NUD: Kamaka style cigar box uke

My latest cigar box uke, a concert scale made from a Davis 1886 box and a plank of Black Cherry I rescued and saved when we remodeled one of our rooms back in the early 2000s.The Black Cherry in the neck is sandwiched around a core of Ovangkol. I just strung it today with D'Addario EJ99SC strings. Tuners are just some generic friction tuners I had bouncing around my spares box.

The uke is inspired by a set of similar CBUs made by Hawaiian luthier Sam Kamaka, Jr. a few decades ago. I used Bill Jehle's latest book and drawings as a guide, but I made a few changes to suit my own preferences. A fun little project that I probably won't play a lot, but will keep on display to show off the Black Cherry that was once hidden under layers of paint. Who mixes a plank of Black Cherry in with a bunch of paint grade Poplar?

That’s a really nice cigar box ukulele!

Benjamin

TheUkuleleStyle said:

That’s a really nice cigar box ukulele!

Benjamin

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Thanks Benjamin.

Very cool! Looks terrific. How does it sound?

What are the dimensions of the box? I have some that I think are too small.

Kenn2018 said:

Very cool! Looks terrific. How does it sound?

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Thanks. Kind of hard to tell now. The strings are still going out of tune really fast as I play, but it seems like it will have a nice crisp tone.

Jerryc41 said:

What are the dimensions of the box? I have some that I think are too small.

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8 3/8" x 6" x 2.5". I've made a soprano and a concert from Davis 1886 boxes.