Learning Ukulele with Curt

12 - Ukulele Builders, Luthiers and Manufactures: R

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Luthier / Company Associations

Rat Ukes

RatUkes

Links

Listing Info

from the Rat Ukes web site

Rat Ukes are constructed to make the best use of old, distinctive, sometimes broken, ukuleles. Wooden cigar boxes are employed to become uke bodies as they are generally well constructed of fine solid woods.

All Rat Ukes are one of a kind. They are assembled when the salvagable uke parts (neck, bridge, etc.) are found that match a particular cigar box in color and size.

Established instrument building methods are used along with techniques that are developed as the need arises. Parts are obtained from various sources; catalogs, on-line suppliers and best of all, the local hardware store.

The result is a unique and playable ukulele.

The Builder: Roy Cox a.k.a. Blues Boy Roy

Armed with one semester of wood shop class in high school, a short stint as a bowling alley mechanic in the 70's and a love for acoustic stringed instruments, the builder has arrived.

There are dozens of repairs and restorations completed in guitars, mandolins, ukuleles, banjos, etc. Many successful and failed projects have given the builder a knowledge of how stringed instruments come together and make sounds.

The modest workshop (in the corner of the family room) contains most tools required for Rat Uke assembly, a collection of parts (new and used) and associated literature. The completed Rat Uke is a player. G C E A tuning is used unless the size goes up to baritone.

Rat Ukes have been played in our local ukulele circle, by a friend during a camping trip and recently CBU-001 was played "backstage" by Del Ray at Jamey's House of Music in Philadelphia, PA.

More information available on the Rat Ukes's web site.

Even more information, discussion and comments on this listing below.

Mark Roberts Guitars & Ukuleles

MarkRobertsGuitarsUkuleles

Links

Listing Info

from the Mark Roberts Guitars & Ukuleles web site

Mark Roberts has maintained a lifelong passion about creativity and understanding the nature, patterns, and systems of the world around us. An extensive background in all disciplines of fine art, furniture design, and product design have uniquely crafted his approach to design and craft fine instruments.

I am honored that GUITAR BENCH Magazine, is currently featuring an article of my work in its latest issue number 7. GUITAR BENCH is a wonderful premeire online magazine for collectors, players, and luthiers. I would highly recommend a subscrition to this fine publication. www.guitarbench.com

More information available on the Mark Roberts Guitars & Ukuleles's web site.

Even more information, discussion and comments on this listing below.

Red Sands Ukuleles

RedSandsUkuleles

Links

Listing Info

from the Red Sands Ukuleles web site

Red Sands Ukuleles are hand made by Heidi Litke. Always by her side is shop production manager and loving husband Rob Litke. On the island of Prince Edward Canada, we hand pick island woods to make these beautiful instruments of Soprano, Concert and Tenor sizes. Woods include maple, birch and spruce. We finish our Red Sands Ukuleles with a non toxic, hand rubbed “French Polish” finish. We will display ukuleles as they become available on our “Gallery” page. We will also have a sound clip for you to listen too. So come and join us on this wonderful adventure of ukulele playing!

Even more information, discussion and comments on this listing below.

Renaissance Guitar Company

RenaissanceGuitarCompany

Links

Listing Info

from the Renaissance Guitar Company web site

Rick Turner started out as a music-lover and amateur East Coast musician, a self-described “espresso drinking, beret wearing, poetry reading, bongo playing” pre-hippie. He decided that the band wasn’t going anywhere and moved out west, where he started work building electric guitars. Six months after the move, Rolling Stone printed a rave review on his now-defunct band. Rick, however, was already on to bigger and better things: winding pickups by hand.

He hand-wound the pickups simply because he couldn’t figure out where to buy them. Instead of winding 8,000 turns like the machines at Gibson or Fender were doing, he stopped at 1,000, or 1,500, or whenever his hand was cramping too badly to continue. Enter Ron Wickersham, with his passion for active electronics. Ron quickly realized that these low-impedance pickups Rick was producing captured a much wider frequency band then the pickups on existing commercial instruments. Coupled with a pre-amp to boost the signal back to the levels achieved by high-impedance pickups, the result was an amplified guitar or bass with a much richer, more natural tone. Alembic Inc was born.

