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Mainlander
Walnut, Koa and Ash Mainlanders
A fine sounding ukulele made from domestic tonewoods. The MAINLANDER fills the need for a basic, decent instrument, without frills. It’s available in standard, concert, or tenor size in a variety of mainland hardwoods, including Maple, Sassafrass, Pear, or Walnut, with a mesquite or pearloid fingerboard and Grover Sta-tite tuners.
Sassafrass Mainlander
Concert model with Tortoise binding
| Total Length | Width-Upper Bout | Width-Lower Bout | Max. Depth of Body | Body Length | Scale Length | |
| Soprano Uke | 21 5/16″ | 4 15/16″ | 6 5/16″ | 2 7/16″ | 9″ | 13 5/8″ |
| Concert Uke | 23 5/8″ | 6″ | 7 7/8″ | 2 11/16 | 11″ | 14 7/8″ |
| Tenor Uke | 25 7/8″ | 6 7/8″ | 9 1/8″ | 2 7/8″ | 12 1/8″ | 17″ |
Mahogany Leroy
LeRoy
Mahogany Leroy Tenor with Custom Fingerboard Inlay
This concert sized ukulele is inspired by the cool ukes of the 1920s and named for the great uke master, Roy Smeck, “Wizard of the Strings.” LeROY is modeled after the Martin Style 1C, and is a flashy uke with “Mother Of Toilet Seat” headstock and binding, rosewood fingerboard, Grover tuners, and classic koa or mahogany body. The longer scale length and larger body gives the uke a loud, bright tone with more finger room for tight chords. The thirteenth fret allows for that all-important high C (or Bb), and an optional clear plastic pickguard protects the finish above the soundhole without impairing the tone. Also available in standard soprano and tenor sizes.
| Total Length | Width-Upper Bout | Width-Lower Bout | Max. Depth of Body | Body Length | Scale Length | |
| Soprano Uke | 21 5/16″ | 4 15/16″ | 6 5/16″ | 2 7/16″ | 9″ | 13 5/8″ |
| Concert Uke | 23 5/8″ | 6″ | 7 7/8″ | 2 11/16 | 11″ | 14 7/8″ |
| Tenor Uke | 25 7/8″ | 6 7/8″ | 9 1/8″ | 2 7/8″ | 12 1/8″ | 17″ |
Inspired by the work of an anonymous Italian luthier in New York’s Little Italy, the Passione mandolin combines an old world design with a few modern touches inlcuding a graphite-epoxy reinforced neck, 13 7/8″ scale, 10″ radiused fingerboard, X braced top, and Schaller tuners. The sound is sweet and clear, favorable for traditional, ethnic, or classical music. Available in curly maple, walnut, pear, or other exotic tonewoods, with a spruce top, mahogany or maple neck, and ivoroid or tortoid binding.
| Total Length | Width | Max. Depth of Body | Body Length | Scale Length |
| 26 3/8″ | 10 5/8″ | 2 1/2″ | 12 3/4″ | 13 7/8″ |
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Paddlelele Concert Uke
The ukulele has had a long and close association with the canoe, both in summer and song. The PADDLELELE combines the best attributes of a canoe paddle and a ukulele in a single implement. Made from ash, the traditional timber for paddles, the neck and body are cut from a single piece of wood, with a quartersawn top and back glued to the rim. A thin green veneer is glued around the sound hole, and under the fret board and headstock, with a matching green canoe-shaped bridge. The PADDLELELE is loud enough to be heard over a waterfall, with a tone as bright and clear as the full moon. Don’t be caught up the creek without one! Note: the PADDLELELE should only be used as a paddle in cases of extreme necessity, or photo opportunities.
| Total Length | Body Width | Body Depth | Body Length | Scale Length |
| 25″ | 8″ | 1 3/4″ | 13″ | 14 7/8″ |
Joel Eckhaus, Luthier
[email protected]
| EARNEST INSTRUMENTS was founded by Joel Eckhaus in 1976. The name was originally inspired by an old Regal “Octophone”, brought in for repair, that the customer had nicknamed “Ernest.” Joel copied the dimensions and built a similar instrument, and EARNEST INSTRUMENTS was born. As the name implies, these are serious instruments, capable of expressing the artistry and technical proficiency of any musician.
JOEL ECKHAUS
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Custom Instruments
Early tenor guitars were often built by simply attaching a tenor
neck to a standard size guitar body. As tenors declined in popularity, many
were converted to six string guitars, “enhancing” their value
musically and monetarily. Now, as demand for tenor guitars again increases,
some smaller six string guitars (but generally not rare vintage instruments)
have become excellent candidates for conversion to tenors. Earnest Instruments
specializes in tenor conversions, as well as building new bodies for orphaned
tenor necks.
