#745- Juniper and Dogwood Tenor Ukulele

It’s always a challenge when I build for a repeat customer. I want it to be better than the first one and that can cause a bit of a mental/emotional block in the shop. What kept me going for this one was the unusual combo of Juniper and Dogwood. Both are Oregon trees that rarely hit the commercial fine wood working market. The Juniper top is from the high desert of eastern Oregon, a gift from Chris at The Dee Mill. The Dogwood is from Ken at The Carpenter Ant stash in Portland. It was a tree in their front yard that he cut, milled and stored for many years. It makes for a rich but bright sound and I look forward to making more of the same. The neck is salvaged cypress from a factory water tank and the grafted Pistachio is from California orchards. Maple binding, a Santo style headstock, bird’s foot purfling and wooden strap buttons make it a little more unique. It’s off to Australia!