Plan View
The Bridge Plate Is One Of The More Important Pieces Of The Ukulele Top Plate To Get Right. First Glue The Bridge Plate In Place, Cleanup The Glue, Then Cut And Sand The Braces. Then Fit The Fan Braces Very Carefully To The Bridge Plate. The Bridge Plate Can Be Either Spruce Or Top Wood. The Plate Is 1mm (.04") Thick And The Grain Shall Run 90 Degrees To The Top Plate Wood Grain.
48.1
78.0
184.2
1 29/32"
3 1/16"
7 1/4"
Sound Hold Reinforcement To Strengthen The Top Plate. 1mm (.04") Thick. Round Edges. Build From Scraps Of Top Wood
Dashed Lines Indicate Cutaway Option For This Ukulele
Head Or Neck Block. This Is A Very Important Structural Element. Construct From Vertical Grain Honduras Mahogany, Maple Or Match Neck Wood
1 25/32"
22.2
7/8"
5 5/8"
Scale Length 432.5
22.5
17 1/32"
7/8"
4.0
239.8
87.2
5/32"
9 7/16"
3 7/16"
3/4"
62.7
15.0
67.0 3.5
5
Butt Trim: Often Vertical Solid Wood, Same Wood Species As The Binding. Fabricate The Butt Trim Sandwich First, Layout On Centerline Of The Sides And Mark With A Sharp Woodworkers Marking Knife And Cut With A Router or Chisel Out The Channel.
Purfling/Binding Detail At Ukulele Butt
51.0
5 5/8"
142.8
1 13/16"
2"
13/32"
62.7
1 3/4"
10.0
51.0
1 23/32"
45.7
Brace Key Numbers. Refer To Brace Diagram Plan For Bracing Layouts
Plan View
142.4
D
5 19/32"
310.4 12 7/32"
When Fretting An Bound Fingerboard Cut Back Tang Of Frets To Back Side Of Purfling.
To Install Round Position Dots, Mark The Center Of Each Dot With A sharp-Pointed Scratch Awl. Chuck -Up A Brad Point Drill Bit In Your Drill Press And Drill Holes For The Dots As Close To The Depth Of The Dot As Possible. Usually Try To Have The Dot Just A Bit Above The Fretboard Surface. Mixup Some Ebony Sawdust With 2-part Epoxy Into A Toothpaste Consistency. Take A Bit On The Tip Of Your Finger And Work It Into Each Dot Hole. Now Take Each Position Dot And Work It Down Into Each Filled Hole. Wipe Away The Excess With Your Finger, But Make Sure You Don't Scoop It Out Of The Position Dot Cavity. Let Dry Thoroughly And Sand Smooth With A Power Sander Or Sanding Sticks, Until The Dot And Fretboard Are Level. Special Precaution: Do Not Inhale Any Of The MOP Dust. Wear A Good Dust Mask. The Dust In A Carcinogen And Is Very A Very Dangerous Health Risk.
Ukulele Top Plate. Usually Braced Dead Level (No Arch) Use #1 or AAA Top Materials If This Is A Higher Quality Ukulele - This Is The Single Most Important Piece Of Wood Used In A Ukulele. If this is a First Build Ukulele You Could Consider AA As Well. Sound Production Will Be imperceptible And The Difference is Mainly Cosmetic Materials Vary Quite A Bit, But Usually Consist Of Sitka Spruce Or Hawaiian Koa. Spruce Should Be Vertical Grain Wood With No Run-out, Even Grain Across The Top And 16 - 20 Grain/In Minimum.
Back Braces - Vertical Grain Minimum 20 Grain/In. Cedar Or Spruce #1 Quality. Cope Out Ends Of Bracing. Side And Back Material: Traditional Wood That Is Used For Ukulele Construction Is Hawaiian Koa. Often Koa Is Used For The Top Plate As Well. Thickness Of Koa For Sides Is Typically 1.5mm (.06") and Backs Are Typically 2.0mm (.08"). If A Koa Top Is Used, It Should Be Approximately 1.5mm (.06")Thick.
