Ukuleles

Stock Models

Standard Series

   Sprucehouse Standard Series ukuleles are soprano-sized instruments, featuring laminated Mahogany or Sapele back and sides, a solid top in either Sapele or Western Red Cedar, and a solid Mahogany neck. Every effort has been made to reduce the cost to the customer while maintaining the quality and attention to detail of a luthier-built, handmade instrument. The use of laminated wood for the back and sides is one example of such cost-saving measures. The laminated woods that SpruceHouse uses are of a high quality and , when combined with our AAA-quality solid top woods, produce a tone that is virtually indistinguishable from that of an all-solid-wood ukulele. The savings are substantial over the cost of the increasingly endangered traditional tonewoods and have the added benefit of being environmentally responsible. Additionally, all adhesives and finishes used by SpruceHouse are also eco-friendly and, in most cases, organic!

Our Standard Series models are among the lightest ukuleles available today. Lightness, when combined with the right tonewoods and good workmanship, is what sets a fine instrument apart from the rest. It means that less mass must be moved to generate sound, and the resulting sound is both louder and more pure. Sprucehouse ukuleles produce a tone and volume equal to the finest instruments available - at a fraction of the cost.

All new SpruceHouse Instruments are guaranteed for one full year against structural failure due to defects in workmanship or materials under normal playing and storage conditions. If such a problem should occur, SpruceHouse will repair or replace (our choice) the instrument free of charge.

S-0

This is "The Little Ukulele that Could." When I built the first example of this model - the very first SpruceHouse Ukulele - the response was so overwhelmingly positive that I was compelled to begin building commercially. The S-0 remains the best value in a handmade ukulele available anywhere. With a full, rich tone and amazing volume, this little uke - and all of our Standard Series models - is the perfect step up fron your "student model" ukulele, and will remain a "keeper" long afterwards.

Features: Laminated Sapele or Meranti back and sides, solid Sapele or Meranti top, fingerboard and bridge of ebonized select hardwood, Aquila Nylgut strings and standard friction tuners. Finished with a hand-rubbed oil varnish. 11 oz. total weight.

Light, loud and lovely; That's how it began and that's why we're still at it.

S-1

Features: Laminated Sapele or Meranti back and sides, solid Sapele or Meranti top, fingerboard and bridge of Rosewood or Bubinga (AKA African Rosewood), Aquila Nylgut strings and standard friction tuners. Finished with a hand-rubbed oil varnish. 11 oz. total weight.

S-1c

The S-1c has all of the outstanding qualities of the S-0 and the S-1, but adds the punch of a solid AAA Western Red Cedar top. This great top wood "opens up" very quickly and the bright timbre and volume really stand out. A great instrument to play with a group!

Features: Laminated Sapele or Meranti back and sides, solid Western Red Cedar top, fingerboard and bridge of Rosewood or Bubinga (AKA African Rosewood), Aquila Nylgut strings and standard friction tuners. Finished with a hand-rubbed oil varnish. 10.2 oz. total weight.

Our newest dealer, Music Guy Mike, made a short video of himself playing a special S-1c MgM that I created just for his online store.

See it here:

SpruceHouse Standard Series Models are available in soprano size only, and have a scale length of 13.5 inches.

Johnathon Goldman, from New Jersey, says this about his S-0:

" Hi Al, I just wanted you to know that I absolutely love my S-O! I have an Old Martin, and a newer Kamaka, but the S-O is my daily player. I can't believe that it's built with laminated wood. It's loud and sweet! Thanks so much for making such a great uke at a great price!"

Rick Flynn, from Spokane, Washington, puchased an S-1, and two addtional cases for his other ukes. He wrote this upon receiving his order:

"Hi Al, I received my order yesterday afternoon, right on schedule. I am quite pleased with this Model S-1 ukulele. Having built a few instruments myself, I can really appreciate the attention-to-detail that this instrument exhibits.This ukulele is a well-made instrument, built from visually attractive materials. I noted that the intonation was excellent, and that the tone was strong and rich - very pleasing to my ear! It will likely become my favorite uke [for as long as I can keep it hidden from my adult children]! The 'premium hardshell case' that was included with this instrument is also a top-notch product. I did well by purchasing the additional cases for a couple of my own creations!"

A Word About "Mahoganies"

SpruceHouse uses a number of different woods - all very similar - in our "mahogany" instruments. The traditional Mahogany used for centuries in stringed instrument making is Honduras Mahogany (Swietenia Macrophylla) which is now an endagered species; still attainable but becoming very expensive. Increasingly, instrument makers worldwide are turning to several very similar, non-endangered, woods as alternatives. Two, Sapele and Khaya,belong to the same family (Meliaceae) as true Mahogany, but not the genus.

