#503 Koa Scout Ukulele

One of my Scout ukuleles with a few simple upgrades: a three piece fir and walnut neck, a nice pistachio fretboard and headplate from California orchards and some lightly curly Clockmaker’s Koa from the Carpenter Ant stash. A humble, portable, playable and sweet musical companion.

“Dear Aaron and Nicole,
I love my koa Scout ukulele. It has perfect balance - delicate yet sturdy. The sound is bright and clear. The notes ring true even with my sloppy chords up the neck. I have never played a more beautiful instrument.

I am honored to own a Beansprout creation. Thank you. What a treasure.

Best always,
- B. M. ”

#505- Western Red Cedar and Curly Walnut Alto Ukulele

Yes, another cedar and walnut alto uke this month! It was fun to have two similar models next to each other in line, they really turned out nice in their own ways. I only recently started to using Western Red Cedar again, I was waiting to find dependable old, strong stuff. This cedar is salvaged from some old water tanks and even has some interesting Bearclaw figure, which I’ve never seen in cedar before. I really love how red cedar sounds. It is warmer sounding that Port Orford cedar but still plenty loud. The curly walnut is cut from a Claro walnut gunstock blank, which ended up looking great. The fretboard, headplate, bridge and pickguard are all made from pistachio from California orchards. The neck is some old growth Douglas Fir salvaged from floor joists. Overall, the instrument is light weight but feels solid, with a rich and sweet tone.

“I am thrilled with my new Beansprout ukulele! It is stunning and perfect in every regard, but one of the things I love the most is knowing that it is made from woods that have a history, a unique origin story, or are local and sustainable. Too much in our world is cheaply made and disposable, and I feel like this piece of functional art, handmade especially for me by a skilled craftsman and artist, is the exact opposite. We need more things like that in life, and holding a Beansprout ukulele always reminds me of the beauty of striving for that goal in all aspects of life. I also love the respect for imperfection that is intrinsic to the Beansprout brand in their celebration of bug holes, knots, and other elements many builders would avoid. It just feels right to honor and even celebrate these things as features, and reminds me to do the same in my life when plans go awry or something bad happens. Strengthen that nail hole with some filler and be proud of it for making you a bigger person for having survived whatever it is! I am so honored to have this ukulele and my other Beansprouts (#368 and #436) that Aaron made for me and will treasure them forever. Thanks to Aaron and Nicole for creating such an honest brand, staying true to your aesthetic and values, and blessing the world with such fine instruments! You definitely have a lifelong customer in me.

Thanks!
- J. L.
”

#508- Western Red Cedar and Curly Walnut Alto Ukulele

As a maker of “luxury items,” I really value every order we get. After all, your hard earned money has many worthy outlets. When it’s a repeat customer, I feel even luckier! This one is for Libby, who has a couple of instruments from me already, both of which are quite fancy. For this one, we were chasing a simpler design, but it still ended up being fancy in an understated way. The curly walnut back and sides came from our friend Ben Bonham, who passed on some ukulele sized scraps from a guitar project. The cedar top is from my friend Nick, whose dad salvaged it from an old water tank. It is super tight grained old growth wood, with some unique Bearclaw figuring. The spruce neck is from Camp Westwind on the Oregon coast and the walnut fretboard, headplate and bridge make for a simple look. She asked for wooden tuner buttons, which I made from scraps of walnut, maple and mahogany. It’s a lot of work, but makes for a unique feature. The maple binding offers a nice contrast and wraps it up well.

“Aaron,
I love my new cedar walnut uke. It’s so elegant to look at and the sustain is remarkable for such a small instrument. The sound is beautiful and it’s so easy to play. Now the new uke is the favorite in the house. I also like that Camp Westwind spruce is the neck. I was so looking forward to playing in the tenth annual tunes in the dunes. This helps make up for it.

