So many of us have been there. Bought a "have to have" uke, enjoyed it a lot... UNTIL another (maybe better???) "have to have" uke comes your way. I have a couple customs in the works and need to find some of my babies new homes. This is a 2019 Jupiter tenor by luthier Jonathan Dale (check out his website for some incredible ukes). The top is "kind-of" sinker redwood known for it's big sound. When I say "kind of" it's because Jonathan got this redwood from reclaimed water towers that top the apartment buildings of NYC!
Here's his story...
I made a contact at a wood water tank maker outside of Philadelphia. I was surprised that in this day and age that there was any demand for wooden tanks but I was wrong. The company is going full blast making all sorts of tanks. I was there looking for Alaskan yellow cedar to make necks, as they make tanks out of Alaskan yellow cedar among other woods. When I was out in the yard in back I noticed piles of old looking wood and inquired as to what it was. It turned out to be redwood that came from old tanks they had replaced. There are wooden tanks on top of New York City apartment buildings as the tanks store water, and being on the roof, supply water pressure to the building below.
I could see the grain in the end of the old planks as they were stacked up. The planks are 2.5 inches thick and from 6 to 12 inches wide. Most planks were pretty ordinary grain-wise, or were badly cracked or something, but every now and then there was a board that was perfectly quarter-sawn, meaning that the growth rings ran perfectly up-and-down in the board. Quarter-sawn wood is what is required for musical instruments. In addition, the growth rings were very close together, often 30 - 50 growth lines to the inch. This means it took between 180 - 300 years to grow a board 6 inches wide! Closer growth lines give a greater stiffness to the wood, meaning that one can make a top thinner, meaning better sound production. The tanks are held together with iron bands. I asked and while the tank maker did not know how old the tanks were that they had replaced, he estimated it at 50 years. So old-growth redwood that was cut more than 50 years ago had been sitting up in the weather, full of water (meaning that water was soaking out and evaporating) for some 50 years. The wood looked a little rough on the outside but half and inch inside the wood was perfect. The iron bands, and the soaking of water through the tank had left internal staining that can be seen in the tops.
It's an amazing looking top with a great voice! and provides details on the woods in his builds. Here's the specifics...
#57 - Tenor
Back and sides - Pennsylvania black walnut (Juglans nigra) from Hudock's sawmill in Perkiomenville, PA
Top - Redwood - (Sequoia sempervirens)- recycled from old water tanks that used to be on the top of apartment buildings in New York City. The tanks were banded with iron bands, and with the water soaking out and evaporating it can leave a regions of black streaks.
Neck - Spanish cedar (Cedrela odorata) which is just the name, it is neither from Spain nor is it a cedar, it is really a mahogany relative from Central & South America.
Binding - curly maple
Purfling - black-red-black
Fingerboard and bridge - Casuarina (Casuarina equisetifolia) This tree was planted all over south Florida, and it is now considered an invasive species. It is very hard and heavy, comparable to the ebonies. This is some I cut a while back from a tree that was taken down as part of a native plant restoration area around the Jupiter lighthouse, and I think this wood is a real winner in terms of hardness and color. One is also using wood from an invasive species so no cutting of rain forest trees to obtain wood.
Fingerboard dots - awabi abalone (Haliotis madaka) or ( Haliotis supertexta )
Headplate - East Indian rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia) from dumpster diving at Martin Guitar back in the '70's.
Rosette -asymmetric, pink abalone (Haliotis corrugata)
Nut - black corian 1 1/2"
Saddle - bone
Very well made, nice side sound port trimmed in red matching the rosette trim. The Jupiter inlay looks great too! And I love ukes with a "volute", a bit of a bump on the back of the neck where it meets the headstock. It serves as a reference for the left hand and adds a bit more wood in a somewhat fragile place. I've got pics in both sunlight and shade. I'm happy to answer all questions honestly or send higher res pics if you supply an email. The list for a new one with these features is about $1000, this one is $750 (if Paypal F&F, otherwise buyer pays extra for fees) plus shipping and insurance. It's a lot of custom uke for the money! Ships in hardshell case that fits great. Thanks for looking, Rick
Here's his story...
