Finally, an HONEST presentation of constructing a ukulele kit using (almost) only what comes with the kit. You did have to reach for a larger screw driver and purchased some paints, but, even with that it was honest. I've watched other "How to build a DIY ukulele from a kit" videos. Almost without exception they were done by individuals with a shop full of power tools. Here is the list I created for items used that did not come with the DIY kit. I was anxious to see a non-DIY person put one of these together in order to see if they are able to complete one of these ukuleles. I know I couldn't. Here are the items used to put one of the DIY kit ukuleles together: sand paper clamps with wood support for the clamps extra wood to keep things level spray paint (multiple colors and clear coat) wood glue ignored directions which a rookie would follow as closely as possible (directions probably also mentioned to glue the bridge) a place to hang the ukulele while spray painting stuffing for the sound hole so paint didn't get inside masking to keep spray paint where it isn't desired a high skill level with tools, paint, etc. steel wool Scotch bright pad drill for producing screw starting holes (used a lot) Add some of those to the cost of a DIY ukulele kit and it isn't so inexpensive.
My eight-year-old was just given this kit as a Christmas gift from her aunt and uncle (who has several ukuleles). She's been learning to play in music class at school and is very excited about the whole thing. We're just letting the glue set on the neck right now and this was really helpful for just seeing someone put it together and some of the possible issues that might crop up. Thanks!
I did the same project and it actually worked. My uke actually had tiny holes in the body to screw in the bridge into it. It also had LOCKING tuners and they were way easier to screw in. It was fun.
Yey, well done, you got there in the end. Love the song, you make even the most humble Uke sound great. A couple of observations to make things easier if you build another one. 1. Your bridge fell off on the 1st build because you glued it on top of the paint. 2. Drill pilot holes for the screws 3. Placement of the bridge is the same distance from the nut to the 12th fret whether it's Soprano, Concert, or Tenor. So once the finger board is glued in the correct place, then you can get the right measurement. 4. Glue the nut in place last. String it and check and adjust nut height for the correct action, once happy with that, then glue the nut in position. Hope that's of use. All the best, keep up the good work :)
thanks for your online support, just finished mine and played it. dont know what all the fuss over the screws was, went right in, almost put bridge upside down. again thanks for this video great help
I bought this kit at a thrift store and it had all the pieces, minus the instructions!!! Hahaha. Thank you SO MUCH for this video, it helped me so much, you’re amazing!!
The Ukulele Teacher I have built them from different kits similar kits like one you have. Some have played. Think key is the glue your using on them if it fell apart sounds like a issue with the glue your using. You want a strong water soluble glue. I recommend Titebond 1 or Elmers wood glue. Or carpenters glue stay away from Gorilla glue and super glues and epoxy's. liquid hide glue or hot hide glue can be used also. Use a liberal amount of the glue not just a little you want strong joints when used right glue is stronger than the wood. Also you want lots of squeeze out when clamping that is a good sign.
Can you one day remake your Super Mario Bro’s theme song tutorial? You’re far better at explaining now than you ever were before; I and many others would love to learn the song in fuller detail.
I know this is probably not the place to ask, but could you do a tutorial on how to play Falling Slowly from Once?? I’ve been trying to finger pluck it for days and literally can’t figure it out! You’re always so helpful!
Hi ukulele teacher! the stream was great! You helped me a lot on my ukulele I got my first ukulele on my birthday and you help me ever since thank you so much :) Edit:please try to do a tutorial on someone you loved by lewis capaldi!I would really appreciate it!
I find this so funny, I literally just saw the bow at Lafayette, in Paris, thinling that I should watch a review or something to see if these 30€ are worth it
I’m guessing they’re supposed to be tapping screws. When I’m doing DIY I often drill a pilot hole smaller than the screw. It makes it easier and with certain woods it prevents splitting. Think I’d try and follow the instructions with this kit. But dunno if it would make it easier if you did and did marking and placements with a pencil first and using a few clamps to hold things in place while drying.
mr uke teacher I know its a little bit late but can you make a riff of careless whisper please...would be a lot help thank you and keep up the good work
"35 minutes and a lot of complaining later" "Oh my hand, I'm getting cramped from this" "Hopefully we'll have enough space for it this time"... If you're a fan of Brooklyn 9-9 like me, you know what these are: title of your sex tape(s)! :D Seriously though, I feel your struggles, especially with the tiny screws! Cheers mate!