39.9 1 9/16"
5/32"
Mother Of Pearl Position Dots Are A Matter Of Each Ukulele Players Taste And Varies From No Position Dots At All To Position Dots At The 3rd, 5th, 7th, 12th and 15th Frets To Very Elaborate Vines And Other Inlays.
General Notes
4.0
Inlay Position Dot Tutorial
21/32"
Optional Ukulele End Button. Ebony or Bone Drill Hole And Use A Tapered Peg-Cutting Tool For Proper Fitting
If You Decide To Place Binding On The Edge Of The Fingerboard, Make Sure You Follow The Direction On UGOL Website On Fret Repair. www.ultimate-guitar-online.com/fret-repairpart1.html Where There Are Extensive Fret Repair And Installation Articles, Tools Required And Methods For Installing Frets On Fingerboards With Binding.
Fan Bra ce
16.9
5
3.5
Optional Contrasting Purfling. Miter Edges Where It Meets The Butt Trim and Discontinue At The Top of The Butt Trim
A
B
Neck Section At 7th Fret
Top Thickness Varies As Well And Is A Function Of Top Stiffness And Wood Density. For Instance Sitka Spruce Will Usually Need To Be Slightly Thicker Than Koa Because The Specific Density Of Spruce Is Less Than That Of Koa. A Good Starting Place If About 1.5 mm For Koa. With a Good Stiff Sitka Spruce You Can Go With About 2mm Of Thickness.
Solid Ebony Fretboard or Indian Rosewood. If The Fretboard Is To Be Bound With Purfling, Use Wood Veneer With Multi-Layer Colored Banding Such As Rosewood, Maple, Ebony Etc. Consider Ripping The Neck Wood In Half And Reverse The Grain. Also Consider Use Of Ebony Or Other Reinforcement Laminate For Greater Neck Strength
36.7 1 7/16"
Note: Most Luthiers Make A Template From Either Wood Or Plastic With The Neck Profile, Heel Shape And Interior Neck Block And Foot Profile - All In One Template. Make Another Copy Of This Plan To Make Your Own. Just Use Spray Adhesive To Attach The Pattern And Cut It Out With Your Band Sand. Cut A Little Big (Away From The Line) And Finish Sand With A Spindle Sander Right Down To The Line
5/32"
Binding Around Edge of Instrument Butt at Global Centerline of the Instrument. This Trim Can Be Plastic, Celluloid or My Personal Favoriate - Solid Wood.
5.0
44.0
177.0
6 31/32"
1 13/32"
36.0
Many Luthiers Trim The Perimeter Of The Peghead With Multi-layer Purfling of Wood Or Plastic. I Prefer Wood. Make Sure To Use High Quality Tuning Machines Such As Grover or Schaller. Good Plating Is Essential To Resist Weather And Perspiration
5.0
String Slots Should Be Filed Out With Gaged Nut Files To Precisely Match The String Gages.
Drill Holes In Head With Drill Press. To Prevent Tear-Out Place A Scrap Piece Of Wood Beneath Exit Hold Of Drill. Make Sure To Pre-purchase Your Machine Heads To Get The Hole Diameter Exact.
A Nice Touch Is To Counter-Sink The Washer Portion Of The Machine Heads Slightly Into The Guitar Head. Use A Forstner Flat-Bottom Bit For This Operation and Chuck It In A Drill Press. Be Sure To Drill The Countersink Before The Hole For The Machine Head Posts.
3 7/16"
Inlaid Rosette (Optional For Ukuleles)
4.0
5/32"
Back Block or Butt Block. Vertical Grain Mahogany, Maple or Spruce. Some Luthiers Shave This Block or Angle It Away From The Top As This Block Often Gives A Ukulele A "Hump" In The Top And Can Cause Cracking.