I made a contact at a wood water tank maker outside of Philadelphia. I was surprised that in this day and age that there was any demand for wooden tanks but I was wrong. The company is going full blast making all sorts of tanks. I was there looking for Alaskan yellow cedar to make necks, as they make tanks out of Alaskan yellow cedar among other woods. When I was out in the yard in back I noticed piles of old looking wood and inquired as to what it was. It turned out to be redwood that came from old tanks they had replaced. There are wooden tanks on top of New York City apartment buildings as the tanks store water, and being on the roof, supply water pressure to the building below.
I could see the grain in the end of the old planks as they were stacked up. The planks are 2.5 inches thick and from 6 to 12 inches wide. Most planks were pretty ordinary grain-wise, or were badly cracked or something, but every now and then there was a board that was perfectly quarter-sawn, meaning that the growth rings ran perfectly up-and-down in the board. Quarter-sawn wood is what is required for musical instruments. In addition, the growth rings were very close together, often 30 - 50 growth lines to the inch. This means it took between 180 - 300 years to grow a board 6 inches wide! Closer growth lines give a greater stiffness to the wood, meaning that one can make a top thinner, meaning better sound production. The tanks are held together with iron bands. I asked and while the tank maker did not know how old the tanks were that they had replaced, he estimated it at 50 years. So old-growth redwood that was cut more than 50 years ago had been sitting up in the weather, full of water (meaning that water was soaking out and evaporating) for some 50 years. The wood looked a little rough on the outside but half and inch inside the wood was perfect. The iron bands, and the soaking of water through the tank had left internal staining that can be seen in the tops.
It's an amazing looking top with a great voice! and provides details on the woods in his builds. Here's the specifics...
#57 - Tenor
Back and sides - Pennsylvania black walnut (Juglans nigra) from Hudock's sawmill in Perkiomenville, PA
Top - Redwood - (Sequoia sempervirens)- recycled from old water tanks that used to be on the top of apartment buildings in New York City. The tanks were banded with iron bands, and with the water soaking out and evaporating it can leave a regions of black streaks.
Neck - Spanish cedar (Cedrela odorata) which is just the name, it is neither from Spain nor is it a cedar, it is really a mahogany relative from Central & South America.
Binding - curly maple
Purfling - black-red-black
Fingerboard and bridge - Casuarina (Casuarina equisetifolia) This tree was planted all over south Florida, and it is now considered an invasive species. It is very hard and heavy, comparable to the ebonies. This is some I cut a while back from a tree that was taken down as part of a native plant restoration area around the Jupiter lighthouse, and I think this wood is a real winner in terms of hardness and color. One is also using wood from an invasive species so no cutting of rain forest trees to obtain wood.
Fingerboard dots - awabi abalone (Haliotis madaka) or ( Haliotis supertexta )
Headplate - East Indian rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia) from dumpster diving at Martin Guitar back in the '70's.
Rosette -asymmetric, pink abalone (Haliotis corrugata)
Nut - black corian 1 1/2"
Saddle - bone
Very well made, nice side sound port trimmed in red matching the rosette trim. The Jupiter inlay looks great too! And I love ukes with a "volute", a bit of a bump on the back of the neck where it meets the headstock. It serves as a reference for the left hand and adds a bit more wood in a somewhat fragile place. I've got pics in both sunlight and shade. I'm happy to answer all questions honestly or send higher res pics if you supply an email. The list for a new one with these features is about $1000, this one is $750 (if Paypal F&F, otherwise buyer pays extra for fees) plus shipping and insurance. It's a lot of custom uke for the money! Ships in hardshell case that fits great. Thanks for looking, Rick
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