I am so glad i stayed with my order and left most of it up to my luthier. Your skills leave me in awe. Hard work and more than a little artistry in your eye and ear produce remarkable, beautiful, delightful instruments. They call me out to play even when i only feel a little musical. Chalmers Doane says “One Minute a day” and my minute always stretches out, many times to hours. Learning to play music with a nice uke is like learning to paint with good brushes and paint. It’s the pathway to joy and success. Thank you so much. I feel so lucky to have met you!

Thanks for the care and skill you put in your work. It speaks for you. Stay healthy and live one day at a time.
With admiration,
- L. M. ”

#504- Curly White Oak and Pistachio Concert Banjo Ukulele

A lot of the boards I get from the Carpenter Ant stash were cut for Lizann’s grandfather, who made clocks. That means they are usually surfaced on four sides and just under an inch thick, intended for clock cases. This piece was labeled “tiger oak” on the end of the board and that label was right. Truly some of the most beautiful oak I’ve ever worked with. I also went bold on the pistachio fretboard and headplate, it just seemed right. The goat skin head and the brass arm rest add to the charm. This thing is sweet.

“Aaron & Nicole
My Uke turned up today, thank you so much for all you’ve done.
To say the Ukulele is stunning is an understatement, as I expected, it sounds as good as it looks.
I cannot thank you enough for this, the Oak is superb.... I could sit and look at it for hours.
It’s been a great pleasure dealing with you from start to a happy finish. Thank you again.

- K.M.”

#510- Spruce and Curly Walnut Tenor Ukulele

I don’t use customer wood very often, but when Claro walnut like this comes in the mail, it’s hard to say no. This was originally cut for gunstocks, but we were able to get 3 ukes and a banjo out of it. I like that math. The spruce top is from the old dulcimer builder’s stash and can’t be beat. The pistachio is from California orchards. The special bird’s foot purfling is made by Gurian in Seattle.

“Aaron
Just a note of thanks. Took a bit of playing to get used to the small differences from my {other ukulele}. Sounds great, nice action, quickly becoming an old friend. Now if I can play up to the quality of the instrument.
Best regards
- D. S. ”

#506- Curly Walnut and Pistachio Four String Banjo

This is a relatively new model for me and seems to useful for folks who play baritone ukulele. This one is setup with non steel strings tuned dgbe and is super fun to play. It would be good for a strummer in a band or for single note picking on the couch. The curly walnut is from a Claro gunstock blank, the extra dark pistachio is from California orchards.

“Wonderful instrument: easy to play, happy sound, good looks. Your choice of the dark fretboard was brilliant. Thanks for everything.
- C. E. ”

#509- Spruce and Curly Walnut Tenor Ukulele

I really think that spruce and walnut has become one of my favorite wood combinations. It is a nice balance of loud, resonant, sweet and rich. These woods are also from my region, easy to work with and quite beautiful. I inherited this spruce from a dulcimer builder, the curly Claro walnut is from Central California, the spruce neck is from Camp Westwind in Otis, OR and the pistachio is from California orchards.

#500- Redwood and Walnut Tenor Ukulele

My 500th instrument!!! Thanks to Heidi and Rob Litke for getting me started back in 2007, Gordon and Char Mayer for their love and guidance at Mya-Moe from 2011-2018, Nicole for being the best partner and all of you for your support!

This number includes the instruments I made under the Beansprout name in Colorado, the banjo ukes I made while working at Mya-Moe (but not the 2000 ukes I had a hand in there) and the instruments I have completed since we re-launched Beansprout.

The wood for this uke is all salvaged wood from my friends at Tyde Music near Lake Tahoe. The redwood top is from a cabin beam, the Claro walnut back and sides is from kitchen project, the mahogany neck is from a salvaged dock and the Jatoba fretboard is a scrap from a furniture project. I made a mosaic for the headplate, heel cap and pickguard with cutoffs from the neck. I also hand carved tuner knobs from layers of maple, mahogany and walnut. The uke was already pretty busy looking, so I wrapped it all up with simple maple binding and bridge.

I haven’t used redwood for the top in many years, but this redwood is very strong and stable. It sounds and feels very vibrant and I’m quite pleased with it. Redwood has sort of a crisp sound, but is still dark and rich. Sort of like chili pepper and dark chocolate. I added the pickguard to protect the top from scratches, but I wouldn’t recommend it for an aggressive strummer.

