Project Ukulele

[ManFromGlass]

Yes brilliant use of Spanish windlass. I've only used them to straighten the railing on a deck. Great idea for delicate work.
Super Andy!

[awjoe]

I keep on meaning to learn how to play it...

But I've settled comfortably into being largely but not entirely dysfunctional. It passes the days.

Andy

Here's an example of an Internet response to a years-old post. I used to play nothing but guitar, classical at first, then I switched to a Tele. Finger picking and strumming accompaniment, no lead work. Somebody gave me a ukelele as a joke. It's my main instrument now. I still play guitar, but I've shifted back to nylon string because of the similarity in string feel to the uke. Lesson: be careful about learning to play it. It may turn out to be a new way to pass the days in a largely but not completely dysfunctional fashion.

[caotuan]

Great stuff, but you do realise you're going to be asked to leave the luthier's magic circle after posting explicit details like this

[tea for two]

I'm only over a decade late and that's early for me lol.

Bass Ukulele is the Bees knees, the Dog's........, the Mutt's....

I had a widdle on a Bass Ukulele in Duke of Uke just off Bricklane in London.
https://www.dukeofuke.co.uk/ukulele/bass-ukulele/

I had to not so politely tell myself I'm nowhere near a decent enuff player to do it justice.

[Sam Spoons]

Bass Uke is great but intonation is more tricky than on a longer scale instrument.

[Guest]

Is it easier to learn to play ukulele than a guitar?

[Sam Spoons]

Yes, fewer strings and a soft 'action'* make it easier to remember and form the chords. That said some aspects of learning are of a similar degree of difficulty (picking/strumming rhythmically for example). Go for it

* Action (in simple terms) is the hight of the strings from the frets and how hard they are to press down, a nylon strung Uke will be significantly easier than a steel strung guitar and, probably, a little easier than a classical guitar.

[Wonks]

Though the string height (from the shop) will vary between instruments, and cheap ukes often have quite high actions, so aren’t always as user-friendly on the fingers as they could be.

It’s often near-impossible to set up the very cheapest ukes properly due to their construction, so it’s worthwhile going to a store and trying a selection out. If you are new to ukes or guitars, it helps to take someone reasonably experienced along with you.

[tea for two]

Quite taken by how a Çifteli is made by hollowing out a chunk of wood.
At 2min35sec
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dTeSv0SKl ... VsaQ%3D%3D

Made me wonder whether a Mandolin, an Uke body would be suitable to be made this way.

[Wonks]

A bowl-backed mandolin maybe. However it's very wasteful of wood as you are throwing away over 90% or more of the block you start out with. And with expensive tonewoods, it's not a cost-effective way to make them. You'd have to cut down 10 times as many trees to make the same number of instruments, which is not a good thing.

[Folderol]

ZZZZzzzz zzz zz.. {ploink!}
Wot?
Hey, who woke this up again?
Oh...
As you were.

[Sam Spoons]

A lot of bowl backed mando's were 'strip planked, a bit like a boat?

You could easily string/tune a mandolin as a Uke and vice versa as long as the scale lengths are approximately the same (Mandolin and soprano Uke are both around 14").

[zenguitar]

Bowl back mandolins were made from thin wood strips assembled on a carved wooden form. Once completed the form was removed ready to use again and you had the finished back to fit to the front and add bindings.

I recall my evening classes at the London College of Furniture where a guy had spent a year's worth of classes slowly carving his form. And my teacher Norman Reed specialised in building lutes so I saw several of his carved forms in the workshops of the Totnes School of Guitarmaking.

Andy

[tea for two]

DC Choppa's thread on Archtops made me wonder this morning what other nature things could be used as an Acoustic Guitar body.
I immediately thought Pumpkin. Then I though it won't be suitable. Then I thought I would look whether anybody has constructed an Acoustic Guitar type body from Pumpkin.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=F4nltNJye ... BwdW1wa2lu
Indian Classical instrument Tanpura the body made from Pumpkin. Pumpkin size between 47inches and 60inches.

[Wonks]

DC Choppa's thread on Archtops made me wonder this morning what other nature things could be used as an Acoustic Guitar body.
I immediately thought Pumpkin.

Gourd help us!

[tea for two]

DC Choppa's thread on Archtops made me wonder this morning what other nature things could be used as an Acoustic Guitar body.
I immediately thought Pumpkin.

Gourd help us!

[Martin Walker]

Some months ago I bought myseld a Kai KTI-30 Tenor ukulele with a laminated mango body, and it looks and sounds gorgeous!