The Center Joint Is One Of The Most Important Joints On The Ukulele For Both Top And Back Plates. Consider Using Our Plate Joining Jig For Hairline Joints In Record Time
87.2
17/32"
4.0
5"
E
13.7
127.0
1/4"
1 3/4"
44.4
1/8" 13/32"
44.4
3.0
13/32"
10.0
R 39.7
Fan Brace
R 33.0
25.4 1"
Re-Constituted Ivory Or Excellent Quality Bone For the Nut.
6.3
157.3 6 3/16"
1/8"
52.0
2 1/16"
10.0
13/32"
2 11/16"
68.0
10.0 10.0 10.0 13/32" 13/32" 3.0
19/32"
R 87.3
C
ce Fan Bra
2"
45.0
1 1/2"
142.6
2 15/32"
38.1
8 25/32"
4 5/32"
223.0
105.3
Light Lines Indicate Kerfed Lining Constructed From Mahogany. Glue Lining To Sides For Both The Top And Back Plate Attachment. Size Varies From Builder To Builder. The Kerfing Shown Here Is Triangular And The Size Is 6.3mm (1/4") Wide And 12mm (1/2") Tall.
2 15/32"
Quite Often It Looks Great To Use A Contrasting Wood On The Peghead For Some Extra Detail. Also One Popular Option Is To Use The Same Species Of Wood As On The Backs And Sides.
Neck Section At 1st Fret Note For Detailed Construction Instructions Refer To Our Book "Guitar & Ukulele Construction Handbook @ http://shopglss.com
This Drawing or Drawings Are To Used For One Use Only And Not Reproduced For Any Other Purpose Than Construction Of This Particular Instrument, and a One Time Reproduction Only is Allowed Reproduction, Distribution or Sales For Any Other Use Is Strictly Prohibited And Falls Under U.S Copyright Laws For David VerBurg AIA c 2013 This Sheet Size Is Metric A1 Size Overall Size is 841mm x 594mm With 15mm Borders On All Sides. For USA Customers Print On Architectural "D" (24" x 36") Without Resizing For 1:1 Printout.
Georgia Luthier Supply
14-Fret Tenor Ukulele Plan
Date: March 27, 2013 Revisions:
May 24, 2014
Unless Noted Otherwise, These Plans Are Drawing Full Scale. They Are Labeled in mm and Fractional Inches
Sheet Number
01
48.1
78.0
184.2
1 29/32"
3 1/16"
7 1/4"
Sound Hold Reinforcement To Strengthen The Top Plate. 1mm (.04") Thick. Round Edges. Build From Scraps Of Top Wood
Dashed Lines Indicate Cutaway Option For This Ukulele
Head Or Neck Block. This Is A Very Important Structural Element. Construct From Vertical Grain Honduras Mahogany, Maple Or Match Neck Wood
1 25/32"
22.2
7/8"
5 5/8"
Scale Length 432.5
22.5
17 1/32"
7/8"
4.0
239.8
87.2
5/32"
9 7/16"
3 7/16"
3/4"
62.7
15.0
67.0 3.5
5
Butt Trim: Often Vertical Solid Wood, Same Wood Species As The Binding. Fabricate The Butt Trim Sandwich First, Layout On Centerline Of The Sides And Mark With A Sharp Woodworkers Marking Knife And Cut With A Router or Chisel Out The Channel.
Purfling/Binding Detail At Ukulele Butt
51.0
5 5/8"
142.8
1 13/16"
2"
13/32"
62.7
1 3/4"
10.0
51.0
1 23/32"
45.7
Brace Key Numbers. Refer To Brace Diagram Plan For Bracing Layouts
Plan View
142.4
D
5 19/32"
310.4 12 7/32"
When Fretting An Bound Fingerboard Cut Back Tang Of Frets To Back Side Of Purfling.
