About the Soprano 2 Ukulele
Updated to Soprano 2 (2026). We used to list the designer's Soprano Ukulele v5.5. He calls the Soprano 2 a new version of that uke with the same sound but a new way to print: the body prints flat rather than upright, so the top can be printed in full colour. The v5.5 is still on Printables, linked below.
The body top can be printed in several colours with or without an AMS, by pausing to swap filament, or upside down on a textured or holographic plate. The bridge can be part of the top or printed separately and glued and screwed on. A template is included for adding a HueForge picture to the top, with the designer's rules of thumb for keeping the top thin enough to sound good but strong enough to hold the strings. The fretboard can also be multi-colour, and there's a new, easier inlay design.
Besides strings you need a 200 mm × 5 mm carbon-fibre rod for the neck (a rod-free neck is included), eight #2 3/8-inch (M2×8) wood screws for the tuners and one #4 1-inch (M3×25) screw for the headstock. You'll need four of his Model 3 tuners, a separate listing. He prints in PLA or PETG and avoids silk, matte and wood filaments because they're weaker. The saddle is compensated, so mind its orientation. Parts are glued with superglue gel.
Videos. The first is the designer's song played on all his printed ukes, including the Soprano 2. The second is his build video for the Mini 2; he says the build process is the same for the Soprano 2.
What you'll need
Printed parts
- Body, body top, braces and top glue aide
- Neck, headstock, headstock screw cover, fretboard, inlay and saddle
- 4 × Model 3 tuners (separate listing)
- Optional: separate bridge and bridge clamp aide, strap pin
Bought parts
- Soprano ukulele strings (he likes D'Addario Nyltech)
- 200 mm × 5 mm carbon-fibre rod
- 8 × #2 3/8 in (M2×8) wood screws
- #4 1 in (M3×25) wood screw
- Superglue gel
Tools
- A tuner
Build overview
- Print. Print the parts flat with no supports, rafts or brims; choose a single- or multi-colour top.
- Build the neck. Fit the carbon-fibre rod, then screw the headstock to the neck.
- Assemble the body. Glue in the braces, the top and (if separate) the bridge, and fit the compensated saddle the right way round.
- Fit tuners and strings. Install four Model 3 tuners, string it as a slotted-bridge uke and tune to GCEA.
Print settings
- Material: PLA or PETG (not silk, matte or wood)
- Layer height: 0.12 mm; variable down to 0.08 mm for the frets
- Walls / infill: 5 wall loops, 50% infill
- Supports: None; no raft or brim
Videos
Play video: Family of Ukes: a song played on the designer's printed ukuleles (loads YouTube)
Play video: Build video for the Mini 2 (same build process as the Soprano 2) (loads YouTube)
Nothing loads from YouTube until you press play. Video thumbnails are © their creators.
Ukology: sound demo and build of the earlier Soprano Ukulele v5.5 (YouTube) same designer, previous version
Photos
All photos: Jeff, from the design page on Printables, licensed CC BY-NC. We resized them and converted them to WebP. These adapted versions are shared under the same licence.