@@RogerAlmeidaLuthier Thank you for your kind words.🎶🎶🎶

Thank you for sharing. Yes, I also like fish glue and use it exclusively on bindings and rosettes but prefer hot hide glue for other things.

@@customukuleles Got it.

Thanks for your question . . . You will notice about 4:27 into the video that I take each small ebony piece and mark off the thickness of the abalone (2mm) and then trim it and the disk sander. Sorry that the video doesn’t show that better.

@@customukuleles ahh makes sense now. Really enjoyed watching your video and hope to try my first rosette with your great example. Thank you.

@@red58impala This koa soundboard is 1.8mm thick, the channel for the rosette is 0.9 mm deep (1/2 the thickness). The rosette ebony pieces and the abalone start out 1 mm thick.

@@jrgenbaadsgaard Thank you for your kind words. And of course I share my techniques - if they can be of benefit to anyone I am happy. Also if anyone has any suggestions on a better method, I am always willing to learn from them.

@@lexm9416 thank you!

Thank you George . . . more to come!

Love it!

@@shawnhulke7385 Years ago I was raising some panels for cabinet doors, running cherry over a moulding cutter, and a flaw in the wood caught the blade and kicked it out of my hands and . . . . I have been working with wood for over 60 years and have to admit that, at the time, having been so comfortable around machinery (having worked with it so long) plus being in a hurry plus not being in the best mood, it could have been avoided. A painful lessen. But it hasn’t kept me down and I have learned how to not let it become a handicap. So be careful and if you feel in a hurry or aren’t in the best mood, stay out of the shop!

@@davidrachubka5300 For finishes, I prefer either tung oil or French polish (natural shellac). And those tuners? They are Rubners . . . www.rubnertuners.com/ukulele-machines .

@@ositoCastro Thanks for your comment. Actually there is no stain - the color is the natural color of the wood. On this ukulele I used a tung oil finish, first coat wet sanded to 400 x, second coat wet sanded to 800 x, 3rd coat wet sanded to 1,500 x, then 3 more coats, all buffed out. Tung oil provides a long lasting durable finish and a lot of work and as there is a waiting time between coats, this process takes almost 2 weeks. There is only a light oil on the fingerboard and bridge specifically formulated for that.

Thank you for you kind words. If you are truly interested in acquiring a high quality ukulele that could become your best friend, contact me and perhaps it could happen . . . [email protected]

@@customukuleles Thank you, that’s a very king offer, but I’m the guy that buys the $50 version on Amazon, but I appreciate the offer. Perhaps my playing will one day get to a level where I can showcase it with a custom instrument but right now it’s more like perfume on a pig. p.s. I loved the touch of having your video accompanied by music from ukuleles you made. They sound as beautiful as they look.

@@allenmay8850 Hi Allen, this touches me deeply and I’m so glad that you’re enjoying your ukulele.i would love to hear a clip sometime. Janna and I send our best wishes . . .

Thank you for your kind words, so glad you enjoyed it!

Thank you, glad you liked it!

Thank you for your interest - the top is commonly known as Port Orford cedar, which is also known as Lawson’s cypress. I have a friend who goes into old logging sites and finds incredible tone woods in old stumps. This top is probably close to 100 years old and was thus sustainably acquired.

Thank you Peter, my intention is to also let people know that there is actually a great deal that goes into making a quality instrument. My Catalan grandfather quite accurately said “manufacturing will be the death of the artisan”. When musical instruments are built by hand, giving attention to the individual properties of every individual piece of wood and how they interact, it is as if they give it a soul. Even though there are decent sounding factory made instruments, this is a quality they just aren’t able to achieve.

Thank you!

Thank you Judy, I’m glad you enjoyed it!

Thank you! And it is available.

Thank you, it is available. . .

@@customukuleles I only wish I had the funds right now. I've been trying to teach myself how to build ukuleles, with the assistance of your videos, and I've spent way too much towards that goal. Maybe some day I'll purchase one from you if I decide building is not for me.

@@red58impala I would respectfully ask - Do you have any prior woodworking experience? If so that is helpful. If you have never built a ukulele and want to get started I would recommend getting a kit from StewMac or someplace similar. With a kit you would see the basic construction and wouldn’t have to bend the sides, make the bridge or cut fret slots. I’m also willing to help you along the process if you would like. If you are anywhere near the Corvallis, Oregon area I invite you to come to my shop and I could give you some first hand tips. I spend anywhere from 80 to 100 hours building a ukulele from start to finish depending on the design. Also feel free to email me if you would like a more private conversation - [email protected] .

