Mark Roberts Ukuleles
Active member
Black & White Laotian Pale Moon Ebony, Diospyros malabarica (syn. Diospyros embryopteris, D. peregrina). Rare specie of wood, and not like other Ebonies. A more midrange Janka hardness in the range of Bastogne Walnut, Zebrawood, and Ovankol.
European Carpathian Spruce sound board. Figured Oregon Big Leaf Maple neck, with Malagasy Ebony stringer. B+W Ebony ebony on back of neck, headstock and heel cap veneers. Malagasy Ebony binding, w/ Figured Maple purflings. Mi-Si / LR Baggs underside pickup.
"Mark Roberts is more than a luthier. He is a creative, a designer, an artist, and a student of acoustics. His skill in each area is revealed in the exceptional detail applied to his ukuleles. Speak with him and you'll appreciate his knowledge and passion for the merging of form and function. Mark's appreciation and respect for Nature and science informs his creations, inevitably enhancing the player's experience.
The neck and compound radius fretboard make the instrument a joy to play. It is pitch perfect up and down the fretboard. Where the ukulele really shines is in the balanced tonal range perfect for jazz and exploiting a musician's use of dynamics. The design features pay off in ample volume and wonderful lingering sustain. You can tell this was built to breathe and vibrate. You can feel it in your hands and through your chest, improving the musical and emotional connection between musician and instrument.
This is one of the best musical instruments I've ever had the pleasure to play. I'm lucky to have found it and Mark's work."
Tim Hanke
European Carpathian Spruce sound board. Figured Oregon Big Leaf Maple neck, with Malagasy Ebony stringer. B+W Ebony ebony on back of neck, headstock and heel cap veneers. Malagasy Ebony binding, w/ Figured Maple purflings. Mi-Si / LR Baggs underside pickup.
"Mark Roberts is more than a luthier. He is a creative, a designer, an artist, and a student of acoustics. His skill in each area is revealed in the exceptional detail applied to his ukuleles. Speak with him and you'll appreciate his knowledge and passion for the merging of form and function. Mark's appreciation and respect for Nature and science informs his creations, inevitably enhancing the player's experience.
The neck and compound radius fretboard make the instrument a joy to play. It is pitch perfect up and down the fretboard. Where the ukulele really shines is in the balanced tonal range perfect for jazz and exploiting a musician's use of dynamics. The design features pay off in ample volume and wonderful lingering sustain. You can tell this was built to breathe and vibrate. You can feel it in your hands and through your chest, improving the musical and emotional connection between musician and instrument.
This is one of the best musical instruments I've ever had the pleasure to play. I'm lucky to have found it and Mark's work."
Tim Hanke
