us pics, or make us wait in suspense?
 
Are you gonna show us pics, or make us wait in suspense?

Sorry, working from home, and it has taken my attention away from "not working" while at home... I'll see what I can do this evening. :)
 
Ok, sorry for the delay. This week has been crazy, as I am sure it is for pretty much everyone, but I took a few minutes this morning while the wife was still asleep and took a few pictures. I decided to go for a traditional double-bout in black walnut. Here's the front:

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And here's the back:

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For those who don't know, Bonanza Pete makes these by routing out two "shells", one for the front and one for the back, and then sandwiching them together. This means that the top and back just kind of transition into the sides. It is a thin line, and you can see the seam between the two halves here:

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If you look carefully inside the sound hole, you can see where the router marks are:

i-MSSWLbZ-M.jpg


I think that even the bracing is actually part of the front and back themselves, they are simply not routed out, rather than being a different wood that is glued in later.

Being a thin line body, it does a have a more subdued sound, but I rather like it. It isn't quiet per se, I would describe it more as "polite." Not too loud or in your face, just nice and sweet.
 
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I have a Homestead concert in cherry and "polite" is a very good description of its volume. Nice looking uke!
 
What is the neck like? Nut width? Neck shape/thickness?

That's a nice looking ukulele, and the price looks good too.
 
The nut is a roomy 38 mm, with about 30 mm G to A spacing.

The neck itself has a very nice rounded profile; not the kind of constant radius far-eastern sort of profile, but not the flat Magic Fluke profile either. Kind of inbetween. It feels very comfortable to my hands.
 
that is beautiful. I was a little put off because i found the array of wood choices bewildering but i think i really like that black walnut
 
Very pretty uke, and nice pics too. Not a sideways one among 'em! :)
 
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