Winter in Nebraska keeps me busy!

With the weather cold and accompanied by an occasional snow storm, I have been keeping busy in my shop. I just counted and I have nine instruments under various stages of construction and one major repair underway. Photo 3 is  three instruments in Purgatory; my name for the area where my  instruments hang awaiting their 12 coats of lacquer to cure enough to be ready for final sanding, polishing and assembly. This normally takes a week or so.  The top photo are two instruments I have been working on for quite some time that I am attempting to finish in time for the Reno Ukulele and Guitar Festival in April.   The one nearest is a copy of a Torres classical guitar made from a beautiful set of  Zircote wood. The second is a African Mahogany Spanish Requinto. I just found out today that they have expanded the Reno show to include guitars so I plan to take several along to my booth.  Photo 2 are four instruments that are almost ready to head into my finish room. From left to right:  My all American soprano ukulele made from all US woods: Pine, Oak, Maple, etc. The next is another soprano ukulele constructed of spalted curly maple given to me by one of my favorite instrument wood suppliers.  The third is a baritone ukulele commissioned by a customer from Texas who has asked me to build two baritone cut-a-way ukuleles from mango wood;  one for her and one for her pastor. The pastor’s uke is already in Purgatory as seen in photo 3. The fourth instrument in the second photo is a very special instrument I am building with the help of my very talented neighbor who designed and constructed the beautiful three dimensional back pattern and  head plate. Lee Doehring is a master of marquetry! The third photo also has a Koa tenor ukulele destined for a customer in San Francisco and a Triple zero acoustic steel string that I plan to take to Reno.   I have two additional instrument orders awaiting construction but they are going to have to wait a bit until I get some of these in their cases and headed off to their new owners. Life is good!

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