Inksplosive AL
Well-known member
So true!
I should be practicing with a ukulele in my hand I shouldn't be able to type my thoughts.
10 things I think you should know :)
- Thread starter Pete Howlett
- Start date
So true!
I should be practicing with a ukulele in my hand I shouldn't be able to type my thoughts.
OregonJim
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2014
- Messages
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This is a rabbit trail with no end. All art is derived. You could create an image of an entirely new, never before seen creature - it would still be derived from something else. If it had wings, you'd have to get your idea of what wings look like from something else. Mouth? Tail? All art is derived from our previous exposure to other things. Picture-perfect copying is a topic for debate, but "similarity" is entirely different.
There is a website devoted to tree frog ukuleles:
http://treefrogukuleles.com/firstuku.htm
they are all very similar but the 7 there don't exactly match the two already posted in this thread.
You can also find treefrog 6 string and 12 string head stocks in google images.
But like with the dragonBASS*, they are similar but not to the point that it appears someone was trying to get as close as possible to the actual inlay design.
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dmecha1012
Well-known member
Brian, are you on Acid ?
The Dragon was a well documented and known fraud perpetrated on Chuck last year. It was extensively discussed on UU. The customer INTENDED to get a copy of that dragon on the cheap, and the Builders happily, and knowingly complied. It was a well known incident to everyone here in the uke community.
It forced Chuck to make changes in the language of the disclaimers on his web page........... The perpetrators themselves ACTUALLY APPOLOGISED to Chuck (most probably out of fear of what might go forward.) This was also known to everybody in this community.
What planet are you on Bro ?
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Inksplosive AL
Well-known member
Horrible to reference altered states and accuse drug use when talking on a forum. Arguing your point about a dragon design when referencing a comment on a tree frog inlay one might ask...
First Ive heard of it actually. Must not have caught my attention.
It would have been an interesting day in court I imagine, no matter what you assume.
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Hi Bro,
Sorry I didn't clarify, if you are late to the party I was talking about the dragon bass guitar not the dragon Ukulele copy. I mentioned it a few posts back and mentioned that it was not the only dragon fret board out there.
If you are looking for the post, it has a picture of a wicked looking bass on a purple background. Comes with part of an article about being original in instrument design.
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Inksplosive AL
Well-known member
Funny I ended up at http://www.wsukes.com/plans.html and not being one to think much of forum posts elsewhere it made me think of this thread.
Selling plans and giving away free information in a friendly manner. If anything needs to be written and stickied the person writing it can learn much from that website.
IMHO FWIW
~AL~
Selling plans and giving away free information in a friendly manner. If anything needs to be written and stickied the person writing it can learn much from that website.
IMHO FWIW
~AL~
Nickie
Well-known member
I stumbled on this thread looking for something else. I'm down with a bug, so spending time here may chase away the boredom.
I was invited by a ukulele playing friend, who had learned to play in Hawaii, to join her in building our own ukes. She had a brand name picked out and a garage full of tools. She had already built a very nice kayak, so I said "What the heck?"
She loaned me 4 luthier books to study, which I did, with much enthusiasm. I assisted her for several hours, in the summer heat, moving, cleaning, and setting up the shop. She said she'd call when she was rested and ready to start.
I went home and waited for her to call me and tell me she was ready to start. After two months of no call, I called her. I waited way too long.
She told me she had sold her kayak, AND the whole shop full of tools. Building ukes is hard, but so is getting ready to. I had busted my a$$ in the heat for nothing. She was totally unapologetic. I thought it was just plain selfish. I figured that I was just there all along to help sell the tools. I felt like a damned fool.
I never saw her again, even though she called and pressured me to come for a visit, several times. She lived an hour away, so I told her I didn't trust my old car that well. She has moved overseas, so it's no longer an issue.
That was my 1st and last time at attempting to build a uke, I never got to even bend or glue one piece. After reading all those books, I still felt really ignorant.
Enough of my sad story....
I would NEVER copy someone else's work. That's just like cheating on a test or homework in school. Anyone that does it is a thief, and should be sued if they won't quit. I have never asked a luthier for advice, unless it was during a build of my own uke. When I need mine fixed, I am glad to pay my repair luthier, I know he doesn't make much money fixing guitars and ukes. And it's dirty, hard work. And in Florida, it's HOT work. Finishing ukes is dangerous, to say the least. I'm a nurse and I know what sprayed products do to the lungs, skin, eyes....when I was Superintendent of a Golf Course, I applied the most dangerous chemicals myself (in full gear, no matter how hot the weather) so my crew would have minimal exposure. They made a lot less money.
I can imagine how satisfying it is to be able to build fine ukuleles. My luthier, Charlie, has built a lot of guitars and mandolins, and he's proud of every one of them. I've heard some of them, and they are beautiful and LOUD.
He's hinted around that I send him too many repair work customers, giving him less time to build!
Donna LoPrinzi, a very gifted and talented builder, lives nearby, and I have never pestered her to show me anything, because her ukes are out of my price range (for now). If her work were copied by a thief, there'd be about a hundred angry TBUS members hunting him down.