Sapele (Entandrophragma Cylindricum), comes from the Ivory Coast area of Africa.Very similar in almost every respect, including tone, it is often mistakenly referred to as "African Mahogany." It is very light, while being slightly harder, more dense and more stable than Honduras Mahogany. Characterized by a three-dimensional, iridescent striping, Sapele's beauty really comes out with an oil finish. It is not endangered, and is considerably less expensive than its South American cousin.

Khaya (Khaya Ivorensis), also from the Ivory Coast, and is also sometimes called "African Mahogany," is almost identical in makeup and suitability for instruments to Sapele, but does not always have the "stripe" pattern. it does, however, sometimes come with a "flame" figure similar to that of curly Koa. Color ranges from redish-brown to golden-brown. This great wood is currently used exclusively on our Banner Series® instruments.

The third "Mahogany" used by SpruceHouse and other makers is Meranti (Shorea Pauciflora). This wood comes from the South Pacific and southern Asia and belongs to the family Dipterocarpaceae. Other than it's color - slightly more red than the other species - it is virtually indistinguishable from Sapele. It is often referred to as "Dark Red Mahogany."

SpruceHouse uses all of these woods interchangeably, with the same great results.

 Banner ® Series

BA-1

BA-1c

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          Island Style ® Series     

IS-0

Vintage wood, vintage style, vintage sound.

The Island Style® IS-4 now features an extended fingerboard (14 frets total) and a rosette ring of beautifully colorful Pua Abalone shell. Both of these new additons come at no additional cost. The top-of-the-line IS-4 is now a better value than ever.

   IS-4

  ISP-0

ISP "pineapple" models come in soprano size only.

Mark Reddy, from the UK, wrote me this note upon receiving his Island Style ® IS-0:

"Well Al, I"m impressed. This little beauty I think will become my daily player. I took it out of its case and within 5 mins I realised there were 20 or so people listening.... I know I'm at work but I couldn't resist it. Bright and loud and very lovely". -Mark

James Massaro, from Florida, emailed me about his IS-4:

"All I can say is WOW, this is a great looking and sounding uke. I own gibsons, martins, kamaka, oaloha, lo prinzi and others. Yours stands right along with them all. Thanks" - James

Custom Models

SpruceHouse Ukuleles offers custom instruments in soprano, concert, tenor and baritone sizes. These instruments are "built-to-order" and there are no stock models or prices. Most wood species are available ( all solid), as well as a limited amount of binding types and inlays. Philosophically, we discourage any choice that contributes unnecessary weight or mass to a ukulele, but we are always willing to work with the customer to achieve that perfect fit between owner and instrument.

Standard scale lengths for SpruceHouse Custom Models are:

Soprano - 13.5"   Concert - 15"   Tenor - 17"   Baritone 20"

Here is what one customer had to say about her custom instrument from SpruceHouse:

"It was a huge leap of faith to order a custom ukulele. Buying one from a local luthier (Al McWhorter) had great appeal for me. I also had the opportunity play his soprano ukes and was impressed with the sound. They were like little wooden gems perfectly designed."

"While my uke was being built I felt like an anxious parent waiting for a new baby. I wasn't disappointed! Al kept me posted on the progress of my instrument and delivered a beautiful, concert uke with a bright full sound. I was amazed and thrilled and really love my new uke."

"Working with Al has been a pleasure. He responded quickly to my inquiries and also guaranteed satisfaction of his instrument! He wanted my instrument to be perfect and it is!"

Please see the "Ordering" page for information on commissioning your SpruceHouse Custom Ukulele.

Here are Some Examples of Custom Instruments

This custom Baritone Ukulele has Black Walnut back and sides, and a top of ancient Flamed Redwood. The fingerboard and pin-style bridge are African Ebony.

I built this instrument for my dear friend and former bandmate Brian Terrell. His wife Nancy commisioned it for his 50th Birthday. Brian is the finest guitar player I know, and the standard Baritone tuning of DGBE makes for a natural transition to the uke.

Mark Reddy in the U.K, who also owns the prototype IS-0 Island Style ® soprano, commissioned this "semi custom" concert-sized version of the IS-4. Mark is a true lover of historic Hawaiian ukes, and specified this Augusto Dias-style peghead shape. Dias was one of the original Portuguese immigrants to Hawaii and is considered to be one of originators of the instrument. Note how the G and A strings are wound backwards from the C and E. This is an authentic touch.

Sprucehouse will now be offering the Island Style® line of all-Koa instruments in soprano, concert and tenor sizes, This being the first concert-sized Island Style® instrument, Mark now owns two of the prototypes of this line!

