 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||
| Moderated by: Tony Provencher, Richard Hefner |
|
||||||||||||||
| Cutaway Tenors Anyone? | Rate Topic |
| Author | Post |
|---|
| Posted: Tue Nov 16th, 2004 06:49 am |
|
1st Post |
|
bellamira Approved 
|
I am looking to either buy or make an cutaway tenor. Perhaps an acoustic/electric version. Would appreciate recommendations, suggestions, experiences, etc. Appreciate your input. Mark in Portland
____________________ Mark in Portland "Spank that uke!" |
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Tue Nov 16th, 2004 08:38 am |
|
2nd Post |
|
Richard Hefner Administrator 
|
Mark... I've got an Applause acoustic/electric tenor with a cutaway (I guess they're all made that way). They're pretty nice for the price. I don't care much for the round back and it's kind of heavy, but it plays well. By the way, what's the deal on your Fluke? Is that one custom made? It looks really nice in the picture. Is that a koa top? 
____________________ Richard Hefner MP3 Page: http://www.ezfolk.com/audio/richardhefner Running Blog: http://old-runner.com |
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Tue Nov 16th, 2004 03:50 pm |
|
3rd Post |
|
UkeForever Approved 
|
I've got a Lanikai CK-TEQ. It is a cutaway. For a laminate uke, it actually sounds pretty good. The laminate is very thin and appears to be over solid mahogany--not plywood. I like the thin neck, and the intonation is darn near perfect, as far as I can tell. It's also set up nicely--good action up the neck. This tenor has a $300 price tag. Was it worth it? Since I've used it on stage more than any other, I guess. But when I drag the tenor or baritone on stage, I feel like I'm selling out ukes. People need to see the sopranos as real instruments... ...ok, enough preaching... The electronics are pretty good as well--very very clean--although I'd test it first, or make sure your seller has a return policy. I've heard there are problems with the pickup extending all the way under the nut. Although I have used this uke in a few performances--church, rock-n-roll band, etc-- I find that I get more enjoyment from the natural sound of all-wood mahogany ukes. Laminates and high-gloss ukes (this is not a high-gloss uke) seem to not respond as well dynamically. It is beautiful, however, and has tricked a couple of people. I just think of it this way: I am saving koa trees with this uke! 
|
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Tue Nov 16th, 2004 05:47 pm |
|
4th Post |
|
bellamira Approved
|
Hi Richard. thanks for the info. Yes it is a custom tenor Fluke. Actually, I call it a FLUKOA, and I am the designer and maker of the custom components. I custom make the soundboard, bridge, nut, saddle, and inlay Paua abalone dot markers and side dot markers. I have an arangement with Dale at the Magic Fluke to create the componeents, and they finish the assmbly. And the sound...oh baby! It's a big sound. Where ever I go, people come up to me and say.." Holy @!/*! Is that a Fluke? Wow! Can I hold it? Can I play it?" I'll do a seperate topic posting about it. Mark in Portland
____________________ Mark in Portland "Spank that uke!" |
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Tue Nov 16th, 2004 08:06 pm |
|
5th Post |
|
Richard Hefner Administrator
|
That's something... I'm surprised I haven't seen it before or heard it mentioned. I'll bet it really does sound good since the plain vanilla Flukes with whatever kind of tops they have sound so good. With all the Fluke fans it seems like you'd have people standing in line waiting to get one. So why don't you just make an electric tenor like that? Seems like it would work out fine. BTW, UkeForever mentioned the Lanikai tenors. Have you seen those? I just saw one for the first time the other day at our local uke club and it's really an amazing uke for the price.
____________________ Richard Hefner MP3 Page: http://www.ezfolk.com/audio/richardhefner Running Blog: http://old-runner.com |
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Wed Nov 17th, 2004 06:45 am |
|
6th Post |
|
bellamira Approved
|
You're right Richard. Regular Flukes are awesome sounding instrument. My FLUKOA is like that on steroid, plus it's all dressed up, and ready to go out. I love to play it, and it's kind of nice for it to be the attention getter that it is. It would be good electrified. I have some additional ideas in the works to pump out even more sound, with out the electricity. I'll keep you posted. Mark in Portland
____________________ Mark in Portland "Spank that uke!" |
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Wed Nov 17th, 2004 02:12 pm |
|
7th Post |
|
Bertrand Approved
|
Hi Mark, just for information, Risa http://www.risa-music.de/English/Products/Acoustics/acoustics.html just released a 354$ cutaway tenor. I never heard it though, nor had I the opportunity to try one yet. I own one of their concert, it compares in terms of sound volume to a flea, only a bit brighter and powerful (never had the chance to make a side by side comparison with a fluke). But on the other hand, for a lower price you can get a curly koa lanikai cutaway tenor with a built in pickup from jumpingflea (sorry for the trees ukeforever). (and BTW Mark, thanks again for the flukoa pics)
____________________ king david ukulele station |
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Wed Nov 17th, 2004 03:57 pm |
|
8th Post |
|
bellamira Approved
|
Hi Bertrand - Good to hear from you again. thanks for the info on the RISA and the Lanikai. On koa...when I started searching for the koa for the FLUKOA I built, I ran across several resources that said it is illlegal in Hawaii to harvest live standing koa trees, and the only koa allowed legally was naturally "fallen" timber. Let's hope it is so. Mark
____________________ Mark in Portland "Spank that uke!" |
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Mon Feb 7th, 2005 02:40 am |
|
9th Post |
|
Robert Approved
|
 Look at the Pohaku Instruments site, by Peter Hurney, Berkeley, Ca. Peter is an artist in design, making instruments in the traditional way with outstanding sound. I picked up the tenor resonator that he has on his site, after playing it seriously for a few months I was convinced that I wanted another and have on order a mahogony w/rope binding in concert size. It took 10 seconds to realize the sound quality and artistic quality. I believe there are only a few individual luthiers like Peter that are out there that spend the time to experiment and fine tune their instruments to this level. Peter seems to cut no corners and when you see what he puts into his art you realize he must be working for pennies an hour. If you seriously enjoy this little instrument, you owe it to yourself to own an instrument like a Pohaku.Back to your original question, contact Peter. After talking with him you'll realize his love to perform his art in every size and shape..... If he has not made a tenor cutaway, he does has a design in his mind. Seeing is believing, http://www.pohakuukulele.com/ukelele/pages/ Robert
|
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Tue Feb 15th, 2005 08:36 pm |
|
10th Post |
|
Fox Ukes Approved
|
To Mark in Portland, I am interested in the Flukoa. Are you in the position to be taking orders for these customized Flukes?
