Posts

More Myrtle

Just finished this Myrtle Wood and Black Walnut tenor ukulele.  I don't think the pictures do justice to the beauty and unusual qualities of the sound board--it's a cross between tiger strip, curly, figured and crazy.  It compliments the figured…

Black is Back!

Another shop instrument made from Black Limba.  I've used curly Maple binding and herringbone-style purfling for accent.  The bridge and finger board are African Ebony species.  The neck is also made of Black Limba.   The orangish drips…

Koa, Koa, Koa!

For all you Koa affectionados, here's a new tenor constructed entirely of Koa with the exception of the internal bracing.  I have used Gotoh 4::1 tuners, and its new owner has the option of selecting amplification, strings, and case.  It's…

Hula Hips Redux

Here is a Hula Hips tenor--overall dimensions the same as the tenor except for the lower bout which is 10 1/4 inches.  The result adds a ton of volume to the instrument, resulting in a lower pitch with more volume and sustain.  I used a classic…

Don Doubles Up!

Don wanted a double neck ukulele and was not going to take no for an answer.  After extensive discussion, I folded.  Here are photos of the result.  Of course we used a combination of woods:  the back and sides are Oregon curly Maple, while…

Oh Myrtle!

Here's one of my favorite alternative woods--Oregon Myrtle.  This is a decent tonewood, often used by Breedlove Guitars.  I was lucky to score on some "odd" pieces that matched enough for a complete instrument.  I haven't had a source for…

Curly Curly!

Another tenor ukulele with a combination of my favorite woods.  The back and sides are curly Oregon Black Walnut.  The sound board is curly Hawaiian Koa.  The binding is curly Oregon Maple.  The accents are Indonesian Maidou burl.  The…

Indo Rosewood

This client wanted the look of Madagascar Rosewood--sadly, no longer available or scarce.  My go to alternative was Indonesian Rosewood.  While not a true rosewood, this wood has the look of the older Madagascar or even Brazilian rosewood…

Tasmanian Devil

Here is an ukulele just recently finished and made of Tasmanian Blackwood (Koa's relative from the southern hemisphere).  Although not yet strung up, I believe that this instrument will offer a crisp but full sound.  The wood is a bit denser…

Heals, Just Heals

Just some pics of heal features that I have made in the past.  It's all evolving.