HERE WE GO AGAIN!

BACK FROM HAWAII:  A lovely two weeks in the sun, great weather, shorts, tee shirts, sun glasses,  but the idle life pales after a bit and I was happy to get back to the rain, the gray, and the workshop.  The three tenors are looking really great now and it won't be long before I string them up- but as always seems to happen,  today I began thinking about what I would build next.  HERE IS THE CURRENT THINKING

​

I HAVE THESE TWO PIECES OF BRAZILIAN ROSEWOOD.  I figure I can get one tenor back and sides out of it if I go for a skunk stripe up the back.  Not my first choice, but I cannot figure any other way to get a uke out of these tapering pieces.  My plan is to make three tenors, all with the master grade Redwood tone boards but each with a different kind of rosewood back and sides.  Curious to see what the difference in sound might be. If Any.
So this would be the Brazilian/Redwood uke.

This is East Indian Rosewood.  I have now completed three tenors using this lovely wood for backs and sides, all with redwood soundboards.  They are spectacular, the best sounding ukes I have built.  I have a little more of this great wood and will again pair it with Redwood for a great sounding instrument.

This is Honduran Rosewood.  Obie, a wood dealer here in Bellingham, brought in a bunch of logs of this great wood about thirty years ago.  Once in a while he saws one up and sells it.  I have used it for year for fretboards and bridges, I only have these pieces to make an instrument with, but I suspect it will be terrific,  Dense and beautiful, it is apt to be as good as the Brazilian.


So the challenge is to build three tenors that are identical as possible,  All will have the same master-grade Redwood Tonewood from the N.Y.C. apartment house water tank, but all will be of differing rosewoods for backs and sides.  I am slowing coming to the conclusion that Redwood tops and Rosewood bodies are the secret.  Maybe this will teach me something about which Rosewood is best.  Stay tuned!