Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

I've been very busy lately building a website and learning photo editing but have somehow found time to complete another resonator uke.

This is a tenor scale resonator uke featuring:

Cone: National
Body woods: Spalted white cedar
Neck: Spanish Cedar
Fretboard: Curly Aust. blackwood
Bindings: Curly Aust. Blackwood
Strings: D'Addario J71s
Finish: Satin lacquer

luv it, you will have to upload a recording of it, I bet it has an interesting sound!

Col

Very cool. That spalted cedar is really dramatic. Did you have time to take any pics of the build? Would be very interested to see them.
Miguel

Nice wood and work Liam, are they little klusons?

Jim

Damned, that looks bloody good and yeah I know that spalting sure doesn't improve the strength of the timber but when it seriously looks that good....

Steve

Wow, that's a very lovely uke. The ff soundholes in the middle of the spalting figure are a ripper.

Little kluson copies Jim.

The only build pic I could find Miguel

Love the whole concept of this build.

Looks fantastic Liam.

Congratulations on some fine workmanship and innovation there mate!

I haven't seen too many Resonator ukulele's around.

Cheers

Alan

Very nice build Liam, I like the spalted look and the 'stripey' sides. The bindings are very complimentary too, contrasting bindings without being too contrasting
The cone is a single Tricone? and where did you get a cover that's small enough or do National make these for this sort of purpose? I have a cone purpose made for a cigarbox guitar size but have never found a cover for it, they 'usually' use an exposed cone in those little suckers but I'd like to put a cover over it.

A single tricone, is that the oxymoron for the day?

The cone and biscuit are a national resophonic ukulele cone/biscuit from elderly. The coverplate is from republic guitars, although national sell these too. I added a custom tailpiece/string anchor as I was unhappy with the way the republic ones work.

The cones are pie tin thin. There's no way I'd leave one without a cover.

Shit hot Liam.Knock out some dirty blues on it for a sound check.Get a few beers in first so you loosen up a bit.

Sexy...! Tailpiece looks suspicious though. How does it work?

Nice one Liam. I bet it sounds as good as it looks.

Gerry Coon wrote:Sexy...! Tailpiece looks suspicious though. How does it work?

Suspicious? Like it stole something?

There's three holes per string. It works the same as an 18 hole classical guitar bridge.

The only build pic I could find

Man that hole looks big ! Did the soundboard have a flaw that made it unusable as a "normal" uke or did you have to carve out a huge hole in a perfectly good soundboard?
Brilliant result either way but I'd have sleepless nights doing the latter.
Miguel

Miguel, there's no way I'd use that timber for the top on a regular uke. It has none of the qualities you want from a soundboard, that being light, stiff and even in consistency all the way across. It is light but it hasn't got the other two.

Tx Liam. Now I understand. Another useful concept to tuck away for future reference
Miguel

If I had a blue ribbon on hand I would pin it on this instrument!!!
absolutely beautiful !!! congrats Liam!!

That's a sweet little uke Liam. Another instrument on my must do list.

C'mon Liam it's Friday night and by now you should have loosened up enough stubbies to give us a sound check.

Nice work mate!!
Love the spalted white cedar