Burdekin Plum Steel String Ukulele (GCEA)
Burdekin Plum Steel String Ukulele
A Ukulele with the size of a Baritone, but tuning of a Tenor. It has been designed and built to accommodate Steel Strings which give it a huge voice and commanding presence. It is very responsive to play even with a light touch is produces a loud clear tone. It has a scale length of 508mm and 14 Frets to the Body. This Ukulele S/N - UKE-BP-SSU002 2025 was built by hand using the materials and methods listed below.
Back and Sides - Burdekin Plum (Pleiogynium timorense)
Burdekin Plum, a beautiful Australian Timber that comes in many colours, orange to deep rich browns near black. A very dense wood ideally suited for instrument back and sides. Trees grown in hard/arid country normally have much darker timber. Burdekin Plum has proven to be a survivor; fossils of its seed pods have been found in the Riversleigh Fossil Fields with some fossils dating back 15 to 25 million years. This Dark Phase Burdekin Plum originated from Boyne Valley, Central Queensland.
Body Construction – High Impedance Double Linings
The joints from Sides to the Soundboard and to the Back are double lined (a Kerfed Lining and an internal Rimband) this increases the rigidity/impedance of the joint which in turn improves the overtones and sound complexity/quality.
Back Bracing – Live Bracing
The Back Bracing is a “Live Bracing Design “which increases the backs interaction with the soundboard during playing, resulting in a fuller more complex sound. The Bracing has been made with a 20ft Radius, which increases the stiffness and structural integrity.
Sound Board - Engelmann Spruce (Picea engelmannii)
Engelmann is valued for its colour, tight grain, and light weight. Rarer than Sitka Spruce, often used in high end instruments.
Soundboard Bracing System – Carbon Fibre Reinforced Falcate Bracing
The soundboard bracing system has been made to fit into and was assembled in a 20ft radius dish, which increases its stiffness and structural integrity. The Bracing is made of strips of King Billy Pine, laminated into sickle shapes. The rectangular cross section King Billy Pine Bracing are installed over a layer of Carbon Fibre using epoxy resin. The Bracing tops are then profiled/tuned. A second layer of carbon fibre is then installed down the middle of each brace, this effectively turns each brace into an ‘I’ Beam, greatly increasing its strength and rigidity. This radiused, CF reinforced symmetrical bracing system is of low mass and is incredibly stiff.
Neck - American Curly Maple (Acer spp.)
Quilted and Curly Maple are different figure types of the same species, it is an imported wood, and one of the most popular woods for stringed instruments. It is very stable and can be visually stunning. This is a 3-piece neck, American Curly Maple with a Burdekin Plum Spine and Black/white Maple accent lines. It’s fitted with a double action steel trussrod which is accessible through the soundhole with supplied 4mm Allen Key.
Headstock, Fretboard, Bindings and Bridge - Ebony (Diospyros spp.)
The fretboard has a Zero Fret, Compound Radius and is bound with Maple purfling and Ebony, Bindings. The Bridge is a Gladstone Guitars ‘String Through Design’.
Headstock (rear) – Californian Redwood Burl (Sequoia sempervirens)
A slice of Burl from this very famous tree, with a striking spiderweb like 3-dimensional grain structure.
Rosette – Open Segment Design
Open segment design using a parquetry of rare timber pieces
Tuners - Tuners - Gotoh Baby 510, Cosmic Chrome
Exceptional High-quality tuners, consistently ranked at the top of the industry by musical instrument makers. The SG510 Baby series Tuners are the smallest closed gear tuners on the market. These high tech, precision cut, Sealed Gear type tuners are lubricated for life and with an 18:1 ratio
Nut and Saddle - Northern Territory Water Buffalo Horn (Syncerus caffer)
The Nut and Saddle are handmade and fitted into their respective locations. The 3mm saddle is a firm fit into the Bridge but can be removed if needed. It has a line scribed along the soundhole face; this indicates the orientation of the saddle in the bridge. The instruments intonation has been set using the saddle, so it’s important that the saddle goes back with the correct orientation. The Nut has been slotted to suit the as fitted Strings. The Nut is also a firm fit; a small amount of CA glue has been put under it to hold it in place while changing strings.
Strings – Elixir Nanoweb, G - 0.032w, C - 0.022w, E - 0.015p, A - 0.011p
(The 4 high strings from a Custom Light Guitar Set)
Finish - Hand Polished High Gloss Pre-Catalyzed Lacquer
A hardwearing lacquer that is chemical resistant and easily repaired. Approximately 20 coats of Lacquer are applied, after curing the lacquer is hand levelled, cut and polished to a mirror finish.
