Episode IV, a new hope

Well. Some things at the Argapa stronghold have been a tiny bit below par this year. I have built a couple of ukes that I wasn't completely satisfied with. Both are still here.

Others have turned out really really good. But I need to think about my routines.

So for the upcoming season I promise myself not to build when I'm not in a good mood. I'll not build for others than I want to. I'll make sure to finish stuff I've started ages ago.

This week I upgraded the workshop / workbench by mounting the solera on the wall, and the go-bar deck is stabilized by hooks that the threaded rods go through when they're attached to the board. It made a big difference.

The solera-free workbench is also secured to the two walls in its corner, so it won't rock when I plane stuff.


And on to the pics then - on the solera is the first soprano with a one-piece rim, it'll be a cedar top mahogany uke with binding around the soundboard. (I tell you about it so I can't chicken out of binding it.) The uke is the first in a long time that isn't ordered, I just felt like building a soprano with a softwood top.

If it's any good I'll put it up for sale. (If the binding's good that is...)

And in the other pic, you can see a resonator! I got cones and coverplates from Chickenbone John in England. The first one I finish will go to Arizona, Brian has helped me out for years now.

But the coverplates have those holes for the strings, I'll probably make a stringholder across them to save the nylon strings from snapping.

Stay tuned, I can promise all of you that some great ukes will be made now!