99 percent built ours but instructions are terrible - especially on which string is which, and where they go. God help any eight year old that tries to build this :D Very entertaining video though - looking forward to videos on how to actually play!
I don't get these kits. I mean if I buy a bookcase from Ikea am I making my own bookcase? It's more an, "Assemble your own." Kit. If I wanted to make my own I'd see my uncle, he makes guitars. I could have a better or at least more sentimental instrument.
Hello ukulele teacher, could you make a tutorial on the song, “f*ck me and feed me” by Rendezvous at 2? I love your work and enduring enthusiasm, it is so so inspiring, and your lessons resonate within me more than any other CZcamsr
Thank you; a fun video. You have a great little kid. I have a concern not addressed here: the distances from nut to 12th fret and from 12th fret to saddle. My kit (a Kikkerland soprano) says to position the bridge such that the mid-point of the saddle is exactly 13.7 inches or 348mm from the nut. Yet the 12th fret is 172mm from the nut - less than half of 348mm. Can this be right? I've heard about compensation, pressure on the strings, etc, but this seems a bit much. I'm not going to glue or screw the bridge in place (as the instructions say to do) until I've strung the uke and tried it out. I don't expect so much from a 30-dollar uke (or to follow in the footsteps - through the tulips - of the immortal Tiny Tim), but I'd like to get this right. Comment? Thanks again. (My acoustic guitar is 325mm from nut to 12th fret, but 652mm from nut to bridge at the high E string and 654mm at the low E string, due to the angled bridge. Never took notice before! So even here there's a slight discrepancy, and maybe Kikkerland is quite right.)
Any chance you could do a tutorial on how to play mark knoepfler storybook love from the classic Princess bride? No one has done a proper tutorial on uke for it on CZcams and I'm sure a lot of 90s babies would appreciate it 😉
"I'm having zero luck" .... man, keep playing and teaching... i believe your woodcraftmanship is inverse proportional to your ability to play and teach. BTW, before screwing in a screw in the wood, dent the wood surface with the point of a small phillips screwdriver (if you really don't want pre drill a tin hole)..
Should a ukulele teacher really need dots or to count the frets? Not that I have a clue, genuine question, just seems odd that if your great expertise in life is playing a tiny stringed instrument, for years and years, wouldn't you expect to gain a very strong instinct for exactly which fret is which just by sight? Maybe because he just made it and its impossible to know because it might have an unusual number of frets or something?
ok but drop your skincare routine, your skin is glowing 🤩
Your uke picking skills are unbelievable. I love your videos!!
Finally, an HONEST presentation of constructing a ukulele kit using (almost) only what comes with the kit. You did have to reach for a larger screw driver and purchased some paints, but, even with that it was honest. I've watched other "How to build a DIY ukulele from a kit" videos. Almost without exception they were done by individuals with a shop full of power tools. Here is the list I created for items used that did not come with the DIY kit. I was anxious to see a non-DIY person put one of these together in order to see if they are able to complete one of these ukuleles. I know I couldn't. Here are the items used to put one of the DIY kit ukuleles together:
sand paper
clamps with wood support for the clamps
extra wood to keep things level
spray paint (multiple colors and clear coat)
wood glue
ignored directions which a rookie would follow as closely as possible
(directions probably also mentioned to glue the bridge)
a place to hang the ukulele while spray painting
stuffing for the sound hole so paint didn't get inside
masking to keep spray paint where it isn't desired
a high skill level with tools, paint, etc.
steel wool
Scotch bright pad
drill for producing screw starting holes (used a lot)
Add some of those to the cost of a DIY ukulele kit and it isn't so inexpensive.
Thanks for watching and leaving a comment. If you want to see a *really* honest video, check out my first attempt from a couple of years before!
"How do you put a screw in wood?" LOL
I usually screw with my wood
Have you considered making a video with a luthier to show the differences in the build process?
