SATURDAY the Bellingham Ukulele Group Community Players had a pleasant gig at Orchard Park Retirement Home. What a nice place and what fun we had. I sat in the back row thumping on my bass and took a couple of pictures for you.
Our leader Pat Madsen gives a little historical background on the next song we are about to do. Our audience grew until we had about 25 folks singing with us.
AS USUAL my videos come out sideways, sorry about that. Here is Pat doing his thing.
We had such a pleasant time playing for these nice folks that I was inspired to go home and get started on the next build.
We had such a pleasant time playing for these nice folks that I was inspired to go home and get started on the next build.
One of the tenors in this next build will be another East Indian Rosewood back and sides and redwood top, but this one will be made with the master grade redwood that I got recently that had been salvaged from a NYC rooftop water tank. I will have finished three Indian Rosewood/Redwood uses by the time this one gets very far along. The first two were terrific in tone, the third is being finished now. The first three were made using redwood salvaged from paneling in a friends house. The wood is nice and sounds great but not spectacularly close grained. I am eager to make and hear a uke with this magnificent water-tank wood. The growth rings are about 60 to the inch, almost unseeable to the naked eye. I am hoping for great things.
AND SO THE FIRST CHALLENGE. This is my remaining Rosewood. How to most efficiently cut it, How many tenors can I get out of it.
AND SO THE FIRST CHALLENGE. This is my remaining Rosewood. How to most efficiently cut it, How many tenors can I get out of it.
I found that I could get two tenor half backs and one side out of each of the wide pieces plus a half of a concert back. Because the two pieces are book matched- so will be the instrument back. and so to the band saw we go.
I had four of these long thinner pieces originally cut for guitar sides. I was able to cut a tenor side and a partial tenor back from each with a one inch narrow piece left over.
By using that one inch strip I will be able to make a full size tenor back out of those under sized partials. There is nothing wrong with a three piece back and if I match it carefully it will be very handsome.
ThThe net yield will be four tenor backs, two concert backs,and six tenor sides. I have enough to make three tenors and then I run out of sides. I have some nice looking long narrow Cocobolo. I wonder what that would look like on a tenor and a concert.
ThThe net yield will be four tenor backs, two concert backs,and six tenor sides. I have enough to make three tenors and then I run out of sides. I have some nice looking long narrow Cocobolo. I wonder what that would look like on a tenor and a concert.