Winter Build Off 2026 - Yewkulele!

[smart51]

I've just spent about 2 hours playing along to YouTube videos to put the Yewk through its paces. 14mm spacing at the bridge is fine for slower stuff, but Jamiroquai bass lines need a little more concentration than usual. The 25" scale length is similar, but less. It's like playing a 5er down 1 string and up 5 frets to get the same pitch, which I am known to do sometimes.

Another observation is the tone is bright, almost tinny and a bit thin with both sound holes open. Covering one with a piece of card adds more bass and removes a fraction of the top end. Half covering the other adds a little more bass but removed more treble. I might make a couple of adjustable hole covers to make the tone adjustable.

The strings between the tailpiece and bridge resonate like a spring reverb. Is there a usual way to damp the strings here?

 

[smart51]

Any idea where the back bow is coming from? The glue for the fretboard?

I make a thick neck blank, cut the headstock front, routed the truss rod cavity and stuck on the fretboard. After that, I routed the neck carve. Lastly, I cut off the bit between the heel and the headstock and milled the back of the head parallel with the front. I guess it was just tension in the yew being released.

 

[smart51]

Good news; the back bow in the neck has eased fractionally over night. It's now almost but not quite straight. Maybe in a few days it will have a bit of relief and perhaps I can ease the truss rod tension and it will stay in equilibrium.

 

[smart51]

Putting a hole bung into one of the sound holes changes the sound a lot. It is less twangy and has more bass, which is good. But it sounds more constrained and a bit muted.

The instrument was designed to be much deeper front to back than it is. I bought I big piece of London Plane for the body, but it was soaking wet when it arrived and won't be usable for another year or two. The Yew blank is much smaller and I didn't recalculate the hole size.

 

[smart51]

I prefer the look of the spruce over the yew, but it isn't strong enough. They clip in but the yew takes about 3 times more force to close them up. So what wood should I use? I'd like it to blend in with the spruce but be strong enough to hold up to use.

 

[Reedt2000]

I prefer the look of the spruce over the yew, but it isn't strong enough. They clip in but the yew takes about 3 times more force to close them up. So what wood should I use? I'd like it to blend in with the spruce but be strong enough to hold up to use.

View attachment 7408935

Piece of quarter sawn maple might do it?

 

[Flying B]

I make a thick neck blank, cut the headstock front, routed the truss rod cavity and stuck on the fretboard. After that, I routed the neck carve. Lastly, I cut off the bit between the heel and the headstock and milled the back of the head parallel with the front. I guess it was just tension in the yew being released.

View attachment 7408112

Did you put the frets in before you carved the neck or after?

 

[smart51]

Did you put the frets in before you carved the neck or after?

That's a good call. I put them in before carving. It is easier to press in frets while the back of the neck is flat. Not that it took much to push them in. The fret wire is tiny and took very little to seat it.

 

[Bonkersville]

Hi. This is a cool build. And fast!

Do you know how dry the yew was before making a neck out of it? You seem to be in a climate where the inside air can get quite dry this time of the year. At least in a heated space. If the wood was not acclimated completely it might've just shrunk a bit. And if the fretboard didn't do exactly the same, a bow is likely to follow.

Hope it settles by itself under string tension. And I hope it doesn't bow too much the other way in the summer. At least too much. I have one guitar that needs multiple truss rod adjustments a year because of the humidity changes.

But maybe this was just meant to be played ouside on a warm summer night?

 

[smart51]

Do you know how dry the yew was before making a neck out of it? You seem to be in a climate where the inside air can get quite dry this time of the year. At least in a heated space. If the wood was not acclimated completely it might've just shrunk a bit. And if the fretboard didn't do exactly the same, a bow is likely to follow.

It was bought as air dried, but I didn't check. It sat in my unheated workshop for about 10 days before I cut it, so it had time to acclimatise.

 

[Beej]

But maybe this was just meant to be played ouside on a warm summer night?

Are warm summer nights a thing in the UK?

 

[smart51]

Are warm summer nights a thing in the UK?

Not every year.

 

[smart51]

Well that wasn't supposed to happen. I just routed a new slot for a bigger tailpiece. The template was held on with blue masking tape. Apparently the tape sticks to the finish better than the finish sticks to wood.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

I’ve had stuff like that happen. Sorry. Was it masking tape and CA? Some of the glue may have soaked through the tape or the finish may not have completely cured yet.

 

[smart51]

I’ve had stuff like that happen. Sorry. Was it masking tape and CA? Some of the glue may have soaked through the tape or the finish may not have completely cured yet.

It was. I'm confident no glue got between the stripes of tape. There were only 2 spots holding the template to the body.

 

[Reedt2000]

That's bummer, but recoverable at least. More sanding (ain't that always the way? )

 

[Matt Liebenau]

It was. I'm confident no glue got between the stripes of tape. There were only 2 spots holding the template to the body.

Right on. I just disassembled a guitar that I finished the body in a water based finish and I know it sat a while before I assembled it and strap button pads and pickup rings were stuck to the finish so ya’ never know.

 

[Dark Horse]

Sucks about the finish, but good that it’s easily fixable.

 

[T_Bone_TL]

The strings between the tailpiece and bridge resonate like a spring reverb. Is there a usual way to damp the strings here?

Winding a strip of felt (usually) or leather through them is common enough for Pianos, and IIRC there's one hiding under the plate on Gibson mandolins where the loop ends hook on to the tailpiece. The decorative top plate extends past the functional bottom hooked plate and keeps the felt (and the loops and hooks) out of sight.

From a banjo forum, leather: Dampen Strings Between Tailpiece and Bridge - Discussion Forums - Banjo Hangout

 

[smart51]

Part 2 of well that wasn't supposed to happen. All that truss rod pressure straightening the neck pushes on either end of the fretboard. It seems it was too much. My first instinct was to glue it down but I know it won't hold. I can see 2 options. Remove the fretboard, flatten the top of the neck and glue it back on. then reprofile the back of the neck so it isn't thinner in the middle. The neck is quite chunky (how I like it) so there's scope for that. Option 2 is to make a new neck.