A Ukulele with the size of a Baritone, but tuning of a Tenor. It has been designed and built to accommodate Steel Strings which give it a huge voice and commanding presence. It is very responsive to play even with a light touch is produces a loud clear tone. It has a scale length of 508mm and 14 Frets to the Body. This Ukulele S/N - UKE-BP-SSU002 2025 was built by hand using the materials and methods listed below.
Back and Sides - Burdekin Plum (Pleiogynium timorense)
Burdekin Plum, a beautiful Australian Timber that comes in many colours, orange to deep rich browns near black. A very dense wood ideally suited for instrument back and sides. Trees grown in hard/arid country normally have much darker timber. Burdekin Plum has proven to be a survivor; fossils of its seed pods have been found in the Riversleigh Fossil Fields with some fossils dating back 15 to 25 million years. This Dark Phase Burdekin Plum originated from Boyne Valley, Central Queensland.
Body Construction – High Impedance Double Linings
The joints from Sides to the Soundboard and to the Back are double lined (a Kerfed Lining and an internal Rimband) this increases the rigidity/impedance of the joint which in turn improves the overtones and sound complexity/quality.
Back Bracing – Live Bracing
The Back Bracing is a “Live Bracing Design “which increases the backs interaction with the soundboard during playing, resulting in a fuller more complex sound. The Bracing has been made with a 20ft Radius, which increases the stiffness and structural integrity.
Sound Board - Engelmann Spruce (Picea engelmannii)
Engelmann is valued for its colour, tight grain, and light weight. Rarer than Sitka Spruce, often used in high end instruments.
Soundboard Bracing System – Carbon Fibre Reinforced Falcate Bracing
The soundboard bracing system has been made to fit into and was assembled in a 20ft radius dish, which increases its stiffness and structural integrity. The Bracing is made of strips of King Billy Pine, laminated into sickle shapes. The rectangular cross section King Billy Pine Bracing are installed over a layer of Carbon Fibre using epoxy resin. The Bracing tops are then profiled/tuned. A second layer of carbon fibre is then installed down the middle of each brace, this effectively turns each brace into an ‘I’ Beam, greatly increasing its strength and rigidity. This radiused, CF reinforced symmetrical bracing system is of low mass and is incredibly stiff.
Neck - American Curly Maple (Acer spp.)
Quilted and Curly Maple are different figure types of the same species, it is an imported wood, and one of the most popular woods for stringed instruments. It is very stable and can be visually stunning. This is a 3-piece neck, American Curly Maple with a Burdekin Plum Spine and Black/white Maple accent lines. It’s fitted with a double action steel trussrod which is accessible through the soundhole with supplied 4mm Allen Key.
Headstock, Fretboard, Bindings and Bridge - Ebony (Diospyros spp.)
The fretboard has a Zero Fret, Compound Radius and is bound with Maple purfling and Ebony, Bindings. The Bridge is a Gladstone Guitars ‘String Through Design’.
Headstock (rear) – Californian Redwood Burl (Sequoia sempervirens)
A slice of Burl from this very famous tree, with a striking spiderweb like 3-dimensional grain structure.
Rosette – Open Segment Design
Open segment design using a parquetry of rare timber pieces
Tuners - Tuners - Gotoh Baby 510, Cosmic Chrome
Exceptional High-quality tuners, consistently ranked at the top of the industry by musical instrument makers. The SG510 Baby series Tuners are the smallest closed gear tuners on the market. These high tech, precision cut, Sealed Gear type tuners are lubricated for life and with an 18:1 ratio
Nut and Saddle - Northern Territory Water Buffalo Horn (Syncerus caffer)
The Nut and Saddle are handmade and fitted into their respective locations. The 3mm saddle is a firm fit into the Bridge but can be removed if needed. It has a line scribed along the soundhole face; this indicates the orientation of the saddle in the bridge. The instruments intonation has been set using the saddle, so it’s important that the saddle goes back with the correct orientation. The Nut has been slotted to suit the as fitted Strings. The Nut is also a firm fit; a small amount of CA glue has been put under it to hold it in place while changing strings.
Strings – Elixir Nanoweb, G - 0.032w, C - 0.022w, E - 0.015p, A - 0.011p
(The 4 high strings from a Custom Light Guitar Set)
Finish - Hand Polished High Gloss Pre-Catalyzed Lacquer
A hardwearing lacquer that is chemical resistant and easily repaired. Approximately 20 coats of Lacquer are applied, after curing the lacquer is hand levelled, cut and polished to a mirror finish.