Posts
Takayama Surf
This custom tenor ukulele was co-designed by pro surfer Guy Takayama (www.takayamasurf.com). The ukulele is a modified hula hips but with a slightly wider waist and a rounded lower bout. Instead of the usual center sound hole, Guy opted…
New Black Walnut Concert
This concert ukulele is made from the following woods: back and sides--figured Claro Walnut; sound board--Canadian Red Cedar; neck--Oregon black walnut; accents--Maidou burl. The binding is East India Rosewood. I also used an extended…
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…
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…
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 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…
Bob Goes Big!
As in Baritone, that is.
Uncle Bob has been eyeing this Oregon Bastogne Black Walnut for most of a year now. He finally pulled the trigger, but wanted a baritone instead of the usual tenor. He wanted the instrument to be straight-forward…
Honu for Skyler
This tenor ukulele sports one of my favorite wood combinations: Oregon Black Walnut back and sides with Hawaiian Koa Sound board. Skyler asked for an instrument with a mellow, full sound and this combination of wood usually prdovides that…
How many sound holes: Part 3
OMG! My client wanted an alternative sound hole arrangement for his new 6 string ukulele. Who am I to say no! Not only did he request three sound holes for his left handed uke, but he wanted all the possible wood combinations he could…
