How ukuleles are made

A ukulele side gets its curve from one quick dunk in water and a short trip over a gas-fired mold.

stations: 9
things upstream: 37
raw sources: 11
steps from the ground: 8

The short version

A ukulele is a small box of thin wood. Rough lumber is resawn into tops, backs and sides. The sides are dunked in water and bent on heated aluminum molds, glued to blocks and linings, then closed with a braced top and a back. A neck is spliced on, the body is sanded, sprayed with lacquer, and strung with nylon.

Age the koa

At Kamaka in Honolulu, koa lumber is stored for about four years before it becomes ukuleles. Koa is a native Hawaiian wood similar to mahogany.

Goes in
Lumber
Resaw the parts

Rough lumber is resawn into thin pieces for the sides, top and back, and into neck blanks.
Bend the sides

Each side is dunked in water briefly and laid on a gas-fired aluminum bending mold. A quick trip on the mold sets the curve.
Build the rim

End and neck blocks are chosen and glued in, with linings that give extra gluing surface for the top and back. The finished rims sit in molds or frames to hold their shape until the top and back are ready.

Goes in
Adhesive
Brace and close the box

The top is braced and contoured, then the top and back are glued to the rim in rotating clamp fixtures. Softwood tops and hardwood backs are the usual pairing.

Goes in
Adhesive
Fit the neck

A simple spline joins the neck to the body. That is enough for the low tension of nylon strings.

Goes in
Adhesive
Sand and tap-test

The assembled instrument gets a pass with an orbital sander. A craftsman then taps it and listens to decide whether it goes into finishing.
Spray the lacquer

Nitrocellulose lacquer is the finish of choice. Ukuleles get several coats with sanding between each one.

Goes in
Lacquer
String and set up

Bridges are fitted and each instrument is set up by a single craftsman. Ukuleles generally have four nylon strings.

Goes in
Nylon

End of the lineUkulele

Worth repeating

Seventeen craftsmen work full time making Kamaka ukuleles, and the instruments move through the shop in batches.
The ukulele was developed in the 1880s from small Portuguese guitar-like instruments brought to Hawaii.
The word ukulele roughly translates from Hawaiian as jumping flea.