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Harp Ukulele Finished as last! Now with a video link.
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Author:  johnparchem [ Sun Jul 29, 2012 11:16 am ]
Post subject:  Harp Ukulele Finished as last! Now with a video link.
I just completed the construction of a harp ukulele I have been building based on a set of plans from Pete Howlett. It is a tenor sized ukulele with the harp extension for 4 sub base strings. The instrument has a Sitka bear claw top and koa back and sides. The binding are cocobolo with a black fiber purfling strip. The neck and the harp peg head are made from Honduran mahogany. The rosettes, the peg board veneer and the end wedge are amboyna burl, the last from a turning block I bought last year. I have koa veneer on the back of the ukulele head stock and as a end cap on the heel (heal in the US?). The bridge and fret board are East Indian Rosewood. The fretboard also has cocobolo bindings.

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Author:  Kathy Matsushita [ Sun Jul 29, 2012 2:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Harp Ukulele ready for finish.
It's LOVELY, John --- congratulations!!!! Can't wait to see what it will look like after the finish!!!
Author:  DennisK [ Sun Jul 29, 2012 3:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Harp Ukulele ready for finish.
Awesome! Great wood combo, very earthy looking. Hope you enjoy playing it as much as I do my steel string harp uke :)

How's the weight balance with that large harp headstock and all those metal tuners up there? I took great pains to minimize the neck-side weight on mine, and the balance point is still a little bit above the heel... actually between the neck and the harp arm, so the center of mass is outside the instrument :? But it's only 1.35lbs total, so it doesn't take much to influence the balance point.

Also, how do the strings anchor to the bridge? At first I thought those were just pilot holes for bridge pins, but then I remembered that plan is for nylon strings, then checked Kathy's page, and it looks like a pinless, tie-block-less bridge of some sort... but I don't see any holes in the back side of the bridge, and the soundhole is too small to feed them from inside, so how do you do it?

Keep us updated once the finishing work is done [:Y:]
Author:  Kathy Matsushita [ Sun Jul 29, 2012 7:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Harp Ukulele ready for finish.
DennisK wrote:
Also, how do the strings anchor to the bridge? At first I thought those were just pilot holes for bridge pins, but then I remembered that plan is for nylon strings, then checked Kathy's page, and it looks like a pinless, tie-block-less bridge of some sort... but I don't see any holes in the back side of the bridge, and the soundhole is too small to feed them from inside, so how do you do it?


What you do is insert the string into the uke through the string hole, and and up out of the soundhole. Then you string on a bead and tie a knot. Then pull the string back up out of the string hole (the bead will butt up against the bridge patch).
Author:  johnparchem [ Sun Jul 29, 2012 8:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Harp Ukulele ready for finish.
Thanks Kathy and Dennis,

Dennis I also had to ask Kathy as I pondered what to do with the strings. I have never built or played an instrument like this so I am unsure of the balance. The grover tuners are less substantial than they look so hopefully the instrument will not be too out of balance. I did think about flaminco type tuning pegs. My biggest issue is I have only been able to find the peg tuners that fit the headstock in chrome and my slot head tuners are in gold. At some point I will get a matching set.

John
Author:  Shaw [ Sun Jul 29, 2012 9:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Harp Ukulele ready for finish.
Nice job. Definitely show us some pics after your have it finished....Mike
Author:  blindrobert [ Sun Jul 29, 2012 10:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Harp Ukulele ready for finish.
I would love to hear that thing! It looks great and I can't wait to see the finished pics.
Author:  Pete Howlett [ Mon Jul 30, 2012 3:42 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Harp Ukulele ready for finish.
Great to see another build from my plans - and wonderful to see the adaptions. Great stuff. I have a couple of concert harp ukulele in the making but my regular commissioned work is getting in the way. bliss

Don't forget to fit string posts/nuts for the sub-bass side - it really brightens up the bass and brings the strings level with the fretboard
Author:  johnparchem [ Mon Jul 30, 2012 8:13 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Harp Ukulele ready for finish.
Thanks all,

Pete, Your plans were great. This has been a really fun project. In addition to your plans I was able to follow two of Kathy Matsushita's projects on her site. I do have the post/nut holes. I drilled the holes for a set of bone bridge pins. I waited to the end to drill them to make sure they were on the string path. After I string the instrument up and I figured I would be able to ream the holes a bit to set the string height.

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Author:  Mike OMelia [ Mon Jul 30, 2012 9:24 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Harp Ukulele ready for finish.
Nice work! Would love to get a set of those plans... can you provide a link where I may order them? I love all things harp guitar. I really like your bridge work... those are not easy to make. And the harp head looks good too. Again, not easy to do. Looking forward to some sound clips!

