Georgine Clarsen's Burdekin Plum Baritone Ukulele
Build Photos
Double click on the thumb Nail to see full size image, you can then move through the images using the side arrows
Georgine Clarsen's Burdekin Plum Baritone Ukulele
A Left Handed Baritone Ukulele with Tenor Tuning (gCEA), a scale length of 508mm and 14 Frets to the Body. This Ukulele, S/N - UKE-BP-B002 2026 will be 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 tenor was built from orange phase Burdekin Plum from the same tree, which originated from the 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.
Soundboard – King Billy Pine (Athrotaxis selaginoides)
King Billy, Tasmanian endemic softwood, found in cold/wet sub-alpine forests. The tree is slow growing and long lived. Some of the trees were seedlings when Jesus was a boy. The wood is pink/brown in colour, soft, fine grained and light weight. Excellent soundboard material having qualities that impart warm mellow tones.
It’s Critically endangered and totally protected, only salvaged wood is used.
Soundboard Bracing System - Falcate
The Falcate 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 Falcate (sickle shaped) Bracing is made of strips of King Billy Pine, laminated into sickle shapes that are radiused to 20ft. The Bracing tops were profiled. This radiused/curved symmetrical bracing system is of low mass and is incredibly stiff.
Neck – Queensland Maple (Flindersia brayleyana)
Perhaps Australian’s Best Tonewood. Highly sought after by Australian Luthiers.
This Neck has a spine of Ringed Gidgee giving the Neck extra stability and stiffness. The Neck to Body Joint is at the 14th fret and is “Flat Bolt on Bolt Off” construction, having a Neck extension that is fitted into the headblock and 2 x 6mm metal treaded inserts in the neck heel which are accessible through the Sound hole with a 4mm Allen Key. The Neck will be fitted with double Carbon Fibre stiffening Beam.
Bindings, Bridge and Fret Board - Ringed Gidgee (Acacia cambagei)
Gidgee is considered a pest plant by farmers, sometimes referred to as Stinking Wattle, but it is perhaps Australia's hardest wood. It has tight interlocking grain, making it ideal for these applications. “Ringed” Gidgee is the curly grain form, it can be visually stunning and is considerably rarer.
Headstock (rear) – Black Gidgee
Black Gidgee over white and black maple veneers
Rosette - Open Composite Design
The Rosette will be an Open Composite Design using rare timber segments with black/white dyed maple accent lines and some highlights of Black Pearl and Awabi Shell
Tuners - Gotoh Baby 510, in Black with Ziricote Buttons
Exceptional High-quality tuners, consistently ranked at the top of the industry by musical instrument makers. Manufacturer in Japan and distributed worldwide GOTOH GUT Co., Ltd. began manufacturing stringed instrument parts in 1960. The SG510 Baby series Tuners are the smallest closed gear tuners on the market and have quickly become one of their Flagship models. These high tech, precision cut, Sealed Gear type tuners are lubricated for life with an 18:1 ratio giving the player a positive confident feel.
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 – “Living Water” Fluorocarbon Low G tuning (gCEA)
Strings are an important part of the sound structure. We have tested numerous different string types on our Ukuleles and found that on our Baritone and Long Scale Tenor Ukuleles, Living Water Fluorocarbon Strings far outperform any others, giving a warm/mellow Classical Guitar type sound.
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 Left Handed Baritone Ukulele with Tenor Tuning (gCEA), a scale length of 508mm and 14 Frets to the Body. This Ukulele, S/N - UKE-BP-B002 2026 will be 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 tenor was built from orange phase Burdekin Plum from the same tree, which originated from the 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.
Soundboard – King Billy Pine (Athrotaxis selaginoides)
King Billy, Tasmanian endemic softwood, found in cold/wet sub-alpine forests. The tree is slow growing and long lived. Some of the trees were seedlings when Jesus was a boy. The wood is pink/brown in colour, soft, fine grained and light weight. Excellent soundboard material having qualities that impart warm mellow tones.
It’s Critically endangered and totally protected, only salvaged wood is used.
Soundboard Bracing System - Falcate
The Falcate 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 Falcate (sickle shaped) Bracing is made of strips of King Billy Pine, laminated into sickle shapes that are radiused to 20ft. The Bracing tops were profiled. This radiused/curved symmetrical bracing system is of low mass and is incredibly stiff.
Neck – Queensland Maple (Flindersia brayleyana)
Perhaps Australian’s Best Tonewood. Highly sought after by Australian Luthiers.
This Neck has a spine of Ringed Gidgee giving the Neck extra stability and stiffness. The Neck to Body Joint is at the 14th fret and is “Flat Bolt on Bolt Off” construction, having a Neck extension that is fitted into the headblock and 2 x 6mm metal treaded inserts in the neck heel which are accessible through the Sound hole with a 4mm Allen Key. The Neck will be fitted with double Carbon Fibre stiffening Beam.
Bindings, Bridge and Fret Board - Ringed Gidgee (Acacia cambagei)
Gidgee is considered a pest plant by farmers, sometimes referred to as Stinking Wattle, but it is perhaps Australia's hardest wood. It has tight interlocking grain, making it ideal for these applications. “Ringed” Gidgee is the curly grain form, it can be visually stunning and is considerably rarer.
Headstock (rear) – Black Gidgee
Black Gidgee over white and black maple veneers
Rosette - Open Composite Design
The Rosette will be an Open Composite Design using rare timber segments with black/white dyed maple accent lines and some highlights of Black Pearl and Awabi Shell
Tuners - Gotoh Baby 510, in Black with Ziricote Buttons
Exceptional High-quality tuners, consistently ranked at the top of the industry by musical instrument makers. Manufacturer in Japan and distributed worldwide GOTOH GUT Co., Ltd. began manufacturing stringed instrument parts in 1960. The SG510 Baby series Tuners are the smallest closed gear tuners on the market and have quickly become one of their Flagship models. These high tech, precision cut, Sealed Gear type tuners are lubricated for life with an 18:1 ratio giving the player a positive confident feel.
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 – “Living Water” Fluorocarbon Low G tuning (gCEA)
Strings are an important part of the sound structure. We have tested numerous different string types on our Ukuleles and found that on our Baritone and Long Scale Tenor Ukuleles, Living Water Fluorocarbon Strings far outperform any others, giving a warm/mellow Classical Guitar type sound.
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.