My Cairns Uke Festival Build

[Allen]

First off, welcome to the forum Chuck, and thanks for the comments. I've had a look at your website many times, and am really impressed with your work. Good to have you on board.

I pore fill with WEST Systems epoxy and finish with a Australian product called Mirotone 3220. It's a pre-catalyzed lacquer that requires thinning if you want to get the best results on instruments. I cut it by 100%. In that mix I always add a splash of extra slow thinner (retarder).

I've heard of the products you are using, but they simply are not available here so have not tried them. Nor do I suppose will you be able to get Mirotone in Hawaii unless you are willing to ship via surface.

[Nick]

Welcome to the forum Chuck. Might I back up Allen's comments about your work, really nice stuff & you certainly have used some beautiful bits of Koa in your time.

[Hippety Hop]

Stunning little line-up there Allen. Really original, unique and beautiful.

Cheers Hip.

[moorebettahukes]

Thank you for the welcomes and thanks for a great forum. Since posting I have gone into your archives here and have learned a good deal about your finishing processes. And you are correct Allen, and excellent finish is totally dependent on your prep work. I look forward to further enlightenment on this forum. Mahalo!

[Matt_Blacka]

Hi Allen,

These ukes are looking great, and you're really churning them out now.

It would be great to hear a comparison of the sound from each.

Keep up the good work! I'm sure you will get heaps of attention at the festival with some of these on display.

Matt

[Allen]

Not all that hard to pump this many out, when it's all I've been really focused on since late January. If life didn't keep getting in the way I could have done a few more.

I've got a set of Saverez on one, Aquilla's on most and a set of Wuth clear high tension on another, just to compare strings on very similar instruments.

The Saverez are the brightest as I expected. and the Wurth are just a bit sweeter than the Aquilla's, but If I closed my eyes and you mixed the instruments up, I'd have a hell of a time picking the concerts apart. The Tenor would be easy to pick out, as it's just so much fuller and quite mellow when played lightly, but in your face when you hook in to it.

I'm pleased about that as it's a I'm pretty confident that I can replicate the tone. I'd like to try some lower tension strings next time around to compare.

[Daintree]

Beautiful work Allan....Well done!

Doug.

[Dennis Leahy]

Allen, I love that shot of you surrounded by the ukuleles! Gives a great sense of scale. Makes you look like Gulliver in Lilliput.

Have I mentioned that I really like the signature sound holes.

Dennis

[Allen]

I've finally got some sound samples courtesy of Alan Hamley, who brought up his recording equipment when he came up for the Cairns Ukulele Festival.

He recorded a few of my instruments for me. This one, a tenor ukulele, and my Brazilian Mahogany Weissenborn style guitar.

Here is the sound bite to this one.

[DarwinStrings]

Thanks for posting the sound Allen, it sounds great and although I enjoy my soprano I am really looking forward to getting a tenor finished for two reasons, I like the longer scale cause it is more comfy for my hand and that extra tension in the strings really appeals to me.

Jim

[Localele]

While the soprano and concert do have different sounds , the tenor has a very different voice again.Much fuller and more musical. Going up to a baritone has the same sized step up again.

This is the final re-constructed message of this topic posted by the ANZLF help team.