Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

As the title says it's a concert uke that is off to Singapore in a couple of days.

Back and Sides - Blackheart Sassafras
Top - Ancient Sitka Spruce
Fret Board - Indian Rosewood
Bridge - Blackwood
Bindings - Blackwood
Rosette - Spalted Mango
Neck - Spanish Cedar with CF truss rod
Tuners - Grover 14:1
Finish - Mirotone
Pickup - MISI
Strings - South Coast Uke "LMU"

They all look great as usual Allen, well done again. Wayne

I am seriously loving that 'Ancient Spruce'.

An amazing colour to offset with. Really opens up some options and you're exploiting it to good effect.

Lovely.

Jeremy.

Thanks guys.

These last two pieces of Ancient Spruce have a really nice look to them under finish. A bit of iridescence like looking at pearl. The colors change and seem to glow as you roll it around in the light.

I've run out of superlatives to compliment your Ukes Allen, so I'll just say F*%king brilliant, the lot of them! Nice job as always.

I agree with Nick, Allen, all of these ukes look absolutely beautiful. You certainly have a genius for the aesthetic. May I ask, did you use some tint on the sassafras? It seems not to have the greyness/pinkness that is characteristic, and looks so much the better for it.

No tint on anything I build Mike. At least to date. After reading through Nick's tobacco burst tutorial, I'm keen to give something like that a go.

The epoxy seems to kick the color up a notch, and then it's just Mirotone 3220.

Nice one Allen it's all class.

Every one a collector's item. So good.

I'm stunned! So beautiful! I'm a bit in love with ukes and every time I see a special specimen, I remember why
BTW, what actually is "ancient spruce"?

It's some Sitka Spruce that Brent Cole Sr. dug up while excavating for a new factory in Alaska. Buried under a landslide nearly 3,000 years ago. This is its natural color.

So, is it brown/gray by itself? Like maple is white and rosewood is brown? Or is this due to the fact that it has been under ground for 300 years? Like spalted wood.

Each set I have is a slightly different colors. From a red/brown tone to a blue black. Apparently when it is first cut it looks more like spruce, but quickly oxidises. On it's way to being petrified I suppose given a lot longer in the ground.

Oh I see. And how does it affect sound and "workability"? Can you still use a plane and sand it like non-aged wood? Does it become stiffer?

It's much harder than modern Sitka, but still quite workable. It is closer to a hardwood in it's characteristics.

The tops that I've used are very stiff both across and with the grain.

Looks fantastic Allen.
I`ll have to learn how to take good photo`s like you do.

Photo's are done in a light tent with 3 lights. One above, and the other 2 on each side. Positioning those lights gives different effects. Then there is the camera adjustments with bracketed exposures because all that white throughs off the cameras metering depending on how dark the wood is.

This can be a rather expensive proposition based on the type of lighting you choose.

The rest is done in Adobe Lightroom with cropping, straightening, small adjustments to color and exposure, adding the vignette and exporting with watermarks.

This might make a good tutorial.