This Gibson 3/4 size ES 125 had been previously subjected to numerous
botched repairs and “improvements” when it was acquired by Earnest
Instruments. The old six string neck was removed and replaced by a tenor
neck built in the Gibson style. The instrument was also rebound, refinished
and rewired. The resulting guitar is a thin body archtop electric tenor,
better proportioned than either Gibson’s 3/4 size six strings or their
full sized tenor guitars.
This short scale Mexican requinto was well played and well worn when
its current owner, tenor banjoist Eddy Davis, decided to have it converted
to a tenor guitar. The fingerboard was removed, narrowed, inlayed, and reglued
after reinforcing the neck with a graphite epoxy rod. Built in the Spanish
style, the guitar’s neck could not be removed so it was recarved on
the body. The headstock was shortened for four tuners, reglued, and reveneered
on top and back to reinforce and hide the joint. “The Mex” is
now a nylon string tenor guitar, well suited for ethnic, jazz, folk, or
classical music.
Another of Gibson’s 3/4 size archtop electrics, this 1950’s guitar was in
very good condition but the customer requested that it be converted to a
plectrum guitar. I steamed off the original neck and replaced it with a
4 string mahogany neck with a two-way truss rod, keystone tuners, a bound
ebony fretboard (26.25″ scale) and block inlays. The result is a mini ES-175
style plectrum guitar …lightweight, nicely proportioned, and with great
access to the upper frets. Not exactly a factory item, but it looks like
it could have been.
This guitar was a total basket case when it arrived in my shop. The sides were split from end to end, the neck block and heel were cracked and badly repaired, the bridge, tuners, and tailpiece were missing, and the finish was gone. But…the top and back were in good shape, so I slowly coaxed it back together with clamps and glue, rebound, recarved, and refinished it, and made a new tenor neck. Of course, Gibson didn’t make tenor guitars back in 1912 (they weren’t due to show up for another 15 years) so this instrument is now something of a… bastard case. Little did Gibson know that what made this a rather mediocre sounding archtop guitar, with a small body, round sound hole, short scale and a very fat 13 fret neck, makes it an excellent sounding tenor guitar, with a 23″ scale, and a 12 fret adjustable neck. Over 90 years old, this well-used L-3 lives on. It almost looks like it was made this way.
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The Eckenbacher Lap Steel Guitar
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The Eckenbacher Lap Steel Guitar Earnest Uncommon Musical Instruments branches into a new line of lap steel guitars with the introduction of the Eckenbacher. Designed in collaboration with Maine guitarist, Cartwright Thompson, the Eckenbacher combines some of the best features of both Fender and Rickenbacher steel guitars into one beautiful instrument. It’s made of select, lightweight swamp ash with a maple fretboard and headstock veneer, highlighted with black veneer “frets”, and black position dots. Kluson Style tuners, a tele-style bridge (with a one-piece solid brass saddle), chrome knobs, parchment or bakelite pickguards, and a translucent blonde lacquer finish (other colors available) give the instrument a traditional look. A Jason Lollar Special T Bridge Pickup is the hot ticket with “rounder top end, fuller mids, and smoother bottom” (just what kind of “pickups” is he talking about here?). Also available with a one meg tone pot, for that “Ooh-Aah” effect. The 23.5” scale length is just the right compromise between the old Rics and Stringmaster guitars. The Eckenbacher was a hit with steel players at the recent NY Uke Festival. Hard shell Fender style case included.
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Categories
Custom Instruments
EARNEST collaborates directly with musicians to design and build custom instruments to meet unusual
or specific needs. The process often begins with the discussion of a “dream instrument” and leads to rough
sketches, first drafts, full-sized models, selection of materials, electronics, color, and finish. Final
drawings are drafted and approved before actual construction of the instrument begins. The result is a
one-of-a-kind instrument, created with the combined knowledge of the musician and the luthier. Joel’s experience
as a woodworker, luthier, and a performer enables him to understand both the technical requirements of musicians
as well as the technical challenges of building instruments. His knowledge of wood technology, acoustics,
musicology, and instrument history informs his sense of design and construction. The fact that he plays the
instruments he builds ensures that they will sound and feel “right.”
Custom Instruments Gallery
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 Dreadnought Tenor |
 Dreadnought Back |
 Junior II Doubleneck Electric Mandolin |
 Palomino Concert Cutaway |
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