Ukes

[Will Reyer]

Ukes 07/19/20

Yeah, I know this is a guitar site. Just squint and pretend they're small gits.

While my contemporaries are seeing their grandchildren off to college, I'm unexpectedly blessed in my old age with granddaughters Vivienne, 7, and Alexandra, 2-1/2.

They live in Austin, TX and we're in the Bucolic Backwaters of the Frozen North in southern Michigan. They're going to arrive Friday for a 10 day visit. They like to sing with me playing guitar.

Almost a year ago Dewayne came over and said he'd like to try making a guitar. I said “Why not start with something simpler, like a ukelele for your grandkids”. In retrospect, we could probably have built two guitars each in less time. These are my first ukes.

I had Kjell pick me up prints from Elderly Instrument (where he works) of the Martin Old Soprano Ukelele drawn by Antes. Rounded upper bout made for lots more more neck fit fixtures and work. Ditto thinner fret boards.

Dewayne had a steamer so I made forms and he steamed sides; I use a home-built Fox bender to make guitar sides, but steaming worked fine. I stuck a PVC pipe in Pam's rice cooker and steamed the linings.

Bodies are cherry. Linings are white pine. End blocks are yellow poplar. Necks are yellow poplar with a half-inch red oak center stripe, not shown. Headstock veneer is red oak. End grafts, heel caps, and bridges are maple. Nuts and saddles are purpleheart, a miserable stuff and probably a poor choice but the color contrast is nice. Ukelele tuning machine sets from a cigar box guitar supply, similar to what I use on guitars. My usual screwdriver headstocks. Fretboards are waxed and buffed.

The guy who farms a quarter section a mile north has a quarter-mile of osage orange fencerow. He graciously let me cut some down limbs. I gave some to Kjell; if you hack around in his website (http://croceguitars.com/) you can find one of his splendid ukes with osage orange headstock veneer, fretboard, and bridge. Osage orange, like mulberry, looks yellow when cut but turns a nice rich brown.

I used the osage orange for Vivienne's fretboard, but a second piece tore out a chunk in the planer, and a third came out perfect but had a loose central fiber on completion so I used a scrap of teak for Alexandra's fretboard.

Finish is a coat of sanding sealer and three coats wiping urethane. Strung the second one up this morning while the shop was still cool enough to work. Got a spare day to mow the lawn before my daughter arrives with our granddaughters. And, hey, the chords are lots simpler.

[Dave Bagwill]

They look great, Will, nice gifts for the gdaus!

My only criticism is - whammy bars would have been nice. ;-)

[Kevin in California]

Hey Will, I'm sure those grand daughters will love playing with their Gramps! Good show!

[John Parchem]

will they look great. Just in time manufacturing.

[Herman]

Old man Will, that is a great looking set of ukes.
I would like to see those girls in action with your beauties.
If possible, make a pic or vid of that.
Herman

[John Link]

Indeed, "cool enough to work". Tomorrow it goes to 92 with storms.

The ukes embody your lean-mean approach to design, your mold looks like it will last 1,000 years. The little ones will be pleased.

[Will Reyer]

Per Herman's request:

Granddaughters w/ukuleles. I'm awaiting ordered cases for same. Older granddaughter has mastered the headstock tuner and the C chord. I told her to learn F and G7 next. Made them tell me the password to their new presents for two days prior to giving them the ukes. Password was GCEA so they'd remember the tuning, memory aid Good Cats Eat Apples. Suspect this went over the head of the 2 yr old, but the 7 yr old can probably teach her in a couple years.

(turns out after correspondence with Herman that my maternal great-grandfather, Hendrik van den Beldt, came from Heerde, The Netherlands, about 50 miles from where Herman lives. He lied about his age, 17 in 1862, and enlisted in the Union Army, missed Sherman's march from Alanta to Savanah by being 6 months in a Union Army hospital in Nashville. My grandfather was his 10th and last child)