Its like a Carbon Guitar, Only Smaller...
 

Hi Guys,

I thought id share some images (which i took while walking my dogs this morning, the snow arrived in Ireland a month late!) of what I've been working on over the last few months. This is one of my ukes. I started with a uke because its so small and awkward.

Essentially, I have developed a unique system for moulding a full instrument in a single step. No joins, no seams, and no material or features that exist just to aid resin flow. The process requires no additional openings on the body, and the same strands of carbon you see on the headstock run the full length of the instrument unobstructed, resulting in improved vibration transfer throughout.

I can also achieve a much thinner minimum thickness with only two layers of carbon. There is no gel coat, and the uke in the images has only some airbrushing (vintage Gibson Silverburst vibes) and a single layer of clear coat.

The top and rear of the body are balanced in a computer simulation, and stiffened in key areas. It's still just a passion project :P

Let me know what you think! I've another ready for paint this week, although I'm thinking about trying a solid colour on that one!

https://i.imgur.com/FyCZpOf.jpg

Very cool project, I guess it requires some solid skills 😀
Now we want to hear how it sounds!
Your design inspiration is fairly obvious 😉

Agreed, with all the above! There are some design echoes there, for sure :)

It would be nice to see some closer shots - it’s tough to see the details in that lighting.

The design is actually quite unique when you see it in reality (or at least i hope it is! :P). I think perhaps in them photos you can only see the silhouette! I think a solid colour one will set it apart a bit more as well as showing off more of the design.

Here's a slightly clearer one. I've actually got two sound holes on the front.

https://i.imgur.com/rs3D9nW.jpg

That’s better! It’s a very pretty instrument, and definitely has its own character. Looking forward to seeing and hearing more!

That Is A Cool-Looking Uke!

That would be perfect for a nylon string guitar.

I like it..how about a mandolin?
Beautiful dogs..

I've a new shotgun mic on its way. Ill try and put together a quick video for you guys when it arrives :)

I've a soft spot for nylons, if I get that far, nylon is certainly on the cards :)

I would love to! I'm actually considering a 8 string tenor uke, but with steel strings. I think it could be quite qwerky, and tuned to GG DD AA EE with the right strings. I have a nylon stringed luna 8 string tenor, and its a beautiful instrument.

Cool! Composite seems to lend itself very nicely to instruments. I remember years ago being at a party and hearing this wonderful, bright "ukulele" break out in song. Keep in mind this was outside and there were a lot of people chatting and kids playing, running and screaming. The tone was surprisingly loud, full and pleasant. I commented on the tone and unique shape and the guy playing it called it the "Fluke-ulele" by Magic Fluke Co. Other than Ovation guitars (of which I once had, my first acoustic), I had not really fully understood the advantages of composite instrument building.

Bet part is that since it's your creation. You can tweak it anyway you like and it looks like your off to a great start!

Don't get me started on the endless tweaking! I destroyed the last one by tweaking too much haha. This is number 5 for a reason! I'm a bit of a perfectionist, maybe too much so :P

But yeah, with a ukulele you want a bight and punchy sound (or at least I do), but what I have found is I can also get a lot more sustain out of it and warmth in the mids. I'm really looking forward to when things return to normal to play it alongside guitars. I think to really judge its projection, id like to hear it in a mix and see where it lands. (and possibly in the hands of someone a bit more skilled than myself haha!)

.. I shall continue down the rabbit hole for now :D

Simon, this is really exciting and cool! Ukulele is my second instrument (I founded and led a ukulele club for 12 years). I have gone through many wooden ukes. My favorite player for the past couple of years is a Blackbird Farallon tenor, built with ekoa linen fiber composite.