Ukuleles are fun. After years of never getting around to making any, some friends asked me to make one as a family gift and it has gone on from there.
Pricing is dependant of trim and decoration. Prices start from A$750 for a plain small soprano ukulele. The rope binding is optional with all body styles for an extra $200. Ukuleles will be available in a range of Australian timbers, such as blackwood, Huon pine, Blackheart sassafras, Streaky myrtle and Tulip satinwood as well as mahogany and other exotics such as monkeypod on request.
Gotoh UPT planetary tuners are standard with the option of PegHeds - a clever geared tuner in the shape of a wooden peg.
On the right, are are five styles and sizes of ukulele available.At the top is a soprano ukulele built in the style of the early Hawaiian ukuleles. It is made almost entirely from Tasmanian blackwood (a close relation to Hawaiian koa), with a 13.5"/34.3cm scale.
Next is a soprano ukulele in thew style of a Regal mandolin from the 1920s. This one is made from Tulip satinwood with a brigalow fretboard and the same 13.5”/34.3cm string length.
Below that is a 15"/38cm scale concert size ukulele. The body is of Huon pine and the neck from Australian red cedar. The fretboard and head overlay are from gidgee, an extreemly hard dry country acacia from Western Queensland.
Next is a 17"/43cm scale tenor ukulele. This one is made entirely from Australian Red cedar with the fretboard and bridge from Indian rosewood. The binding and rosette are tortoisehell celluloid. The body shape is based on a Gibson LG-0 guitar with 14 frets to the body and a pin bridge.
At the bottom is a 20"/50cm scale baritone ukulele. The soundboard is Sitka spruce, the body is tamarind, with a Queensland maple neck and rosewood fretboard. The tamarind can be seen in the rosette.