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Recently, Gitty customer Vince Wesley sent us a couple of pictures of recent builds, and one of them really "shone" - a homemade ukulele with light-up fret position markers! In the builder's diary below we'll share Vince's photos and step-by-step journal of how he created this strikingly unique instrument. - Ben GittyVince writes:Following are 16 pics that show the main steps in my build of a CB Ukulele with illuminated fret markers. The technique could be used for any instrument with an applie …

Unbeknownst to most historians Hawaiian music was all the rage during the Steampunk Era.  Introducing the Phono-Uke, a wild instrument created by Benand Nellie for our 2021 Musical Mutant Build-Off.  Nellie says, I call it a 'Phono-Uke'. The idea came from several late night discussions with a ukulele/ gramophone enthusiast friend of mine and it's made from an old battered cornet, a gramophone soundbox and some scrapwood.Hear it in action...twice...with this throwback demo video f …

Shane Speal has posted photos of his latest C. B. Gitty kit project, a retro-inspired  Gittylele Concert Uke. The ukulele is part of his "Retro Trifecta" of Gitty Kits, which includes the G-Bass and Tin Pan Alley resonator guitar.   Speal's Retro Uke The Gittylele Concert DIY Ukulele Kit is the full 15-inch concert scale version of our popular ukulele kit. Speal first painted the soundboard in the same off-white color as used on the other two kits. He then c …

This uke goes to 11!  (Or at least that's what Shane Speal claims!). Speal, the self-proclaimed 'King of Cigar Box Guitar' recently unleashed this wild guitar amplifier on the world with a full demo video featuring several different guitars.  (See video below).  The amp is made with C. B. Gitty's 2.5 Watt Parts-Only Cigar Box Guitar Amp Kit and a junk ukulele from a yard sale.   Speal started the project by carefully removing the back from the ukulele.  "The b …

The new Gittylele ukulele kit is a blank canvas.  Not only is it a fun and easy kit to build, but all the bare wood on the surface just screams for custom artwork. Use Custom Artwork I recently customized this uke by wood-burning vintage advertising all over the body. I chose labels and logs from 1930's fruit crates to give the uke the appearance that it was actually built using antique boxes.The Gittylele kit is made from thin birch plywood, which is a dream to …