Newly completed slotted headstock tenor ukulele

[Pete Howlett]

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"Originally Posted on:"Wed Jul 28, 2010 ""


Thought ya'll might like to see how I present to clients who can't visit the shop...



youtu.be/

link

This particular batch of koa is quite dense so lots of structural integrety means working thinner than usual... Sl;otted headstock done as per video - not much more to say except I've got another three of these to put together all from the same pile and a bunch being made at a build in Finland next week...

[Allen]

Nice effort with the playing and singing Pete. Not sure if I'd be game unless it had been a big night out at the pub though. Thanks for posting.

[Localele]

Nice job there Pete. Good to see and hear the little buggers in action.I'm a bit like Allen though, there usually isn't anyone left standing if I start singing.I have been known to play as a request for a "Fire Drill".

[Kim]

Too cool Pete, great uke too

Cheers

Kim

[liam_fnq]

That's one sweet uke Pete. What type of strings are on the little bugger.

[Pete Howlett]

had an epiphany about 2 months ago when I ran out of tenor strings and had to check out a uke. I put a set of concert Aquila Nylguts on it and hey presto, problem solved. Now I use Nylgut concert strings for all my ukes - soprano, concert and tenor. In each case the tension is right, particularly when tenor strings tend to be very 'tight' and soprano strings in C tuning often very slack on guaged sets. This single guage seems to meet the requirements of all three sizes as well as simplifying my stock position. On the demo it had a wound third which I am changing for a plain.

As for the singing - I need as much practice as I can get because I am gigging two days in Finland before the extreme build course next week

[Nick]

Nice job Pete, great sounding little bugger (the uke I'm talking about). Have you looked at Aussie Blackwood (Acacia Melanoxylon, Koa's cousin ) at all ? Cheaper than Koa but just as beautiful in my opinion.
By the way, that bloody apron's far too clean!

[Pete Howlett]

Just breaking the apron in - Pete Lieberman (Maui Music fame) made fun of my last 'apron' video so I thought I'd clean up.

I have ordered a couple of blackwood sets from Tim... I already have blackwood but it is a horrible grey colour and isn't figured at all - Ebay purchase when my eye was off the ball

[John Maddison]

Hello Peter ... as you say, figured Koa is a really lovely wood. I've made a couple of ukes using Koa boards ('donated' some time ago to forum members by David Hurd in Hawaii, provided we covered the postage to Oz, not cheap but worth it!) and it is a true joy to work with. Can you tell us the make & model of the tuners you're using in your slotted headstocks, and where & how many $$$ per set to purchase same?

[Pete Howlett]

The are Grover Sta-Tite. On my style2 plus models I replace the buttons using the method detailed by Chris Paulick. You need to make the headstock 17mm thick with an additional 2mm provided by the headplate veneer making a total of 19mm. I space them at 38mm because I don't like seeing the tips of the plate touching... I currently use an angle of 15 degrees but I'm going to change this to 12 to improve string clearance on the ramps.

[John Maddison]

Goodo, have already got a few sets in stock and have only ever mounted them through the headstock ... thanks for the install tips, Peter.

[Pete Howlett]

You need the straight barrels...

[John Maddison]

So, these ones which I have are not suitable for slotted headstocks? If so can you direct me to a supplier of 'straight barrel' Sta-Tites?

Cheers & thanks

[Pete Howlett]

They are the guitar tuners - get them from stewmac. Those ones you give the link to are great for flat headstocks but the barrel isn't long enough to use them for slotted.

[John Maddison]

Thinking these are the ones here , Peter, many thanks. The 18:1 gearing is also an improvement over the 14:1 of the other 'flat headstock' model mentioned earlier.

[Pete Howlett]

Correct.

A company in the UK can supply Van Ghent tuners with straight steel barrels but the button is all wrong...

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