New Build Soprano mando-uke

[Steve VandeWater]

Okay, from the same oddball that brought you the concrete mandolin: I give you a hand-carved archtop f-style mando-uke. It's the size of a soprano uke and is strung with aquila nylon mandolin strings. It has a spruce top, maple neck, cherry sides, and mahogany back. 1 1/32" bone nut, ebony and bone bridge, ebony fretboard, cast brass tailpiece (cut and modified from a full sized brass tailpiece) and passive 3 piezo pickup.
The PeeWee is inlaid into the headstock using a dremel, pearlescent paint, and CA glue.
Why, you might ask? I just wanted to see if I could. It's quiet as you would expect, but it sounds pretty good plugged in.

[Jim Garber]

Steve: so what is the scale length you are using for that one? From the last photo it looks much shorter than the mandolins—or are those mandolas? Most soprano ukes are 13-14"—correct?

[Steve VandeWater]

It's a 13 inch scale. Those are mandolins next to it.

[Jim Garber]

I wonder if it would have more volume with a longer scale like 14” or even 15”.

[ProfChris]

I wonder if it would have more volume with a longer scale like 14” or even 15”.

As a uke builder I can pretty confidently say no. It's the body construction which gives you volume.

This mando-uke is pretty heavily built, so you'd expect it to be quiet. I suspect it would work very well with a pickup, because the solidity of the body wold reduce the risk of feedback.

If I wanted a similar design but loud, I'd press/induce the top arch into a plate around 1.8mm thick, with very light bracing mainly to maintain the arch. The bridge is too heavy for the amount of energy generated by soprano uke strings, so I'd make it as a one-piece from something pretty light, probably mahogany, and drill out wood anywhere I could to lighten it further.

[Steve VandeWater]

Thanks for tne insight on the bridge. I will try that. I love adjustable bridges, and whittled this one down pretty good to reduce the mass. But a one piece bridge probably makes more sense. I considered putting light gauge mandolin strings on it but was afraid I'd cave the top in. It does have tone bars so it's pretty solid, but the neck has no truss rod. Hell of a strong dovetailed neck joint though