Cigar Box Ukuleles x 2

Here is the latest Cigar box Uke.
Concert scale. Probably the nicest I have made so far. with a lovely vintage cedar box.

Available now on my Etsy store Here

One I built sometime ago for a commission but neglected to post was this lovely large boxed Uke. I actually made the box as the customer wanted it to look old and worn and split and it was a whole lot easier to purpose build one than do the aging to an existing box and of course a box that was naturally like that would be completely useless and unstable.

 

Introducing the ShonKy Novus. designed and handbuilt in the UK

If you read this blog regularly you may remember my Novus prototype..  I didn't post it but I made another one for myself with locally scourced ash and a zebrano top. Ebony fretboard with stainless steel frets and square fret markers.

 It turned out quite nicely although I don't think I'll do the square fret markers again as they are very hard to get straight being so small.

Anyway I have now built the first commercially available model which is a bit more simple with a solid and heavy Ash Body (none of that poncey swamp ash!)  22 fret flame maple and rosewood neck
and 2 p90's. This is designed as a workhorse guitar for the gigging musician. although the body is quite heavy it is also a bit smaller than an average guitar so the weight is kept down. You may notice that that the bridge is set quite far back on the body. (Not so much on my own model above as it had 24 frets and 25" scale.)
It has simple 2 pickup layout with 3 way switch and 1 volume and 1 tone control.
The pickups I decided on where Wilkinsons with the aim to keep the selling cost down and still offer a decent quality.
The Bridge is a Gotoh hardtail and the Machine heads are great quality Korean locking tuners.

The finish is a very thin antique tobacco burst and will wear nicely. nothing worse than having a new guitar with a thick shiny lacquer finish then putting a dint in it. Also if popular belief is true a thin finish is better for tone. so here it is in all it's glory and for sale right now on my newly opened Etsy shop. Here

It is signed dated and numbered 001.
 No 2 is on it's way as we speak and will feature a P90/ strat size single coil/ P90 layout which will be interesting.

 

ShonKy box no 30 Pandora

Here is the Pandora 6 string. I built this to be like a compact Jazz guitar. I have also crafted the neck it has Acoustic dimensions. Ebony board and Stainless Steel frets! what stainless steel frets on a cbg. yes. I am now using stainless steel frets on pretty much all my builds apart from ukes and mando's. Firstly they are really easy to install. they don't bend and twist as much as nickel frets. the secret is cut them to size and round and polish the ends off before you put them in. Once there installed in the slots they require minimum dressing to make level. Also once you play them particularly with an Ebony board you will not want to play any other. The feel is super smooth and string bends are lovely. Also they will pretty much not wear. for the small amount of extra cost this is a no brainer.