A couple of nights ago I couldn't sleep, so I sat at my computer cruising eBay looking at ukuleles. I saw a uke I've seen before made by Bruce Wei Arts, who has built two of my ukes and a bass uke. A unique feature of the uke is that the sound hole is the Hawaiian Islands.
So for the next couple of hours I mocked up a 22" scale bass uke with that feature. I started with it being made entirely of spalted wood, either mango or maple, bridge, headplate, fretboard and all, but when I sent an email to Bruce asking the availability of spalted wood. He replied he didn't have any and didn't know when he will get some, but he does have curly/flame maple. He also said spalted wood is not good for the bridge or fretboard.
I then reworked the mock up with curly/flame maple and ebony bridge and fretboard, partly because of what Bruce wrote, and also because the more I looked at the spalted design, the less I liked the singular look. Black binding around the body, headstock and Hawaiian Islands. He said it would cost $550 + $85 shipping and take about 2-3 months. (I have a preamp/tuner, pickup and tuning machines that I will send him to install.)
I'm not sure I'm even going through with it, but it sure passed away the sleepless night.
So for the next couple of hours I mocked up a 22" scale bass uke with that feature. I started with it being made entirely of spalted wood, either mango or maple, bridge, headplate, fretboard and all, but when I sent an email to Bruce asking the availability of spalted wood. He replied he didn't have any and didn't know when he will get some, but he does have curly/flame maple. He also said spalted wood is not good for the bridge or fretboard.
I then reworked the mock up with curly/flame maple and ebony bridge and fretboard, partly because of what Bruce wrote, and also because the more I looked at the spalted design, the less I liked the singular look. Black binding around the body, headstock and Hawaiian Islands. He said it would cost $550 + $85 shipping and take about 2-3 months. (I have a preamp/tuner, pickup and tuning machines that I will send him to install.)
I'm not sure I'm even going through with it, but it sure passed away the sleepless night.
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