a layman considering building a ukulele

I have this possibly over-optimistic or misguided feeling that I could manage making a tenor or baritone ukulele. My main concern is shaping the sides, and I've considered the possibility of improvising a mould for this. I've seen cheap soprano kits that seem to intimate it wouldn't be a demanding project, and I have spent about sixteen years making nuts and saddles and finding I developed concentration and accuracy that might transfer to this project. Sometimes I consider getting hold of a finished neck, sometimes I think I'd like to whittle one from scratch. I would copy the bracing of my Pono baritone but I'd gather that there's no point starting blindly, that things have to be understood about the physics of the instrument to get a good result, more than just using good wood and a previously successful bracing pattern.

Then again I might order the wood and find I cannot even competently make a serviceable shape from it, or that it will not hold together.

Of course if it went well I'd be thinking I should make a guitar or some kind of hybrid - I like the idea of a five string Open G-tuned parlour with a very slim body to be used as an electro-acoustic. I find luthiery articles and forum posts fascinating and sometimes think I'm sensing a potential aptitude or untapped love.

Anyone here once in my shoes who took the plunge? What do you think?

[JCave]

Stewmac makes it look easy.


http://www.stewmac.com/Materials_and...ulele_Kit.html

[frankmcr]

or if you'd like to try building one from scratch, you could try

http://www.lmii.com/products/media-g...lypage-noimage

(from Luthiers Mercantile)

http://www.wsukes.com/plans.html

(from Waverly Street Design)

Just a couple of possibilities, there's a number of uke plans available.

[printer2]

I think that anyone that wants to build a guitar for the first time should build a uke first, a tenor or baritone would be a great idea. What tools/skills do you have? Take a look at the Waverly link and see if any of it scares you.

[Mr Fingers]

I've coached middle-schoolers through the Stew-Mac uke kit, so that is very do-able. It's important to decide what you mean, yourself, by "making" an instrument. That can range assembling a kit to making something from boards -- or, even, from trees. I've done the whole range, and my personal experience is that bending sides and setting necks are most difficult, and in some cases (depending on your equipment) quite hard... like when I built my first steel-string with mostly hand tools. Any build is really, really satisfying, but practice makes perfect (well, never perfect) so it's probably wisest to start with a kit and expand from there. Good luck. You're going to get hooked!

[redir]

Just so happens to be that I am making my first Ukulele now. I've built over 50 guitars but I feel like a total noob. My wife's father gave her a toy ukulele back around 1980 when he was stationed in Hawaii and that is what I am using as a model. It's the right shape anyway.

I'm definitely taking a guitar makers approach to building one so I hope I don't over build it. But I can tell you that so far it's not any easier then building a guitar, in fact it's quite the same outside of totally different dimensions and so on.

This is the bracing I decided on:

[printer2]

Not necessarily easier, just not as intimidating. In the end you learn the skills needed to make a guitar.

[mirwa]

Originally Posted by theinvisibleman

I have this possibly over-optimistic or misguided feeling that I could manage making a tenor or baritone ukulele..........................Anyone here once in my shoes who took the plunge? What do you think?

Everyone starts somewhere, don't over think it, just go for it.

Steve

[H165]

"Go for it" is right. Your first surprise will be how easy it is to make a bending form and bend the wood. You don't need a fancy bender. Just some wood, a band-saw, and some clamps. YouTube is your friend. There's a simple bending block shown in this one, and there are many other ways to see it and do it:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qrQn84kVIk

[Albert D]

I'm nearing the end of my first guitar build. I am to the point of putting finish on the body and neck and as soon as that's done will be ready to attach the neck and install the bridge. It's from scratch and based on the dreadnought plans from Stewmac. I had the advantage of having the guidance of a good friend who started building professionally after he retired from his job. Even with my friends help it's been a real challenge but one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. My friend has since moved away and stopped building after a stroke so the help from him has been limited at best.

All that said, I am strongly considering building 000 size guitar but from a kit this time. I think I have developed enough skill to do that and probably one from scratch again but a kit will be plenty satisfying for me. I have to say that turning a pile of lumber into a fine instrument is a special thing. If you have the skills to build from scratch I say go for it. There are plans available for ukulele's too. You might want to pick up a set to give you an idea if it's something you want to try.