Blue Thing Tenor Ukulele - Sold/Hale Ukulele

Third in my series of stained wood builds is the Blue Thing Tenor Ukulele.

 

The Body:  First purple, then red and now blue (actually black and blue like the bruise).  This is some very light weight, curly, western Maple for back and sides.  I added the same for the head plate and sound hole rosette.

The Sound Board:  I started this instrument with the idea that I would add custom art work to the sound board but with all that’s been going on lately that just didn’t happen.  Another potential client was looking for alternatives to the look of the ancient spruce and suggested the “denim spruce” from Alaska Specialty Woods.  I was a little reluctant at first but ordered a set anyway.  Now I’m totally in love!   It’s salvage of course (house boat float wood) and can vary in color and figure but this is the perfect wood for my stained series of ukes and for those instruments where natural spruces just don’t look right.  It is low in density and sonorous.

 

The Neck:  You know that I’m always looking for alternative looks and new woods.  Even so, I doubt that anything that I am doing presently hasn’t been done in the past.  The neck idea I got from a 20+ year old Martin student guitar series.  This is Spectra Ply from Causineau Wood Products.   I had to do it!  And, it matches in color.  They produce almost every color and combination of colors possible.  This particular set is black and blue stained Baltic Birch. Weight you ask–not much more than Mahogany and with the massive light weight carbon truss rod that I use it’s not noticeably heavier in the hand.

I used Black Palm for the accent wood  areas and the fret board and bridge are India Rosewood.

Pepe’s low “G” strings, of course, a mini zipper back strip and Gotoh UPT’s in black round out the build.

I’m going to put these standard tenor shapes in a cozy Crossrock ABS case.  More than enough to keep them safe.

If you’re into Blue then give me a call baby!