Bloodwood on Spruce on Mahogany?

I figure this was better here than on the luthier area since this is just my thinking process...

I want to eventually build my own ukulele, guitar and banjo somewhere in the future. I've already built a mountain dulcimer and am currently working on a stick dulcimer. I've also X-braced a ladder braced Harmony guitar along with other repairs/customizations, so I've gotten my hands dirty. So, I want to customize a uke.

I want to start a project on a somewhat already finished instrument. I want to purchase another Grizzly uke kit, but I want to pry the top off of it and put on a spruce top. then, I want to add a bloodwood fingerboard, bridge and headstock overlay. I know it would look cool with the spruce, but how would you all feel about the bloodwood with the mahogany neck, back and sides? I can't tell, by the image in my head, if it would look good, or if it would take away from the instrument. I wouldn't stain the uke at all, I would leave it natural with a few coats of lacquer, as I did with my previous Grizzly kit.

Also, I know it's just a $22 all laminated kit. I don't want to start with a full fledged do 100% of the work kit just yet. I want to play with the top and want to practice binding and stuff, and this uke would give me the practice without spending too much money if I totally mess it up. I would like a decent looking uke and at least a halfway decent sounding one. It's got to sound better than my previous 100% laminated kit, which sounds pretty decent with Aquilas on it.

Any thoughts from you all?

Thanks,
Dan

Do it!

It sounds like you are more concerned with practice on your binding and matching of woods - for $22, it's hard to be too wrong.

Don't know that much about tonal qualities of Bloodwood, but one consideration is tight grain - closed pores hold less grime. Another is how it oxidizes - try a little Postassium dichromate on a sample to see if and how it changes - then you'll have an idea as to whether it will darken unevenly from finger wear and oils. Remember that if this wood does change color, and you finish some parts differently than others those parts will take on different hues over time.

If you notice a big change, just wipe down the whole fretboard (& other parts) with the potash after sanding (I seem to think that it becomes more brown - but that wouldn't neccessarily be bad). Keep it off the Mahogany, unless you want to darken that as well.

As far as color matching, wipe down your woods with a bit of solvent before hand to see if they look good together to you.

I love to work with bloodwood and think it looks great with spruce (and koa at least).

Thanks guys. I'll give your ideas a shot, Dirk. I was going to get my woods from LMII. They sell bloodwood fingerboard and bridge blanks, and I believe they sell bloodwood binding as well. I just love the natural colored heart woods. I'd love to make a uke with all purpleheart for my mom, but that will be after I get some more practice in and build some ukes from scratch.

Chuck, thanks for the image. That gives me an even better idea how it will look against the spruce. I can't wait to get started on this project.

Thanks again,
Dan

I threw together an image with all three woods for comparison. I know it isn't the best using computer images, but it gives an idea.



Dan