Although guitars have been the focus of my work since the early seventies, mandolins and ukuleles have always had a special place in my heart. I played mandolin and fiddle in  a bluegrass band and fell in love with small string instruments.  The first 40 instruments that I made were mandolins, and I made soprano and tenor ukuleles in the first few years.  Not so well known is the fact that I still make two styles of mandolins, as well as concert, tenor and baritone ukuleles.  The “Tiny Grimes” is a half-size guitar that I started making in 1979, named after the legendary jazz guitarist.  Some players tune this big-sounding little guy A to A, but it can also be strung E to E (standard tuning).

These instruments are constructed using the finest tonewoods, with the highly figured sides and backs being cut from the same board. This gives a perfect visual and tonal match.  The woods have been in my shop for at least 10 years. In the case of the koa ukuleles, the top, sides and back are all cut from the same board.  I prefer the appearance and tonal quality of wood binding and purfling, but plastic is available upon request.

Scale lengths, nut widths, neck sizes, etc are standard, but customizable. Please inquire.