To Install Round Position Dots, Mark The Center Of Each Dot With A sharp-Pointed Scratch Awl. Chuck -Up A Brad Point Drill Bit In Your Drill Press And Drill Holes For The Dots As Close To The Depth Of The Dot As Possible. Usually Try To Have The Dot Just A Bit Above The Fretboard Surface. Mixup Some Ebony Sawdust With 2-part Epoxy Into A Toothpaste Consistency. Take A Bit On The Tip Of Your Finger And Work It Into Each Dot Hole. Now Take Each Position Dot And Work It Down Into Each Filled Hole. Wipe Away The Excess With Your Finger, But Make Sure You Don't Scoop It Out Of The Position Dot Cavity. Let Dry Thoroughly And Sand Smooth With A Power Sander Or Sanding Sticks, Until The Dot And Fretboard Are Level. Special Precaution: Do Not Inhale Any Of The MOP Dust. Wear A Good Dust Mask. The Dust In A Carcinogen And Is Very A Very Dangerous Health Risk.
Ukulele Top Plate. Usually Braced Dead Level (No Arch) Use #1 or AAA Top Materials If This Is A Higher Quality Ukulele - This Is The Single Most Important Piece Of Wood Used In A Ukulele. If this is a First Build Ukulele You Could Consider AA As Well. Sound Production Will Be imperceptible And The Difference is Mainly Cosmetic Materials Vary Quite A Bit, But Usually Consist Of Sitka Spruce Or Hawaiian Koa. Spruce Should Be Vertical Grain Wood With No Run-out, Even Grain Across The Top And 16 - 20 Grain/In Minimum.
Back Braces - Vertical Grain Minimum 20 Grain/In. Cedar Or Spruce #1 Quality. Cope Out Ends Of Bracing. Side And Back Material: Traditional Wood That Is Used For Ukulele Construction Is Hawaiian Koa. Often Koa Is Used For The Top Plate As Well. Thickness Of Koa For Sides Is Typically 1.5mm (.06") and Backs Are Typically 2.0mm (.08"). If A Koa Top Is Used, It Should Be Approximately 1.5mm (.06")Thick.
39.9 1 9/16"
5/32"
Mother Of Pearl Position Dots Are A Matter Of Each Ukulele Players Taste And Varies From No Position Dots At All To Position Dots At The 3rd, 5th, 7th, 12th and 15th Frets To Very Elaborate Vines And Other Inlays.
General Notes
4.0
Inlay Position Dot Tutorial
21/32"
Optional Ukulele End Button. Ebony or Bone Drill Hole And Use A Tapered Peg-Cutting Tool For Proper Fitting
If You Decide To Place Binding On The Edge Of The Fingerboard, Make Sure You Follow The Direction On UGOL Website On Fret Repair. www.ultimate-guitar-online.com/fret-repairpart1.html Where There Are Extensive Fret Repair And Installation Articles, Tools Required And Methods For Installing Frets On Fingerboards With Binding.
Fan Bra ce
16.9
5
3.5
Optional Contrasting Purfling. Miter Edges Where It Meets The Butt Trim and Discontinue At The Top of The Butt Trim
A
B
Neck Section At 7th Fret
Top Thickness Varies As Well And Is A Function Of Top Stiffness And Wood Density. For Instance Sitka Spruce Will Usually Need To Be Slightly Thicker Than Koa Because The Specific Density Of Spruce Is Less Than That Of Koa. A Good Starting Place If About 1.5 mm For Koa. With a Good Stiff Sitka Spruce You Can Go With About 2mm Of Thickness.
Solid Ebony Fretboard or Indian Rosewood. If The Fretboard Is To Be Bound With Purfling, Use Wood Veneer With Multi-Layer Colored Banding Such As Rosewood, Maple, Ebony Etc. Consider Ripping The Neck Wood In Half And Reverse The Grain. Also Consider Use Of Ebony Or Other Reinforcement Laminate For Greater Neck Strength
36.7 1 7/16"
Note: Most Luthiers Make A Template From Either Wood Or Plastic With The Neck Profile, Heel Shape And Interior Neck Block And Foot Profile - All In One Template. Make Another Copy Of This Plan To Make Your Own. Just Use Spray Adhesive To Attach The Pattern And Cut It Out With Your Band Sand. Cut A Little Big (Away From The Line) And Finish Sand With A Spindle Sander Right Down To The Line
5/32"
Binding Around Edge of Instrument Butt at Global Centerline of the Instrument. This Trim Can Be Plastic, Celluloid or My Personal Favoriate - Solid Wood.
