Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

Always busy with commissioned instruments, and rarely get time to build one on spec. However I managed to sneak one in to the last batch of tenors.

This one is made from some veneers sliced from a single large billet I had shipped from Washington. The figure changed from that deep quilt to more of a ribbon curl across the board, and I thought that it would be appropriate for a sound board. Cut quite a few sets from the one billet.

It's some quite dark Maple paired up with East Indian Rosewood. Koa in the rosette and Pau for the shell highlights. The figure in the quilting is so deep it looks like you could stick your finger into it. The photos really don't do it justice.

Lovely looking instrument!
How does the maple perform as a soundboard?

This one was a bit tight to start with. It might have something to do with the strings as well. They are D'Addario J71's and I find they either work great, or not so much. Depending on the instrument. Been strung up for a week now and switched them out to a low G set from South Coast Ukes and it's really opened up. Very full and warm. I expect with some playing it's going to really shine.

I have several ukes out there with tight curly maple soundboards, and they are real cannons.

Cowabunga Surf's up. Hang on while I get me board. You lucked onto a nice billet there!
Another gawwwgeous Uke from the Barron River stables Allen.

Yet another stunner. Great work