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5 Koa Tenor Ukes Build
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Author:  Michael [ Fri Jun 18, 2010 5:47 pm ]
Post subject:  5 Koa Tenor Ukes Build
Here are a few build pics of 5 Koa tenor ukes I am building for my 4 sons and myself.

Koa top, back and sides
Walnut neck with maple laminated stripe
Curly maple bindings
Ebony fretboard and bridge
MOP dots and rosette
My "S" MOP head stock logo
Grover tuners

This is how I made the neck attachment (Also shown in a previous post by me)
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This pic shows the neck carving progression
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Here are the 5 Tenors before finishing. (Also shown in a previous post by me)
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Lacquer finish reflecting a nearby Coke can
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One Tenor with a BIG brother..A 1906 Gibson Harp Guitar that I restored last year.. Such a handsome couple... :D
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The Peg Head..
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Now I've got bridges to make and setup to do. I will post a final pic when I am done. Thanks for looking.
Michael
Author:  Joe Sustaire [ Fri Jun 18, 2010 6:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 5 Koa Tenor Ukes Build
Very nice set of ukes Michael!
Sure looks nice under finish, not to mention big brother there!

So what do you think, is gang building the way to go?
That's what you get for having so many kids. laughing6-hehe

Joe
Author:  Michael [ Fri Jun 18, 2010 9:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 5 Koa Tenor Ukes Build
Joe I was inspired by your fabulous, beautiful uke build awhile ago. I will not do a "gang" build in the future. I thought ...these are small, it will go fast and simple...WRONG. It took me as long to build 5 tenor ukes as 5 guitars. Nearly 20 hours of sanding/leveling at the end almost put me under. I am back to one at a time from now on.

The thing is, my next build is a Elliott/Sullivan (John Doan) 20 string harp guitar. I have been waiting for GAL to issue the plans for 2 years and I just received them last week. This will be another big project but at least it will be back to "one at a time".

Michael
Author:  Ian Cunningham [ Sun Jun 20, 2010 6:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 5 Koa Tenor Ukes Build
Very simple and elegant. Consider building more in the future, I feel a uke craze comin on.
Author:  Michael [ Sun Jun 20, 2010 9:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 5 Koa Tenor Ukes Build
Thanks Ian but my wife and I are 62 years old and she is not going to have anymore children :lol: .
Michael
Author:  unkabob [ Sun Jun 20, 2010 9:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 5 Koa Tenor Ukes Build
Michael:
Beauty build!

Very nice work. It has taken me five years to accumulate five ukuleles and you do it in one.
Building cases for them will take just as long.

Bob :ugeek:
Author:  Quine [ Mon Jun 28, 2010 12:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 5 Koa Tenor Ukes Build
All 5 look great but I'll take the one in the middle
Author:  DannyV [ Mon Jun 28, 2010 9:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 5 Koa Tenor Ukes Build
Nice Michael! That's going to be quite a family concert when you're done. They look great. I'm just starting a concert model with my 11 yr old daughter. It should be a fun project. I don't have much of a plan and it doesn't seem to have much neck angle. What worked for you? Did you do any radius on the top and back? I guess it's just a tiny guitar huh.

Looking forward to seeing them finished and 4 other smiling faces.

Cheers,
Danny
Author:  Michael [ Tue Jun 29, 2010 1:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 5 Koa Tenor Ukes Build
Thanks Quine, they are all pretty in person.

Danny, The top is flat, no angle at neck joint. The back has a radius. I got the bracing, and many other parts and a book at Hana Lima although I can't seem to get to their web site today.
Michael
Author:  DannyV [ Wed Jun 30, 2010 10:16 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 5 Koa Tenor Ukes Build
Thanks Michael. I did get this http://www.hanalimastore.com/servlet/StoreFront to open but not the other site. Looks like a good place and reasonable prices.

Could you give me some details on your top bracing. This is where I got my plan.
http://donsplans.com/oscommerce/catalog ... Path=21_27
It's a little vague on the bracing and looks a little different than the bracing on the Hana Lima plans.

Thanks Again,
Danny
Author:  Darrel Friesen [ Wed Jun 30, 2010 7:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 5 Koa Tenor Ukes Build
I used Dons Plans for two tenors I built, but really only for the outside and neck dimensions as the two I built were an archtop and a Kasha style. I used the internet an old Martin and dead reckoning to get them to the finished point :lol: Very happy with both. Build light!
Author:  Michael [ Wed Jun 30, 2010 9:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 5 Koa Tenor Ukes Build
Danny, Yep...that's the place. It's kind of hard to give details on the top bracing. There is a bridge patch. Then 3 scalloped fan braces cut out perfectly to pass over the bridge patch and reaching the transverse brace below the sound hole. Then there is a sound hole patch then an upper transverse brace.

You really need the plans. You could do without the book. I got the book and plans from Hana Lima and the book and plans by Henry Wickham (Stewmac). Hana uses a Spanish heel and Henry shows the Spanish heal and a type of bolt-on neck option. I used Stewmac ebony mandolin fingerboard blanks. Use some skinny fret wire also.
Michael
Author:  Michael [ Fri Jul 16, 2010 6:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 5 Koa Tenor Ukes Build
Okay... Finally done!
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Michael
Author:  Chris Oliver [ Sat Jul 17, 2010 2:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 5 Koa Tenor Ukes Build
Michael,
Good job. Simply beautiful. I can almost here an ensemble playing 'my dog has fleas' already.
Author:  Parser [ Sun Sep 12, 2010 8:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 5 Koa Tenor Ukes Build
Great looking ukes! Well done..!

Trev
Author:  Michael [ Mon Sep 13, 2010 12:19 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 5 Koa Tenor Ukes Build
Thanks guys.
Michael
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