|
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Tue Feb 15th, 2005 10:25 pm |
|
11th Post |
|
bellamira Approved
|
Hi Fox - Thank you for your interest in the Flukoa. I am in a position to take orders for the customized Flukoa. On a building related note...if you like the way the Flukoa is a few steps above a store bought Fluke, you might be interested to know that I am currently involved in designing and building other one of a kind ukes. I tend to build things that I desire, want, and see improvements that I can incorporate. The Flukoa is one example. What I desire in a ukulele is associated to my improving play skill level, my taste in a variety of music styles (jazz, blues, rock), visual and tactal esthetiques. I want my ukes to take me there. They need to be performers that I aspire to. The interests I hear on forums tend to match my own........ Cutawat Tenors and Cutaway Baritones... in acoustic and acoustic/electric. I see a true renaissance happening in ukuleles, and players as well as performers are pushing the envelope of the demands in the ukulele's practical design. Many more people are involved in playing and learning as much as they can, as evidenced by the members of this forum alone. As one learns to use barre chords and finger picking techniques instead of just strumming, you're working up the neck and need more hand room near the body......Cutaway provides it. Look at most advance play acoustic guitars. What are they? Cutaways. Just like the cutaway is one direction of my intention, so are different forms of bracing, bridging, soundholes, and wood combinations (Redwood, Sequoia, Australian Blackwood, Cypress, Cedar, Spalted Maples, Oregon Myrtle). Ukuleles aren't just scaled down guitars, when it comes to building, but there are things happening now in guitar making that can benefit the design and construction of custom high quality ukuleles...that you won't find in typical manufactured instruments. I will post pictures when they are ready. In he mean time, Fox you can contact me directly about the Flukoa. Spank that uke...get your chord on! 
____________________ Mark in Portland "Spank that uke!" |
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Fri Feb 25th, 2005 04:28 pm |
|
12th Post |
|
drum4Him Approved
|
How much for this Flukoa?
|
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Fri Feb 25th, 2005 06:35 pm |
|
13th Post |
|
bellamira Approved
|
Hi Drum4Him - The cost of the Flukoa would depend on sum of the various custom details. If you are talking about one just like mine with the flamed koa soundboard, custom detailed soundhole, Paua abalone dot markers, custom ebony bridge w/ abalone inserts, rosewood fret board, Grover Champion tuners, and intonation setup..then you would be looking around $750. The Flukoa starts off with the current full price of a regular Fluke + $100 setup, then all of the individual custom details. The Fluke is not supplied by the customer* Electric pickups are available too. Sound is subjective, but most anyone that hears it, hears big sound....more than the typical Fluke, since the Flukoa is a solid wood soundboard, and it is koa. If you are interested in one contact me directly.
____________________ Mark in Portland "Spank that uke!" |
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Sat Feb 26th, 2005 05:48 pm |
|
14th Post |
|
drum4Him Approved
|
Thankyou for the reply. That's more than I can handle for now, but really admire what you did with your Fluke. I will be buying a Fluke tenor soon. Have you ever thought of, or seen, someone buy a stock Fluke and then create their own design over the stock color? I would imagine there are some lessons to be learned from other's experience who have tried this. d4H
|
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Sat Feb 26th, 2005 10:36 pm |
|
15th Post |
|
bellamira Approved
|
Lots of people do custom paint jobs on their Flukes. Just take of the strings, mask everything but the wood and go to it. I have seen them painted, sequines and rhinestones glued on them. It should still sound the same. Mark in Portland
____________________ Mark in Portland "Spank that uke!" |
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Current time is 02:17 pm | |
| ezFolk Forums > Ukulele > General Ukulele > Cutaway Tenors Anyone? | Top |
