My First Handpainted Uke

H

Hippie Dribble

Guest
hi gang

well, I raided eugenie's studio yesterday morning and thought I'd have a bash at handpainting a ukulele. It was a cheapo plywood laminate mahalo. I just sanded back the top and the headstock, applied a coat of white primer and set to work.

Here's what happened...

DSCF0716.jpgDSCF0719.jpgDSCF0722.jpgDSCF0723.jpgDSCF0725.jpg

I went for a folk art kind of thing...used my favourite colour orange as the background, then drew a brown and gold vine to border the face, and continued that theme on the headplate. It's a little rough but I'm pretty happy with it for an initial attempt.

The uke was fitted with geared tuners, so all that's left to do now is fill in the holes on the back of the headstock with some wood putty, layer a couple of coats of varnish to seal the paint, then put in some new friction tuners and string it up. The action was also a tad high so I'm just gonna file back the saddle a smidgeon.

I'll put a couple more pics when she's set to go. Thanks for taking a look folks! :)
 
PRetty cool. very very nice job.
I don't have the talent to paint by hand...

So I just received some inlay stickers and will be posting pics my doctored Flea, and pocket Kala over the weekend.
 
That looks like you had some fun in the process. Isn't that what it is all about.? Having fun; while you pursue two of your favourite endeavours. I think you do the Mahalo an injustice, it is not a ""cheapo plywood laminate"" but perhaps an inexpensive plywood laminate. I know from some of my repair work, that even the fretboard is plywood, but it is opening the doors to the wonderful world of music for so many, that otherwise, perhaps would be denied the privilege.
'Tis just me I guess. Inexpensive and cheapo convey different meanings.
 
thanks for chiming in guys.

Jim, I didn't mean to undermine the 'value' or quality of the uke mate, apologies if that's how it came across. I have a bunch of these type of ukes and get just as much joy out of them as I do my more expensive ones. Heck, I had a sky blue mahalo for nearly three years and played it into sawdust before I even contemplated 'upgrading'!!! Nothing wrong with inexpensive ukes at all. :) If it weren't for the availability of ukes in that price range I perhaps never would have taken them up in the first place... Cheers mate
 
Eugene we are in the same boat I reckon. I have a question which you can answer for me please. I am told that whenever the dishwater is going down the drain in the kitchen sink that it revolves counter clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. Whereas here in Canada it revolves clockwise. Could you clarify please.
Regards
1931jim
 
Nice Job, Maybe I should get into that..not sure what the theme will be though..or I could buy that one from you..
 
Eugene we are in the same boat I reckon. I have a question which you can answer for me please. I am told that whenever the dishwater is going down the drain in the kitchen sink that it revolves counter clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. Whereas here in Canada it revolves clockwise. Could you clarify please.
Regards
1931jim

he he...I'll take that at face value mate, off to check now for you Jim...

na, it's clockwise here too! :p
 
Nice Job, Maybe I should get into that..not sure what the theme will be though..or I could buy that one from you..

cheers Stan

didn't really know what to paint either mate...was just feeling unusually bold so did it pretty spontaneously and just went with a design that was simple enough not to stuff up. Buy it? Ha ha Bruddah, would cost more in shipping than the value of the ukulele :)
 
I've been so tempted; I've been exhibiting paintings for decades, but haven't yet merged my vocation and avocation. Duane Heilman made a nice Gauguin pineapple:

http://www.blackbearukuleles.net/detail.html?itemid=185

One of my all-time favorites is a Joel Eckhaus "Tony Soprano," painted by Kim Do:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_HvRdOlJkRHI/TctBFyRl9hI/AAAAAAAAAdg/1NhiXJ-IMUg/s640/DSCN0960.JPG
wow H, they are amazing aren't they.

Those handpainted Duane Heilman ukes knocked me out when I first discovered them. Just too expensive for me, but recently he's done a few old-style-sheet-music-cover type Hawaiian designs for more accessible prices. he really is an amazing fellow.
And that tony soprano one, gee that is ridiculous!!!!

Just do one for a bit of fun mate...you're a very humble kind of guy, I bet you're a great artist. Get a little inexpensive uke and experiment...would love to see the results :)
 
Thanks for the encouragement, Jon. Joel Eckhaus lives fairly close to me. I've visited. He makes great instruments. I especially like the Stradelele that John King played, but as I am thoroughly smitten with vintage ukuleles and am building ukuleles with a friend as well, I keep putting the Strad off. It's on my someday list, however.

My first ukulele was a Kala laminate soprano. I think it was about $45.00. I played the decal rosette off it. Still use it to work out arrangements. Maybe I'll paint that one.

Amy Crehore does a real nice job, too, BTW:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ticklergirl/sets/72157613443007916/
 
I can answer that one ...it is called the Cariolis Effect. It is due to the rotation of the earth around its axis. It also affects twining plants around an object, and shells with a twist can be located as from northern or southern hemisphere by the twist of the thread. It just blows righty tighty -lefty loosey into a corner.

While here, here is my decorative woodcarving gone functional. The Beav is 1.5" long x .75" high. As a sideport, it works well. Oregon State's colours are also Orange and Black. Throught the body stringing is done with a #70 twist drill. It is quite an impovement. The black is the colour of mourning for their lack of basketball wins. The orange is from the first word of a common question.... "Orange you from Cow University?"View attachment 33817
 
Last edited:
he he...I'll take that at face value mate, off to check now for you Jim...

na, it's clockwise here too! :p

Yes, but your clocks run backwards too... don't they?
 
Yes, but your clocks run backwards too... don't they?
Only in leap years whenever the Cardassians and the Klingons are trying to leap out of the Bajoran sector into the Alpha quadrant. HaHa!! OOps time for my soup, bye for now.
 
Nice job Eugine, is there anything you cant turn your hand to :) a man of many talents, where as i am the total opposite, a man of many interests and a master of none, except pessimism. I should be quite chilled as im listening to Willie nelson "All the songs I've loved before"
Love your entries in the uke seasons comp, have a great week mate and keep on strummin :)
 
Top Bottom