mmfitzsimons
Well-known member
Hi, all!
OK, so “custom” is the key word to describe this uke — it features a giant inlay of my childhood stomping grounds, it's built mostly of wood from my home state of California, and it's all wrapped up in a 19-inch scale tenor with fat 1.5-inch nut… oh, baby, it’s like I conjured it from my head!
But I didn’t conjure it, of course, this uke was hand built for me by Dave Sigman of Little River, California. Not just built, mid-wifed. He totally embraced my desire for a California uke—he calls it the uke-Cal-lele—and provided expert guidance along the way.
The headstock inlay depicts a lookout on Bodega Head in Sonoma County, where I grew up. We studied paintings of the spot and exchanged sketches; Dave even sent me a box of wood and shell to test out in various combinations, which allowed my daughter to get involved in the process — holy cow, what a fun journey!
The body of the uke is claro walnut, which was used for rifle stocks in the Old West. The rosette is mountain mahogany, which was used by Native Americans for arrowheads. Fun fact, huh? (We reached across the pacific for the ebony fingerboard and bridge.) Both the claro walnut and mountain mahogany are used again in the inlay, along with some golden yew and of course some really amazing shell. The abalone, which is native to the area as well, totally captures the sky over Bodega when the marine layer blows in. Sea and sky shimmer and shift color in the light. The oval frame reminds me of old sailor scrimshaw. I get lost staring into it; I love how Dave used the natural figuring of the materials to create the details of the seascape…. amazing.
Not everybody’s dream uke, for sure, but it’s mine. Reminds me a song by the Bottle Rockets, called “Dog”:
I love my dog
He's my dog
If you don't love my dog
That's okay
I don't want you to
He's my dog
Hey, I’ve even given the uke a doggish name—Bodi, short for Bodega Bay! ☺
OK, sound clip to follow when my iMic gets here, since my laptop microphone is useless for this sort of thing.
If you all are lucky I will record my girlfriend playing instead of me, she’s easier on the eyes and ears, haha!
OK, so “custom” is the key word to describe this uke — it features a giant inlay of my childhood stomping grounds, it's built mostly of wood from my home state of California, and it's all wrapped up in a 19-inch scale tenor with fat 1.5-inch nut… oh, baby, it’s like I conjured it from my head!
But I didn’t conjure it, of course, this uke was hand built for me by Dave Sigman of Little River, California. Not just built, mid-wifed. He totally embraced my desire for a California uke—he calls it the uke-Cal-lele—and provided expert guidance along the way.
The headstock inlay depicts a lookout on Bodega Head in Sonoma County, where I grew up. We studied paintings of the spot and exchanged sketches; Dave even sent me a box of wood and shell to test out in various combinations, which allowed my daughter to get involved in the process — holy cow, what a fun journey!
The body of the uke is claro walnut, which was used for rifle stocks in the Old West. The rosette is mountain mahogany, which was used by Native Americans for arrowheads. Fun fact, huh? (We reached across the pacific for the ebony fingerboard and bridge.) Both the claro walnut and mountain mahogany are used again in the inlay, along with some golden yew and of course some really amazing shell. The abalone, which is native to the area as well, totally captures the sky over Bodega when the marine layer blows in. Sea and sky shimmer and shift color in the light. The oval frame reminds me of old sailor scrimshaw. I get lost staring into it; I love how Dave used the natural figuring of the materials to create the details of the seascape…. amazing.
Not everybody’s dream uke, for sure, but it’s mine. Reminds me a song by the Bottle Rockets, called “Dog”:
I love my dog
He's my dog
If you don't love my dog
That's okay
I don't want you to
He's my dog
Hey, I’ve even given the uke a doggish name—Bodi, short for Bodega Bay! ☺
OK, sound clip to follow when my iMic gets here, since my laptop microphone is useless for this sort of thing.
If you all are lucky I will record my girlfriend playing instead of me, she’s easier on the eyes and ears, haha!
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