We’re so excited that our friend Matt in the United Kingdom is the proud owner of this important piece of Beansprout history!

#501- Walnut and Pistachio Five String Banjo

This instrument is a close copy of an instrument I built for Steve Varney (Kid Reverie, Gregory Alan Isakov) about 18 months ago. It has a few special features that met Steve’s needs and building a second one reminded me of its usefulness as a design.

-12” walnut block rim with brass tone ring

-Walnut and Pistachio neck

-24 hooks and nuts, Brooks Masten tension hoop, Hawktail tailpiece

-Fiberskyn head

-Magnetic Pickup and steel strings

-Frailing scoop and two fifth string hooks

It sounds loud but sweet, sits solid in my lap and is super easy to play. The walnut is from The Carpenter Ant Stash and the pistachio is from California Orchards. It’s off to the UK!

#497- Spruce and Pistachio Tenor Ukulele

When I see a piece of folk/functional art that excites me, it usually makes me want to look closer. From far away, the basic shape and design grabs me. With a closer look, I see some interesting details. When I take it in my hand I can feel the texture and see more subtle parts of the design. Lastly, I get to use it and test its functionality, finally completing the circuit between art, design and function. As a builder, it is easy to take all this for granted, but I am about to ship this instrument to a customer who trusted enough to order a thing that didn’t exist yet! Yes, she helped pick out some of the wood and has seen some pictures along the way, but nothing will compare to the first time she opens the case and takes it in hand.

The spruce top for this was cut for dulcimers in the 1960’s, the fir neck comes from a Portland floor joist and the pistachio comes from California orchards. Spruce and pistachio really shines as a wood combination that provides wide dynamic range and a sparkling tone. Easy playability and a comfortable neck seal the deal. Ready for music.

“Aaron and Nicole,

My new uke arrived today. I love everything about this instrument. In a previous write-up on another instrument you described your shop work in musical terms, feeling sometimes like a composer, jazz musician, conductor or copyist. With this uke I think you must have been feeling ragtime and jazz musician.

The fretboard is everything I was looking for. It’s a “standout” and it will show everyone that I’m playing a Beansprout. The Douglas fir neck with subtle cherry stripe has a beautiful grain. I really like the two-toned headplate and bridge and along with the fretboard they present that wonderful spruce top with brown streaks. I love the way the sides look with the lighter wood towards the back. And the back, what can I say, it’s gorgeous!

And on top of all the beautiful features, this uke sounds incredible. It’s bright, it’s lively and has good sustain. This uke and I are going to make great music together.

Thank you for sharing your talent and craftsmanship with me.

- L. H. ”

#496- Port Orford Cedar and Myrtle Scout Ukulele

The Scout ukulele is one of my most satisfying projects. I make them following my own whims, using whatever wood I want on my own schedule. This one is for some local friends, artists and small businesses owners that we are lucky to have in our community. The Myrtle back and sides are the cut offs from two of my personal instruments. I saved the last of this extra dark Myrtle because I couldn’t bear to scrap it. It was just big enough for a scout ukulele. The neck is made from some salvaged mustard tanks and smells like vinegar when you sand it! For the fretboard, headplate and bridge I chose some straight grain maple from the scraps left over from building my workbench. All of these “scraps” come together to make a humble instrument that hopefully has some extra meaning on top of its functionality as a uke.

#493- Spruce and Pistachio Alto Ukulele

Pistachio is a rather dense hardwood, which makes it good for the back and sides of an instrument. But, you have to get the thickness right or the uke will be on the heavy side. I feel like I’ve finally got it dialed in! The combination with the spruce top makes for a lively sound with good projection and the low g adds surprising depth. The pistachio is from California Orchards, the spruce top was cut in 1960’s for a dulcimer builder and the fir neck is from an old floor joist.