@@customukuleles Thank you for the generous offer to help and let me drop in to your workshop. I do wish you we were closer geographically. I'm down near Jacksonville, FL so there won't be any unannounced visits from me 🙂. I'm sure I will drop you an email at some point. I do have some woodworking experience. Not as much as I would like, but I do have some. I'm primarily a hand tool woodworker so thicknessing the back/sides/top will be the biggest challenge for me, at least to start. I won't lie, I would love to have a drum sander. I might build one and use my lathe as the platform for it. I'm gathering the materials to make my molds and forms. I'm expecting my first few builds to be questionable at best, but I'll keep going. I've had two Stewmac kits and both have had some issues. The sides were so twisted bad enough I was concerned it would introduce unnecessary forces in the body so I sent it back. The kit I'm working on now is OK, but it has issues as well. Even though the kit is frustrating at times, I'm staying positive because I'm learning how to work around those issues to make a completed product, plus I'm learning new skills. It'll make me angry and I'll take a break from it for a while, then get back to it. I have a few braces left for the top and then I'll be ready to start closing up the body. I made a mold for it, instead of the L-brackets/plywood they recommend, and I'm going to drill some holes along the mold, per your suggestions in another video, so I can use my spool clamps to close it up. I have not built a go-bar deck yet.

Thank you! It is available . . . .

I’m not sure if it is possible for you to order from StewMac, but this is the bit you need: www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-and-supplies/types-of-tools/routers-and-bits/bits/neck-joint-router-bits/ . Thank you for your kind comments and let me know if there is any other way I might be able to help.

Thank you so much for your reply Oliver, and so promptly. Unfortunately we don’t have a StewMac in NewZealand but they do send international so I’ll use that service. Thank you again. Peter.

It isn’t all that difficult if you have patience, some woodworking skills and some basic tools. Draw out the radius full size on some paper to make a template. Let me know if you need any advice and how it turns out.

@@customukuleles Thanks!

Hi Carlos, thank you for your kind words. It is a bit tricky to get the angle right as the heel is usually tapered and then the body is also curved. This means that if you cut the shoulders of the male dovetail (on the neck) square then the neck will be tilted up. The top flat face of the neck needs to be on the same plane as the body top as the fretboard sits on both. I usually cut my dovetails to be overly tight so I can recut the heel shoulders at the proper angle to correct for that. This also allows to adjust side to side orientation so the neck is in line with the centerline of the body. You can always trim some but adding on isn’t what you want. To answer your question about fretboard and bridge thickness - it depends on whether your fretboard is flat or radiused for the fretboard and that with how high you want the action for the bridge. You can be safe with a flat fretboard being about 3/16” thick and the bridge about 9/32” as the saddle will give you a bit more height. Of course you will need to adjust these depending on what size ukulele you are building. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. If you are near Corvallis, Oregon I invite you to come by my workshop.

Gracias

Thanks George, I have a really sweet koa tenor available right now if you are interested . . .

Good morning, you are asking a question that I could not answer without seeing your instrument. How do your heavier ukes sound? If you are happy with the sound, I would leave them alone. Internal bracing is also a factor as making the back, top and sides thinner could create some major problems. I would take your uke to a professional luthier for their options on this.

Glad you enjoyed it!

Welcome to the world of luthierie . . . Spool clamps are very easy to make and I’m happy to share those details with you. The bolts I use for ukuleles are 5/16” X 6” carriage bolts with a washer & wing nut. The spools are cut with a 1-1/2” hole saw so the actual diameter of the spool is slightly less than the 1-1/2” due to the saw kerf. I use cork as a pad that is easily available as shelf lining from a hardware store as it has a convenient adhesive backing. After cutting the spools I put them on a rod (or 5/16” bolt) and sand the edges by holding them up to a bench sander and letting them spin against a 100 grit belt. That also trims the cork perfectly. The center of the holes drilled in the mold are 3/8” from the edge leaving about 1/4” of wood between. I hope this answers your questions, if you have any more questions, I’m more than happy to reply as best I can. Also feel free to contact me directly at [email protected] .

@@customukuleles Thank you so much for the reply! Some years ago I had seen them made out larger dowels before, but wasn't sure if the orientation of the grain would work or just split. I'll incorporate this into my future ukulele build(s). You answered all of my questions and I am very appreciative.

Thanks George.

