Hello again, everyone! I know it has been a very long time since my last post. I'm sorry for that! Life has a way of getting in the way of things. I have started making a uke for my friend Stephanie. We settled on a nautical design in Hawaiian Koa wood. Below is a pic of the rosette that I just finished. I've taken to calling this one "The Albatross Uke". You will see why once I'm a bit further into the build. I will try to post more often and should be showing a lot more progress pics from now on. I don't want to say anything yet, but there is something very big in the works for the Leeward Lounge. Stay tuned!! ~F

P.S. Please don't be afraid to comment on anything that I'm doing!

Walnut is so sweet!

Hey everyone! This morning I finished another ukulele. This one has Walnut back and sides, a Port Orford Cedar top, and a Bubinga wood fretboard. The headstock veneer is Ebony with an Abolone shell logo inlay.
The Walnut/Cedar combo has produced a rather amazing tone and playability. I am very happy with this one! I have a freind who may want this one, but if not, then I'll be putting it up for sale.
I will post a video of myself playing a song or two on this uke very soon, so stay tuned!

Number 14 for Hale Ukulele

I finally finished another ukulele for Hale Ukulele. This one has a spalted myrtle top, with curly myrtle sides and back. The neck is mahogany with ebony fretboard and bridge. This handsome fellow is also outfitted with a MiSi acoustic pickup system.

With any luck, I will have 3 more finished for them by the end of the weekend. So, stay tuned. There is more to come.

Thank you, Ric and Monica!!

Sun and Moon Set

Here is a matching pair of sun and moon ukuleles that I made for a a friend of mine, Blair, and his wife. Blair runs an excellent cocktail/spirit blog called Good Spirits News. Please check it out!

Both have myrtle wood sides and back with rosewood bindings and macassar ebony fretboards. The sun uke has a port orford cedar top and the moon uke has a walnut one.
Both of these ukes were a joy to make and are easily my best builds so far.

Next I will be working on another walnut one and a uke made from some of the most gorgeous pistachio wood you have ever seen. Perhaps I will post some progress pics on that one as I go along so you can all see how I build. Thanks for your interest in what I'm doing!

The Hale Ukulele Set

Hey, Folks! These next two ukuleles were an important set for me. They were commisioned by Ric and Monica of Hale Ukulele in San Diego. They wanted me to design and build a line of ukes to be sold as there store brand, but made by Leeward Lounge Ukes.


The first one is a beautiful myrtle wood uke with a MiSi pickup installed. The second one is made of curly mango. Both of them turned out terrific with a nice, mellow tone and a good amount of volume and pop.

There will be minor changes to design on the future Hale builds, like a smaller look to the bridge, but for the most part we're on our way!

I want to give a special thank you to Ric and Monica for their trust, support, and this amazing opportunity. Please check out their website, http://www.haleukulele.com/ , or better yet, stop by their store if you are in the area.

#7, the first Mytle

This is a ukulele that I made for a woman, Sherry, from  the San Diego area. It is a Myrtle wood tenor with a Cedar soundboard,  Rosewood bindings, and a Macassar Ebony fretboard. I was very happy with how it turned out and, thankfully, so was she. Here is just a bit of the review she sent back to me,

"I got the uke about a half hour ago.  It arrived in perfect condition.  You did a great job!  I tuned it up and the intonation is excellent.  The workmanship is first rate.  The uke is loud.  I am impressed by how light it is – I've had a chance to play early ukes make by Joe Souza (Kanilea) and Kelii, and they were not as light or resonant as this uke.  I love the size – it's almost like a long neck concert which is great for me I don't like big bodied ukes.

It's really impressive how clearly the notes chime and separate on the upper frets, and the neck feels great.  I've got a couple of ukes that I got from a collector that are some famous makers, and this uke competes with them."

I really did feel as if I turned a corner on this build. It's not like it went together easily; it didn't. But I felt much more confident about the scope of what I was doing. I have really learned to like the sound of a cedar or spruce top. I love the high-end pop that they give, especially with Worth strings, which I am also having a love affair with.

Thanks again, Sherry!

Uke #4, The Hinano Paul uke

 

This is another mango uke that I made for my friend, Paul from California. He wanted a uke similar to Pablus's instrument, but with something that the others didn't have. He didn't care so much what it was, just that it was unique. So I surprised him buy inlaying an island themed silhouette into the bubinga fretboard. This was a lot of fun to make! The mango has a nice, warm tone and good sustain, with just enough punch to make it stand out.