Making Guitars and Ukuleles
January 23, 2023
Who would have imagined you starting guitar lessons and making the instruments once you retired? Well, that is precisely what Hubs is doing. I must add he is doing a bang-up job in both arenas.
After doing a lot of research, he found lessons he is comfortable with, along with a fantastic guitar-making instructor, Robbie O’Brien. Don’t think for a minute that making a ukulele or guitar is easy. It is a tedious and delicate process, taking enormous dedication and patience. These are traits Hubs is proficient in. After all, he has been married to me for several decades, with these traits serving him well.
The tools and equipment for making musical instruments can put you back more than a few bucks. Coming from a generation that instilled in us the value of frugalness, Hubs made a few of the actual guitar-making equipment machines to save money. With wood from previous projects and some additional specialty wood purchases, he made his wood bending machine, go-bar deck clamping jig and guitar mold. The items he created to begin making the guitars and ukuleles are works of art.
After a time and a few practice pieces, some successful, some not, I thought it was time he treated himself. He was capable of making beautiful instruments as well as playing them. He succumbed to my suggestion of purchasing some of the building machines from a company that specialized in such things so that he could dedicate more time to making the instruments. And so, another artisan was born!
Here in Blah Blah Blah, I will post about his process of making these beautiful instruments. I will leave you with this post showing you a few pictures of his projects.
This first picture is of the guitar side-bending machine he made.
The ingenious addition of part of an old caulking gun on top is used to push the guitar’s side wood down into the form. I admire the ingenuity.
This picture is of his first two ukuleles. They are each one of a kind, and the craftsmanship is remarkable. He is currently making a guitar, and I will post more soon. I can tell you this now, the rosette he made for it is gorgeous!
