Make a Ukulele with John Rivard – Ukulele_I26

Musicians often say that there is a special magic in playing a hand-made instrument — and extra-special magic in playing one that you’ve built yourself!

A classic ukelele is a wonderful introduction to both building and playing instruments, and makes a great gift for any budding musician, too.

Build your own fully-functional concert ukelele in this fun class led by professional woodworker John Rivard, a graduate of the celebrated Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery.

Starting with a high-quality kit, you will fit, glue, clamp, sand, and finish the neck, bridge and tuners and attach strings to the body. 

In addition to practicing basic woodworking skills, we’ll cover the fundamentals of instrument setup: fretwork, neck alignment, saddle height, and final tuning through each step.

You’ll leave with a ukulele that’s ready to play — and the knowledge of how and why proper construction matters.

Next step: music lessons!

Schedule: This three-day class is held over two weekends: Saturday and Sunday, September 12 and 13; and 4 hours on  Saturday, September 19.

You will learn:

• Understanding kit components and layout
• Proper gluing and clamping technique
• Neck-to-body alignment for string instruments
• Fret leveling and dressing
• Installing the nut, saddle, and tuners
• Sanding and finishing basics
• Stringing, tuning, and final setup

Prerequisite: None. Beginners welcome.

Tools required: None. All tools and materials are supplied.