A New Arrival

Dominator

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Pretty little uke. I love blond ukes and the dark binding really sets it off.
 
I don't normally like soprano's either. But that one looks fine to me
 
That looks really nice Dom. Love that Maple grain and unique headstock style.
 
Nice and clean design, that will be a lot of fun to hold and play I am sure.

Headstocks, I have found, are very much personal preference. Many go on and on about slotted headstocks, but I do not care for them. These round types, for some uncertain but not meant to be offensive way, they look a bit goofy to me. The round curves, the offset peg holes and all. But when I think about giving one of those uke building kits a go, I can never decide what the headstock should look like. Maybe I am just plain and boring, very much possible. I feel more "clean" when looking at a headstock with sharp angles...

How did you come to choose the bulby type? Or is it a replica of those early ukes? The body looks quite modern. But since your newest creation had a slotted hs and all, I figured you to be of "that school of thought".

No, cancel all I have typed above. Playing tenors, I am in dire want of a cuddly soprano, no matter what they are the coolest. That Kepasa looks like a very cool axe... no, little wood chopper to own, hold, play and maybe even caress now and then :)
 
Nice body and the binding makes it stand out. Only think I personally don't care for is the headstock. Kind reminds me of the Honu line. I don't favor the round headstock.....well thats just me. Main thing you love it. Enjoy enjoy enjoy. Always nice to get a new uke!
 
That's pretty awesome. I love cocobolo wood too, expecially after seeing and playing a particularily fine specimin of a custom Taylor Guitar with the most delicious cocobolo back and sides. The only thing on this uke that I personally wasn't really feeling for that uke was the headstock...mostly b/c it bothers me that it was asymmetrical. So a noob question here, but is there any practical reason for the tuners to be arranged in an unorthodox way like that?
 
Beautiful! Congrats Dominator!
 
How did you come to choose the bulby type? Or is it a replica of those early ukes?

Actually, I didn't specify anything about this uke other than that it was one of Kevin's sopranos. We got to talking a few years back about building an uke for each other just for the heck of it. I sent him the maple and he sent me some fine mahogany. And since I'm building him a tenor, which is larger, he sent me an extra set of mahogany to build another. I began working on his tenor in tandem with my spruce top that I completed last October. Unfortunately, I have not been able to do anything more on it but I hope to change that soon.
 
Actually, I didn't specify anything about this uke other than that it was one of Kevin's sopranos. We got to talking a few years back about building an uke for each other just for the heck of it.
I see. Cool project! Exchanging the source materials and then seeing what comes out. Excellent idea. So your part of the deal is still in the making?

I should find me a luthier who will trade as well. The teachers always liked the Disney figures I sawed out of plywood in elementary school. Or they said they did.

:rock:
 
Headstocks, I have found, are very much personal preference. Many go on and on about slotted headstocks, but I do not care for them. These round types, for some uncertain but not meant to be offensive way, they look a bit goofy to me. The round curves, the offset peg holes and all. But when I think about giving one of those uke building kits a go, I can never decide what the headstock should look like. Maybe I am just plain and boring, very much possible. I feel more "clean" when looking at a headstock with sharp angles...

Sounds like you and I are of the same mind. Give me a Colling's headstock any day:



But yeah, Dominator, that's one nice little bundle of joy!
 
...The only thing on this uke that I personally wasn't really feeling for that uke was the headstock...mostly b/c it bothers me that it was asymmetrical. So a noob question here, but is there any practical reason for the tuners to be arranged in an unorthodox way like that?

If I recall correctly, the headstock is a reproduction of a vintage ukulele, probably something by someone like Santo, Nunes, or Dias. I think you'll see some similar headstocks from the Glyph website on reproduction ukes. I don't know the reasoning for the tuner arrangement, but I think it might give you more room to operate the tuners compared to a normal arrangement.
 
I don't know the reasoning for the tuner arrangement...

This is kind of a guitar-centric answer but...

The ideal arrangement for strings is for them exit perpendicular to the nut as they head for the tuners. Having them exit at an angle gives them more room to bind in the nut and causes an extra stress point.

Some guitar makers like Fender and Ovation shape their headstocks to keep the exit angle to a minimum; others like Gibson and Taylor use a more traditional shape that don't. Do a Google image search for Fender/Ovation/Gibson/Taylor headstocks and you'll find lots of examples.

On guitars with tremolo bridges (a.ka. "whammy bars"), this becomes even more important because the strings won't always return to proper tune after a bend if they're binding in the nut. Some solve this problem by using what's called a "roller nut," which leaves means the only thing that determines the string's tune is the holding power of the tuners.

If you have an instrument that goes sharp if left to sit, the strings are probably binding in the nut and eventually "let go," allowing the tuners to give them "full pull."

--Mark
 
Compensated bridge....cool! And purdy, too!
 
Hi guys... Kepasa builder here. Regarding the bulby headstock and the offset G and A tuners... since the headstock doesn't fan out at the bottom, there's not enough room to mount them side by side without bumping into the other while tuning. The headstock is loosely based on the 19th century Dias style, and I think the 21st century Dave Means may have come up with the idea of the offset. It does look a little unconventional and it's actually harder to make than it looks. But it's definately an attention-getter, eh?
 
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