Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans (ASIA)
New England Luthiers Group
NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants)
Kepasa
Ukuleles are custom made ukuleles constructed of
all solid woods. Your Kepasa Ukulele will be built
combining the best of vintage and modern instrument
building concepts. Kepasa Ukuleles are handmade
by Kevin Crossett in Middlesex, Vermont, USA.
Hollywood
Style Concert Ukulele
Built for Chris Miller aka Zathras
This concert ukulele is built in the style and fashion
of the vintage Nunes and Royal Hawaiian ukulele, which was
later copied on the mainland under the name of Hollywood.
What makes this particular ukulele different from most is
the choice of woods. The right rim is maple while the left
rim is Honduras mahogany. And the back is split between
the same two woods, alternating opposite of the rims. Confused?
The pictures speak better than words...
Matching
the two back halves is fun... looking for pieces that
will compliment each other, especially after the finish
is applied and the character of thr grain comes forth.
I think these pieces will be very happy together.
Choosing
the rims is the same process. Contrasting and matching at
the same time.
Rims
are glued together and the soundboard is braced and glued
on. Here's a view you'll (hopefully) never see again!
Lovely
spruce top and showing off the lovely shape.
And
here's what you see in the rearview mirror.
The
binding channel has been cut on the back...
...
and on the top.
Gluing
the binding on takes a lot of sticky and stretchy stuff!
I like using the brown binding tape, but if I'm using a
spruce top, I rubberband that side to eliminate the possibility
of tearing out the spruce when I peel the tape off.
And
here we have binding!
Strung
up and sounds very nice! It's quite loud when strummed,
softer when fingerpicked. Even the fingerpicking will get
louder as the ukulele gets played and opens up. Shiny! And
lightweight.
Here's an audio
sample of the newly completed Hollywood Personality
Disorder concert uke. (There is a high note at about 3:08
that is me pushing the string out of tune... it's not the
uke!) It plays and feels very nice.
