I love this uke! (Actually, I love all ukes.) But this uke is the first one I've built to typical standards. My previous ukes were solid body and cigar box; this is my side-bending attempt and it went quite well. I built a Fox style jig from plans at Hana Lima and just stared at it for a few months before daring to use it. I use one heating blanket and screw-down pulldowns. I need to add a second blanket and/or a spring steel pulldown for smoother results.

This uke has no binding (next on my list of tricks to learn) and I think it could have benefited cosmetically from a colored binding, removing the pale transition from maple to spruce.

I bookmatched the back, a job that is much easier than it sounds. The back has two radiused braces located across the lower bout and at the waist. The waist ended up a bit fatter than my mold, because I took the sides out of the mold before attaching the top and back. (Pay attention to your books, videos and teachers!)

I went light on top bracing. Tall thin spruce braces above and below the odd-shaped soundhole, and a .06" thick mahogany bridge plate that is just two inches shorter than the width of the uke at the bridge area.

I lacquered this uke with a water-based lacquer called KTM-9. I used an epoxy pore filler first.

I tried to get a better full-frontal shot of this uke but it was a sunny day and I couldn't escape the glare. I'm a better uker than photographer.

I've played this uke exclusively since finishing it two months ago. It's strung with Aquila NylGut strings and I do mostly fingerstyle playing. This baby really chirps out the blues. It's got a sweet high end, decent mid and low, and moans a bit when you give the string a little bend.

The day after I finished this uke, I took it camping on the beach in Maine for two weeks. I fully expected it to blow up from the change in environment, but it held up really well. Winters are tough here in Vermont, so we'll see how things go on the other side.

The headstock ears are actually mahogany side braces for an acoustic guitar. The headstock should have been a tad longer; I suspect at this point that I must have made some error and went with it anyway.

My saddles and nuts come out pretty well, but I've done guitar repair for decades so that part isn't new to me. My fretwork comes out well, too. I use StewMac #147 fretwire. I pound the frets with a plastic tip hammer, smooth with 600 grit on a sanding block and finish with 0000 steel wool. So far, I haven't needed to do any serious filing to get the fretboard to come out nicely. This is the first one of my ukes that I've really loved NylGuts on. I usually prefer Hilo black strings.