Let’s see where do we start? We’ve got lots going on in the shop these days. So here we go.

Akinori

Akinori is of course my Dad. After having him play many ukuleles we’ve finally settled on the right design for him. Akinori will be a Keystone acoustic/electric concert in Poplar and Redwood. It will have a standard concert neck with a custom profile, side dots and it will be tuned low-G. Body will use a Manzer wedge shape.

So far we’ve got the sides bent and kerfed and this week we’ll be shaping the neck.

Ukulele Akinori Poplar sides are bent and kerfed and shaped in a Manzer wedge.

Maples

Ukulele Maples is a Keystone tenor acoustic/electric in what else? Maples. It took us awhile to acquire the stock for this one but we’re well underway now. Sides have been planed and we’ll start bending those. Also we’ll be re-sawing the quilted Maple front and back.

Because this birdseye Maple is so hard, we've taken the thickness down to 1.5 mm, a little thinner than we usually go.

Tomorrow we bend the first side

Breeze

Breeze is a new style FatBottom, archtop electric tenor with a cutout. The body is all Mahogany.

Breeze has a FatBottom with a short upper bout so it is standard tenor length. She's our first FatBottom archtop.

She's very thin and slightly wedge-shaped so the fretboard rotates toward you.

Marlene

Marlene is a sculpted HardBody electric tenor in fabulous quilted Maple. She is the followup to the “F1”. Named for Marlene Dietrich an unconventional beauty with wavy blonde hair. Ukulele Marlene is unconventional to say the least and her quilted Maple is covered with golden waves. This will be one very unique ukulele.

Marlene has a very unconventional shape driven entirely by ergonomics. The unusual bends and facets are exceedingly comfortable to hold.

Her soundhole oozes out of her sound board like it's melting

Marlene i strongly wedge-shaped and has a deep edge relief for the strumming arm.

Shown next to Breeze, Marlene is like something out of a Tim Burton movie

Duke

Duke is a Keystone acoustic/electric tenor inspired by the surf. The flowing grain on it’s Poplar sides resembles water seeking its level. We have sides bent and kerfing in place. Next up we’ll be shaping the neck.

With deeply mineral stained grain, this Poplar looks like flowing water

The insides of our acoustic Keystones are so cool. Too bad you can't see it.

It’s been busy in the shop and we love it. Lots to do and we’re doing it! Smile when you play that!™