Custom J. Rieck Tenor Ukulele

New. Beautiful custom Josh Rieck tenor ukulele handcrafted in Sioux Falls, South Dakota with the utmost attention to detail and a focus on tone. This is one of those “hidden gem” ukuleles. J. Rieck ukuleles rarely show up on the open market and are truly wonderful instruments. They are meticulously handcrafted and offer a wonderful aesthetic while providing a rich and full tone.

J. Rieck Biography

Seeing luthierie as a beautiful crossroad of music and visual art, Josh Rieck began studying the craft in 2002 at Minnesota State College – Southeast Technical in Red Wing, MN. After graduating with honors from the Guitar Repair and Construction course he moved back to his hometown, Aberdeen, SD and started String Theory Musical Instrument Repair and Custom Construction, performing guitar repair for local music shops while also beginning to build various acoustic and electric instruments.

Because of the local demand, Josh also began to work with violin family instruments while studying double bass performance degree at Northern State University. Double bass studies continued in 2007 at the University of South Dakota under Dr. Rick Rognstad, at which point the business also moved to Sioux Falls.

After completing his masters in 2009, Josh went full time in a newly expanded location in Sioux Falls. During the 2012-2013 academic year, Josh studied the history of musical instruments at the National Music Museum.

As of 2016 the name of the business has changed to J. Rieck Lutherie – this reflects the shift in focus to primarily new instrument construction.

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This beautiful custom J. Rieck tenor ukulele is designated as a model T3 and was handcrafted with a master grade set of Englemann spruce (soundboard) with a gorgeous set of flamed Maple wood back and sides. The ukulele also boasts a rich jet black Gabon Ebony wood radiused fingerboard and bridge consistent with the finest recording level instruments. Elegant and complimentary Rocklike wood top and back composite binding with an classy top, back, and side profile b-w purfling line for aesthetic appeal. Rocklite is a revolutionary and totally environmentally friendly approach to tonewoods for musical instruments. It is an engineered composite produced from eco-friendly, readily available wood species.

Stylish nouveau design rosette with curly Maple and mother-of-pearl with “crown” accent inlay and a single diamond shaped mother-of-pearl inlay on the twelfth position for quick reference. Matching curly Maple wood end graft and headstock inlay in keeping with the earthy feel of this instrument – a subtle but elegant touch. J. Rieck headstock logo in mother-of-pearl. Side sound port for monitor-like experience by which the sound fires both forward toward the audience but also upward toward the player. The instrument also employs professional Waverly tuners for smooth and precise tuning, camel bone nut and saddle, and a nitrocellulose lacquer finish. 17″ scale. 1.5″ nut width.

This ukulele employs a ladder bracing on the back with a hybrid X/fan bracing pattern on the underside of the soundboard – giving this ukulele a full and mature sound even as a new instrument. This bracing method allows for wonderful rigidity, with the benefits of a traditional fan brace system below the bridge. The back utilizes a ladder bracing system, which offers greater projection. The result is a remarkable tone with excellent projection, a more present mid-range, with fantastic clarity. A beautifully handcrafted custom ukulele with great ease of play, comfort, and tone. A wonderful instrument handcrafted by a skilled luthier who finds excellent balance between aesthetics, function, and tone. ID#220028

Price: SOLD