#764- Spruce and Walnut Tenor Ukulele

This is one of my standard/classic designs and it doesn’t disappoint. Sitka Spruce is very strong but lightweight, which makes for a loud and responsive instrument. The Spruce top is from my dulcimer maker’s stash, cut in the 1960’s for a dulcimer maker who never used it. The Oregon Walnut back and sides is local, from The Dee Mill and is the same board that I used for all of Dave Matthew’s ukuleles. The neck is some Spruce from Craig Wilson’s shop, too small to be one of his guitars, but good for this project. The subtle but colorful Pistachio is perfect for the fretboard and headplate, salvaged from California orchards.

#761- Mahogany Alto Ukulele

This African Mahogany (Sapele, I think) was bought by me from a Luthier’s estate about 12 years ago. Including my time at Mya-Moe, I guess about 50 ukes have come from this pile. It feels safe and comfortable to me, which is why I grabbed it for this project. A simple alto uke with a low g. Rich but punchy. The walnut pieces are from a local tree that I milled. The rope binding adds a flashy but traditional flair.

“Hey Nicole and Aaron!
Just wanted to let you know that I’ve been really enjoying the instrument. Actually that would be an understatement.
I am completely in love : )
Thank you so much for what you do, and I wish you a warm, happy, healthy, and prosperous new year!
- A. L.
”

— Quote Source

#759- Redwood and Walnut Scout Ukulele

This instrument design is humble. It is inspired by the camp ukulele made by Lyon and Healy in the early 20th century. I make them from shop scraps when I find the time. I never really expected anyone to like them, but now I have about a year’s worth of people waiting for one. Their sound is also humble, but don’t be fooled, there is a lot of music hiding in there. Redwood top, Walnut back/sides/fretboard/headplate/bridge, Oak binding and Fir neck.

#760- Curly Maple Five String Banjo

I have spent years stockpiling nice maple to use for banjos, but customers rarely ask for it. Maybe they already have a maple banjo and are ordering from me to get a less common wood. I’m always happy to use it, though. I like the look, the feel and the tone. In this case, the non steel strings combine with the maple for a crisp but mellow tone with a round sustain. The maple is from the Carpenter Ant stash in Portland and the Pistachio is from California Orchards.

#751- Mahogany Tenor Ukulele

None of us are perfect, but we all matter and we’ve got some life left in us, I think. This simple tenor Uke is made from all salvaged scraps from the shop. The body is African Mahogany, cast off because the pieces were too small for guitar makers. The Fir neck and Maple everything else are scraps from the Carpenter Ant stash in Portland. I added some rustic stain to pop the grain, which I really like. It’s got a low g, geared tuners, brass strap buttons, a radiused fretboard and bone nut and saddle. Easy to play, with a big, honest sound.

#752- Blue Stained Port Orford Cedar and Mastergrade Myrtle Tenor Ukulele

It’s my bread and butter, so keep asking for them and I’ll keep making them! Port Orford Cedar and Myrtle are both Oregon woods that we are really proud of. They look great and sound great too. Lightweight but robust, loud but rich, detailed and expressive. Some Pistachio from California Orchards complete the picture. All the wood for this instrument comes from Kevin at woodfromthewest.com.

“#752 is a delight to play and to look at. I love the choice of the myrtle binding. The Baroque and Renaissance period pieces that I play sound fantastic. Thank you again for such a wonderful instrument that I will cherish and play for years to come.
- G. O. ”

#755- Myrtle and Walnut Concert Banjo Ukulele

Myrtle is a medium density hardwood that comes from Oregon. It is very useful in my shop, it even is good for banjos! This tree came from a Portland home, courtesy of Epilogue, an urban forestry mill. I love all the different shades of green, which contrasts with the darker Walnut. The Walnut for this build comes from the scrap bin at Goby, also in Portland. A goatskin head, white fret dots, brass arm rest and a low g make it more unique and personal. I love how loud it sounds, despite the lighter weight of the Myrtle.

#757- Curly Cherry and Texas Ebony Five String Banjo

I really don’t offer many options compared to some of my colleagues. I thought that would help keep my work repeatable, consistent and recognizable, but I still end up surprising myself sometimes. This banjo sounds basically like my others, but it also has a little something extra that I have enjoyed discovering over the last couple of days. It is rich, dark, expressive and detailed. It is easy to play and responds to the lightest touch. It looks traditional, but is full of tiny details that draw the eye when you take the time to find them. It is the kind of work that keeps me going and willing to get out to the shop on a cold, dark morning. Everything is Curly Cherry and Texas Ebony, which I got from a retired banjo builder. I used lots of white sapwood pieces mixed in for visual interest. The 12” rim has no metal tone ring, a goatskin head and non steel strings.

