3 Ukes for HGF/11

Bruce Sexauer · #1 07-17-2011, 04:34 PM

I decided to make a Uke to show at the Healdsburg Guitar Festival. It is a Tenor all Koa. It completed so quickly I decided to make another, but from all Catalpa since the guitar I made from that wood came out so well. These 2 will make an interesting comparison. Then I woke up in the middle of the night wondering why I've never seen a steel stringed Uke. So the 3rd, all Koa again, will be a MultiScale asymmetrical steel string. Here are a couple of pictures of the first of these, the all Koa Tenor, with 4 coats of Varnish:

Itzkinguitars · #2 07-17-2011, 04:56 PM

Looks nice, how long did it take to build?

Bruce Sexauer · #3 07-17-2011, 05:19 PM

Started on Friday, began finish on Tuesday. Took Sunday off. I did the resaw work a couple of years ago when I acquired some Koa billets from Allied. Started the Catalpa yesterday afternoon and the plates are 90% braced. Started the 3rd one two hours ago, rosette is in and the braces made but not glued. It's a bit tricky thinking about the tension of steel strings in a Uke. Failure is possible.

omegaguitars2 · #4 07-17-2011, 06:55 PM

Wow this looks great. I've been thinking of building a quick uke. A few days ago I was talking to my uncle about never seeing a steel string. I look forward to hearing what you think about it. And good timing, you caught me right at the peak of my curiosity.

cotten · #5 07-18-2011, 05:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer

...Then I woke up in the middle of the night wondering why I've never seen a steel stringed Uke. So the 3rd, all Koa again, will be a MultiScale asymmetrical steel string.

Wow! Is this even legal?

I don't know much about Ukes, but I look forward to seeing these, and especially to hearing the steel string.

cotten

drcmusic7 · #6 07-18-2011, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer

So the 3rd, all Koa again, will be a MultiScale asymmetrical steel string. Here are a couple of pictures of the first of these, the all Koa

That's an interesting idea, Bruce. I'm looking forward to seeing pictures. How will you tune it?

Kindly,
Danny

Bruce Sexauer · #7 07-18-2011, 09:31 AM

If it's a Uke it should be tuned like the top four strings of a guitar capoed at the fifth fret; G, C, E, A. A tenor Uke has a 17" string length, which is equivalent to capoing a long scale guitar at the 7th fret, so using guitar strings will give a little less tension than there'd be on a guitar. The strings should break, and the sound should be a little loose. There's always mediums if it's too floppy.

At this point I've done the thicknessing and glued most of the braces in, so I'm pretty much committed.

drcmusic7 · #8 07-18-2011, 09:40 AM

Hi Bruce,

Sorry, I should have been more clear. Not enough coffee this morning. Are you going to use a high or low G?

I'm looking forward to seeing it at Healdsburg!

Kindly,
Danny

Bruce Sexauer · #9 07-18-2011, 11:57 AM

Ah! I should have known, but it didn't occur to me. I too was in caffeine deficit, in fact I was sitting in a coffee shop with my iPad. I am imagining it with a low G so I can play it like a guitar, but of course any eventual buyer can go either way with a saddle change. The Tenor I keep around the homestead has a high g.

Marley · #10 07-18-2011, 12:25 PM

First of all Bruce, very nice and very cool. I'm a Uke player and love em!

But, I have always been curious of Uke prices. (at least the quality ones from Hawaii. I believe I know why fiddles, mandolines etc... can have such high price tags. I've never understood how a little uke sometime made with the same wood by the same guitar manufacturer can have thousands of dollars of difference between the two. Or even a $10 difference. How does a company like Martin sell a solid body Hog guitar less than it sells a solid body Uke? I don't have any examples to give right now as I post but have always noticed these prices over the years. Just go to elderly and look at the prices of some of the Martin uke's. Or this National with laminated sides for over 2K? What is the rational? http://elderly.com/new_instruments/items/NCWU6.htm

Sorry Bruce for the sidebar. I just love Uke, loved that you posted yours and have always been curious about the prices but have never asked anyone.

Bruce Sexauer · #11 07-18-2011, 01:03 PM

At my cost, the Ukulele body wood in H Mahogany is about $10. In mildly flame Koa, as I am using here, it rises to around $35. Highly flamed "exhibition grade" Koa might push $100! When you consider the price of getting things to market, some people use the multiplier of 7 times, which turns the $90 difference into a $630 dollar difference!

Of course my situation is not the one described above, but Martin's is. I consider the cost difference between mildly flamed Koa and H Mahogany to be pretty much moot, and if someone ordered a Mahogany one it wouldn't occur to me to charge less for it. On the other hand, exhibition grade Koa would certainly set you back at least a hundred bucks more.

Actually, I'm not sure I understood your question, on rereading. Ask again if I didn't answer it. Manufacturers often charge what the market will bear rather than a formulated price based on cost. There is usually some internal harmony between costs and price, but not always.

Marley · #12 07-18-2011, 01:19 PM

Hi Bruce. Thanks for your post! Very interesting

I know my post is confusing.

I do know it all comes down to the market but there has to be a better answer to my question. Maybe, maybe not.

I guess my question is:

Let's take Martin as an example.

We will use a figurative guitar and uke.

What is the rational behind Martin charging $1200 for a solid hog uke and $1190 for a solid hog 6 string acoustic guitar?

I uderstand prices differences when it comes to fiddles, mando's etc.. they are different animals all together.

But a Uke and guitar are very similar. Top, back, sides, braces, bridge, neck, fingerboard, tuners etc..

The wood used to build a guitar may be able to make close to 2-3 uke's ??? How can the charge be more or even the same for both. I see it all of the time.

Clear as mud now eh!

now that I think about it. It has to be 100% market. If a Martin guy wants a great Uke they may think they are getting a better one if they pay $1200 intstead of $600. and if they do pay it, the market will take $1200. i.e. if Martin's top uke only goes for $600, a guy who wants a top of the line uke may keep shopping for one that sells for over a thousand dollars. Because price dictates quality. Right

Bruce Sexauer · #13 07-18-2011, 02:06 PM

Ah, again! I had no idea Martin sold Ukes for the same neighborhood price as guitars. My guitars take 4 to 6 times as much time as my Ukes, more or less since I'm guessing, and the price is in line with that difference. Of course my Ukes are made at about the same quality level as my guitars, perhaps Martin's Ukes are better made than their guitars? Laugh now!

Bruce Sexauer · #14 07-19-2011, 03:08 PM

I am tempted to keep my Uke interior secret, partly because I might be onto something, and partly because I don't want to embarrass myself in public. But what the heck! The first pic is the Catalpa as I am about to put in the peone. The second is the steel string JB-Uke.

This looks a little misshapen, but that's partly parallax, and partly that it IS an asymmetrical Uke!

drcmusic7 · #15 07-19-2011, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer

Ah! I should have known, but it didn't occur to me. I too was in caffeine deficit, in fact I was sitting in a coffee shop with my iPad. I am imagining it with a low G so I can play it like a guitar, but of course any eventual buyer can go either way with a saddle change. The Tenor I keep around the homestead has a high g.

Very cool, Bruce. My tenor has a high g too.

I'm looking forward to seeing these at Healdsburg. The pictures look great.

Kindly,
Danny