Building a ukulele..My first..

[zelph]

Ahhhhh, the sweet sound of success

[realityguy]

Anybody know anything about Gibson tenor ukuleles?How about vintage 6 string ones?
Old Kluson tuners but no name on them or the ukulele..

[zelph]

They are one of a kind. Only one made in the world. You my friend are a rich man. I am your friend! Right?????

Just kidding, it's a fake Made in China, Southern China at that



By the way, It's a small Gibson guitar, not ukelele

and it's new, has philips head screws in the tensioners.

[realityguy]

I have it under good authority that it is not made in China..I don't OWN any nor would I own any made in China.
The strings across the bone nut and doubled strings should tell you that it isn't a guitar...It's a ukulele.
The tensioner or tuner screws are original,still have some rust on them..even though they are phillips head ones..

"Again Phillips head screws started to be used at Gibson in 1939 (the phillips head screw was original patented in 1933). Prior to 1939, all screws should be slot style."

"1953 to mid-1956:
"No Line" Kluson tuners with no vertical name marking on the exterior gear cover. There is still now an outside hole in the metal tuner cover for the tuner worm shaft. The exterior lubrication holes can be either small or large. On the bottom side of the tuners stamped into the metal it says "2356766 PAT. APPLD." ..."

[zelph]

I shoulda known better.

What you gonna do with it?

Thanks for the info on the screws, kool

[realityguy]

Nah..it's a fake!I need to order my Gibson decal head decal off ebay..Gibson never made a vintage 6 string nor a more modern one since they aren't making ukuleles any more...made last week to go with my real TU-1 one..If it was real,it would have a pin bridge with probably a couple rows of white pins and plastic for the bridge and nut..Yes Zelph..they didn't use bone,used plastics instead for the bridge and nuts..

Here's another one I made last week at the same time.I'm starting a couple more today for other people..




I think I have 22 of my own here now.. ..mostly 8 string ones.. I'll be thinning the herd sometime soon....

[zelph]

GeeWhizz!!! you sure are going gangbusters. Good to hear I talked to the Ukulele girl here at camp. She cringed when I gave ball park dollar numbers. She's spoiled by $25.00 thrift store bargains. She's your kinda girl

Abalony was used instead of plastic on quality instruments also ebony and ivory. Ivory is not bone

[realityguy]

As of the later ones:
"Nut & Saddle material: Gibson nuts and saddles of Nylon 6/6. Nylon, a thermoplastic material, was invented in 1935 by Wallace Carothers at DuPont. Type 6/6 Nylon 101 is the most common commercial grade of Nylon and its natural color is off-white. Also Gibson was rumored to use Dupont Delrin as their nut/saddle material, but frankly I don't think that is correct."

I don't believe my TU-1 is ivory or bone but some type of nylon instead for the bridge and nut.

[zelph]

Then nylon is appropriate.

Ivory and Ebony, made since the beginning of time

[cadyak]

Some ukelele music while you are waiting....
Is this actually a uke? Do the different shapes have other names? I know the sound must vary dramatically with the size/material of the soundbox.
Do you vary the neck size if the intent is too do more fingerpicking than chords?


What is the key that most Ukelele's are tuned to?
This young lady is gonna be famous one day.