#753- Curly Cherry and Pistachio Short Scale Five String Banjo

Cherry is steadily growing on me as a favorite Banjo wood. I know folks like the dark color of Walnut and the traditional sound of Maple, but Cherry is winning around here. Sweet, loud and growling, it just feels right. This is a short scale Banjo, with an 11” rim and 20” scale. Brass tone ring, goatskin head, non steel strings and an arm rest for comfort. The Cherry is from a retired banjo builder and the Pistachio is from California orchards.

“Aaron, Nicole, and Henry,
 The banjo arrived in a beautiful case, safe and sound.
It is everything I hoped for…incredible! I feel so fortunate to have such an instrument. It’s little sister, the mini you made from the same materials minus the brass tone ring, has opened up after lots of play time and sounds great. Very open and bountiful in sound.
This new banjo sounds amazing. You can get many different sounds playing in various right hand positions. I always think that’s a sign of a really good instrument. Getting the “cluck” on this banjo is so easy.
Thank you Aaron, Nicole, and Henry for such a special instrument. You created my dream banjo. It is deeply appreciated and will be played with joy.
- M. A. ”

#754- Cherry and Oak Scout Banjo

I’ve spent a lot of time lately learning to bend and machine my own thin laminated rims in the old style, contrary to the block rims I usually make. This worked out well for this project, as the customer wanted the lightest weight mini five string I could make, while making sure it was strong, stable and sounded nice. I also used less brass hardware than normal and picked lightweight woods that were basically scraps from other projects, in this case Cherry and Red Oak. In the end, I think it is balanced, sounds nice and is at least a pound lighter than a block rim banjo. Win!

“Wow! It’s tiny and cute but this little banjo sings LOUD and has such unexpected sustain! I’m very pleased with it. Thanks so much! It’s going to get some miles on it riding along on my bicycle! Thanks again.
- W. S. ”

#750- Curly Port Orford Cedar and Curly Myrtle Tenor Ukulele

For #750, I decided to use only wood from Kevin at woodfromthewest.com. His operation has similar values to ours, with sustainability, forest conservation, salvaged logs and regional species at the core. With no middleman, no global shipping costs and a supplier who knows what I like, the customer’s dollar goes farther and makes a bigger impact. He sells wood for musical instruments, bows and any other fine woodworking projects. Check out his site.

The top on this one is curly Port Orford Cedar, which Kevin salvaged from Southern Oregon. I used a rosette instead of my normal sound hole binding, which is a nice change for me. The back, sides, fretboard, headplate, bridge and binding are all figured Myrtle, another tree native to the southern Oregon coastal forest. The neck is a five piece lamination of POC and Myrtle.

The sound is precise and crisp, with a rich sustain. Drop me a line if you would like one similar to this.

“ I am loving my new tenor #750 it packs quite the punch when I want to be heard in a band. I have received lots of compliments on its beautiful unique looks and it’s ability to handle all kinds of music styles.
I purchased it from you because I believe in sustainability (when its possible) and I knew you would produce a quality instrument that sounded great. I have been following Beansprout for years on social media.
I wanted to grow into this instrument and spend lots of time up the neck doing chord melody or 3rd or 4th position chords to add a higher range in group play. The intonation is spot on. I also had a pick up put in, I wanted to experiment with plugging it in to an amp.

Thanks again and best to you and your family.
- M. S. ”

#748- Curly Cherry and Pistachio Mini Five String Banjo

This model was among the first three that re-launched Beansprout in 2018. I intended it for a higher tuning, but most customers want the thicker strings and lower tuning of open g or a. Fine by me! The Cherry for this banjo is from The Carpenter Ant stash in Portland and the Pistachio is from California orchards. The goat skin head and brass arm rest make it a little fancier and fun to play.

#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!

#744- Mastergrade Myrtle Tenor Ukulele

This Myrtle tenor is a real stunner, with a Mastergrade set that is just crazy to look at. I paired it with some subtler Pistachio so that it wouldn’t get too fancy and some Myrtle binding to wrap it all up. The neck is a three piece lamination of maple and Cedar of Lebanon, which is the traditional Cedar tree from the Levant and is mentioned in the Bible. I thought the customer would appreciate it, as he is a pastor. The Myrtle is from the Oregon coast and the Pistachio from California Orchards via woodfromthewest.com. The Cedar is from shop at Camp Westwind, although I have no idea how Cedar of Lebanon got there!

