Official Luthiers Forum!

Now that my shop is finished and I've built a few jigs I am finally able to put some time into building ukes and it feels goooooooood!

Here are a few shots of my current builds. One is an all Koa concert uke and the other is a EIR/Sitka concert uke. I've been building them side by side but for some reason the koa one has been a real bugger and the EIR one has been a piece of cake. Not that Koa is harder to work with but all the mistakes I've made seem to happen to that one whether I am doing the task at hand on it first or after the EIR uke. Strange!















Thanks for looking.

Roy

Very nice Roy, I really like that flower inlay. It looks like a flower with a uke neck protruding although it may be my poor eyesight that's to blame for that. Keep up the good work. I'm glad you finally got that shop ready.

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

Very nice, Roy!!!!    What is the flower inlay made from?

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

very nice work, Roy. I love that inlay.

Funny how some projects just seem destined to be troublesome, idn't it?

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Duddn't work always feel better in a new shop? I've been away from mine so long it'll SEEM new! Nice work!

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http://www.presnallguitars.com

Great work Roy! I love those ukes! I'm working on 2 myself now. So far I've only got the rims contoured and bent, and the blocks glued in. The mandolin is really slowing me down. I bet they are going to sound really good! Please keep us updated, I love watching other instruments come together.
Tracy

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Tracy
http://www.luthiersuppliers.com

Thanks guys. I too like the progress pictures.

Ron, the material is recon stone from Masecraft. At the time I bought it you could call them up and for a few bucks they would send you a catalog and a generous sampling of their supplies. Well worth it.

Tracy, I showed you mine now you have to show us yours.    Roy O38999.7653472222

Really nice work. They looked just like SJ's at first without any size reference. I had to read your text twice.

New shops are great!

Donovan

Ok Roy, I'll submit some soon, but I want to get the kerfing on before submitting pics.
Tracy

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Tracy
http://www.luthiersuppliers.com

Very beautiful work on both instruments Roy!

     I just saw a program on PBS about, I think, a 98 years old uke player. I apologize, but I have previously not thought much, one way, or the other, of ukeles, but after watching this guy, I was impressed!

     It's nice to see this kind of work...but I've always liked Koa! These are looking real good!

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

Billy, you should check out "the Hendrix of the ukulele", Jake Shimabukuro. This guy is unbelievable! Here is a clip that some of you may have seen, it's been a hit on the www for some time.

While My Guitar Gently Weeps by Jake Shimabukuro

Oh, and beautiful instruments Roy! I only wish I knew how to play them.Arnt39000.2831481481

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Nice looking ukes Roy. Don't forget to get some sound samples when they are finished.

Arnt they aren't hard to play at all. Just think of them as mini guitars with the low E and A string removed and tuned up a fifth. All your guitar chord shapes work on a uke. They are quite fun and travel really well.

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Joe Breault
Merrimack, NH
Perpetual novice

Excellant ukes Roy! Love that koa!

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

Beautiful ukes, Roy! Please keep up with posting progress pics...nice going so far.

Arnt...That clip of Jake playing "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is UNBELIEVABLE!!! Thanks for the link.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

I really like enjoyed that video. I work with a guy from Hawaii who's name is Shimabukuro so I had to ask. He says not and that the name is kinda like Smith over here.
Very cool stuff, it's a lot of music for a little box.

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

Thanks again for the kudos everyone. This forum and it's members have helped me tremendously.

Arnt, what Joe said. If you can play a guitar, you can play the uke. It's really quite easy.......of course you may not sound quite like Jake.

Looking Great Roy, Years of enjoyment sitting there!