Its been a few days since I have posted. I have been busy with a big history research project and my ukulele building time has suffered-But! the bindings are on, the head plates got glued on today, the heel caps are on. Some of the rough sanding is done and these are beginning to look like ukuleles.
The next step I think will be cutting the fret slots in the fret boards, cutting them to taper and putting a 12 foot radius on them. I might get some of that done tomorrow. Two of these will have ebony fretboards and the "Blonde" with the Alaska Cedar neck is going to get a pretty piece of Honduran Rosewood. Then they will all be adorned with gold hued Ivo frets and mother of pearl dots.
The next step I think will be cutting the fret slots in the fret boards, cutting them to taper and putting a 12 foot radius on them. I might get some of that done tomorrow. Two of these will have ebony fretboards and the "Blonde" with the Alaska Cedar neck is going to get a pretty piece of Honduran Rosewood. Then they will all be adorned with gold hued Ivo frets and mother of pearl dots.
Here they are from a different angle. The two cedar topped ukes are bound with some realy nice tiger-stripe maple that should set off the Koa sides with nice contrast -but the real beauty is going to be the highly figured Australian Blackwood binding on the "Blonde". When the finish hits that stuff it is going to really jump.
Rear End View. I like to put a little end inlay on my ukes. Seems to me it pretties them up some, I am not much for Bling but these inlays are pretty understated. They are made of the same wood as the bindings so continue the line around the instrument. I don't know if I will turn strap buttons for these or not. Maybe I will just wait and see what their buyers want. I can alway put a button, or a MiSi pickup with button on later. Two of these back inlays are straight, one is tapered. Not sure which I like best.
Two of the Ukes have this really nice Koa on the backs. Even unfinished this is a lovely piece of wood but when the Koa meets the first coat of french polish it simply explodes with character and figure and with each successive application it gets better. Unlike any wood that I have worked with, Koa hides its beauty until the finish is applied and then "stand back". I am really looking forward to french polishing this baby. I used more pedestrian koa on "the blonde" because it has very showy bindings and the much greater contrast of the Englemann Spruce top and Alaska Cedar neck. It will find it's own kind of beauty in that contrast.
