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Building a ukelele

So, I have never owned a ukelele. I've built 5 different 24 1/2 inch scale CBGs. I would like to make a ukelele. But it seems as though they are mostly built with bolt on necks and where the tuning pegs are on a neck piece that is tilted back at an angle.

First question is, can't I just make the same design as a guitar with four strings and a shorter scale?

Second question, I can find a ton of 'make your first CBG' info out there, but not much for first Ukes. Most of the Uke designs look pretty complex. Where is the best beginner info?

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Permalink Reply by Michael Fred Johnson on April 5, 2015 at 11:41pm

You can build one exactly the same way.On this one I was using up short lengths of timber for the neck. The front is strutted because the old box had a very thin solid wood top.This headstock is angled but you could do without.

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Permalink Reply by Toby Kraft on April 6, 2015 at 4:04am

Thanks all! I'll make one up and see what I think. The first one won't be fancy anyway!

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Permalink Reply by John Sawyer on April 6, 2015 at 4:23pm

CBG Ukes are no different than a really short guitar with nylon/fluoro strings...

The beauty is you don't have to build a thru-neck.. there isn't much string tension.

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Permalink Reply by RTZGUITARS on April 6, 2015 at 5:00pm

built just like a CBG

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Permalink Reply by Matthew Borczon on April 7, 2015 at 1:20am

now I have built 4-5 of them now. First ones are neck through and the last was my first bolt on neck. Actually pretty easy to do. All of them sound great. The bolt on neck is a little louder though. So worth the trouble. I do not use a neck angle just a regular old school head cut out. Works well. Really there is some good info out there about making them. Try circuits and strings web site he post great plans at every level. Good luck and have fun

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Permalink Reply by Toby Kraft on April 7, 2015 at 4:12am

I am intimidated by the bolt on neck because it requires cutting a larger piece of stock to some kind of graceful shape.

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Permalink Reply by Matthew Borczon on April 7, 2015 at 7:26am

I did it really simply. just put a small triangular shape of wood under the neck stock with glue, or cut it all as one piece and then just used 3 screws to hold it in place. The tension has held. I think any bolt on neck style would work. Then I just glued the bridge onto the box lid. I did not think it would work but it did and its been a few months now. Easier than I thought.

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Permalink Reply by Order99 on April 11, 2015 at 4:03pm

That sounds so much easier than my method (cut square, fit neck stock one inch into box and glue, glue reinforcing strips into top and add a layer to the stick to equalize with the soundboard)- I will definitely try your method next build!

One question-I prefer using lightweight banjo or single course mandolin wire over nylon or nylgut strings...do you think a bolt-on would bear the extra tension in your opinion? I could always add a little more reinforcement under the neck stock I suppose...