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  #1  
Old 03-01-2019, 09:21 PM
Jamiejoon Jamiejoon is offline
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Default New Eric DeVine tenitone uke build

Hi all,
I posted an unscientific survey 10 days ago to see if folks would welcome a "tenitone" uke (midway between a tenor and a baritone) build thread, or would descend on the Custom Shop with pitch forks. It seemed that folks were encouraging of a really small guitar build thread, so here we go!

The basics: Eric is a well-respected maker of ukuleles and guitars based in Maui who does really beautiful work. He is doing a small batch of tenitone ukuleles right now, including one for me, so I have asked him to post all of them because we are all gluttons for more beatiful build pics.

My ukulele will be Carpathian spruce top and Cuban mahogany (grown in Hawaii) back and sides.

Jamie

Last edited by Kerbie; 03-02-2019 at 04:19 PM. Reason: Edited detail
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Old 03-01-2019, 09:23 PM
Jamiejoon Jamiejoon is offline
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Here's my original thread:

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=538572
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Old 03-02-2019, 06:37 AM
amohr amohr is offline
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I have been waiting here excited to see the build, as I am free forming a concert sized Uke as a skill building warm up to my next 2 guitars...
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Old 03-02-2019, 10:19 AM
Jamiejoon Jamiejoon is offline
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Default First pic

Here is a first photo of the rosette Eric designed for my uke, in stone and abalone. I am working on getting more photos.
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File Type: jpg DeVine uke rosette JE.jpg (42.0 KB, 197 views)
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Old 03-02-2019, 12:29 PM
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cigarfan cigarfan is offline
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Wow! Beautiful rosette. Looking forward to the rest of the build.
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Old 03-02-2019, 02:15 PM
Jamiejoon Jamiejoon is offline
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OK, here we go. As I crudely narrate this story, I hope Eric chimes in with his vastly more knowledgeable perspective.

This is the set of Hawaii-grown Cuban mahogany Eric is using. Eric loves this stuff, says it is denser than koa and it has a tone closer to rosewood than mahogany. I think it is purty.
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File Type: jpg Raw hog back.jpg (36.2 KB, 184 views)
File Type: jpg Raw hog w part finish.jpg (51.6 KB, 182 views)
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Old 03-02-2019, 02:18 PM
Jamiejoon Jamiejoon is offline
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Eric says the Cuban mahogany ages to a beautiful reddish brown, as you can see from this uke Eric built a few years ago.
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File Type: jpg aged cuban hog.jpg (33.8 KB, 181 views)
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Old 03-02-2019, 02:21 PM
Jamiejoon Jamiejoon is offline
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My "tenitone" uke is one of a batch of four that Eric is working on right now. Here are the backs, the two darker ones being BRW of course. Not sure what the fourth is: koa? Eric reportedly has a great collection of koa.
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File Type: jpg set of uke backs.jpg (34.6 KB, 182 views)
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Old 03-02-2019, 02:38 PM
Jamiejoon Jamiejoon is offline
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Here are the tops for this batch: my Carpathian (with the rosette overlaid)
, one beautiful set of redwood, and two other spruce tops (I will ask).
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File Type: jpg Tenitone tops.jpg (31.9 KB, 183 views)
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Old 03-02-2019, 02:44 PM
Jamiejoon Jamiejoon is offline
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I love what Eric is doing with the backstrip on this uke. I imagine it is intended to be lava, or at least I like thinking of it that way.