My eight-year-old was just given this kit as a Christmas gift from her aunt and uncle (who has several ukuleles). She's been learning to play in music class at school and is very excited about the whole thing. We're just letting the glue set on the neck right now and this was really helpful for just seeing someone put it together and some of the possible issues that might crop up. Thanks!
I did the same project and it actually worked. My uke actually had tiny holes in the body to screw in the bridge into it. It also had LOCKING tuners and they were way easier to screw in. It was fun.
Yey, well done, you got there in the end. Love the song, you make even the most humble Uke sound great.
A couple of observations to make things easier if you build another one.
1. Your bridge fell off on the 1st build because you glued it on top of the paint.
2. Drill pilot holes for the screws
3. Placement of the bridge is the same distance from the nut to the 12th fret whether it's Soprano, Concert, or Tenor. So once the finger board is glued in the correct place, then you can get the right measurement.
4. Glue the nut in place last. String it and check and adjust nut height for the correct action, once happy with that, then glue the nut in position.
Hope that's of use. All the best, keep up the good work :)
Today it is my birthday and I got exactly the same kit. I cannot wait to build it
Enjoy - and happy birthday!
Yay! Congratulations on a successful build this time!! Design looks great too :)
Sounds good!
I can’t make a Ukelele, so I must be doing this right
thanks for your online support, just finished mine and played it. dont know what all the fuss over the screws was, went right in, almost put bridge upside down. again thanks for this video great help
I bought this kit at a thrift store and it had all the pieces, minus the instructions!!! Hahaha. Thank you SO MUCH for this video, it helped me so much, you’re amazing!!
The Ukulele Teacher I have built them from different kits similar kits like one you have. Some have played. Think key is the glue your using on them if it fell apart sounds like a issue with the glue your using. You want a strong water soluble glue. I recommend Titebond 1 or Elmers wood glue. Or carpenters glue stay away from Gorilla glue and super glues and epoxy's. liquid hide glue or hot hide glue can be used also. Use a liberal amount of the glue not just a little you want strong joints when used right glue is stronger than the wood. Also you want lots of squeeze out when clamping that is a good sign.
Well done!
Can you one day remake your Super Mario Bro’s theme song tutorial? You’re far better at explaining now than you ever were before; I and many others would love to learn the song in fuller detail.
Not that you are likely to do this again...but you could use large butterfly clips to hold the nut in place until the glue dries.
Thats very nice
Could you do any middle-ish level finger picking tutorial pleaseeee 🥳🥳🥳🥳🔆🔆
I know this is probably not the place to ask, but could you do a tutorial on how to play Falling Slowly from Once?? I’ve been trying to finger pluck it for days and literally can’t figure it out! You’re always so helpful!
Great!
If you have a drill you need to drill tiny starter holes.
Hi ukulele teacher! the stream was great! You helped me a lot on my ukulele I got my first ukulele on my birthday and you help me ever since thank you so much :)
Edit:please try to do a tutorial on someone you loved by lewis capaldi!I would really appreciate it!
Congratulations!!!!! Hillarious!!!!! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Hello Percy!!! 😘😘😘
You weren't joking when you said your DIY skills were terrible. Congratulations on your successful build!
Dude u crack me up I have built many ukes just made a concert soprano.
Excellent video!
Excellent!
Awww such a chute baby 🥰 My little son is very into my ukulele kit while it’s being built 😂
Hello. Do you have a link to a lesson for learning the strum in 17:18 please?
I find this so funny, I literally just saw the bow at Lafayette, in Paris, thinling that I should watch a review or something to see if these 30€ are worth it
Love it, congratulations
I’m guessing they’re supposed to be tapping screws.
When I’m doing DIY I often drill a pilot hole smaller than the screw. It makes it easier and with certain woods it prevents splitting.
Think I’d try and follow the instructions with this kit.
But dunno if it would make it easier if you did and did marking and placements with a pencil first and using a few clamps to hold things in place while drying.
What kind of ukulele did you make yourself: a soprano, concert or tenor?
It looks like a soprano.
