First build: Tenor Uke (NMC)

[Drew Streip]

I built this tenor uke from the StewMac kit. It’s not perfect (whose first instrument is?) but I learned a lot, and I got some valuable problem-solving experience. And I finished it in time for Valentine’s Day for my fiancée!

I prepped the wood be sealing the pores and using a wash coat of shellac, and the actual finish is wipe-on poly. I figured, in a house with a 5-year old and two kittens, it’s a safe bet.

Yes, the inlay is rudimentary

My fiancée has named the uke Apollo, for a variety of reasons.

[HogTime]

Very nice looking! Is that one of the current SM kits or the previous ones they discontinued?

I'm working on one of the current kits in a concert size now. Built a soprano older kit for my granddaughter a couple of years ago.

Build on,

[Drew Streip]

Thanks! It's the current kit. I bought it during the Black Friday sale, if I recall correctly.

I'm sure I took too long, worried too much and made too many silly first-time errors, but it still turned out pretty well! Things I learned:
-How to carve my own back braces
-How to plug and re-drill the neck locating holes
-How to blend and repair stain + finish after I located the bridge incorrectly

[billhay4]

How does it sound?
Nice work.
Bill

[Drew Streip]

How does it sound?
Nice work.
Bill

Like a ukulele

In all seriousness, pretty good. It's a big step up in sound quality from the "toy" uke we have, which was my main objective. Nothing would have been more disheartening than having a handmade instrument that became an immediate wall-hanger.

I'm now eager to try a wound G-string, because I like the "low G" tuning but the supplied thin-gauge nylon won't cut it for very long.

Thanks!

[billhay4]

Let's hear a sound clip.
Bill

[Drew Streip]

Let's hear a sound clip.
Bill

How’s this? (I don’t really know how to play uke)

[billhay4]

Sounds good. Thanks for the sound clip, Drew.
Bill