THE FRET BOARDS have their frets and are now glued to the necks. Now for one of the really important functions of a build , the final shaping of the neck. This is a highly individualistic thing, but crucially important to how the instrument will play. I am going to make a real effort this time to make these necks as thin as possible to emulate those old Martin necks. It's always a little scary cause you don't want them so thin that they might warp or bend. As is all else in making a uke it is a balancing act. So here is the "Blonde" first up on the operating table. Cross your fingers as a screw up here can ruin the whole venture.
TAKE CARE! I will use a fine toothed rasp to bring the neck wood down to the dimensions of the fretboard, stopping just short of cutting into the fret board itself. once that is done I will round out the neck paying special attention to the curve and "hook" at the body connection. The shape of this "hook" is a key aesthetic feature for me and I spend a lot of time on making it please me.
After the rasp work I will follow it up with a scraper and then sand paper and when it feels just right I will paint on a coating of shellac so this beautiful Alaskan Cedar will not be sullied by sanding dust from the darker Koa or ebony.
After the rasp work I will follow it up with a scraper and then sand paper and when it feels just right I will paint on a coating of shellac so this beautiful Alaskan Cedar will not be sullied by sanding dust from the darker Koa or ebony.
Once I have the necks shaved and sanded down to where I want them the final sanding begins. I will sand and sand with ever finer grades of sandpaper. The finishing process is in sight and I am really excited to start the French Polish and to see some of the beautiful figure in these woods show. Take a look at the Australian blackwood binding on the "Blonde". It will stand out in much greater detail once the finishing begins. The other ukes have master grade koa backs which should be spectacular and their blonde bindings are really choice figured maple. All of these woods wait for the finish to show their beauty in its fullest and applying the French Polish is the high light of the building progress, well maybe stringing up and hearing their tone is the finest moment.