Approach
After the success of the electric ukulele, I wanted to make an acoustic one and test out the new wood-PLA mix filament I purchased from Hatchbox. I was able to use some of the same measurements and dovetail neck from the other design. My main focus would be a new body shape and some more aesthetic appeal on the pick guard and head-stock.
Design
The design I came up with was originally over 45 hrs of print time, but I was able to optimize the print settings and thin out some features to cut it down to 30 hrs with no detrimental effects. Another main difference with this ukulele is the use of friction tuners. This come straight through the head-stock as opposed to being on a right angle. with gears. They use collars on each side and tighten up against the head-stock. They require a little more finesse to tune correctly, but are easier to access with the new leaf design.
After the prints, I just needed to stain the parts and glue them where needed. I used a kona stain and opted not to sand the parts prior to get a more grainy look from the layers. It turned out pretty well. I may try sanding something and compare the difference soon.
Results
The ukulele turned out awesome! It sounds pretty good and it is fairly lightweight for travel. Check out the video below. I still need to work on my skills and learn a few songs.
