Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

My first Venetian Cutaway Instrument, and it's a 5 String Tenor Ukulele. (Tight bends)
The owner wanted it to be dual arrangement, so the G strings could be played together (3mm separation) or moved apart on the saddle so they could be individually picked.
This one is out of Red Cedar, very dark red and heavy, came from a dead tree in the Boyne Valley. Milled in the early eighties. It's the second Tenor I've made from it. Both sound very nice.

Beautiful!

Hi Graham,

Wow, that looks great!
Could you please give a few more details, like top wood, neck wood, fretboard wood, bindings, finish?

Thanks,
GregL.

No problem Greg,
Back and sides - Australian Red Cedar
Fret Board, Headstock and Bridge - Straight Grained Gidgee
Bindings and Neck - American Curly Maple
Soundboard - Engelmann Spruce
Rosette - straight grained Gidgee with Black Pearl inlays
Nut and Saddle - Mammoth Tusk
Finished with Nitro cellulous Lacquer

Hi Graham,

Thanks for that!
How did you find the Red Cedar? I made a tenor uke (much less skillfully than you!) with Australian Red Cedar back and sides and found it to be a good wood to work with.

Thanks,
GregL.

Very nice work, Graham! The visual effect of the fretboard and headstock veneer, with the lighter grain through the middle, is excellent. Cheers!

Hi Greg,
Yeh, fairly easy to work. It must be, it's the first cutaway I've done,
Did a few test pieces to get the thickness right, which ended up around 1.2mm. Just as well I did cause I broke one piece.
I laminated the cutaway section with a second layer, just to be sure
Cheer
Graham