Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

Another commission for a musician that wanted something custom. He was looking for a flat back Ronroco, which after looking it up on Wikipedia turns out to be pretty much an 8 string Baritone uke. This one tuned to dD, gG, bb, ee but many other tunings can be used.

Brazilian Mahogany back and sides, Engelmann Spruce soundboard, Indian Rosewood trim. Finished in French Polish. I used the Gotoh Stealth tuners to keep the headstock size and weight to something far more manageable and I think in scale to the rest of the instrument, compared to the traditional instruments I've seen pictures of.

Hi,

Another beauty, Allen! The body shape you have evolved is very elegant!
What woods did you use in the rosette?

Thanks,
GregL.

That is a great Instrument and OK I love the machines how well do they set the instrument off as a whole there has got to be a couple of K in that one,starting a baritone myself well sort of ,cheers John.

GregL wrote:Hi,

Another beauty, Allen! The body shape you have evolved is very elegant!
What woods did you use in the rosette?

Thanks,
GregL.

Spalted Mango, Koa and Lace Sheoak in this rosette Greg.

Hi Allen.

I've just about finished an 8-string tenor ukulele, and had thought to attach the strings to the bridge using four bridge-pins - two strings per pin, and subtly notching the saddle to force the correct string spacing.

I see on you (beautiful) instrument that you have eight holes, in four pairs. I'm wondering what you have underneath. I'm guessing some kind of really hard patch( to ensure that if you're simply tying knots in the strings - and then passing them through from inside; quite a fiddly job, it seems to me) but I wonder what you think might be the long-term prognosis for knotted strings in passing through two closely spaced holes.

I'm thinking of the possibility of the two holes one day becoming one - at least under the soundboard - and losing structural strength; or do you reckon that the much meatier solid wood of the bridge above will ensure that this will never become a problem?

I'm asking, because I really like the look of your solution. It's neat and uncluttered - something that gets harder to achieve, the more strings one has.

Kindest regards,

Frank.

There is a hardwood bridge patch at 2.5mm thick under the bridge. The strings are threaded through the bridge from the top and fished out the sound hole. A 4mm glass bead is tied on the end so it is up much like a steel string with the bead pulling up against the hardwood patch.

I would never just tie a knot and hope that would do the work. Might work with the heavy gauges, but the trebles would cause all kinds of damage in short order.

If you have difficulty in fishing the strings through the sound hole, then make up a small wire hook to help fish them out.

Ahhh.

The mist clears, and everything makes perfect sense.

Thanks for the explanation.

Frank.

Beautiful work as usual Allen. Did you have to go much heavier on the bracing for the 8 string?

Soundboard was made a little bit thicker so that was mostly what handles the extra tension. The bracing was only just a very little heavier.

Thanks Allen. Do you have a bit of a formula you use or do you just have a sense of it after making so many?

I don't go by numbers when it comes to soundboards or bracing. They vary so much that it's all by feel and experience.

Thanks Allen

Very impressive instrument! I love the design, you are able to add a lot of eye candy yet keep the look elegant and clean. I love the bridge design.