#742- Fir and Koa Soprano Ukulele

Just a simple instrument, inspired by the materials and techniques of the first generation of ukuleles. Salvaged old growth Douglas Fir top, Koa back, sides and neck, walnut fretboard/head plate/bridge/binding. I’m trying for an elusive mix of old time sparkle with modern sustain.

“Hi Nicole and Aaron!
Uke arrived yesterday. It is gorgeous and puts out a purdy sound too.:) Seriously, I Love It! Also to date, I have never touched an instrument with a neck as smooth as this one. It feels amazing. And if I were a better player maybe it would allow me to become the Eddie Van Halen of Ukes.

Without intending to, I became more of a uke collector, not much of a player. Many of the ukes are vintage or handcrafted, really special in some specific way. Aaron’s ukes offer me both, wonderful to play and beautiful to collect. Learning about the wood selected and background of the build is special. The Beansprout site describes Beansprouts as folk art. And they truly are. They are folk art that makes me want to hold it, touch it, and just listen to it sing. It offers joy. Each one I am lucky enough to have, makes its very own unique music. Thank you Aaron and Nicole for doing what you do and sharing this gift.

Take care!
D. M. ”

#757- Curly Cherry and Wine Barrel Oak Four String Banjo

This one was very fun for me. We knew the customer wanted Curly Cherry as the main wood, but we weren’t sure on the secondary wood. I was on a walk up the road when I thought of all the Oak barrel staves I had from our neighbors at Hiyu Wine Farm. As I got into the project, I realized we could use some of the Oak that was still stained from the wine! Once it was dressed up like that, the rest of the details followed easily. 11” Cherry block rim with Oak cap. 20” scale length Cherry neck with Oak stripes and Oak fretboard/head plate as well. The Goat skin is stained with Walnut shells from our yard. Arm rest and pickup complete the package.

#749- Spruce and Curly Walnut Alto Ukulele

This alto is for a repeat customer who needs a low g uke that is easy to play and has great tone all the way up the neck. She wanted some of our Oregon Spruce from Camp Westwind for the top and I added a Yellow Cedar neck from Camp Westwind to match. The curly Walnut back and sides are a real beauty, from the shorts bin at Goby in Portland. We used some reddish pistachio from California orchards for the rest and some maple binding and bird’s foot purfling to tie it together.

#743- Cedar and Mahogany Scout Ukulele

Here is October’s Scout ukulele, made from shop scraps in my extra time. Cedar top salvaged from a hot tub, Mahogany back and sides, Fir neck and Walnut everything else. I used a little reddish oil stain and two coats of oil and wax. It’s rustic, honest and really fun to play.

#747- Port Orford Cedar and Walnut Tenor Ukulele

When a customer isn’t sure what to pick, I steer them to this combo: Port Orford Cedar top and Walnut back and sides. It’s local, easy to work, looks great and sounds very balanced. This ukulele is no exception to the rule and the pickup and low g make it extra useful.

The POC top is from the Oregon coast and the Pistachio is from California orchards, both via woodfromthewest.com. The Walnut is from the scrap bin at Goby in Portland. The POC neck is from my neighbors shop, who is a retired flute maker.

#740- Mastergrade Myrtle Baritone Ukulele

This baritone ukulele was designed by Nicole! She picked out all the wood and gave feedback along the way when I had decisions to make. It was a fun process and as you can tell, she likes fancy looking ukes! Mastergrade Myrtle body from the Oregon coast, Pistachio fretboard from California orchards, both from woodfromthewest.com. The neck is some salvaged Fir with a maple stripe. The binding, head plate and bridge are made from figured maple, with a Pistachio star in the headstock. Bird’s foot purfling adds some bling and a K&K pickup is built in, ready for the stage! Geared tuners, bone nut and saddle, our custom strings and a big voice!

“I wanted you to know that I received the ukulele in great condition.

I have been playing it every day for the last five days and I love it. I currently own nine ukuleles, so this one makes ten. It has quickly become my favorite. It is beautiful in both sound and appearance.

Nicole, you did a wonderful job in your selections of the woods and input on the design. Aaron, your craftsmanship and artistry is amazing. I know I will be playing this one for years.

Thanks again for the wonderful instrument!

-H.L. ”