See the Island Style® section above for style specificatios, and our ordering page for prices. This "figure 8" body shape is also available as an option on custom concert models along with our "dreadnaught" shape.

This custom tenor was built for a customer in Portland. The back, sides and top are of Figured Meranti (Shorea Pauciflora) with rope binding around the top, and his name inlayed in mother-of-pearl on the headstock. Meranti is similar in many ways to Mahogany but is a bit harder, with a slightly brighter tone and a good sustain. It is found throughout the South Pacific, and is not an endangered species. It can often be found with a variety of figuring, making for some very unique instrunments. This tenor also utilizes a K&K transducer-style pickup located inside, under the saddle, with the jack incorporated into the endpin.

This custom concert-sized instrument features back, sides and top of Striped Meranti, ebony fingerboard and bridge and Pua shell rosette, position dots and fishook design on the headstock. A simple instrument with just a bit of flash.

The owner of this instrument, J.B. from Missouri, sent this email upon receiving it:

"Al, it's here, and it's beautiful! I can't get over how different it is from production ukes, how light it is, and how beautifully made. Your craftsmanship is evident in every detail. My dad was a cabinet maker by trade, and he taught me to appreciate excellent woodworking skills. The fit of all the pieces, the fretwork, and the inlays are first-rate. I especially like the back angle of the headstock to the neck. I think it makes for a better sounding instrument. And the varied depth of the body is neat. The intonation is perfect!"

Here is another example of the Walnut/Flamed Redwood combination that has proven to be one of our most popular. This tenor, built for Brain Symes of Portland, features Peruvian Walnut for the back, sides, and peghead veneer. This example also sports a rosette of curly Maple. French polished shellac on the Redwood top really brings out the depth of the curl in this amazing wood. The tone is very balanced, with the Walnut providing a warmer contrast to the inherent brightness of the Redwood. This instrument was the first to feature the new SpruceHouse cone logo, laser-etched onto the peghead.

Brian wrote me this email after taking delivery of his instrument:

"It's all so fine. Every thing on this uke is so smooth, the wider neck, the sleek bridge, the finish on the top, the feather lite weight...
Finally the magical sound! a 10er!"

This one I built for myself. Called "The Texas Special" because I made it to take to a musical reunion in Texas, this soprano uke features back, sides and top made from figured Oregon Black Walnut that I received from the same man who provided the amazing Flamed Redwood used on some of the instruments above. It was an experiment that went so right. Walnut is not typically thought of as a candidate for a top wood, but this particular board had a great tap tone and it was well-seasoned and light. I thickness-sanded the top to a very thin 1/16" and used the "figure 8" shape and bracing pattern from my Koa Island Style® models. The resulting tone is unlike that of any uke I have heard before - very full with a punchy mid range and a noticeable reverb. it is not as bright as my Koa sopranos, but equally as loud once it "opened up."It sounds more like a small classical guitar in timbre than a ukulele to me. I found that it held it's own very well with the steel-stringed guitars that I was playing along with at the reunion.

I "duded it up" with some inlayed Pua shell accents (I was going to Texas after all!) because I wanted it to be not just a great player, but also a representation of my custom work to a crowd of knowlegeble stringed instrument fans. Ebony strap buttons at the heel and shoulder, a first for me, made playing all day a breeze. I knew right away that I would make more all-Walnut ukes, but there will only be one "Texas Special."

Below is a customized BA-1 built for Janet Wellington from Florence Oregon. She requested ebony for the fingerboard and bridge, a pua shell rosette in place of the curly maple veneer and geared Grover tuners in gold. I think that it looks great. All SpruceHouse Stock models can be customized like this upon request. It's a great way to put your personal touch on an instrument.

Janet sent me this testimonial:

When I decided to upgrade to a better ukulele, I really put some thought
into it. My first decision was to buy one handcrafted rather than
factory-made, and buying "local" also appealed to me. When I heard about
Spruce House ukuleles, located in nearby Eugene, Oregon, I looked further
and liked what I learned about luthier Al McWhorter. His choice in using
non-endangered woods and more natural finishing products intrigued me as
well. So, I decided to ask Al to create a custom ukulele just for me. I
was able to choose the woods, the tuners, and even a little "bling" in the
form of a sweet Pua shell rosette. My custom Spruce House ukulele is
gorgeous, feather-light, feels completely comfortable in my hands, and has a
great sound. It's absolutely perfect and I'm so delighted to be the owner
such a fine ukulele, one that will be played and enjoyed for many, many
years. There's just something special about playing a handcrafted
instrument, and Al puts great care and artistry into all the ukuleles he
makes. I'm so glad I have one of his.

Janet Wellington, Florence, Oregon             

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