Over the past 3 days or so, I’ve been fabricating the necks.  My recent Tenor included a lacewood neck laminate which turned out beautifully.  These ukuleles will also feature a Lacewood laminate with yellow heart highlights on the Concert and Tropical Ash/Maple highlights on the Baritone.  These “highlights” sandwich the Lacewood as well as in the heel stack.  I like the “scoop” look a thin piece of yellow heart (or maple) provides in the heel stack.

First I glue up the laminate and true the neck blank.  Then, using a new handmade scarf joint jig, I cut the 15 degree angle which, when glued back onto the neck blank, forms the break angle of the headstock.  I bring the neck back to the tables to cut a slot down the center (not shown) for a carbon fiber rod that will be inserted later.  This rod provides added rigidity to the neck therefore allowing a thinner neck width.  Finally I fabricate the heel stack and glue it on.