More information available on the Renaissance Guitar Company's web site.

Even more information, discussion and comments on this listing below.

Les Rietfors

Rietfors

Links

Listing Info

from the Les Rietfors web site

Les Rietfors Age 53, called to God February 17, 2005. A life-long resident of Kailua, he was born there on October 3, 1951. Les passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by his family, after a short illness. A loving and devoted husband and father, he is survived by Cheryl, his wife of 25 years, and daughters Amanda Rietfors and Ashley (Ken) Casazza of Fresno, California. He is also survived by his father Fritz (Lois) Rietfors, jr. of Kamuela and brothers Ron nieces. His mother, Esther Hodde Rietfors, preceded him in death.

Even more information, discussion and comments on this listing below.

RISA Musical Instruments GmbH

RISA

Links

Listing Info

from the RISA Musical Instruments GmbH web site

RISA Musical Instruments is a young innovative company. They design, produce and distribute small stringed instruments. Niche products with volume potential are our main focus.

Their Vision statement: No. 1 in innovative small stringed instruments.

Provide excellent travel, practicing and stage instruments, accessories and services for reasonable prices. Acoustic and Electric Ukuleles, the Uke-Stick. And _Guitarlele_ tuned ADGCEA or BEADF#B.

Which strings are used for the Uke-Electrics?

For the default tuning ADF#B we use the first 4 strings of an electric guitar string set 0.010”. If you use GCEA-tunging, you might prefer the first 4 strings of a 0.011” set. For other tunings please refer to the specifications on www.risa-music.de

Brands
  • Koki'o - A China-produced second brand of RISA

More information available on the RISA Musical Instruments GmbH's web site.

Even more information, discussion and comments on this listing below.

Road Toad Music

RoadToadMusic

Links

Listing Info

from the Road Toad Music web site

Road Toad Music produces quality handcrafted ukulele and bass instruments. Among the ukulele that Owen makes are a line of "bass" ukes. I played a few at the 2006 New York Ukulele Festival and they are amazing. You can't believe the sound that comes from these. Owen also designed the Kala UBass.

Even more information, discussion and comments on this listing below.

Roberts Luthiery

RobertsLuthiery

Links

Listing Info

from the Roberts Luthiery web site

I craft my guitars using only the finest materials and use the best of traditional and modern construction techniques. The results are instruments that have extraordinary tone, playability, and artistry for the discriminating guitarist.

Roberts Luthiery Guitars are available at select independent music stores in the US. In addition, you have the the option of contacting me directly and commissioning the instrument of your dreams.

More information available on the Roberts Luthiery's web site.

Even more information, discussion and comments on this listing below.

The Jazz Uke

RobinsonHankT

Links

  • No Web Presence

Listing Info

from the The Jazz Uke web site

The Jazz Uke™ represents the first evolutionary refinement of the ukulele since the Baritone was created. In an attempt to provide serious ukulele players with an instrument which compensates for some of the technical limitations of most standard ukuleles, the Jazz Uke (TM) was designed with a neck that joins the body at the 14th fret, a 17 7/8in scale, cutaway, and arched top.

Even more information, discussion and comments on this listing below.

Russ Morin Woodworking

RussMorinWoodworking

Links

Listing Info

from the Russ Morin Woodworking web site

Russ Morin often finds himself caught between the future and the past. The 49-year-old woodworker has an aversion to power tools, but he is an avid user of YouTube. A handmade wooden high-wheel bicycle, current project, sits to one side of his workshop while a mini replica of a steam engine sits on another.

But the biggest project for Morin right now hits visitors the moment they set foot in his backyard shop near downtown Greenville. The space is a treasure trove of ukuleles. The instruments sit about the shop in various manifestations, from frame to complete body to ready for play, serving as a fascinating, if unintended, visual how-to.

More information available on the Russ Morin Woodworking's web site.

Even more information, discussion and comments on this listing below.

