Aiming to either knock a few photos out or shoot a little video of my Tenor Ukulele......she's a little rough round the edges but I'm so really pleased that it sounds OK. It's amazing how many folks are really into this way of making music. I'm at the beginner/intermediate stage, and sadly can't seem to progress from there. Wish I'd have had this during my rugby days, the long coach trips 'sing-song' sessions would have been even better. Watch out for the photos/video. I'll have a search for your photos. cheers Sammy

Hiya Mal, I know it seems a long time since, but I've finally got my DBU (Drill Box Ukulele) made. Really wanted to make a Cigar Box Ukulele but didn't get a decent box until just recently so I made the bleeder out of an old drill box I had laying around the garage. Neck made out of an old oak bench from the garden. Anyway, it sounds OK. Made a thousand mistakes, however I'm chuffed to bits that its up and running. I'll take a little video of it and get sent up to this site. Haven't been on the site for ages as I can't get the hang of learning the 3 string guitar as I have fallen for the ukulele. I noticed a couple of months ago that you'd just purchased something from one of the guy's who seems to be one of the biggest contributors to the site. Hope your having fun with it. Catch you later, cheers Sammy

 

Hi Mal.

Thanks for joining the Skype group. Hope to chat some time.

All the best.

John

PS. Leeds would be a good central place for us via M62 for you, M1 for John and not far for me too.

workshop in Yorkshire? Yeah I'd be interested depends where and when though.

Sorry Mal I am not a tabs man.

Play most of my stuff by ear or look up the chords on Google. If you put in a search for tabs for a tune you want it will mostly come up on screen and the rest is down to you.

Have fun,

Hogs.

Mal,

 

Thanks for friending me....  no, I really don't know of any tabs... I'm really a make it up as I go kind of guy...

 

the best,

 

Sam

I certainly can place you now. Nice to hear from you and thanks for the kind comments. Wow, you have 3 built, you must be a glutton for punishment. I'm just about putting the final touches together.......just have to finish it now. My (6) tuning pegs arrived today off ebay. I've got my box and the neck sorted. I need to complete the neck with some fret wire but I've not found a supplier yet. I've made a whole bunch of mistakes but it's been fun. I have picked up the electrics from the US. Just need to knuckle down to get it finished off. Wouldn't mind, when I do get it done I'll have to start with the different chords to the ukulele, but I do love that Delta Blues sound. Maybe it will be worth learning. Who knows. Don't think I'm revved up enough to go to the bash. If I get the bug, I'll been in like a shot. Catch you later mate. Smashing to hear from you again. Amazing what the internet does isn't it. I nearly bumped into Knocker the other week, he was home from Thailand (where he lives) but we missed each other. Take care, keep on plucking, cheers Sammy

Hi Mal, I certainly am mate. Just chillin in my old age, trying to learn how to play the ukulele actually. Finding all this stuff a wee bit challenging, but loving it. Hope you are a black and white Mal, but having said that it mentions you are from east Hull so you may well be a robin. Loved my time in Hull, the people, wonderful times. Happy days.

cheers

Sammy

 

cheers for the shout mal:0)

Hi Mal.

The strings finish at the end of the neck. That was one of the attractions of this design for me. You can easily make it so that the strings terminate at the bridge or go through the body, but it is the only configuration that I know of where you can have a traditional tail.

Good luck with your next one. I'm not sure about making them for sale because I have an alergy problem with the wood and need to sort that out before I do much more. I am going to take the next one very slowly and try to keep me exposure to the dust to a minimum. I will let you know if I start selling them.

All the best.

John

Hi Mal. Thanks for the friend request.

I still think of myself as a novice too. This is the third one that I have made and it is still a journey of challenges, although it wouldn't be fun any other way.

There will be more photos but here is how it works. The brass bridge plate is fixed to the box with two wood screws. On the plate are three tapped holes for M3 screws and three for M2 screws with cheese head screws screwed in and cut off on the bottom of the plate. Each movable ebony bridge can slide backwards and forward to adjust intonation. The M2 screw head and M3 fixing screw keep it in line. I'm not sure if I have answered your question well enough but do let me know if not. As I say, there will be many more pics including ones of how the pickup fits to it as well.

All the best. John

I only mentioned building the boxes yourself so you don't feel you HAVE to use a cigarbox if you can't find one that excites you to make it into a CBG  

 

ET

PART 2 

i ran out of space with the last comment...so:

Treat your first one like a throw-away (though it'll probably be your favorite for sentimental reasons) just so you can drill a hole, realize you drilled in the less than perfect place, then plug that hole and drill another, etc. treat it like a prototype so you won't get bummed out if you make a bad cut, or etc. and the funkiness just adds to the mojo of the thing. And maybe make your first couple with fretless necks (just cut slots or paint frets on for fret markers) --- you won't expect much from them (like you might with a fully fretted neck) and they can actually be very very cool by being fretless. Made me a better guitar player just from having to learn ways around the neck with a slide.

 

and ASK QUESTIONS of anybody herre.  and look at a bucnh of photos so you see how many different types and levels of builds you can do.  

 

and we haven't alked about stains and paint jobs and stickers or finer details of hardware and  and and...  Have a blast. different than building bird houses and people will think you're cool.

 

Best, 

Eric Townsend

 

Try different bolt sizes or materials for the nut and bridge/saddles.  and follow Shanes suggestions for string gauges etc. 

Hey Mal, I obviously have genes from somewhere in the UK with a name like Townsend...this is actually a REALLY cool type of project to get into at any age...even a couple pieces of found scrap crap screwed together can sound very cool, so all the extra levels of design, build quality, and finish is up to you. I've been building my own boxes las two builds. any wood will do. But Poplar seems to be the best all around wood since it's in abundance, can be very stiff and heavy or stiff and light, but soft enough to sand and shape easily. and it's got great great tone (if you tap on teh pieces when you're choosing, you'll hear a few that sound dull, and other pieces that have a nice 'pong' to them. so just choose straight as laser strips for the necks. Of course you can make a neck out of laminating a sandwich of poplar/oak/polar/oak/polar and shaping the neck more custom. But a good .75"x 1.5" piece actually is a great comfortable size for a three stringer. (Note: three strings have less tension than 6, so a regular strip of poplar can withstand the tension, but more than four might need a strong strip of oak down the center or aftermarket guitar bolt-on neck with a truss rod to be a 'serious' instrument).  the boxes you can build from ANYTHING. I used thick walled poplar on one and drilled holes all the way through the sides to make sound chambers...or you can use 1/4"x4" strips to make the walls, and 1/8 - 1/4" plywood/luan for the tops and back. Just choose decent straight-grained wood for the necks (cheap or nice) make good measurements, straight cuts,   glue and clamp things well, screw it all together if you want to overbuild things a bit (always nicer to have it feel solid) 

 

 

As far as the boxes I get mine from the local cigar stores I frequent. there pretty inexpensive there you just have to look at them to make sure the humidity from the humidor didn't mess them up. If that is not possible go on line there's links on this site and you can search ebay also