Making my First Electric Ukulele...feasibility and help please!

needmorecowbell

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I've always been interested in how people build acoustic instruments, but I feel like it is too much of a task for a jobless teenager. With that being said, I feel like an electric ukulele would be much more feasible for me. This would be my first time building this sort of thing, but that isn't to say I haven't done my fair share of research. So far, this is my go-to for the build:
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Build-an-Electric-Ukulele/

I would like to build a tenor. I have a nice lumber shop a few streets from me that I would like to order a slab of wood for the body from. Is mahogany the way to go, or should I be open to anything else? Also, I have looked at building the neck, and it seems overwhelmingly terrifying. Should I just buy one, or would It be best to make one?

I'm willing to do the work and learn for this project, but I don't want to be building something I won't ever be able to use. If what I'm talking about is unrealistic in the slightest, please let me know so I can make changes to the plan.
 
Oddly enough, I'm almost done with some step-by-step plans to build a tenor electric ukulele. They should be live on my blog in the next two weeks. I'm trying to make the plans as easily as possible, while still making a cool and playable instrument. http://circuitsandstrings.wordpress.com/free-plans/

I'll also have a companion video on my YouTube channel. http://www.youtube.com/user/CircuitsAndStrings

For an electric, maple is really good for the neck. Alder, ash, and mahogany are good for the body.
 
I had plans to reproduce my 80's BC Rich Guitar into a concert or tenor ukulele. I started buying things like a black bridge from eBay like the one in the instructable planning on making a steel stringed uke. My plan was to buy BC Rich labeled P Bass pickups from china and rewire them to work as two.

Then I heard a Risa on youtube and saw a nylon stringed uke ran though an effects box. I became only more confused as nylon stringed ukes with piezo pickups sound awesome through an amp as well.

My question which I never asked yet due to taking on too many projects. The answer might change buying a premade neck. Does a steel stringed uke need an adjustable trussrod or stabilizer rod in the neck?
 
The most difficult part of the neck is fretting it accurately and on this note you COULD by a fretted fretboard already done. There would still be some aspects of the neck you would need to be careful with but a fretted fretboard would make it much easier.

Anthony
 
Oddly enough, I'm almost done with some step-by-step plans to build a tenor electric ukulele. They should be live on my blog in the next two weeks. I'm trying to make the plans as easily as possible, while still making a cool and playable instrument. http://circuitsandstrings.wordpress.com/free-plans/

I'll also have a companion video on my YouTube channel. http://www.youtube.com/user/CircuitsAndStrings

For an electric, maple is really good for the neck. Alder, ash, and mahogany are good for the body.

Ahh great! I'll be sure to check it out. Thanks!
 
The most difficult part of the neck is fretting it accurately and on this note you COULD by a fretted fretboard already done. There would still be some aspects of the neck you would need to be careful with but a fretted fretboard would make it much easier.

Anthony

I was looking at that, how would I get the shape of the neck and head? Lots of sanding? And thanks, ill look at fretted fretboards now.

I was thinking the same thing inksplosive. I was going to use mandolin steel strings.
 
Does a steel stringed uke need an adjustable trussrod or stabilizer rod in the neck?

I've made about a dozen steel string ukuleles. I put a rod in one of them, but not in the rest. I use really light strings. All of the necks have been very stable.
 
One of the most obvious signs of a new or skilled builder is how well carved the neck is. They're carved to start with. Still, I have a couple of ukulele's with pretty rough necks but they still work just fine. Bolt on electric is easier. Start with a rectangular section and carefully round it off in the middle and through the headstock transition. Leave the heel where you bolt it on square. If you leave the neck chunky enough you won't need a truss rod. I run the lightest 4 strings from a set of 10-46 electric guitar strings on my steel, electric ukulele.

Anthony
 
I've made about a dozen steel string ukuleles. I put a rod in one of them, but not in the rest. I use really light strings. All of the necks have been very stable.

I've started looking at your videos, I love them. I've been reading a lot more about the neck, as it seems like the main issue that I will have. I decided that a little math won't hurt me, and that maybe doing the fret board myself would be a fun endeavor to take on.

Here is a link to what I think I want, I love the ebony and Indian Rosewood, so either of those would be ideal for me: http://www.lmii.com/products/mostly-wood/fingerboards/mandolin-and-ukulele-fingerboards

I understand I would have to buy fret wire, and glue it down safely to the neck. The only issue would be deciding whether to add an inlay for the frets or not. The more and more I look into this, the more I want to do it right.

Here is a video that I thought helped me a lot:


Along with this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K5LeSE1QOE

Hopefully if someone is ever in the same position as me, this will help them!
 
Just took a look at the plans and video, I loved it. The classical style head looks very elegant. I'll definitely be using your idea for the layered body, as I'm not confident with my router skills. I may also do the neck like you, I was planning on doing the standard mortise and tenon, but yours seems much easier. Can't argue with the results either! By the way, I love your work, I believe I subscribed to you a week ago on youtube. Thanks!!!
 
I was looking at that, how would I get the shape of the neck and head? Lots of sanding? And thanks, ill look at fretted fretboards now.

I was thinking the same thing inksplosive. I was going to use mandolin steel strings.

It is not as hard as you might imagine, although accuracy is your friend. I made a video of the steps I take to make a banjolele, much of which involves a schematic view of how to make the neck. I use a band saw for some of the cuts, but a hand saw is possible. Most of the rough shaping is then done with a rasp and coarse sand paper.

 
Ah thank you, the video has helped. You did a similar thing to the video I posted. But how do you secure the neck to the body without a mortise and tenon this way? From what I understand, the base of the neck is flat.
 
For the banjolele I rounded the end of the neck with a drum sander and then bolted it on using the captive nut thingy. For the 'proper' all wood sopranos I have been making more recently, I used the spanish heal technique, where two slots are cut either side of the neck and the pre-bent sides glued and wedged into them. This makes a rock solid joint and is relatively easy to get right.
 
Read Melvyn Hiscocks book on building an electric guitar. The design and construction process is identical to building a solid body uke and it is broken down in to very simple steps. Just scale it down. Practice neck carving on a 2x4 until you feel comfortable attacking your neck.
 
Orange- thanks, I read up on captive nuts, I'm thinking that might be the way to go because the Spanish heal would be impossible for this build (solid body).

Thistle- trying to find the book at a library, so far no luck. But I'm determined! Seems like exactly what I need, thanks!
 
An easy neck joint is to use a neck pocket. Its a simple process if you have a router. You can either glue it or bolt it.
 
Thanks, I was worried that doing that might not sound as great. In danielhubert's electric ukulele plans, he did that. It definitely looks like the easiest.
 
A quick update...

I've made the ukulele! Here is a video of how it sounds...


It is for a fundraiser I have started. There will be tickets to raffle off this ukulele and all of the proceeds will go to coral.org, a reef conservation alliance. I'd like to thank everyone for helping me so much on this project, and I'm happy that I am able to give back with this knowledge.

I was asked to build another ukulele for the relay for life, a cancer support fundraiser. I can't wait to make it!!
 
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