Thanks for letting me rant. Pete, Chuck, keep it up, you, and other builders of fine ukes are creating a legacy that can never be imitated!
I was invited by a ukulele playing friend, who had learned to play in Hawaii, to join her in building our own ukes. She had a brand name picked out and a garage full of tools. She had already built a very nice kayak, so I said "What the heck?"
She loaned me 4 luthier books to study, which I did, with much enthusiasm. I assisted her for several hours, in the summer heat, moving, cleaning, and setting up the shop. She said she'd call when she was rested and ready to start.
I went home and waited for her to call me and tell me she was ready to start. After two months of no call, I called her. I waited way too long.
She told me she had sold her kayak, AND the whole shop full of tools. Building ukes is hard, but so is getting ready to. I had busted my a$$ in the heat for nothing. She was totally unapologetic. I thought it was just plain selfish. I figured that I was just there all along to help sell the tools. I felt like a damned fool.
I never saw her again, even though she called and pressured me to come for a visit, several times. She lived an hour away, so I told her I didn't trust my old car that well. She has moved overseas, so it's no longer an issue.
That was my 1st and last time at attempting to build a uke, I never got to even bend or glue one piece. After reading all those books, I still felt really ignorant.
Enough of my sad story....
I would NEVER copy someone else's work. That's just like cheating on a test or homework in school. Anyone that does it is a thief, and should be sued if they won't quit. I have never asked a luthier for advice, unless it was during a build of my own uke. When I need mine fixed, I am glad to pay my repair luthier, I know he doesn't make much money fixing guitars and ukes. And it's dirty, hard work. And in Florida, it's HOT work. Finishing ukes is dangerous, to say the least. I'm a nurse and I know what sprayed products do to the lungs, skin, eyes....when I was Superintendent of a Golf Course, I applied the most dangerous chemicals myself (in full gear, no matter how hot the weather) so my crew would have minimal exposure. They made a lot less money.
I can imagine how satisfying it is to be able to build fine ukuleles. My luthier, Charlie, has built a lot of guitars and mandolins, and he's proud of every one of them. I've heard some of them, and they are beautiful and LOUD.
He's hinted around that I send him too many repair work customers, giving him less time to build!
Donna LoPrinzi, a very gifted and talented builder, lives nearby, and I have never pestered her to show me anything, because her ukes are out of my price range (for now). If her work were copied by a thief, there'd be about a hundred angry TBUS members hunting him down.
Thanks for letting me rant. Pete, Chuck, keep it up, you, and other builders of fine ukes are creating a legacy that can never be imitated!
sequoia
Well-known member
Interesting post on an old thread... I know a lot of retirees that buy a shop full of shiny new tools at tremendous cost ($$$) because they plan on building a coffee table, or ginger bread trim for the house or a guitar or ukulele and you know what? they never get around to it. The perfect tools sit in shiny splendor unused. You know why? Because they are cowards. Cowards that are afraid of failure. Failure that will make their fragile egos crumple like an empty egg shell. I have failed therefore I am not worthy. So if I don't try, I can't fail and thus saving myself the unpleasant realization that I'm really are just an unworthy empty cowardly worm and not a human being. In life you gotta try and and sometimes fail. At least you tried.
The last part I don't agree with. Luthiers have been copying and stealing from each other since the 16th century and probably before that. It is a time honored tradition. Stradivari stole from Amati and Amati stole from Guinari and they all stole from each other. It is called design evolution. And the Martin Dreadnaught shape? Very much copied by just about everybody. Now, stealing headstock shapes or specific inlay designs, that is different.
Hey Sequoia,
I'm glad you posted. Interesting perspective on the challenge. Perhaps it is cowardice that stops people. I wonder though. How many people get part way through their first build and get stuck and have nowhere to turn to for questions or are embarrassed as there isn't really a beginners builders forum. People here are more than generous with their thoughts and ideas. As a beginner myself, the depth of knowledge and skill here is impressive and I am grateful that it is openly shared. I could see how it might be intimidating to ask basic questions when many makers here are so far beyond the beginning stages. I would hope that weren't true but I suspect it may be in many cases. Cowardice ... no. Lack of self confidence perhaps? Embarrassment at the silly mistake you've made possibly.
For me, I've stopped part-way through my first uke build as I'm stuck on the neck joint and haven't figured out a good way to proceed. Practice makes permanent (not perfect) so I want to find a good, repeatable way that works for me to execute that joint. In the meantime, I'm rebuilding and organizing my shop better and researching next steps. I made a couple of dumb-a$$ mistakes that i want to find a good way to fix. So although not retired and don't have shiny new tools, calling me a coward isn't necessarily going to help me find a solution.(Frankly for me personally, it makes no difference either way) I'm not looking for your approval, but consider that honey catches more flies than vinegar and some empathy and encouragement might be the ticket to get those budding builders over the hump. Ignorance is not the same as cowardice.
By the way, although you are self-effacing in your comments about your work, I love your builds and the creative way you put your instruments together FWIW.
Cheers!
