Fantasy Uke

erixsparhawk

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I came up with this a few years back and at one point I thought that I might try to build it. That isn't going to happen, but I thought that I would share the dream :)

Description:
Soprano body with concert neck. Steel strings with floating bridge. Arched top flat back. Body shape based on KoAloha Sceptre. Offset neck like the guitar in side view, dido for the jack hidden under the pickguard. I wasn't particular about the head of the uke and that could look like whatever. I like dark wood stains for the overall body.

I did some research into various materials and from a structural perspective assumed that the side walls should be a laminate of carbon fiber with wood on the outer and perhaps the inner layers. I had an acquaintance that has made fiberglass boats with the outer layers being wood that are super strong and look gorgeous. Top and back would likely have been hardwood.

I was leaning towards a regular sound hole rather than f-holes.

pictures:
top view http://imgur.com/AN9CK5a
side view http://imgur.com/KA7m0dJ
 
Is it me being crusty or does anyone else think, 'Whats the point of this?' Can you not think of a btter idea for a ukulele rather than plagiarising a unique design ? ~Sorry mate but I just don't get this and suggest you remove it before anyone else as rude as me chips in and we start world war III
 
Is it me being crusty or does anyone else think, 'Whats the point of this?' Can you not think of a btter idea for a ukulele rather than plagiarising a unique design ? ~Sorry mate but I just don't get this and suggest you remove it before anyone else as rude as me chips in and we start world war III
I have to say Pete, I ask myself that question all of the time. :D
 
Plagarising classic designs is a time honoured tradition. I wonder how long it was before copying telecaster guitars stopped being plagiarism and became plain old run of the mill.
There are limits though. Maybe if you altered the shape to a maple leaf and coloured it red?
The sceptre is pretty cool looking though.
Carbon fibre sides is a bit over the top though given the shape could come in handy during a zombie apocalypse.
If it is a one off personal project for yourself and you clearly give credit where credit is due I dont usually see much harm in it, though that desigh is so unique I would ask for permission.
 
I never thought that a DIY project would bring up so much heat! I was expecting more stuff like the carbon fiber zombies comment. Honestly from the perspective of the US patent system, let's assume that the uke was patented. I would bet you could easily get an improvement patent due to the offset neck, carbon sides, arched top, floating bridge, steel strings, pickups, and different headstock.
 
I hope the mods of my bass ukes don't fall into this category. I make them look like commercial versions, Telecaster, Hofner, Rickenbacker, AudioVox, ESP in a mini size so they fit playing with my ukulele group.

Bass mods.jpg
 
I have a 'cease and desist' from Rickenbacker for doing the very thing you have done here... It particularly concerned the truss rod coverplate and logo scriot - these are listed somewhere as their intellectual property. I'd take that image down if I were you... I also have one from John Pearse but as he is dead now I think I can go back to calling my lapsteels Weissenborns...
 
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I think the manufacturers probably put more weight on chasing pro builders than occasional amateurs doing tribute copies.
20170210_081512.jpg
Making them obvious tributes rather than knockoffs designed to deceive is how I justify it.
Wish I had thought of Bassenfaker.
Chibsons (coppies of the classic Gibson arch top jazz guitars) are so common it is practically a brand name.
Doing a Chibson style arch top uke is on my to do list.
 
I have a 'cease and desist' from Rickenbacker for doing the very thing you have done here... It particularly concerned the truss rod coverplate and logo scriot - these are listed somewhere as their intellectual property. I'd take that image down if I were you... I also have one from John Pearse but as he is dead now I think I can go back to calling my lapsteels Weissenborns...

I'll take on a fight with Rickenbacker. Mine is not for resale, it's just for me to play, and it's 24" scale, who else would want it but me in my collection. I also did this 21" scale, a Ukenbacker.

Ukenbacker done front.jpg
 
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I hope the mods of my bass ukes don't fall into this category. I make them look like commercial versions, Telecaster, Hofner, Rickenbacker, AudioVox, ESP in a mini size so they fit playing with my ukulele group.

Bass mods.jpg
You do a good job. I like them.
 
As long as you aren't marketing what you make, you can make pretty much anything you want. It's the same with fan-fiction, fan-art, and so on. Plus, if someone came to you with a picture of something and said, "Can you make this for me?" you could fairly charge them for time and materials even if you were making a copy of something, so long as you didn't try to pass it off as the original.
 
Count me among the crusty on this one, too.
 
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