No, this isn't a science fiction movie or a NASA mission plan. It's a visit to Jupiter Ukulele (Jonathan Dale) in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
I first became aware of Jupiter Ukulele earlier this year when I was considering ordering a custom-built ukulele. I contacted Jon and he said that he was taking the summer off from building and wasn't taking any orders. One thing led to another and, after an unfortunate experience, I found myself still in the market for a new uke. I emailed Jon and found that he had an open build spot that he would hold for me.
Despite studying all the wonderful photos on his website, I still was hesitating to make the commitment, so I contacted several members here on UU who have purchased Jupiter ukuleles (and guitaleles!). The response was 100% positive. Everyone loved their Jupiters and assured me that this was a great opportunity to acquire a fantastic instrument. That was enough to convince me, so I accepted Jon's offer of a spot in his upcoming batch.
It turns out that Jon is located only a short (1 1/2hour) drive from my home in Central Pennsylvania, so he invited me and my wife to visit him at his home and shop to discuss options and wood choices. Yesterday, Sept. 4, we drove to Bethlehem to meet Jon.
We were warmly welcomed and spent quite some time sitting on his lovely patio talking about ukuleles, construction technique, woods, options, decorations, and everything else related to building a custom instrument. (Of course, we were maintaining appropriate social distance and wearing face masks!) Jon had only one finished instrument in stock, #67 – Spalted Tamarind & Redwood Tenor. We spent some time looking at this uke and were amazed at the beauty, the craftsmanship, and the great sound. This uke is sold and will soon be in the hands of a lucky UU member (congratulations, Kathyrn, it's a winner!). I was originally going to go with a concert size, but after seeing this one, I changed my mind and decided to get a tenor.
From there, we went up to Jon's "Solar-powered drying room" (his attic!) where he has a huge stash of tonewoods, most of which he harvested and cut himself from locally-acquired trees. I really liked the idea of using locally-sourced woods and have no concern about using these non-traditional woods. I strongly believe that the skill of the luthier is the primary factor in the sound of the instrument, not necessarily the wood. We considered numerous wood combinations and finally chose the pieces that will be used in my new ukulele.
Finally, we headed downstairs to Jon's workshop where we chose a few final details (purfling, binding, etc.).
After finalizing everything, we departed for home, quite satisfied and excited about my soon-to-be-born ukulele!
Here's the basic info on what I selected. I'll post a new thread detailing the progress and posting photos as the build moves forward.
Tenor Ukulele
- Streaky Watertank Redwood Top
- Figured Pennsylvania Sycamore Back and Sides
- Mahogany Neck
- Brazilian Ebony Fretboad
- Dogwood Root Burl Headstock Faceplate
- Black Bog Oak Binding
- Black & White Purfling
- Gotoh UPT Tuners
- Misi Pickup
Thanks again to everyone that responded to my questions and most of all, thanks to Jonathan Dale for his hospitality and expertise! I guess you can all tell that I'm pretty excited about this order?
I first became aware of Jupiter Ukulele earlier this year when I was considering ordering a custom-built ukulele. I contacted Jon and he said that he was taking the summer off from building and wasn't taking any orders. One thing led to another and, after an unfortunate experience, I found myself still in the market for a new uke. I emailed Jon and found that he had an open build spot that he would hold for me.
Despite studying all the wonderful photos on his website, I still was hesitating to make the commitment, so I contacted several members here on UU who have purchased Jupiter ukuleles (and guitaleles!). The response was 100% positive. Everyone loved their Jupiters and assured me that this was a great opportunity to acquire a fantastic instrument. That was enough to convince me, so I accepted Jon's offer of a spot in his upcoming batch.
It turns out that Jon is located only a short (1 1/2hour) drive from my home in Central Pennsylvania, so he invited me and my wife to visit him at his home and shop to discuss options and wood choices. Yesterday, Sept. 4, we drove to Bethlehem to meet Jon.
We were warmly welcomed and spent quite some time sitting on his lovely patio talking about ukuleles, construction technique, woods, options, decorations, and everything else related to building a custom instrument. (Of course, we were maintaining appropriate social distance and wearing face masks!) Jon had only one finished instrument in stock, #67 – Spalted Tamarind & Redwood Tenor. We spent some time looking at this uke and were amazed at the beauty, the craftsmanship, and the great sound. This uke is sold and will soon be in the hands of a lucky UU member (congratulations, Kathyrn, it's a winner!). I was originally going to go with a concert size, but after seeing this one, I changed my mind and decided to get a tenor.
From there, we went up to Jon's "Solar-powered drying room" (his attic!) where he has a huge stash of tonewoods, most of which he harvested and cut himself from locally-acquired trees. I really liked the idea of using locally-sourced woods and have no concern about using these non-traditional woods. I strongly believe that the skill of the luthier is the primary factor in the sound of the instrument, not necessarily the wood. We considered numerous wood combinations and finally chose the pieces that will be used in my new ukulele.
Finally, we headed downstairs to Jon's workshop where we chose a few final details (purfling, binding, etc.).
After finalizing everything, we departed for home, quite satisfied and excited about my soon-to-be-born ukulele!
Here's the basic info on what I selected. I'll post a new thread detailing the progress and posting photos as the build moves forward.
Tenor Ukulele
- Streaky Watertank Redwood Top
- Figured Pennsylvania Sycamore Back and Sides
- Mahogany Neck
- Brazilian Ebony Fretboad
- Dogwood Root Burl Headstock Faceplate
- Black Bog Oak Binding
- Black & White Purfling
- Gotoh UPT Tuners
- Misi Pickup
Thanks again to everyone that responded to my questions and most of all, thanks to Jonathan Dale for his hospitality and expertise! I guess you can all tell that I'm pretty excited about this order?
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