I'm building a ukulele for a friend out of a Johnny Walker box.  It originally held 10 mini bottle of liquor but it's basically a cigar box.

So I see two ways to go about the build:

1) Get the Gitty kit and use all those parts

-OR-

2) Build a neck through style myself.

The first option would be easier but there's one catch: I want to make the box open and have a little compartment for a mini bottle and two glasses.  That being the case, there's not much of an edge to fasten the neck to.  I could easily have enough bracing if I do a neck through style of my own design.

So, any ideas how I could attach the neck from the kit with enough bracing and still have the box hinge open?

Thanks in advance for your input

Scotty

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Replies

  • Seems like if you want the sure thing you should just do the neck thru, fastening to the top and notching out the bottom. 

  • Hi, Ducati Scotty, if you want to see how my system works search for "Building a through neck and fitting it" part 1 &2 from about a month back This method would give more room inside the box and would stay in tune whilst having a drink. You may have to modify it a bit to suit your needs.

    Taff  

    • Ok, now you’re just teasing.  You have way more tools than I do. I make due with a few hand saws, rasps, a drill, and a spoke shave. Lovely tutorial though, covers all the bases. I like that you reinforced the cutout.  Some people don’t and I’m sure those warp over time. 

  • You can always flip it backwards , well have the opening on the backside and use the bottom of the pal as the top . It will give you all the room for a couple of cans , electronicso bracing for the threw neck it will be a little more work but it can be done . I just built one out of a pilsner urguell 6 pack lunch box tack a look at it .

    • The Johnnie Walker logo is only in the top and it’s the reason for using this box.  Separating the top and bottom from the box and reglueing them would be a lot of work and might wreck the box. 

  • I notch out the stick through using my band saw.  I start at the end few mm down to give me a bit of neck angle, cut further down and a shallow curve up to  a cm  or two close to where the neck and body meet. Before I had my band saw I used shallow cuts with my saw and a chisel or a rasp.

  • 306710556?profile=RESIZE_480x480Here is a uke that opens. The top is about 5/8" height. I made it a few years ago, it is solid, no issues.  Glued a block the full width, moved the cedar side pieces to the top to stiffen the top, notched out the bottom. The neck is screwed to the block. 

    306711394?profile=RESIZE_480x480

    • That’s really slick.  I’ll have to take some measurements and see if I can do something like that. 

      • You can see here that the box is just the same size as my soprano Uke body. The inside depth on the lid is just 1/2”. I think maybe with a full width piece to brace I might be able to screw right to the lid without doing a through neck.

        306710708?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024306712220?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024

        • Based on your pictures, I would guess you could do something like I did, my box top is about the same height inside.

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