You should make more vlogs
I feel like he has too much fun making these videos 😂
I would love a tutorial of "faithful Love by Caesar Nanakuli.
*manali
What brand is the kit from?
Err, the clamping of wood while the glue dries?
mr uke teacher I know its a little bit late but can you make a riff of careless whisper please...would be a lot help thank you and keep up the good work
"35 minutes and a lot of complaining later" "Oh my hand, I'm getting cramped from this" "Hopefully we'll have enough space for it this time"... If you're a fan of Brooklyn 9-9 like me, you know what these are: title of your sex tape(s)! :D
Seriously though, I feel your struggles, especially with the tiny screws! Cheers mate!
I am a big fan of the 9-9!
Your son is adorable
so I got a kit and it had no instructions lol! But it came out amazing...but it was hard to figure out the bridge
the first kit that failed was a different kit right???/
"my Belle evangeline" pleaseee 💚
99 percent built ours but instructions are terrible - especially on which string is which, and where they go. God help any eight year old that tries to build this :D Very entertaining video though - looking forward to videos on how to actually play!
I don't get these kits. I mean if I buy a bookcase from Ikea am I making my own bookcase? It's more an, "Assemble your own." Kit. If I wanted to make my own I'd see my uncle, he makes guitars. I could have a better or at least more sentimental instrument.
Hello ukulele teacher, could you make a tutorial on the song, “f*ck me and feed me” by Rendezvous at 2? I love your work and enduring enthusiasm, it is so so inspiring, and your lessons resonate within me more than any other CZcamsr
It’s on soon haha
can you do a kolohe kai song tutorial?
Why does his head look edited on tho the lighting is so weird at times lol
Why am I here- I already own a Uke
Thank you; a fun video. You have a great little kid. I have a concern not addressed here: the distances from nut to 12th fret and from 12th fret to saddle. My kit (a Kikkerland soprano) says to position the bridge such that the mid-point of the saddle is exactly 13.7 inches or 348mm from the nut. Yet the 12th fret is 172mm from the nut - less than half of 348mm. Can this be right? I've heard about compensation, pressure on the strings, etc, but this seems a bit much. I'm not going to glue or screw the bridge in place (as the instructions say to do) until I've strung the uke and tried it out. I don't expect so much from a 30-dollar uke (or to follow in the footsteps - through the tulips - of the immortal Tiny Tim), but I'd like to get this right. Comment? Thanks again.
(My acoustic guitar is 325mm from nut to 12th fret, but 652mm from nut to bridge at the high E string and 654mm at the low E string, due to the angled bridge. Never took notice before! So even here there's a slight discrepancy, and maybe Kikkerland is quite right.)
What brand name is this???
Scale of 1-10, how cheesed off were you?
Any chance you could do a tutorial on how to play mark knoepfler storybook love from the classic Princess bride? No one has done a proper tutorial on uke for it on CZcams and I'm sure a lot of 90s babies would appreciate it 😉
Chords to Hollywood girl by drake bell please!!!!
I can't believe I watched the whole thing.
I would love a tutorial of “Bad Vibes forever” by XXX Tentacion
👏👏👏
by chance have you mastered crash test dummies uke chords from hmmm hmmm hmm song ty
You are like the teacher/musician version of DanTDM.
Drill pilot holes with a Dremel.😢
Old town road
LOL... two words: PILOT HOLES
"I'm having zero luck" .... man, keep playing and teaching... i believe your woodcraftmanship is inverse proportional to your ability to play and teach.
BTW, before screwing in a screw in the wood, dent the wood surface with the point of a small phillips screwdriver (if you really don't want pre drill a tin hole)..
Now give it away
Sorry, this was just too hard to watch. Pegged my DIY Cringeometer after a few minutes.
forget the singing lets hear the uke
Play over the rainbow
Should a ukulele teacher really need dots or to count the frets? Not that I have a clue, genuine question, just seems odd that if your great expertise in life is playing a tiny stringed instrument, for years and years, wouldn't you expect to gain a very strong instinct for exactly which fret is which just by sight? Maybe because he just made it and its impossible to know because it might have an unusual number of frets or something?
Soo cringe