I'm glad you posted. Interesting perspective on the challenge. Perhaps it is cowardice that stops people. I wonder though. How many people get part way through their first build and get stuck and have nowhere to turn to for questions or are embarrassed as there isn't really a beginners builders forum. People here are more than generous with their thoughts and ideas. As a beginner myself, the depth of knowledge and skill here is impressive and I am grateful that it is openly shared. I could see how it might be intimidating to ask basic questions when many makers here are so far beyond the beginning stages. I would hope that weren't true but I suspect it may be in many cases. Cowardice ... no. Lack of self confidence perhaps? Embarrassment at the silly mistake you've made possibly.
For me, I've stopped part-way through my first uke build as I'm stuck on the neck joint and haven't figured out a good way to proceed. Practice makes permanent (not perfect) so I want to find a good, repeatable way that works for me to execute that joint. In the meantime, I'm rebuilding and organizing my shop better and researching next steps. I made a couple of dumb-a$$ mistakes that i want to find a good way to fix. So although not retired and don't have shiny new tools, calling me a coward isn't necessarily going to help me find a solution.(Frankly for me personally, it makes no difference either way) I'm not looking for your approval, but consider that honey catches more flies than vinegar and some empathy and encouragement might be the ticket to get those budding builders over the hump. Ignorance is not the same as cowardice.
By the way, although you are self-effacing in your comments about your work, I love your builds and the creative way you put your instruments together FWIW.
Cheers!
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sequoia
Well-known member
Yeah, re-reading that post sounds way more harsh then I meant it. Nothing personal. It was meant as a little tongue and cheek, but we all know that fear of failure I think. Also trying to give those people out there who want to start but won't a little push. Calling them cowards is a bit much I admit. But goshdarnit! Git in there and start cuttin wood!
Titchtheclown
Well-known member
My biggest problem is over thinking.
I spend too much time thinking about what I could be doing and not enough time doing.
My second biggest problem is not thinking enough.
Perhaps I should have thought about how that would have worked before I did it.
I spend too much time thinking about what I could be doing and not enough time doing.
My second biggest problem is not thinking enough.
Perhaps I should have thought about how that would have worked before I did it.
100% agree. I love that quote by H. Jackson Brown Jr. "Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon".. Add Ukulele building in there somewhere too. I didn't take it personally but I remain hopeful that this continues to be a place where beginners can feel welcome to ask some of those basic questions without embarrassment. Saying that, sometimes we all need a kick in the pants to get moving and I agree that cutting wood is far better than not. You can't learn by just thinking about it (valuable but insufficient).
Having said that, I also think one has to take responsibility for ones own learning. I haven't asked my questions yet because I haven't exhausted the resources I have available already to help me and don't want to just take the easy way out. Some reasonable combination of research, trial and error and asking on forums like this seems like the best approach.
Like you said, Git in there and start cuttin wood!
Cheers!
Having said that, I also think one has to take responsibility for ones own learning. I haven't asked my questions yet because I haven't exhausted the resources I have available already to help me and don't want to just take the easy way out. Some reasonable combination of research, trial and error and asking on forums like this seems like the best approach.
Like you said, Git in there and start cuttin wood!
Cheers!
All the standard ways to make a neck joint on a uke are good enough (except perhaps a butt joint with dowel) and are likely to hold up for a century or so.
My experience of building (around 40 instruments now, I think) is that I still haven't found the "perfect" neck joint. What I have discovered is that some are easier for me to execute well than others, i.e. they suit my building style. And the only way I could discover that was by building them.
Even if your long-term plan is to set up a small production shop and use the same technique for all builds, I'd suggest you need to build a handful using different techniques to discover what works for you.
Least difficult for beginners (in my experience) are the bolted butt joint, the Spanish heel, and the mortice and tenon (with or without bolts). Pick the one which you feel most confident with and finish that first uke!
RPA_Ukuleles
Well-known member
Anybody using the Kreg Jig?
sequoia
Well-known member
OK. I give. What is the Kreg Jig?
Timbuck
Well-known member
It's device for fitting pocket joints, in flat pack funiture mostly.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8...d=kwd-298332984643&ref=pd_sl_7k3iiv41f6_e_p27
Michael N.
Well-known member
Ikea doing flat pack Ukes now? I knew it was only a matter of time.
I've got some worktop bolts that might come in handy. Neck going nowhere. Bit of colourfill for a few dodgy joints. Job done.
I've got some worktop bolts that might come in handy. Neck going nowhere. Bit of colourfill for a few dodgy joints. Job done.
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Neck joints
Prof Chris sed, "All the standard ways to make a neck joint on a uke are good enough (except perhaps a butt joint with dowel)"
So what's wrong with a butt joint with a dowel, Chris? It is possible to make a good job or a poor job of the various different types of joint.
Prof Chris sed, "All the standard ways to make a neck joint on a uke are good enough (except perhaps a butt joint with dowel)"
So what's wrong with a butt joint with a dowel, Chris? It is possible to make a good job or a poor job of the various different types of joint.
DPO
Well-known member
Well a bolt on is easier and superior to a dowel joint, so why go for an inferior joint.
