Machete

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Tom Owen
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Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 2:56 pm
Location: Kauai, Hawaii USA

Machete

Post by Tom Owen »

So this is a machete, the forerunner of the ukulele. Originally made in Hawaii in the late 1800's by three Portuguese luthiers. As they became popular in the islands the shape changed a bit, the tunings changed and well as the scale length and it became the ukulele. This one has Koa back and sides, Sitka spruce top and a cherry neck.
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machete1.jpg
machete2.jpg
machete3.jpg
Tom Snape
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Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2012 5:51 pm

Re: Machete

Post by Tom Snape »

Very nice! A machete is on my list of things to try sometime. Are those steel strings? What is the scale length?
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Tom Owen
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Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 2:56 pm
Location: Kauai, Hawaii USA

Re: Machete

Post by Tom Owen »

It's a 15" scale, and uses nylon strings.
Clay Schaeffer
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Re: Machete

Post by Clay Schaeffer »

How is it different from a concert uke?
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Tom Owen
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Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 2:56 pm
Location: Kauai, Hawaii USA

Re: Machete

Post by Tom Owen »

It has a soprano sized body. Here is a comparison shot with a concert banjolele, concert resonator and the machete
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Clay Schaeffer
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Re: Machete

Post by Clay Schaeffer »

Hi Tom,
Thanks for the information - does it sound any different than a soprano uke?
Nice looking instrument. I like the rope binding.
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Tom Owen
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Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 2:56 pm
Location: Kauai, Hawaii USA

Re: Machete

Post by Tom Owen »

A little different... with the longer scale there seems to be more sustain and depth.. I have not used it but the original tuning would probably change things also. It was a non reentrant open G tuning.
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Jo Dusepo
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Re: Machete

Post by Jo Dusepo »

Beautiful work!
I specialise in historical & world instruments.
https://www.dusepo.co.uk
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Tom Owen
Posts: 60
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 2:56 pm
Location: Kauai, Hawaii USA

Re: Machete

Post by Tom Owen »

Mahalo!
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Jo Dusepo
Posts: 93
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Re: Machete

Post by Jo Dusepo »

Beautiful work!
I specialise in historical & world instruments.
https://www.dusepo.co.uk
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