Pete Howlett
Well-known member
Hi there folks
Having said all I had to say about building, a year ago I actively retired from this forum. I did not withdraw so I do occasionally post replies where I think my experience may provide a new view. I was criticised recently for this and I believe that post was taken down as a result of complaints made to the moderators... that is another good reason to retire
To make this post uke-related, I will post some images next week of my new body design. For many years I scoffed (am now eating humble pie, my hat and my words ) the spruce top brigade. The light went on when I saw the work of Jake Maclay and I have used the Martin OM body shape to create what he calls Californian style ukulele. The appeal is not to purists but to the growing army of guitar players who want their ukes to look and sound like little guitars... The body is slightly larger than the usual tenor size and (again eating my words) I am experimenting with radiused fingerboards and a low G. I've got old growth Indian rosewood for the back and sides ( deep purple with tight grain), moonspruce, Alpine spruce and some beautiful 24 grains to the inch Englemann and ebony for fingerboards and bridges! What is the world of Pete Howlett coming to? I'm experimenting with herringbone rosettes and will even look at ebony binding (I know - shoot him ). I will still be hand bending the sides, voicing tops and at last, the final leap to the dark side, inserting a solid 10mm square carbon fibre rod in the neck. I think I have turned around quite a few times now and if you are at all familiar with any of my former posts will realise the almost complete change of direction I am taking with these instruments.
Over in uke talk I am making a plea for images of vintage Howlett ukulele form the 1990's. These were sold out of Music Exchange in Hawaii and were mainly slotted headstock 6 & 8 string tenors. I think I built about 20 or so concerts out of the 200 built from 1995 - 1998. Go there for information please.
Thanks
Pete
Having said all I had to say about building, a year ago I actively retired from this forum. I did not withdraw so I do occasionally post replies where I think my experience may provide a new view. I was criticised recently for this and I believe that post was taken down as a result of complaints made to the moderators... that is another good reason to retire
To make this post uke-related, I will post some images next week of my new body design. For many years I scoffed (am now eating humble pie, my hat and my words ) the spruce top brigade. The light went on when I saw the work of Jake Maclay and I have used the Martin OM body shape to create what he calls Californian style ukulele. The appeal is not to purists but to the growing army of guitar players who want their ukes to look and sound like little guitars... The body is slightly larger than the usual tenor size and (again eating my words) I am experimenting with radiused fingerboards and a low G. I've got old growth Indian rosewood for the back and sides ( deep purple with tight grain), moonspruce, Alpine spruce and some beautiful 24 grains to the inch Englemann and ebony for fingerboards and bridges! What is the world of Pete Howlett coming to? I'm experimenting with herringbone rosettes and will even look at ebony binding (I know - shoot him ). I will still be hand bending the sides, voicing tops and at last, the final leap to the dark side, inserting a solid 10mm square carbon fibre rod in the neck. I think I have turned around quite a few times now and if you are at all familiar with any of my former posts will realise the almost complete change of direction I am taking with these instruments.
Over in uke talk I am making a plea for images of vintage Howlett ukulele form the 1990's. These were sold out of Music Exchange in Hawaii and were mainly slotted headstock 6 & 8 string tenors. I think I built about 20 or so concerts out of the 200 built from 1995 - 1998. Go there for information please.
Thanks
Pete