Official Luthiers Forum!

Typically, backs are 15' and tops are 25' but many are built with flat tops and backs. Koaloha, which makes koa sound cannons, builds flat but their structural system is unique. Other than Koaloha, flat is generally (no flames for the generalization, as there are certainly other exceptions) not a good sign in ukes.

Come Join Us at Ukulele Underground Forums. Go to the luthiers forum. It's all there an them some. Many of the top builders frequent that forum.

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http://goatrockukulele.com

Thanks for the pointer. A whole new forum to explore

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

I was wondering about ukes too, last Soprano I built didn't turn out so well because I overestimated the size of stuff. I am working on a Tenor based on the Stewmac kit, but its a low priority project as of now because it's not a paid commission. I will probably get back to it next week if time permits.

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

If you can make your uke sound like a "bouncing flea" then I think you got it right!

Definitely!

Coincidentally I came across two eBay listings which I think show clearly the difference between a scaled-down guitar and a uke as I like 'em - just comparing the two should be informative.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hand-Made-Soprano-Ukulele-by-Jacob-Menear-of-JKM-Guitars-/181040697097?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Sting_Instruments&hash=item2a26ddcf09

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Style-1-C-F-Martin-Mahogany-Ukulele-w-Original-Case-/110973938248?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19d68fea48

However good the first one sounds, it could clearly sound a whole lot better if not muffled by that enormous bridge and fretboard. And head-heavy or what?

I'm glad I read this quote. Extending the FB over the top to the soundhole (like a guitar) is what I had planned to do in my head. I don't even think I bothered to recognize that many ukes don't do this. On a guitar (as I understand it) the upper bout area of the top is not as active acoustically as the rest of the top. I hadn't even considered that this would be different on an uke. It does make sense that being very different in materials and construction, this is something I should not over look. Aesthetically, I would prefer to have the FB extend to or nearly to the soundhole. Perhaps I could float it over the top.?. Input appreciated. . .

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

I am completely at odds with Profchris. I use a five inch long bridge and limit my fretboard to fifteen frets. I am not impressed by the "ricky-ticky" sound of many ukuleles and the sound can be manipulated using wood and depth of box.

Tone quality is quite subjective.

Bob

Are you building sopranos or a larger size, Bob? Once you get up to tenor, and maybe even to concert, the nano-scale problems start to go away. But a 5 inch bridge on a 6.5 inch wide (or less) soprano body strikes me as likely to kill it stone dead - unless you've built one and know how to make it work.

Ricky-ticky is a great word for the sound of an over-built soprano, which an awful lot are. A good one (probably that Martin I linked to) sounds radically different.

On your last point I'm with you all the way, and I too am playing with wood and depth of box (and top shape) to explore different sounds. But still, at soprano size I find that unless you go super-light it's always ricky-ticky.

Profchris:
I usually build tenor or baritone. Concert is marginal for my big, clunky, fingers.
This year I built a monster baritone with 22" scale (too big for me) and it sounded like a four-string guitar.

I built two maple-spruce tenors. One with one inch depth and the other with 2 3/4" depth. The shallow one really barks while the regular one is rounder. I still prefer my mahogany, it is really mellow. All three are built identical, sort of.
I am taking the regular maple-spruce to Hawaii this year and it is probably not coming home.

Bob