A Prototyping Update

Hello Stackers- I am a little behind on custom instruments for the month, so today’s post will be a short one. I am back with a small update to the wood top banjo project. After Henry, Nicole and Ryan all looked at it and asked why the sound hole was so small, I widened a bit and I think it is an improvement. I can’t go any bigger on this top, because the braces are in the way. I will revisit this topic when I make the next one.

I also got the special hanger bolt for the tailpiece hardware, I think this solved the tailpiece problem. I also installed tuners, but I don’t know when I will get to string it up. FYI, I plan on playing this one in the white and see if it sounds good, instead of putting it all the way through the finishing process first. This way if I want to make changes, it will be much easier.

On a different note, I have a customer this summer who wants a taro patch ukulele. I will write more in depth on the historical basis of this instrument in the future, but for now just know that it is a concert size ukulele with 8 strings. The strings are doubled in unison, so gg cc ee aa. I was planning on using my alto shaped body for this project, but then I remembered that I had a mold for something that might be more suitable. I made this mold when I still lived in Colorado and made a few ukes with it. I think it was a shape from a Kumalae soprano ukulele that I blew up on a copy machine. I thought I better make a prototype before I start on the customer’s instrument, so here it is so far.