Thank you - and you really should get a ukulele, it is great therapy for your hands!

Janna & I both wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing you both soon.

Thanks for your comment. Hmm . . . Sounds like you are describing a shaper like setup. I’d be curious how you would design the ability to run a radiused, wedge shaped piece over it while keeping the cut perpendicular to the sides. I’ve worked with shapers & routers in tables in the past and see how that applies to a flat surface (as the top) but don’t see how that would work on the back.

Thank you, I agree that very few young people have the patience it takes to be a true artisan as they easily lose sight that the quality of the end result is based on being fully present with attention to each step along the way. I’ve been working with wood for over 60 years and things have changed so much. The automated world of factory produced cheap things has caused people to forget the value of hand built items that are made with care.

Thank you, Diana!

I agree about with you about the uses of different types of glues. I also use Tightbond for molds & jigs or for furniture type applications where time is a factor. I also like fish glue for bindings as it gives you a bit more working time. As for making things look easy, that is just practice and experience as I am sure you know as well. It sounds like you have been at your art also for a long time and I have a question for you . . . A ukulele was recently brought to me that has one note that sounds “thuddy”, doesn’t ring out like the other notes and has very little sustain. It isn’t a string as the same note (E) played on other strings (ie. 4th fret 3rd string, 11th fret 4th string) also has the same problem. So it seems to be a harmonic problem with the soundboard. It has me stumped as to how to remedy this. Do you have any ideas? Also on an other note, I would love to get to know you more, e-mail me if you would like - [email protected] .

Well--Maybe,?? you'll need an assistant though. If you could put it in a stand/holder so the body is free to vibrate like crazy!! Have assistant bow the string as long and evenly as one can. Or even more than one string at the time, normal & up to pitch. Yes with a long fiddle bow rosined ! A bow is dead silent and the sustain is ideal/necessary for this. Then with knuckle or finger bearing down on the SB or the case in different places to see/hear of any changes right when the phenomenon is present while it is being bowed loudly and evenly. If you never did this before it is amazing how loud that can be. Now----I realize Uke's are not bowed,,I guess---I suppose one can? I assure you if there is a wolf tone or something loose like those sneaky rib/brace glue joints,,,this can help. maybe. Just Blabbing!! We do this to find the most active spots on our guitar SBs for locating the lateral anti nodal positions on our fiddle type bridges we use. Is this problem a new development with this instrument??

@@BlaisPianoGuitars Thank you, Blais. I’ll try what you are suggesting and let you know how that works out.

You’re welcome. You are correct, table saw sleds are definitely the way to go!

I imagine that many folks who see my videos may never actually build a ukulele but may learn how much actually goes into the process. As has happened with so many things these days, automated manufacturing processes have made it very difficult for those of us who consider what we do an art and make things by hand. Hand built instruments have a very different quality to them, a kind of soul instilled in them by the builder / artisan.

@@customukuleles Yes, I can see your point and exactly that was the reason why I watched this video. I love instruments that have been build by a luthier and as you said… I agree that these have a kind of soul. Thank you for your answer and have a great weekend.

How wonderful to hear from you . . . Those cutters are safe and do a very good job If one uses a fence and only takes off about 5/8” wide and a 16th or less of an inch at a time. The speed is also important, I run mine at about 2,800 rpm, as slower seems to catch on the wood. I’m super careful with my hands as you’ve probably noticed my “trimmed” fingers (an old injury involving a molding cutter and a flaw in a piece of cherry). I don’t know Malcolm, should I?

Maybe you don't use it. Malcolm, is where I get my shellac. About 16 years now. He's over there in Oregon, somewhere on the coast.Curiously??? he only sells shellac! If you have a need for it he's the one. He's a pleasant individual to converse with. Its always fresh. I've had to deal with bad batches over the years, never from him. Using about ten pounds a year on pianos. Ive discovered some things about that stuff. Well,,,,,,, finding unadulterated organic finishing materials nowadays has been frustrating----to say the least! Example ====this Tightbond "GENUINE" hide glue "GENUINE" hide glue is very ludicrous, = JOKE! Synthetics everywhere. Yeah-yeah there is maybe a little hide glue in the chemical mix?. Chasing down exactly what is in it is tricky! Patiently I did!!! No one realizes that the boiled linseed oil is not boiled at al! that stopped about 1930 believe it or not. it's all chemicals since then. Even the RAW linseed I use must have some pesticides I'll bet a dollar! Take care!