Timbuck
Well-known member
I'm going to make some concert size Ukes (thread update)
It all started off when I received this e-mail from a Guy in CA.
Hello Tim,
I have seen your videos on You Tube and like your instruments.
I an 75 years old and my mother passed on a few years ago. She did play the Ukulele with a senior group. Anyway, I have recently discovered a complete original Martin soprano neck in a box of her things. Evidently the sound box was badly damaged and discarded. I have never seen this neck before and have no idea where it might have come from. The neck is complete with fretboard, perfect dovetail, tuners, and nut. It still bears the martin label. I can send photos if you are interested in seeing it.
My question is, would you be willing to build a mahogany sound box for this neck? I plan on playing this Ukelele along with my mother's old Kamaka. I am not trying to deceive anyone that it is a Martin, although it deserves to look like a Martin!
Thanks in advance for your reply.
Joe
He sent me a few photo's and I came to the conclusion that it was from a Style 1 Soprano..I thought "no problem" I could easily make body to fit that co's I ve got all the jigs etc:just that size, and as a bonus I could finally get some idea of what the dovetail was really like co's they rarely break off and I'd never seen one close up ...So I took on the Job
..When this neck arrived a few days later I examined it carefully and something didn't quite look right, the fretboard extension looked a bit big compared to my sopranos..so I held it side by side to a soprano and realised that it was a Concert neck from a Martin style 1C...and seeing as I had took on the job I decided to make a Concert size Body to make it whole and play again.
I have been asked to make a concert size Martin copy many times over the last few years and I've always declined co's I didnt have the templates or jigs..so now some materials are on the way so I can make a mold and a few templates and stuff...Here are a few pics of the neck ..As you can see the dovetail joint wasnt a great fit but it was well cut...and there is a small amount of the black white and rosewood binding still there so I can get some dimensions...also there is enough of the neck block left to get sizes from...and according to the Martin records the scale is 14 3/4" but it is actually closer to 14 7/8".
PICT0007_zpszqhyumqs by Ken Timms, on Flickr
PICT0013%202_zps93wwaf51 by Ken Timms, on Flickr
PICT0016_zpsk0a25sxg by Ken Timms, on Flickr
It all started off when I received this e-mail from a Guy in CA.
Hello Tim,
I have seen your videos on You Tube and like your instruments.
I an 75 years old and my mother passed on a few years ago. She did play the Ukulele with a senior group. Anyway, I have recently discovered a complete original Martin soprano neck in a box of her things. Evidently the sound box was badly damaged and discarded. I have never seen this neck before and have no idea where it might have come from. The neck is complete with fretboard, perfect dovetail, tuners, and nut. It still bears the martin label. I can send photos if you are interested in seeing it.
My question is, would you be willing to build a mahogany sound box for this neck? I plan on playing this Ukelele along with my mother's old Kamaka. I am not trying to deceive anyone that it is a Martin, although it deserves to look like a Martin!
Thanks in advance for your reply.
Joe
He sent me a few photo's and I came to the conclusion that it was from a Style 1 Soprano..I thought "no problem" I could easily make body to fit that co's I ve got all the jigs etc:just that size, and as a bonus I could finally get some idea of what the dovetail was really like co's they rarely break off and I'd never seen one close up ...So I took on the Job
..When this neck arrived a few days later I examined it carefully and something didn't quite look right, the fretboard extension looked a bit big compared to my sopranos..so I held it side by side to a soprano and realised that it was a Concert neck from a Martin style 1C...and seeing as I had took on the job I decided to make a Concert size Body to make it whole and play again.I have been asked to make a concert size Martin copy many times over the last few years and I've always declined co's I didnt have the templates or jigs..so now some materials are on the way so I can make a mold and a few templates and stuff...Here are a few pics of the neck ..As you can see the dovetail joint wasnt a great fit but it was well cut...and there is a small amount of the black white and rosewood binding still there so I can get some dimensions...also there is enough of the neck block left to get sizes from...and according to the Martin records the scale is 14 3/4" but it is actually closer to 14 7/8".
PICT0007_zpszqhyumqs by Ken Timms, on FlickrPICT0013%202_zps93wwaf51 by Ken Timms, on FlickrPICT0016_zpsk0a25sxg by Ken Timms, on Flickr
Last edited:
