Posts
Baritone Mania
Suzie wanted a baritone, then Craig, and now Don. This baritone ukulele is constructed of Tasmanian Blackwood. Binding is Oregon curly Maple and it sports vintage purfling and chevron backstrip. I upgraded the tuners to Gotoh Mini's. Accents…
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…
Combi Concert
Paul, didn't want the same old thing--that is, a tenor. Instead he opted for a concert, high "G" tuning with a variety of woods. Per his instructions, I have constructed a concert ukulele with East India Rosewood sides to accent a Koa sound…
Heals, Just Heals
Just some pics of heal features that I have made in the past. It's all evolving.
Viva Villaverde!
Pro musician and ukulele phenom Carl Ray Villaverde just picked up his new ukulele this weekend (youtube: carl ray villaverde). This tenor cut-a-way was co-designed by Carl and I. Besides the request for particular woods, Carl was…
Black is Beautiful Baby!
I just finished this Black Limba ukulele. It's a tenor, by the way. Haven't made one from this wood in awhile since I have not had a reliable source for wood. This wood has a really pleasant tap tone and I especially like the varied…
New Black Walnut
Got this Claro Black Walnut from my good friends at Gilmer Woods in Oregon. I've topped this uke with a 60+ year old Sitka Spruce that was rescued from the Gibson factory. I left the age stain down the middle just to give it some credibility.…
My Favorite Wood II
I just purchased some Black Limba lumber and here are a few pictures of book matches from that piece. Shhhhh! It's a secret so don't tell anyone-- this wood duplicates Koa and Black walnut in density and tonal quality. The pattern of the…
My Favorite Time of the Build
I'm sure every luthier has a certain time in the build process that he enjoys the most. For me, this would be after the instrument body comes out of the mold and at the first application of sealer. If I could just quit at this moment it…
