nice dale i bet it plays great

Thanks for the kind comments Dom & King.  I think it sounds pretty good, there are some things I'll do a little differently next time around.  Got many years to go to get close to your level ukeman, but I'll keep trying.

Dominator, I posted some info on how I do the neck to body joint  under the other forum, since this is mainly just for showning the final results.

Dale

Too cool. I used those dry fruit boxes for bug collections way back when and was thinking they could make a cool uke. Glad it sounds good. I may use one for a sound box for my bass uke experiments.

Owen

aloha ranapithicus!  is rana something to do with frogs! Or am i now part of that Pennsylvania tribe that all humanoids are descended from? Just  glad I made it to Hawaii (end of story)  Hey guy, love your flagrant and ono (tasty) use of found and special items for your first uke project. To me this stuff makes your creation even more special, I think its way cool to incorporate stuff that have other uses, anyhow keeps the left grey matter from too much infringement on the right!Is this a start of a fruit box uke collection? Will the next series feature removeable lids? Are we in for the fruit box uke of the month collectors editions?

Mahalo for the pictures...way cool. laters  ukeman

Hello everyone,

Here is my first Uke.  It's a Kasha Concert, made out of mahogany, with an ebony fretboard and bridge.  This is the first wood working project that I've done in years and my first attempt at making a musical instrument.  My Uke teacher is very impressed with the sound and thinks that I should have it evaluated by a professional.  I couldn't have done it without the help of Mike, Asa and everyone here at the message board.  Mahalo to all!!

This is my second tenor from scratch.  It is a mahogany parts kit from right here at Hanalima Ia.  I got it off Ebay over a year ago or so and decided to put it to use.  Thank you Asa.

Here are some particulars:
Unbound Mahogany tenor
18� long scale (joined at 14th fret)
Fretboard and bridge – Rosewood
Fret markers – 5mm Gold MOP
Width at nut – 1 ½�
Width at 14th fret – 1 ¾�
Width at upper bout – 6 7/8�
Width at lower bout – 8 ½�
Finish – Laquer
Tuners – Geared Gotoh Mini – Gold w/Amber buttons
Nut and saddle material – Corian
Strings – Ko’olau Gold – Low G

This uke has a lower/warmer tone than my other tenors.  I am not particularly happy with the sound of the Ko’olau Golds.  The low G is pretty boomy.  I will give the Ko’olau’s a chance to settle in a bit before changing them out.  But I think I will need to experiment with a few different brands to find what will be most suited for this instrument.  I will be bringing this one to the Exhibition next month.
Here are a couple of pics.


Dominator

Aloha Ukeman,
I haven't been visiting here much lately and decided to pop in and just saw your last post.

I wish I would have thought to show this to you at the UGH.  There is a funny story behind why I thought it was sounding so boomy and that I didn't care for the Golds.  I had used dual stick tape to hold a clamping caul to the soundboard when clamping on the fretboard.  Next day when I removed the clamps I forgot about it and it stayed stuck to the top.  I couldn't figure out why it wasn't projecting 

I had Mike DaSilva take a look at it at one of my gigs and he felt around inside and found the clamping caul.  I had to use a screwdriver to get it out and the uke came alive. 

I really thinned the plates too much and slightly underbraced it.  It has developed a dip in front of the bridge but it seems to have stabilized and didn't raise the action or effect the intonation, yet anyway.  Norman noticed it right away when it looked at it at the exhibition.

Getting ready to start a couple more tenors as soon as it warms up just a bit.  Also awaiting the availability of your soprano plan, Hint Hint.
Aloha,
Dominator

Aloha,
I spent the Thanksgiving break completing the two tenors I’ve been working on.  I strung the spruce top up yesterday and the mahogany tenor today.  From an internal construction standpoint the ukes are braced with the same fan- bracing scheme (3 fans).  Though the mahogany is remarkably more resonant and balanced than my first one the spruce top is a cannon.  It is significantly louder but maintains clarity whether finger picking or strumming aggressively.  I’m stoked; this is such a rewarding process.

The mahogany was supposed to be for my high school buddy from Colorado but every time I sent progress pictures of both ukes he always would comment “hey, that’s my uke on the left, (the spruce top with figured walnut back and sides) right?â€�  So when we got back from Hawaii I told him, before I even finished the ukes, that if he wanted the spruce top he could have it and that I would probably put the mahogany on Ebay to generate funds for some needed tools and other accessories.   He has chosen the spruce top so that’s the one he will get.  It will be tough to part with it but Pete Howlett was kind enough to send me some really special curly walnut and a really sweet spruce top to make another.

Here are a few pics.  The finish is True-Oil.  This is the first time I used it.  I like it but it’s a little on the glossy side for my taste.  I didn’t use pore filler so buffing it out to a satin finish was not an option.  Though not as dramatic as the walnut, the mahogany also has some nice rays and flecks in the grain that the pics don’t quite do justice.

Thanks to Asa for the extra nice mahogany.

I strung them both with Worth Clears.  They are still settling in but I plan to record some head on comparisons and post them in the next few days.