I'm thinking about an SG uke for my next project. I've been working on a scale drawing for the last couple of days, and here's what I came up with. It's a 17" scale fretboard, which seems to keep the overall proportion better than the shorter or longer scale lengths. The only part that is WAY out of scale is the wraptail bridge, but it's what's used on my '64 Junior, so I'm using it.
Nice idea, I'm interested about the results. I'm sure it will be fine. Curiosity: do SG ukuleles exist or is it your idea?
Very nice idea. With a magnetic pickup it is going to need steel or nickel strings, so I think it is going to be more like a mandolin than a uke.
Yes, SG ukes exist; there are several available online. But I build guitars, so it looks like a fun project.
Really? Never heard, honestly. I've never played an ukulele before, so to me it's strange to see a smaller SG, ahah. Yes, I agree. Good luck
It reminds me electric violins, that are a little bit different, I know, but for some reasons (maybe the dimension) I think about them. I'd like to play those violins, there are some which are gorgeous, but I can't. What about the pickguard? It's smaller, isn't it? And, will you paint it like Junior, same hardware, same color?
Yes, everything is proportionally smaller, except the bridge. There are other bridge options, but my preference is the wraptail. I may change my mind...
Those SG uke are so cute... Wraparound must be good too. My advice is a black one, if the guitar is red and the pickguard, if you install one, is black.
All the parts have finally arrived. I'm using a wraparound bass bridge, a single coil pickup, and Kluson-style white button tuners like my '64. Body & neck are Sapele, and I cut & sanded the scarf joint for the tilt-back headstock yesterday.
Got the neck blank glued up & the headstock thickness cut. It seems like glueing and clamping the scarf cut can be kind of tricky; the two pieces want to slide apart as you apply clamping pressure. A guy online showed how he screws the parts together (outside of any finished area) before glueing, then backs out the screws, applies the glue, and then screws the parts back together to set up; it worked great. I'm going to use a carbon fiber rod in the neck to help keep it straight and true.
A friend of mine is planing the body blank for me, so while I'm waiting, I'm determining the neck pocket angle. I believe the angles on a Gibson are 15˚ at the headstock, with a 4˚ neck angle. I put a 1/4" spacer under the bridge to allow for the stud & bushing thicknesses, plus a little for adjustment. Then I set a board across the top of the nut & bridge and set my angle finder on it. Looks like it wants to be a 2.30˚ angle in the neck pocket for this scaled-down version.
I'd probably double check this by drawing out the side view on a big piece of graph paper. Checking always works better when the check method is totally different to the method you used in the design.
Got the body blank planed and cut out, and finished the routing and wiring channel drilling today. I'm using a mini-pot volume control, so all the wiring channels converge in a simple 1" dia. control cavity. I'm holding off on the neck pocket; waiting for an 1/8" dia. bit to route the CF rod channel so I can finish the neck first. My bridge doesn't have the adjusting screws that the Gibson bridges do, but it does have starter hole inside the wings; I'm going to drill & tap those so I have more adjustability.
I like your attention to detail. You're keeping clean crisp edges despite the fact that they are going to get bevelled. As regards the bridge mounting cutouts, I'd be tempted to drill and tap those starter holes. Adjustability is never a bad thing. Oops - sorry. Just read that last bit of yours where you said exactly that. I will instantly stop trying to teach grandma to suck eggs.
A bit late on this comment but most Gibson head stock angles are 17 degrees. I believe some wre also 14 degrees. The neck angle was very shallow on the JRs at about 1.5 degrees. The Les Paul Standards were 4.4 degrees because of the carved top and where the neck plane started on the body. Neck angle should only relate to the bridge height really. Great job. It should be a killer little instrument. Cheers Peter.
Doing some mocking up today to check fit. I had to Dremel out a little clearance for the lugs on the volume pot- it's tight in there, but the pot & jack fit in there without bumping into each other. I've drawn out the edge details, and I'll be working on chamfering the edges today.
