Goth Uke project start

Tudorp

Big guy with a lil' uke..
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Well,

I started the project I mentioned a couple weeks ago. A Goth Uke. I have this Uke targeted to the young man in our area that I mentioned before. The "Goth" like kid I met. For those that don't remember that thread, it is a young man I noticed watching me play the Uke, and we ended up talking. He is a good kid, but one of those that doesn't have the best relationship with his parents because he isn't what they would consider "Normal". The kid is into death metal, and some pretty dark metal music, but he is deeper than that after talking with him. He loves music. He also loves the classics, Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and some blues music, but all people see is his "dark" side and goth type appearance. Anyway, he has shown interests in the Ukulele, and he doesn't know it yet, but it inspired me to make him one, because odds are, he would never get one on his own, or from his parents. This is actually a student uke someone from the board donated because I take these ukes, re-set them up with better action, fix buzzing frets, etc and make them pretty nice playing ukes for beginners and give them to local kids that show an interests in ukes, but don't have the means to have one of their own. Here is this donated one from one of our own, getting it's new look. I have already lowered the action and made it nice to play. Then, I reshaped the headstock to match it's new look, and put on a coat of flat black lacquer. I will sand it, lay another coat of flat, then detail it with some crimson pin striping. I think it will look pretty cool.

Here it is so far.

gothuke1.jpg
 
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Very cool! I look forward to pictures of the finished product!
 
Wow, that looks like it'll be a great finished product!
 
That's gonna look kool...Kudos to you for taking the time and effort to bolster this young man....great job.
 
Ok.. Here is my 1st attempt of a rosette for the Goth Uke. Still need to do some pin striping, but the rosette turned out pretty cool. I think with a little matching pin stripping, and a headstock embellishment will finish up the look.

mar172011d.jpg
 
I love the grain pattern on the fretboard, too.

And just wondering, Goth milieu and all, are the saddle and the nut Bone, or synthetic? (The only reason I'm asking is that so many of the kids I know who dress goth style are Vegan, and would cringe at the thought of real animal parts being used on their instrument. Even wild collected bone / fossil bone.)

But yeah, it looks real nice. I also like how the blood red shows off against the flat black.

-Kurt
 
This kid isn't vegan, but if he was, he's safe. The nut and saddle are both synthetic.
 
Hmm... Ya know what I might play with? Too late for this one, but, I have allot of experience messing with fiber optics, and LED lighting. I might start building another one, but with frosted translucent fret markers, with some fiber optics hidden under the fretboard to illuminate them with blue LEDs inside the body. It will have an ominous blue hue coming from the sound hole, and fret markers. And maybe make a nut and saddle from clear acrylic with some fiber optics in that too so they will glow with the same blue hue. Hmm.. You can go with many different themes using fiber optics for a custom Uke wow factor.. On my next uke re-build, maybe I will play with some lighting effects. What kid wouldn't think that would be cool..?
 
On my next uke re-build, maybe I will play with some lighting effects. What kid wouldn't think that would be cool..?

What FORMER kid wouldn't think that was cool?

I might not want to PLAY it, but I'd sure like to WATCH someone play it!

-Kurt
 
What FORMER kid wouldn't think that was cool?

I might not want to PLAY it, but I'd sure like to WATCH someone play it!

-Kurt


lol.. Im with ya, personally I am not into all that wow factor. But, I rebuild these things for local kids, and want it to be special to them for their first uke ownership experience, ;)
 
Well I have spent a lot of time on IMVU and theres heaps of folks who are goth or vampires etc.... its pretty cool really... I dont know where you are getting these paintable ukes but there are some black ones out there like dolphins ... of course I don't think the dolphin bridge would exactly be that hip. Oh dang, recomembers me about the Hawaii Kai or... the Makais likewise are close in price... I think cecilias might have them for a steal.. not sure. Don't know what you are painting? oh .. you know I think the Mahalos got a bad rap on here but thing is I am seeing a 320 on ebay for like thirty bucks with a compensated bridge..... ... Is that a bruko you made or what?????
 
I dont know where you are getting these paintable ukes... Don't know what you are painting?... Is that a bruko you made or what?????

No specifc place. I just always look for a good deal on a new or used Uke. Ebay, Goodwill, a couple times people just give me one they don't want so I can fix it up, etc. Any Uke is paintable. I don't paint all the ones I give away, sometimes I just fix it up, lower action, fix damage or buzzing frets, etc. Sometimes I will paint them up to look cool specific to the kid I am wanting to give it to to suit their tastes. One that will specifically appeal to the kid. I'm not sure what kind this Goth one is. A genorous UU'er sent it to me, and I just decided to turn it into a Goth Uke for a specific kid that likes that sort of thing.
 
Tony you are not only an exceptionally talented guy, but a caring and generous one too. May good things go with you my friend. :)
 
That's really cool! (In all aspects--the giving ukes, the fact that people give you ukes to do that with, and the way you've painted the uke)
 
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