Mike
Author:  johnparchem [ Mon Jul 30, 2012 11:30 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Harp Ukulele ready for finish.
Mike O'Melia wrote:
Nice work! Would love to get a set of those plans... can you provide a link where I may order them? I love all things harp guitar. I really like your bridge work... those are not easy to make. And the harp head looks good too. Again, not easy to do. Looking forward to some sound clips!

Mike


Thanks Mike,
I followed Pete Howlett's design for both the bridge and the harp head. I put my own version of a more classical shape on the ukulele head stock.


You can PM Pete Howlett three posts up to ask about plans, I got my set from him.
Author:  Quine [ Mon Jul 30, 2012 12:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Harp Ukulele ready for finish.
Very nice!! I can't wait to hear a sound sample
Author:  johnparchem [ Thu Dec 20, 2012 8:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Harp Ukulele back from disaster!
I had a finishing disaster when finishing my harp ukulele. I used Em7000 for the first time and I must have done something horribly wrong because it turned very very blue. [headinwall]
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I had finished four instruments with Stewmac ColorTone WB lacquer and liked the result. When I went to buy more they were selling EM7000 as their water based lacquer. I am not sure what I did wrong, maybe too heavy of a spray, too many coats ... but I did not like the results.

I striped the Ukulele and decided to French polish instead. I finished the FP today and will start setting it up this weekend after I glue on the bridge.



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Author:  cphanna [ Thu Dec 20, 2012 9:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Harp Ukulele back from disaster!
I think your French polish combined with those woods is just plain fabulous. Nice save! Beautiful little instrument! I am still curious how it will sound...or even how a person would go about playing such a thing. But who cares? I think it's fabulous.
Patrick
Author:  James Ringelspaugh [ Thu Dec 20, 2012 9:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Harp Ukulele back from disaster!
That is too cool!
Author:  Kathy Matsushita [ Fri Dec 21, 2012 12:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Harp Ukulele back from disaster!
John:
It's BEAUTIFUL!!!! Your tremendous patience and perseverance paid off wonderfully!!! Congratulations!!!
Author:  TimAllen [ Fri Dec 21, 2012 1:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Harp Ukulele back from disaster!
Beautiful instrument!

"I have koa veneer on the back of the ukulele head stock and as a end cap on the heel (heal in the US?)."

"Heel" is correct, though the misspelling "heal" is harmless. (If God even notices such things, I'm sure heel forgive them.)
Author:  Alex Kleon [ Fri Dec 21, 2012 7:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Harp Ukulele back from disaster!
Stunning!!! I would loved to have heard Michael Hedges play an instrument like that!

Alex
Author:  John F. Dickman [ Fri Dec 21, 2012 7:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Harp Ukulele back from disaster!
Incredibly Gorgeous! Inspires me to build one also.
Author:  dzsmith [ Fri Dec 21, 2012 8:01 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Harp Ukulele back from disaster!
Wow!
Stunning!
Author:  johnparchem [ Mon Dec 31, 2012 11:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Harp Ukulele back from disaster!
Thanks all for your kind comments.


Finished at last!

I strung her up today. It does sound good. Still like a Ukulele but with a bit of punch and power. I have no idea how I want to really tune it. Right now it is standard tenor ukulele except the 4th string is an octave lower than it would be. More like a guitar 4th, 4th, 3rd, 4th. I repeat the notes an octave down on the bass strings.

I am considering different tunings. I will play around to see what I can come up with.

Bear claw spruce top,
Koa back and sides,
cocobolo with a black fiber purfling
mahogany neck.
Amboyna burl rosette and head board veneers.

In any case here it is ...


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Author:  jfmckenna [ Mon Dec 31, 2012 11:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Harp Ukulele Finished as last!
Awesome looking little noise making machine there. Would love to hear out played.
Author:  Kathy Matsushita [ Mon Dec 31, 2012 11:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Harp Ukulele Finished as last!
Yay, John!!!! It's LOVELY!!!! I love the finish and all your choices of woods. I'll bet you're just tickled pink with it, huh? Have fun figuring out how to play the thing, now --- I'm still figuring out mine!
Author:  DennisK [ Tue Jan 01, 2013 12:42 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Harp Ukulele Finished as last!
Love it! I've gotta make another one of these things at some point. Maybe a nylon like this, since mine is steel strung.

I'd recommend CDEF GCGC tuning. Really straightforward to play, so you can just jam out all sorts of tunes right away, as long as you keep to C major (or minor, by dropping the third bass string). Also can capo the second fret and play D.

And once you get the hang of it, make a video! I'd love to hear what it sounds like.
Author:  Tony_in_NYC [ Tue Jan 01, 2013 12:46 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Harp Ukulele Finished as last!
It turned out great John. Excellent job on the new finish and all around. Have you figured out how to play something on it?
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