Ukulele neck reinforcement query.

[Adam Savage]

Greetings folks,
For my next project, I am building a pair of concert ukes, one with a maple neck and one with an afromosia neck. Both with scarf headstock and stacked heel.
My query relates to the use of some form of neck reinforcement (carbon fibre, ebony strip, steel strip) or whether it is not necessary.
I have tried to google the answer, but opinion seems divided on the issue.
What would you recommend?

Cheers,
Adam

[Chris Reed]

Not needed, unless you suspect you have unusually feeble neck wood or want to make a very low profile neck.

Some of the very top end makers use CF reinforcement, but primarily to counter any movement of the wood as humidity changes rather than to resist the string tension, which is low for all ukes. After all, neck reinforcement is not traditional on a classical guitar which has a longer neck and higher tension.

Having said that, I'd at least think about reinforcement for a tenor uke, and would definitely reinforce a baritone if ever I made one. But concerts and sopranos, no.

[Adam Savage]

Hi Chris,
Thanks for the advice - it supports what I was leaning to anyway. The maple I am using isn't QS, nor is it quite slab-sawn, but has been very stable in the house where it has been for the last six months. As for the afromosia, it is both QS and stable as a lump of granite it seems.
Cheers,
Adam

[Chris Reed]

I think stability is the key - I've seen ukes with warped necks, but never one with a bow from string tension. And the last 6 months in Scotland should have covered off all the weather changes which might lead to warping.

But if anyone chimes in with different advice, at least consider it. I've only been building (hobbyist) for 4 years. However, I've used mainly reclaimed wood, much of which was far from ideal so far as grain goes, and haven't had a neck move around yet.