“Thank you, Aaron, Nicole, and Henry!
This by far is the nicest work of art that I have ever strummed!!
A friend mentioned Roxy’s Waltz when I wanted to increase my skill and learn fingerstyle. She took a workshop with you, Aaron at Ashokan Uke Fest in 2019. I loved how the song was written out and it was the first fingerstyle song I learned. I looked up Aaron’s name, found the website, saw the books and purchased a bunch. I loved how they were printed out and the step by step methodology. I also loved the corresponding YouTube videos so I can play along. I love Henry’s cameo appearances in the videos too. After purchasing the books I saw the gallery of instruments and could see the same passion within the books were also in the beautiful Beansprout works of art. I love that Aaron uses sustainability practices repurposing the wood too. I love my Beansprout Ukulele. It sounds awesome! The first song I played on it was Roxy’s Waltz. (with shaking hands :) )
P.S. Thank you so much, Henry for the lucky chicken feather! It’s really cool!
Best,
R. H. ”

#495- Mastergrade Myrtle Tenor Ukulele

I call a Myrtle set “Mastergrade” when it has beautiful curl and amazing color variations and this set from woodfromthewest.com fits the bill. Myrtle grows in southern Oregon and Northern California and it is pretty rare to find a figured tree big enough to use for tonewood. For almost ten years now I have been making all Myrtle ukuleles and they never disappoint. The pistachio fretboard and headplate come from California orchards and the salvaged Douglas Fir neck (with a cool looking knot) comes from a salvaged floor joist.

#499- Walnut and Pistachio Mini Five String Banjo

Dark, rich and vibrant. Like espresso mixed with whiskey. Or the smell of dirt after a good rain. Or mole sauce with a spicy finish. Sorry, I got distracted by this one. Straight grain walnut from the Carpenter Ant stash, pistachio from California orchards and an earthy goat skin head. It all adds up to a nice banjo which sounds great in open g and open a.

“I absolutely love the mini Banjo. I am new to the instrument but it’s so easy to play and has such a unique tone that I have hardly put it down since I received it. It has this low rumbly kind of sound that is exactly what I was hoping for and makes it seem like something that’s been making music for generations. Besides the Wife and the Dog, it’s the first thing I will grab if the house ever catches fire!

- J. P. ”

#492- Curly Port Orford Cedar and Curly Walnut Alto Ukulele

In some ways, this is a pretty standard ukulele for me, but it has a few features that make it stand out. The first is the fancy purfling from Gurian that we call “bird’s foot” purfling. It is the same as Nicole’s ukulele, which has been one of my my popular builds lately. The back and sides are cut from a Claro walnut gunstock blank, which is very beautiful and a obviously a little bit symbolic. These parts were so visually striking, that the rest of the wood is less flashy: a lightly curly Port Orford Cedar top, simple pistachio from California orchards and a hemlock neck salvaged from floor boards. Also, it plays easy and sounds great, happy strumming Harold!

“Dear Aaron and Nicole,

My Beansprout Alto arrived the other day safe and sound. It was awesome to see the finished ukulele when you posted it in your gallery, but was absolutely beautiful when I first opened the case and held it in my hands. It spoke to me and said, “I’m home”. It is easy to play and the tone, sound, and sustain are amazing. Aaron, you are a true craftsman and artist. Thank you for sharing your wonderful talent.

Thanks again,
H.H.”

#488- Bearclaw Spruce and Bird’s Eye Maple Alto Ukulele

Plain maple sounds as good as fancy maple, but it sure is fun to use this amazing set for this ukulele. The Bird’s eye maple was cut for ukuleles by Ken from the Carpenter Ant stash and I got to put it to use. The customer wanted a loud uke and she got it, but it’s also sweet with good sustain. The blond look is offset by small black lines and accents, which helps give the aesthetic some framing. The Bearclaw spruce is old growth salvaged from Alaska, the spruce neck is from Camp Westwind on the Oregon coast and the maple for fretboard and headplate are scraps from making my workbench.