5.0
44.0
177.0
6 31/32"
1 13/32"
36.0
Many Luthiers Trim The Perimeter Of The Peghead With Multi-layer Purfling of Wood Or Plastic. I Prefer Wood. Make Sure To Use High Quality Tuning Machines Such As Grover or Schaller. Good Plating Is Essential To Resist Weather And Perspiration
5.0
String Slots Should Be Filed Out With Gaged Nut Files To Precisely Match The String Gages.
Drill Holes In Head With Drill Press. To Prevent Tear-Out Place A Scrap Piece Of Wood Beneath Exit Hold Of Drill. Make Sure To Pre-purchase Your Machine Heads To Get The Hole Diameter Exact.
A Nice Touch Is To Counter-Sink The Washer Portion Of The Machine Heads Slightly Into The Guitar Head. Use A Forstner Flat-Bottom Bit For This Operation and Chuck It In A Drill Press. Be Sure To Drill The Countersink Before The Hole For The Machine Head Posts.
3 7/16"
Inlaid Rosette (Optional For Ukuleles)
4.0
5/32"
Back Block or Butt Block. Vertical Grain Mahogany, Maple or Spruce. Some Luthiers Shave This Block or Angle It Away From The Top As This Block Often Gives A Ukulele A "Hump" In The Top And Can Cause Cracking.
The Center Joint Is One Of The Most Important Joints On The Ukulele For Both Top And Back Plates. Consider Using Our Plate Joining Jig For Hairline Joints In Record Time
87.2
17/32"
4.0
5"
E
13.7
127.0
1/4"
1 3/4"
44.4
1/8" 13/32"
44.4
3.0
13/32"
10.0
R 39.7
Fan Brace
R 33.0
25.4 1"
Re-Constituted Ivory Or Excellent Quality Bone For the Nut.
6.3
157.3 6 3/16"
1/8"
52.0
2 1/16"
10.0
13/32"
2 11/16"
68.0
10.0 10.0 10.0 13/32" 13/32" 3.0
19/32"
R 87.3
C
ce Fan Bra
2"
45.0
1 1/2"
142.6
2 15/32"
38.1
8 25/32"
4 5/32"
223.0
105.3
Light Lines Indicate Kerfed Lining Constructed From Mahogany. Glue Lining To Sides For Both The Top And Back Plate Attachment. Size Varies From Builder To Builder. The Kerfing Shown Here Is Triangular And The Size Is 6.3mm (1/4") Wide And 12mm (1/2") Tall.
2 15/32"
Quite Often It Looks Great To Use A Contrasting Wood On The Peghead For Some Extra Detail. Also One Popular Option Is To Use The Same Species Of Wood As On The Backs And Sides.
Neck Section At 1st Fret Note For Detailed Construction Instructions Refer To Our Book "Guitar & Ukulele Construction Handbook @ http://shopglss.com
This Drawing or Drawings Are To Used For One Use Only And Not Reproduced For Any Other Purpose Than Construction Of This Particular Instrument, and a One Time Reproduction Only is Allowed Reproduction, Distribution or Sales For Any Other Use Is Strictly Prohibited And Falls Under U.S Copyright Laws For David VerBurg AIA c 2013 This Sheet Size Is Metric A1 Size Overall Size is 841mm x 594mm With 15mm Borders On All Sides. For USA Customers Print On Architectural "D" (24" x 36") Without Resizing For 1:1 Printout.
Georgia Luthier Supply
14-Fret Tenor Ukulele Plan
Date: March 27, 2013 Revisions:
May 24, 2014
Unless Noted Otherwise, These Plans Are Drawing Full Scale. They Are Labeled in mm and Fractional Inches
Sheet Number
01
