Top of the Mountain - Ukulele & Guitar Porn

New Carruth ukulele, above.

Rosette detail.

With the Woodley White Pu'uwai koa (top.)

White, left, and Carruth.

Back of Carruth.

Cameraman reflected

Two Carruths, the classical guitar and uke, Osage Orange.

Carruths - back view.

Side view.

Okay, save for some updates now and then on my playing progress, which will include some sound-samples, this should be the last got-a-new-uke post. Anything is possible, but I really do feel done now.

The new Carruth arrived yesterday, and it is, like its bigger brother, a cannon. Loud and clean. 

Alan allowed that how he came to uke-ery was through a student of his who left plans for one for him. When he looked at them, the instrument seemed over-built, and it was Dave Hurd's book on building ukulele's that indicated a uke was like a small classical guitar that informed Alan's build. He's pleased with the result and so am I.

The saddle and nut are both compensated to get proper intonation up and down the neck, which means the little white bits on the front of the lower bout and just under the headstock have been carved and sanded for each string's height. Twelve frets to the body, which is usual for classical guitars, but not ukes, which tend to have fourteen. 

It's not a perfect match for the guitar, which has a cedar top as opposed to the spruce, but backs and sides look remarkably similar.

Hurray! 

Sound check:

Editorial update P.S.

One can get into things like fate and destiny and all and argue for or against them, but it is sometimes interesting how you start down one road and look up of a moment to realize you are on another, and unexpected path. 

When I started into uke-ery, I did it reasonably. I found a good, cheap, entry-level instrument. That way, if I didn't like it, I could sell it, and even if I couldn't sell it, I wouldn't be out much.

But, of course, I did like it, so I immediately started looking for a way to upgrade, to get the perfect uke at a price that wouldn't break the bank. I found a couple of local luthiers who, upon examination, seemed to have good reputations and well-liked instruments at a reasonable price. That was the way to go, I figured. Support the local folk and get a good deal, what's not to like?

I tried to contact 'em.

First guy didn't respond to email or paper mail at all. The second guy did respond, but wasn't particularly interested in hearing what I had to say. I asked about features, mentioned some tone woods, and he allowed as how they weren't going down some roads, and I could almost see him shrug. Eh. 

Generally when given a take-it-or-leave-it attitude that demonstrates somebody doesn't really care what I think? I leave it. If you are going to order something custom-made, you should at least get a chance to tell them what and why you want it. If they want to explain why what you want is a bad idea, that's fine, but ...

So I smiled and nodded, and went looking elsewhere. I won't bore you with a repetition of how I came to own the Woodley White 'ukulele, nor the Carruth, but what I wound up were two instruments that reflect years of building classical guitars. Both of them have qualities I love–sound, set-up, playability. I thought the White in koa had a far and away better tone than some I tried that cost a lot more. The Carruth is the other end of the spectrum, but now I have both of those covered, and I can't imagine I could find anything nearly as good for what I paid, which, in both cases, were bargains. 

In neither case did I expect to find myself buying these, but sometimes, you go with the flow, and where it takes you is a joy.