“Just wanted to let you know my uke arrived safe and sound. It is a beauty and loud, just as you said. The “blond” look is awesome, glad I let you take the lead on that. The birds eye maple is to die for. I had a bit of a learning curve as I never had a radiused fretboard before. Thank you for continuing to use repurposed and sustainable woods in your building practices. I also love the alto size. It is perfect for me. This uke will be treasured for many years to come.

Thanks again,
G.H.”

#494- Curly Walnut and Pistachio Concert Banjo Ukulele

This was a fun instrument to put together, as it is a pretty standard model but with some small variations. The first was that Nancy wanted one of my “mosaic” rims, which are made from scrap pieces from neck blanks. It takes me most of a year to piece together enough material for a rim like this. I lay out the segments so it has a random appearance, with bits of neck laminations popping up after turning on the lathe. I had some amazing curly walnut for the neck, which needed a wider maple stripe to make a full neck blank. I visually supported this maple stripe by using maple fretboard binding. She also wanted brass fret markers, which are a little harder to see but very classy. The pistachio is from California orchards and the walnut is from Goby and the Carpenter Ant stash in Portland.

“I want you to know how much I’m loving my banjo uke. When I pick it up I wonder whether the people who own the ukes where those mosaic blocks came from are making wonderful music with their instruments too. My instrument feels like it’s part of a constellation of over a dozen other instruments. It’s very special to have. Thank you for that!!
- N. H.
(The quilt in the picture is one made by my ancestors - passed down from my Grandmother to my Mom, but no one knew exactly who made it. It shows evidence that it was well used. It also shows that scraps from several projects can be combined to form a beautiful, useful object that brings joy to others. My banjo and this quilt have that in common.)
”

#489- Cedar and Mahogany Alto Ukulele

This instrument is part of a project I have going with Tyde Music from Lake Tahoe, CA. We each sent each other a box of wood and are making ukes from each other’s stash. This alto is made entirely from salvaged wood: mahogany from a dock, cedar from a fence post and jatoba from a furniture project. I kept several nail holes, of course. I have to admit, this project has gotten me excited about cedar tops again. They are soft, but sound so good! If you are a hard strummer you may want to place a pickguard on it. I also am excited about the jatoba fretboard. Also called Brazilian cherry, it’s commonly imported for furniture and cabinets. I wouldn’t import it myself for ecological reasons, but to find it from a salvaged source I would use it. Stay tuned to see a second instrument I have coming for this project and to see what Tyde music is working on too.

#491- Curly Myrtle Scout Ukulele

Due to a couple of cancellations due to COVID-19, I’ve had the time recently to make a couple of these little Scout ukuleles. They are a fun challenge in that I intend them as humble folk art, but the perfectionist side of me is always pushing for higher quality. It’s a nice challenge. This one is made from curly Myrtle from the scrap bin from when I worked at Mya-Moe, pistachio from California orchards and Douglas fir floor boards.

“Dear Aaron and Nicole-

I’ve enjoyed getting acquainted with this little scout since its arrival. Having always favored soprano ukes, the addition of one of these to my collection was a no brainer. It is not only beautiful, but an absolute joy to play! At a glance one can truly appreciate the creative compassion that goes into each and every Beansprout build. While your craftsmanship goes without saying, I’ve also learned a ton from your music and video tutorials over the years. Thanks for ALL you do! Enclosed is a little sampling of my humble attempt at clawhammer.

Cheers!
- J.K.”

#483- Maple and Mahogany Five String Banjo

This instrument is a copy of the banjo I built for myself, #463. It was designed to be a lightweight, vibrant, thrifty banjo, made with wood on hand. The dark stain ties it all together and will make for a nice patina as it is played and shows its use. The rim is maple and the neck is mahogany and maple, all from the Carpenter Ant stash in Portland. It weighs in at 4lbs 2oz, has a lively sound and I like the old time folk art look. I like this design and am thinking of applying it to other banjo models I make.

“Hey Aaron - the Banjo arrived today in one piece :-) it looks great. I love how the fret board looks - especially the scoop. (Like tiger stripes) The pictures you posted does not do it justice. Way lighter and more comfortable than the banjo I currently have.
Thanks again.
- P. T. ”