More Ukes

[Matt_Blacka]

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"Originally Posted on: Wed Jun 02, 2010 10:18 am"

Hi All,

These are some pictures of a couple of Australian tenor ukes I have finished off over the last while. The blackwood one was done quite a while ago, and the tiger one was more recent.

Thanks for your interest,

Matt

Blackwood back, sides, soundboard, neck, binding
Tiger Myrtle rosette
Gidgee fretboard, bridge, heel cap

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Tiger Myrtle back, sides, binding, rosette, headstock plate
Bunya soundboard
Qld Maple neck
Mulga fretboard, bridge, heel cap

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MAKAIO Ukuleles
http://www.makaioukuleles.blogspot.com

[liam_fnq]

they look absolutely great Matt.

is the design your own? it is very aesthetically appealing.

i like the look of that mulga too, might have to chase some of that myself.

have you got any build pics? what sort of bracing and neck attachment do you use?

Liam.

[Allen]

Very nice as is all your work Matt. I love slot heads, and would like to try one on a uke. What sort of tuners are you using for them?

You've gon away from the Kasha bracing on these I presume? How did you brace these, and what was your impression of the Kasha bracing?
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Allen R. McFarlen

[Kim]

Great work Matt, they a both great looking ukes but I love the way you have used fairly straight laced wood on the sides to highlight the fantastic figure in the top and back of the blackwood jobie, well done! Cool

Cheers

Kim
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Pull me Finga

[Matt_Blacka]

Thanks for looking.

Liam: The design is based loosely on the plans that Hana Lima Ia sell. The plans are for a fairly basic uke though, and are intended at first time builders. I have started to bring some more complexities into the design (radiused fretboard, domed soundboard, binding, carbon neck rod, slotted headstock etc.) All the build pics are on my website blog (see post footer). I build the ukes with spanish/integral heel style.

Allen: The slot head was a bit of a challenge. I have now modified the design very slightly for a uke that I'll finish over the next month or so. The tuners are Gotoh SEP700, which require a thick headstock (very), however, the slots knock a fair bit of weight out of it. The overall weight balance is not much different to my standard solid headstock. These ukes were both braced (fan bracing) at the same time the last Kasha was, and were done more to look at a few different design options.

In terms of tone clarity, the Kasha is still the best I've done. However, I also think it was built with the best soundboard thickness and bracing stiffness combination. In hindsight I think the other fan braced ukes have been fractionally overbuilt. They still sound great, but as always, there's still improvements to be made.

My wood pile is now full of great Aus tonewood sets waiting to be turned into Kasha ukes (and one with a trial of my own bracing plan).

Thanks for your feedback,

Matt
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MAKAIO Ukuleles
www.makaioukuleles.blogspot.com

[Gaby]

With a bit of luck one of your ukes will make it to Cairns for the ukulele festival, Matt!

[John Maddison]

Exquisite, Matt ... you continue to set the bar very high ... re those SEP700 tuners - do you score them in Australia? or from overseas, @ what price? Do you buy singly or in sets of 4, or 6?? Cheers
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John

[Matt_Blacka]

Unfortunately I don't think either of these will be able to head north for the festival. The blackwood uke already resides on the Gold Coast with a happy customer, and I've had a few people ask about the tiger uke over the last week or so. After seeing everyone else getting their ukes ready, I was actually a little dissapointed that I hadn't planned a build for the festival. Anyway, maybe next time...

With regards to the SEP700 tuners, I purchased them from Guitar Woods (Gerard Gilet). I grabbed two sets of six, and have split them for three uke sets. I'm not sure if they are still available, as I haven't looked for a while. They were significantly pricier than what I get the standard gotoh solid head tuners for through Hana Lima 'Ia (I think they worked out roughly twice as expensive?)
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MAKAIO Ukuleles
www.makaioukuleles.blogspot.com

[Pete Howlett]

I'm going to repost my video on my Youtube channel that deals with slotted headstocks. I use Grover Statite tuners and replace the metal buttons with ebony or ivoroid. Takes me 10 minutes to make a slotted headstock, 10 minutes to cut the ramps and drill the string post holes. No brainer with 2 simple router jigs.
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Make 'em. Play 'em!

[lauburu]

Your instruments are stunning and a real inspiration to us beginners. One day when I grow up I hope to make ukuleles almost as pretty as yours.

As part of the growing up process, I'm struggling to get a good with pore filling. I've tried Timbermate but the results have been pretty awful. I've had better results with using shellac and pumice powder to create a slurry which then fills the pores. You mention an epoxy filler which is another option I've read about and would like to try. What brand of epoxy filler do you use? Do you thin it or just use it according to the instructions. Is it sprayed or would brushing it on suffice? So many questions ....

Thanks, in anticipation of an informative response.
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Miguel Hamber

[Allen]

G'day Miguel;

I'm not sure what epoxy that Matt uses, but my choice is WEST Systems Epoxy. It's primarily used as a boat builders resin and can be purchase form outlets that supply to that trade. It's water clear, and very thin. It's applied with a spreader such as an old credit card. You don't need much of it. 5 grams total is all I use for an application to a ukulele.

You can see me applying some to a uke in my thread on the 2010 ukulele building class.

Let it dry 24 hours and sand back with about P240 - P320. Then assess your finish. It usually takes a couple of applications on most woods. You should be aware that one some woods, if you cut through you will see a difference in the color to the fresh wood to one with epoxy on it. Many woods will show this difference under finish, so it's advisable to give the entire instrument that you've applied epoxy to (ie not the soundboard if it's softwood) an wash coat of epoxy. Cut the epoxy with lacquer thinner or metho. and wipe it on as if it's an oil. Let dry and then prior to applying your finish, just give it a light "tickle" with some fine sandpaper to knock off any imperfections. Be sure not to cut through again.

And be sure to wear appropriate safety gear when working with epoxy. Latex gloves are an absolute minimum requirement. This stuff has a tendency to creep up on you and makes working with it a real problem if you don't treat it with due care and caution.
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Allen R. McFarlen

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