Pepe Romero

RomeroPepe

Links

Listing Info

from the Pepe Romero web site

Pepe Romero Jr. was born into a family that lives the Spanish guitar. From his childhood Pepe loved the guitar. He grew up playing some of the world’s greatest guitars from the incredible collection of his father. Growing up surrounded by guitars made by Torres, Esteso, Santos Hernandez, Hauser, and Miguel Rodriguez set the standard for how a guitar should be made.

Even more information, discussion and comments on this listing below.

The Rebel

TheRebel

Links

Listing Info

from the The Rebel web site

The Rebel is a small team of designers and experienced luthiers working collaboratively to create only high quality custom guitars and ukuleles. Started in 2011, with the desire to make only finely handcrafted instruments that express unique designs, well-seasoned materials, outstandingly responsive tones and playing characteristics, we have been handcrafting instruments for not only discerning musicians but also collectors who love one-off masterpiece instruments.

Even more information, discussion and comments on this listing below.

Site Access Plans for LearningUkulele.com

Forever Access - With Forever Premium Access, you get ALL the benefits of a Premium Access Subscription such as Unlimited 24/7 access to ALL lessons, downloads, songs, play-along jam tracks, videos, email access to Curt, resources, related assets, and ALL books by Curt as FREE downloads. Pretty much everything on the site, and NEVER worry about a subscription or surprise payment again. And jump the queue for responding to any questions.

If you're anything like me (Curt) and getting Subscription overloaded with everything and everybody on-line wanting money from you once a month — I'm with you. For like-minded individuals, this forever plan is a pay once, and you're done.

The price for Unlimited Forever access is right around the cost of a few months of private lessons. I can guarantee there is more than enough material on-line to keep you busy for a long, long time. And, you get all of my books for FREE. That alone is more than the cost of this plan.

Premium Access - This premium gives you Unlimited 24/7 access to ALL lessons, downloads, songs, play-along jam tracks, videos, email access to Curt, resources and related assets. As well as ALL books by Curt Sheller as FREE downloads.

Basic Access - A limited selection of basic lessons — ( currently over 140 ) and 100+ songs for ukulele as well as basic general music reference material — Completely FREE — Simply Register/Signup. HOWEVER - I've been doing ukulele and LearningUkulele.com since 2003 and probably have given too much away already - as reflected in my income from the site in relationship to the time spent on the site. So help support this site and its continued development by signing up for one of the below Premium Access Plans or buy a few of my books. - Thanks, Curt

NOTE: Each higher access level includes ALL the benefits of the lower levels. Private Lessons include all the benefits of a Premium Access Plans as long as you remain a student on the schedule.

Just browsing over both books, they look fantastic! I'm a guitarist and uke player for over 25 years and was thinking about writing a ukulele book but you've already written what I think are the best, most comprehensive and thorough books I've ever seen for the instrument. I just might end up buying every book you've written and I'll be giving my highest recommendation for your books to my friends and students. Thank you so much for taking the time to write such great books!Peter Rhee

Aloha, Curt, All I can say is WOW! What you have accomplished is simply incredible! All the bestGlen Hirabayashi, The Aloha Boys

Folks, if you haven't stopped by Curt's site, do so right now! ..And get his books, they are fantastic. This guy knows his stuff and is able to pass it along too.Alan Johnson Proprietor, The 4th Peg

I can highly recommend Curt's Uke books — I have four of them and they are excellent.fatveg — Portland

Want to drop LearningUkulele.com & Learning Ukulele with Curt a nice comment . We always like to know how we are and you are doing. We'll post any comment, quotes throughout the site and you can help spread the word .

Thanks for visiting and checking out the site!

curtieAnim.gif rw.vg.gif

Original Curtie Animation from 1987 for my first web site on a Macintosh II, 37 years ago. Man, does time fly.

“Built for myself (Curt), and sharing with the `Ukulele community!”

LearningUkulele.com has one of the largest collections of lessons, songs, and TABS, Luthiers, ukulele builders, ukulele festival and club information, and, ukulele links on the web. Curt has been on the ®Internet since the early 1990's and This site just never stops growing!!!

Content is added and updated daily — so check back often. I really do need to get out more ;-)

Love LearningUkulele.com? • Show your support!
Support development via a monthly membership or a one-time forever membership!