Wood

Wood
Ukuleles can be made from a wide range of materials but the most common thing used is some type of Wood

Traditionally the wood used for Ukuleles is an exotic hardwood native to Hawaii and Vanuatu, called Koa, (Acacia Koa) but particularly now the Koa forests have been over exploited and Koa in now an endangered species lots of other woods are used.

Popular alternative woods, especially outside of Hawaii, are other more local members of the Acacia family, or woods that have been traditionally used in Guitar making like Mahogany, (Swietenia mahogani), Rosewood, (Dalbergia latifolia), Cedar, (Cedrela odorata), or Spruce, (Picea sitchensis).

Laminate
Laminate is a posh name for ply wood. It is made by taking 3 or more thin sheets of wood and gluing them firmly together with the wood grain in each sheet at a 90° angle to the one above. There are many advantages with using Laminated Wood for Ukuleles. The Wood is cheaper, stronger, less prone to humidity and shrinkage, so less prone to the wood cracking and able to be further enhanced to become waterproof, (Marine Ply). The main disadvantage is that the tone of the wood is not as good as the tone produced by a single sheet of solid wood. Another disadvantage is that the glue between the sheets can fail leading to the laminate splitting or even coming apart!

Veneer
Veneer it the term used for when the top sheet of wood used in making Laminate Wood is a different, more decorative, (and usually more expensive), wood to the rest of the sheets