What's happening in your shed?

Ukuleles wood scraps ...

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I just finished a 14 month build of a 23" scale small body 6-string guitar. Old growth Red Spruce and old growth Honduran Mahogany, both of which were harvested over 30 years ago and allowed to season all that time. I'm very pleased with the tone, both acoustic and on the amp. I currently have a partially completed tenor uke on the bench. For it I'm using spares and scrap wood I have laying around the shop. It's purpose is to have a uke I can hang on the wall and grab when inspiration strikes. I gave my best tenor uke to a niece as a Christmas gift. I love building these things, and have given a couple away to relatives for birthday & Christmas.

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Uke-PXL_20210407_232907441.jpgYa'll make me look like an amateur, which I am. Here's my first attempt at inlay on my current build of American cherry and black walnut with a sitka spruce top. Spanish cedar and walnut neck.
 
I am finding that fitting the ribs for this dombra is very challenging. I had to bend a new piece for the last rib because the first one I made ended up too narrow to fill the gap. I have resigned myself to the fact that all the joints on this first attempt will not be perfect, and I intend to reinforce the joints internally with some fabric. A great luthiery learning experience! (That's tea in the mug, by the way).

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I am finding that fitting the ribs for this dombra is very challenging. I had to bend a new piece for the last rib because the first one I made ended up too narrow to fill the gap. I have resigned myself to the fact that all the joints on this first attempt will not be perfect, and I intend to reinforce the joints internally with some fabric. A great luthiery learning experience! (That's tea in the mug, by the way).

That's quite an operation. Since you're from Maine, I'll ask if you know Joel Ekhaus, a prolific builder of stringed instruments.

Oh, it looks like he's retiring. https://www.earnestinstruments.com/earnest-instruments-joel-eckhaus/
 
Hi Jerry - I don't know Joel Eckhaus personally, but I know of his work. He graciously hosted me at his shop in Portland about 15 years ago and showed me how he worked. At the time he was busy making and marketing his Tulelele model. I also remember a number of vintage tenor guitars hanging around, which seemed to be a particular interest of his. I had just begun building ukuleles and I had two or three of my first examples in the the car. He asked to see them. These examples were all finished well, but over braced and heavy, so pretty dead sound wise. Still, he was polite and had encouraging comments.

This is a photo of some Earnest instruments he had on display at the 2018 Luthier's Exhibition in Hallowell Maine.

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Hi Jerry - I don't know Joel Eckhaus personally, but I know of his work. He graciously hosted me at his shop in Portland about 15 years ago and showed me how he worked. At the time he was busy making and marketing his Tulelele model. I also remember a number of vintage tenor guitars hanging around, which seemed to be a particular interest of his. I had just begun building ukuleles and I had two or three of my first examples in the the car. He asked to see them. These examples were all finished well, but over braced and heavy, so pretty dead sound wise. Still, he was polite and had encouraging comments.

This is a photo of some Earnest instruments he had on display at the 2018 Luthier's Exhibition in Hallowell Maine.

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I met Joel at the uke fest n Ashokan, about two miles from me a few years ago. Years later, I bought a 1944 Martin from him. He had replaced the damaged top with spruce.

Joel is a good player, too. He explained how he learned from Roy Smeck. Let me see if I can find a picture. Yep - May, 2015.

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I am finding that fitting the ribs for this dombra is very challenging.

Looks great so far. If I may offer some advice, I'd reccomend to start with the centre rib and work outwards. This will make it easier (as well as practice).
 
About a year ago I completed a 19 5/8” scale steel string baritone ukulele. I took the plans for a 1940 Gibson L00 and shrunk them to 75%, and used that to create a body mold. I was very pleased with how that project came out, and was playing that instrument yesterday evening. I will be using those same drawings and body mold to construct a baritone scale kiku.

I spent this morning thickness sanding the Black Walnut and Redwood for the body. Neck will be Honduran Mahogany. Fretboard and bridge will be Ebony. Bindings and trim will likely be Indian Rosewood, as I have a fair supply of scrap left from other projects. I’ll likely also be working on a long scale tenor uke from Black Cherry and Redwood at the same time. After completing my 23" scale 0 parlor guitar recently, I was going to take a break from building and work on other things, but I can't seem to stay out of the shop.
 

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