Gidgee and Huon tenor

[56nortondomy]

I finished the uke a couple of days ago. The main timbers came from Jeremy and were great to work with. The uke is quite loud and has a really nice tone ( I wish I knew how to play it ). The top is balsa lattice and CF braced, the back is radial braced.
Top is Huon pine
Back, sides, f/b and headplate are Gidgee
Neck is Tas oak.
Bridge is Cooba
Bindings are African blackwood
Soundport yoke is EIRW
Back headstock veneer is Tiger myrtle
Tuners are Grover

[GregL]

Hi Wayne,

That looks great! Well done!
A few questions, if I may:
1) How was the gidgee to work with (especially bending);
2) what is the finish?
3) you said "quite loud and has a really nice tone" - how do you think having no soundhole but instead a soundport has influenced this?

Thanks,
GregL.

[56nortondomy]

Hi Greg and thanks for the nice comment. I found the Gidgee ok to work with, I had no trouble bending the cutaway side, I thinned it down to about 1.4mm,( I also soaked it in warm water and fabric softener ) the non cutaway was left at about 2.5mm thick and that got a small split, so I think I should have thinned it down to about 2mm. The finish is miritone gloss lacquer. I think having the lattice bracing has increased the volume, the sound really hammers out of the s/port. I'm not sure how the lack of sound hole has influenced the tone or volume, I guess it does to some degree, the lattice goes almost to the head block, that may influence it as well. Wayne