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Tonally I think you'd get nothing from doing this. That's more bracing than any uke needs.

Spruce tops sound like small guitars, as a rule.

Koa will give you that traditional uke sound if you build very light - the old Hawaiian makers built at about 1.5mm or less, with (on sopranos) two top braces, no bridge patch, and one back brace. A couple more struts in a tenor.

If you're making a tenor for somone who plays more modern uke stuff, ie lots of melody lines, then they'd probably prefer spruce for the extra sustain. Kasha bracing might be OK on a tenor, though it looks like hard work to me! But if you're doing it for fun/experiment, then why not.

You might want to check out the builders section of the ukulele underground, Filippo. Rick Turner, Pete Howlett, and a bunch of other really good uke builders hang out there and you could probably answer all of your uke related questions.

My friend wanted to build a kasha uke after seeing this:

http://makaioukuleles.blogspot.com/search/label/Completed%20TKL003%20Tenor%20Kasha%20Ukulele

We ended up building it out of hundoran rosewood and englemann spruce. I had a lot of doubts about it. I thought it would be way over braced. It ended up sounding much better than I expected.

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ELEVATE || Next Level Lutherie
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I built a tenor one using yellow cedar for the body. No plans, just scaled it off of one I found on the net. Braces were all 1/8" wide and varying heights, once again based on pictures. I think it sounds nearly as good as my 56 Martin tenor.

Hi Filippo.

I've only made the one in Kasha style, but currently have an order for another.

Some things to consider if you plan to make one - the Kasha bracing seems to be prone to dipping/collapse in front of the bridge. To me, I feel that this is due to two main design issues - the lack of any upper transverse assisting in neck thrust support; and the lack of any continuous bracing over the bridge plate or lower to upper bout.

Both a traditional X braced instrument or a classical fan cover these bases. It is true, the requirement/need for this support would be far less on a ukulele than on a full sized instrument, but they are there nonetheless. It is no surprise to me then that the only maker I am aware of producing Kasha braced ukuleles in any quantity (DeVine Guitars), installs a bridge doctor style system in each one. Now to me, a bridge doctor is a rescue remedy for inadequate bracing design or aged instruments, as opposed to a functional part of the original bracing design itself. If a bridge doctor is deemed required from the outset, well, that is not a brace design I personally would be rushing to use.

I'm not suggesting it can't be done or the results would necessarily be poor, just my thoughts on what it would pay to give attention to should you construct one.

As a side, with my current order for one, I am either redesigning with this in mind or considering adapting a modified basic Falcate system to a ukulele in its place. I am yet to have this discussion with the customer! One objective of the Kasha system was to distribute the load more evenly throughout the soundboard. To me, the Falcate system does this while maintaining structural integrity.

Then again, the good old fan system does a pretty good job on a ukulele. Anyway, food for thought and only my opinion.

This is the one I made -



Cheers.

_________________
Jeremy.

J.F. Custom® Guitars

www.jfcustom.com.au

I have yet to build an all koa uke .Yes they do have that hawaiin sound.If that is what your after,Build a traditional uke . Have built 10 ukes so far using a traditonal 3 fan braces plus spruce or mahog bridge patch and a UTB , 2 or 3 transv bracing on the back.I/v used spruce/sycamore ,yellow cedar/ sycamore/w,pine/walnut, WRC/Walnut and a whole bunch of other combos. A 5 fan brace is used on 6 an 8 string tenors.After reading the gore/gilet book plan to make a falcate uke. There is a whole bunch of uke info on youtube we did www.ateliertomi.com.Kasha will work well too, but lack of a patch , will cause sinking around the bridge area.Seen that on a number of older ukes.

There is a fellow here on Lopez Island who has been building ukes for just over 3 years now. For the last year he has been concentrating on tenors, all kasha braced and with "offset" sound holes [ upper bout many with an additional soundport in the upper side].

I had a chance to see and play several of them the other night and was impressed with the tone,volume, brightness of all of them regardless of wood choice.

His name is Rick Gherring, don't think he has a website yet.

I have never tried a kasha classical or steel string, but his efforts with the kasha braced ukes sure seem to be working out.

Mike J

I am familiar with De Vine's ukuleles and Eric is building a very good instrument. Hana Lima offers ukulele plans with Kasha bracing. I believe if you work with a brace pattern, applying your gained knowledge, principles and ideas, you will be successful.
I personally build with the traditional fan brace and am pleased with the results, both all koa and with spruce tops. To me, koa offers great sustain, if that is what you are looking for. One of my favorite tenor uke was a BRW and red spruce.

aloha,

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R.W. '' Rollo'' Scheurenbrand
http://www.koaguitars.com

I have built several Kasha and several fan-braced plus 1 1/2 falcate braced (eyeballed from Trevor's website). The best sounding one was my falcate tenor.
My present falcate baritone should be ready in a few weeks.

I prefer the sound of Honduran mahogany. Spruce sounds louder but too brash for my taste. Although I have not built one yet, I believe that koa is over-rated as a tone-wood. It is just Hawaiian mahogany. The difference is that nobody will build junk out of expensive koa.

Just my opinion.

Bob