Camp Style

Recently built ukes in the so-called "Camp" style, first popularized in the 1920s.  I like the simplicity of the body shape--it's round, as you probably noticed.  The one at the top has a bigger body, though this is obscured by the fact that the one at the bottom is a tighter close-up picture.  Both are concert-sized.  I like the bigger body because it produces somewhat higher volume, though I think they both sound pretty sweet.   This is the first type I've made that includes some wood that is not reclaimed wood:  the sides are made of 3/8" bendable plywood, a commercial product, which I think works well for this application.  I don't mind not being a 100% purist with the reclaimed wood, especially since this will probably be my only departure ever from that 100%.

Cat's Eye Ukulele

Anatomically, it doesn't make sense.  Yes, the cat's head is at the end of the neck, but its one oversized eye is at the other end of the neck.  Well, that's whimsy for ya.

Mod Bell Ukulele Demo

I call this one the Mod Bell because I started off with the classic Bell style uke and modified it.  I like the ambrosia maple for a top.  The figure in the wood is kind of dramatic but a lot more subtle than than the craziness of spalted maple.  Although there is something to be said for craziness too.

Fat Triangle Ukulele (tenor) Demo

A coworker of mine at 2nd Chance Wood Co. was kind enough to do a video for me, singing and playing the Fat Triangle Ukulele (tenor) she purchased some time ago.  Look up Sierra's music page on FB at https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=baby%20bluu%27s%20music.

Camp Ukulele

Making a new ukulele type based on the camp style ukulele of the 1920s.  Mostly I like to do completely original designs, but this venerable old chestnut deserves a reiteration.  It's beauty is its simplicity.  It's round, that's it.  I wanted to make it extra durable like it would actually be used at summer camp by the campfire or maybe taken out to the beach, so the construction is somewhat heavy.  We'll see how it sounds.  Should be done next week.  I'll offer it for sale at Etsy--https://www.etsy.com/shop/DExtraUkuleles?ref=search_shop_redirect

Michi-lele Tenor Is On Fire

My first Michi-lele in the tenor size, with the final finish done.  The satin lacquer really brings out the bright red flashes of the "flame maple" (aka box elder). 

Tenor Size Michi-lele, Box Elder Top

Snapshot of my latest build, a tenor Michi-lele.  The standard one I make is concert size--this was a new deal for me, made extra special by the rare piece of wood I got hold of for the top and back, box elder wood.  The dramatic red streaking (the wood experts at 2nd Chance Wood Co. tell me) is a natural feature of the wood, not a result of insect or fungus infestation like a lot of the striking patterns you find in a wood like maple.  I'm told this is fairly common tree in Michigan, but I've never seen it before and it is not something to be found at the local lumber yard, for sure.

This is a custom job for an avid uke player in the area, a guy who has also collected a few instruments.  The photo shows it complete except for the finish.

Let me know if I can make you one, or another type.

Extravagant Ukuleles Crafted from Reclaimed Wood

I make my ukuleles at 2nd Chance Wood Co. in Durand MI--purveyor of wood reclaimed from old Michigan barns and other structures, and "urban reclaimed" wood from downed trees in the local area.  The company sells the lumber and also has a full line of custom-made furniture for residential and commercial customers. (See LINKS at right.)

It was my idea to use this great resource of reclaimed wood to make music--specifically, to make ukuleles.  Actually, before I had this thought, some people with the company had already experimented with box drums and tongue drums, so I guess that was the original spark of my idea.

Ukuleles are not that big, so I find about 90% of the time I can build them using off-cuts from larger projects--tables, chairs,  beds, cabinets, or whatever.  We get in lumber in a lot of different dimensions and types--barn beams, framing lumber, siding, and slabs of lumber out of trees--and I think I have used most of these types for the  parts of a ukulele.

I don't make conventional ukuleles that look like miniature versions of the guitar.  Although most ukuleles do look like mini-guitars, there are also some popular variants that have developed over time (the bell shape, the pineapple, and triangle-type shapes like the Wolfelele and the Fluke). 

I have taken this tendency to variety in ukulele design and decided to run with it--sometimes in whimsical or wacky directions (the Michi-lele, the Texalele, the Cat's Eye Ukulele) and sometimes simply with the goal of creating an interesting new shape pleasing to the eye.  This is a lot of fun for me, the designer/builder, and I hope for the player as well.

As far as the quality of the music goes,  the guitar shape is not the only shape that can put out a resonant, pleasing sound,  and it isn't necessary to use exotic woods to get good music either.  Black walnut, cherry, maple, ash, elm and other species native to Michigan do very well as "sound woods."

Feel free to visit the 2nd Chance showroom in Durand at any time to see the instruments on offer at the moment.  Custom orders are welcome--and you can customize a little or lot, from minor details to overall design for a unique instrument that is all your own.

The Accidental Michi-lele

About two years ago while grazing for new music on Youtube, I was lucky enough to stumble upon this great young group from Traverse City, MI, called The Accidentals.  At that point their biggest song was "Michigan and Again," which went viral in the state and, I imagine, among Michiganders everywhere.  The band tours extensively around the country; they are prolific songwriters and talented musicians whose work spans several different genres; recently they put out a new album thru Sony Masterworks.  Of course I had to send them a Michi-lele, and it made my day when I saw this picture--Savannah Buist, one of the band's co-founders along with Katie Larsen, holding the uke with a smile on her face, and a message saying they were actually planning on using it for a number or two at some upcoming venue.  Connect to The Accidentals at their website:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEBJBETsgqc
or on FB:
https://www.facebook.com/theaccidentals/?rc=p

Fat Triangle and Bell

At left is a Fat Triangle tenor uke with an ambrosia maple top, at right a classic bell-shaped concert ukulele with a spalted maple top, both with black walnut fret boards.  Necks I usually make of maple, or elm or ash, whatever chunk of stiff hardwood happens to be available at the shop.  I can normallt use random offcuts from furniture projects, since ukulele parts are pretty small.  All the wood is recycled material from either old Michigan barns or "urban reclaimed" wood.  These are gone now, sold, but I'm always open to custom orders if anyone has a hankering.  Sometime I think I'll make a tenor Fat Triangle for myself--I like the shape and the sound, plus the size is better for my large hands.

It's a Michi-lele!

The Michi-lele is a concert-size ukulele with a body shaped like Michigan's lower peninsula and a headstock shaped like the UP.  FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, WHY?   Why not?  I enjoyed working out the design and putting it all together, it's a joy to behold, it sounds sweet (IMHO), and hey--it's Michigan!  Both peninsulas!  For a real thrill, Michiganders, float this in a tub of water and there is our state in its natural surroundings.  This version has a top and back of spalted maple

The Music Corner

The Music Corner at 2nd Chance Wood Co. as of November of last year.  One of my favorite newer types that I have built is second from the left, a soprano I call the Brandy Bottle Ukulele, this one made entirely of black walnut.  I like the simple monochrome scheme, and the walnut seems to be a good "sound wood."

The Cat's Eye and Other Ukuleles

First ukes I made about a year and a half ago.  Far left and right, two different versions of the Cat's Eye Ukukule--the body shaped like a cat's eye, the headstock a cat's head.  Cute, huh?  On the second version I decreased the sound hole size to increase volume. Second from the left is a Texalele--self-explanatory.  This I made to go to a 2nd Chance Wood Co. spin-off store down in Austin (store since closed).Second from the right--this one I call a Fat Triangle.  Thought I came up with this shape on my own, but it turns out a uke similar to this was made in the 20s.  This particular one has sound holes formed by actual knot-holes in the wood (which is cedar).