By the way, Hawaii has had an intense year! Major volcanic eruption on the Big Island, 50 inches of rain in 24 hours last month on Maui (most ever), and the lowest elevation snowfall (6,000 feet I think) ever also last month on Maui. Crazy.
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Old 03-02-2019, 02:45 PM
Jamiejoon Jamiejoon is offline
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Oops, here is the photo of the "lava" backstrip:
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File Type: jpg Lava backstrip.jpg (30.3 KB, 183 views)
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Old 03-02-2019, 02:48 PM
Jamiejoon Jamiejoon is offline
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One of the two unidentified spruce tops is bearclaw Swiss spruce. Eric backlit the top on one of these photos to show the bearclaw, the other photo highlights the rosette he is using for that one.
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File Type: jpg Backlit bearclaw.jpg (24.5 KB, 183 views)
File Type: jpg another rosette from the batch.jpg (34.8 KB, 183 views)
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Old 03-02-2019, 02:55 PM
chasapple chasapple is offline
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What scale length will this be? I had my Mya Moe baritone uke 20" scale length neck converted to a 19" scale length neck to permit high tenor C tuning which won't work on 20" scale length. 19" has more fret spacing which makes playing up the neck lots easier than 17" tenor. What a great mod! It's my favorite uke now--so much more volume and sustain than my 17" tenor ukes.
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Scott McNeill 000 cutaway, hog/spruce
Martin 00-18 custom shop cutaway
Martin 000-Jr-10E cutaway
Minerva 0 12 fret
Edwinson Falcon 0 cutaway, sapele/spruce
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Old 03-02-2019, 03:05 PM
Jamiejoon Jamiejoon is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chasapple View Post
What scale length will this be? I had my Mya Moe baritone uke 20" scale length neck converted to a 19" scale length neck to permit high tenor C tuning which won't work on 20" scale length. 19" has more fret spacing which makes playing up the neck lots easier than 17" tenor. What a great mod! It's my favorite uke now--so much more volume and sustain than my 17" tenor ukes.
Hi Chas, yes, I think that is the goal Eric is aiming at too, but with a conventional GCEA tuning. Here's what Eric said:

"It is a perfect halfway between a Tenor and a Baritone but with the standard GCEA tuning. It bridges the gap between the two for people that want more sound and a longer scale but want to retail the GCEA tuning and string tension...

Baritone body length 14"
Tenitone body length 13”
Tenor body length 12”

Baritone Scale length 19.75”
Tenitone Scale length 18.6”
Tenor Scale length 17"

The Tenitone uses a set of Baritone GCEA strings made by Aquila that I have used before on baritones but found them to be too high tension for that scale. Fortunately they work perfectly for the 18.6 scale and maintain the same string tension as a tenor.

The Tenitone is definitely a bigger more powerful sounding instrument than the Tenor is. Almost everyone that picked it up and played didn’t realize that it was not a Tenor as it remains very balanced and is not oversized like a Baritone, they just thought it was very comfortable huge sounding Tenor. I also gave the fingerboard just a little extra room on the width to improve playability."
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Old 03-02-2019, 04:18 PM
chasapple chasapple is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jamiejoon View Post
Hi Chas, yes, I think that is the goal Eric is aiming at too, but with a conventional GCEA tuning. Here's what Eric said:

"It is a perfect halfway between a Tenor and a Baritone but with the standard GCEA tuning. It bridges the gap between the two for people that want more sound and a longer scale but want to retail the GCEA tuning and string tension...

Baritone body length 14"
Tenitone body length 13”
Tenor body length 12”

Baritone Scale length 19.75”
Tenitone Scale length 18.6”
Tenor Scale length 17"

The Tenitone uses a set of Baritone GCEA strings made by Aquila that I have used before on baritones but found them to be too high tension for that scale. Fortunately they work perfectly for the 18.6 scale and maintain the same string tension as a tenor.

The Tenitone is definitely a bigger more powerful sounding instrument than the Tenor is. Almost everyone that picked it up and played didn’t realize that it was not a Tenor as it remains very balanced and is not oversized like a Baritone, they just thought it was very comfortable huge sounding Tenor. I also gave the fingerboard just a little extra room on the width to improve playability."
That sounds perfect. I live on Maui but have not yet met Eric. He is without question one of the best uke builders anywhere. He is near the very top of the food chain and his prices reflect that. Congratulations, I am sure you will love it!
__________________
Scott McNeill 000 cutaway, hog/spruce
Martin 00-18 custom shop cutaway
Martin 000-Jr-10E cutaway
Minerva 0 12 fret
Edwinson Falcon 0 cutaway, sapele/spruce
Edwinson Zephyr 00 cutaway, koa/spruce
Taylor 612-C Maple Grand Concert (1997)
Taylor 612-CE Maple Grand Concert (1999)
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