hardwood uke top

[Quinny]

Hi guys,

I tend to build ukes based on what looks good as i am neither a serious uke palyer or a technical expert on uke building. I do love exploring the internet for wood and putting together a set that I love. Then some months later when I go to build it i think: Oh, is that really the best sound I can get??

So in light of that, I have a beautiful set of mexican cocobolo back and sides and want to put a cocobolo soundboard as well. I know that if you have a spruce or cedar top you want straight grain and so many grains per inch etc. So what is the deal with quality hardtops for ukes?

I have attached a photo of my cocobolo soundboard. I realised it doesn't follow the rule of straight grain. Or is that why plantation mahogany is used. Does it matter that much with hardwood versus softwood?

Thanks

Andrew

[Bob Connor]

G'day Andrew

I've built guitars from Cocobolo and I've built Ukes and I just can't help but feel that Coco is just too heavy for a Uke top.

I don't think it would work for a guitar top let alone a Uke top.

You've only got 4 nylon strings trying to load up one of the heaviest rosewoods on the planet.

I have a feeling that the instrument would be quiet and relatively unresponsive.

However I'd be delighted if you could prove me wrong. .

Allen MacFarlen might like to chime in here being the Uke Maestro but I can't help but feel the physics is against it.

(mind you - a lot of people on the forum reckon I'm mad using Huon Pine for soundboards)

Regards

[Allen]

There is a fellow in Nicaragua that is building all Coco ukes and using wood far more wild looking than that. How they sound.....well they sound like a uke. As to whether they sound like a really good uke? That's more subjective.

Personally, I wouldn't be using it, as it's going to need to be on the very thin side as far as uke soundboards go just to get it's weight down. Then braced appropriately.

[Quinny]

Thanks guys. I get now that it is the weight that is the problem.
So how come Koa is ok. Is it lighter??

Andrew

[Steve.Toscano]

So how come Koa is ok. Is it lighter??

Short answer is - Yes, i believe so. But it's not just about weight.
From my ears, Koa topped Ukes dont actually sound very good (compared to a spruce or WRC top uke of simular build quality).

[Allen]

Koa can be light, and it can be heavy. Just like Australian Blackwood.

What you do get in a hardwood topped uke is the "Hawaiian sound". Whereas using spruce or cedar you get more of a guitar type sound. Purest will detest the softwood topped instruments, but those coming from a guitar background appreciate the sound of those soundboards more.

[Nick]

Here's a Uke I made a couple of years ago using a Mahogany top,

youtu.be/
As Allen pointed out, it has that more traditional Hawaiian Uke sound, I'm not sure about Cocobolo though that's 'harder' still, again as Allen said (he is the Uke master after all, he's the wise one that dresses in a robe and sits cross legged in the middle of a dark wood that you set off on a pilgrimage to see to seek sage advice when you have lost your way ), it would have to be quite thin and just what sound that would give, who knows?

[Quinny]

Ok. things are making sense. I dont; really wanna work with a cocobolo top that has to be extra thin and not sure of the sound. But I get the point between a soft top with a more guitar sound or a hardtop with a hawaiin sound. As I have already built a tenor with a soft top i will go for a hardwood.

Any sugestions of hardwood that would make a soundboard and go with a rich deep red cocobolo back and sides (with a section of yellow) and a yellow toned neck wood??

Andrew

[Allen]

I'd personally go with mahogany for both the tone and the color pallet. Or alternately I'd use Huon Pine. It has a fantastic tone on a uke.