Prototype tenor ukulele

Made on a Glowforge
21

I am awe struck. VERY cool !

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Wow. Amazing work. Love the “label” too!
Oh that brings back memories of when I really enjoyed a job–working on with scanning electron microscope (mainly for failure analysis, but sometimes got to put funner things in, like bugs, when tours came thru the labs), and now it’s using my GF when I make straps for guitars/ukes, among other projects…

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So incredible!

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SO inspired to do something similar - SO don’t have the patience to make it work
Hats off to you - and you should definitely post the video :smiley:

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@cynd11 No pressure!

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Thanks - @geek2nurse. Oh I have tried it that way and it tore apart too easily on me. This may be because of the kerf pattern I am using. Certainly other patterns will leave enough masking uncut to get the effect you are talking about.

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Thanks @marmak3261 - I’ll get my daughter’s music teacher to play it when I see him. I’m too insecure about my playing :sweat_smile: .

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Thank you @jimmyciesla :pray:

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@buschtrent - You honor me :bowing_man:! Thank you.

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Hi @Xabbess - Thank you!

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Thank you @bansai8creations ! I am jealous that you had access to such equipment! Oh, the things I would have tried! But I am with you about the :glowforge: !

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Thanks @kittski!

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Thanks @deirdrebeth! The svg’s definitely took some time. Getting the finger joints to work took some doing but the methodology is quite straight forward. Illustrator wasn’t really designed for doing what we’re doing but I can’t get myself to learn a CAD program.

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Amazing

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@rmaker1952 - Thank you, sir!

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This is wonderful all the way down to the electron microscope flea . I’d love to hear how this Draftboard version sounds - promise I won’t judge your skills!

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That is an astounding design. I find it amazing that you are getting good sound out of draftboard.

I was thinking a lot about what might be available and fell down the Cigar box guitar rabbit hole. What you are doing is far more advanced in the traditional looks, but the creative energy operating with minimal tools and materials is quite amazing, and all the time thinking “what if you were playing with all those ideas and had a Glowforge?” Basswood is strong and flexible and available up to a foot wide, but what if it was engraved thicker and thinner to increase that movement?

Alas my musical skills are pathetic, and while I have a grasp of the principles of what makes good sound, the detailed math is beyond my capabilities. So I will not be able to jump into action but only wish I could. From your description it would seem the ukulele may have had a similar origin in another era to the cigar box guitars of folks making do with a minimum available shop and gradually getting more sophisticated. That could become a lifetime rabbit hole for a different lifetime. :disappointed: .

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Is there a jaw on floor emoji cause I’d post that.

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@dan - Thank you! I’ll practice a little more first…:sweat_smile:

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Thank you @rbtdanforth! In way this really is the contemporary version of a CBG - just as you say. So many approaches to this. I did the kerfed living hinge method for the sides because I wanted a more traditional finish, but certainly square box ukuleles are around. I’ll eventually start engraving the soundboards but wanted to keep the prototype simple so that I could eliminate some variables as I troubleshoot and go through various iterations of the design. Indeed it seems I’ve fallen into a rabbit hole.

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