Names on Ukulele Fingerboards

[ampeep]

Have noticed that quite a few ukulele instrumentalists have put their names on their fingerboards. The only others that I know of are country western guitarists. I mean full names, not small logos like Jake's.

Anyone know why they do this?

 

[man0a]

They want to look cool on YouTube.

 

[Luke Plays Uke]

It’s good advertising. I always heard that was one of the (two) main reasons people would have their names on their straps or inlays - so even without volume you’d know who they were.

The other reason I heard but believe way less was to prevent thefts. Personally, if it were me, I would do what I do to just about everything I bring to the office and engrave or sharpie it with “stolen from Luke’s desk.”

 

[Oldscruggsfan]

It’s good advertising. I always heard that was one of the (two) main reasons people would have their names on their straps or inlays - so even without volume you’d know who they were.

The other reason I heard but believe way less was to prevent thefts. Personally, if it were me, I would do what I do to just about everything I bring to the office and engrave or sharpie it with “stolen from Luke’s desk.”

I agree about “branding”. Early in my banking career, I took my Reverse Polish Notation HP-12 financial calculator to a local jeweler and had them engrave my name just to the right of the digital display window. Customers were invariably impressed. If the goal is theft prevention, I suspect it would be far less expensive to buy insurance than to have your name inlaid in MOP on the fret board.
Cheers!

 

[mikelz777]

Ego.

 

[Wiggy]

... Reverse Polish Notation HP-12 ...

They would be more impressed that you knew how to use it! Sort of like a non-standard tuning. I had one when everyone else in class had a TI-30. I quickly changed as no curricula was taught with RPN as the tool. I did not have to put my name on it.

 

[mountain goat]

the last thing i'd ever do in my life
would be to buy an instrument that i wanted to love and play
that had someone else's name on it.

 

[don_b]

I like the idea of the instrument’s name being on it

Also, Anthony from wiggles has The Wiggles inlaid on his fretboards a lot of the time and it’s sweet

but I wouldn’t do it

 

[Neil_O]

the last thing i'd ever do in my life
would be to buy an instrument that i wanted to love and play
that had someone else's name on it.

yea, who in this Martin person that wrote their name on my uke's headstock and is Est.1833 their last name? That's a strange last name.

 

[merlin666]

I think Kamaka does that on custom builds for their signature artists.

 

[rainbow21]

If you make your living as a performer, you want visual and name recognition. Branding is important, so putting their name on the instrument is one good way to let those unfamiliar with your music or your looks be able to figure it out easier. If they are sponsored and have a signature model, it is likely that the manufacturer would love to have the name displayed along with their logo on the headstock.

It is not just ukulele players:

https://img.thedailybeast.com/image/upload/c_crop,d_placeholder_euli9k,h_1439,w_2560,x_0,y_0/dpr_2.0/c_limit,w_740/fl_lossy,q_auto/v1492202594/articles/2014/02/02/was-the-beatles-music-really-that-unique-yeah-it-totally-was/140130-tomasky-beatles-tease_kyk5uc

 

[ampeep]

I agree about “branding”. Early in my banking career, I took my Reverse Polish Notation HP-12 financial calculator to a local jeweler and had them engrave my name just to the right of the digital display window. Customers were invariably impressed. If the goal is theft prevention, I suspect it would be far less expensive to buy insurance than to have your name inlaid in MOP on the fret board.
Cheers!

Back in the mid-70's, worked at an engineering firm where all the engineers had HP-35s or 45s. Had to borrow one & wondered where the "=" was. Learned how to use RPN & found that it's a much better system.

 

[TerryM]

Or just different.

 

[clear]

They would be more impressed that you knew how to use it! Sort of like a non-standard tuning. I had one when everyone else in class had a TI-30. I quickly changed as no curricula was taught with RPN as the tool. I did not have to put my name on it.

RPN is actually ver intuitive and definitelt saves on parethesis keying.

 

[ripock]

I have used an HP 15C for the past 30 years. RPN is my security system because no one would ever steal it (since I don't hang out with mathematicians or engineers)

 

[Kenn2018]

I don't think it's much different than wearing monogrammed shirts or a signet ring or having a coat of arms etched into glassware.

If you are a sponsored artist and the company offers a signature model uke, you're going to want the instrument to somehow convey that fact.

I can see having a custom instrument that you commissioned incorporating a design element of something that is meaningful to you.

Personally, I'm not terribly interested in having a tenor with an artist's name or logo prominently shouting out to people.

Just like I demand that a car dealership remove their decal from the car I bought unless they pay me to display it. (Yes, they can remove it easily.) I try to remove designer logos from my pants and shirts if it's not embroidered into the fabric. I'm used to cars and trucks having the mfg badge proudly displayed on the vehicle. But that may be a holdover from the days of being a Ford person, or a Chevy owner and identifying with that brand as a part of who you are as a person. (My grandfather was a Ford man. My other grandfather was a Chrysler man.neither one would buy anything else.)

I confess, I don't mind having a maker's logo on my instrument's headstock. I kind of think it looks like something is missing if there isn't a logo there.

Yet I turned down an opportunity to buy a Kanile'a Diamond model tenor because there was a big honking diamond inlay on the fretboard. I just didn't like the way it looked.

To each their own.

 

[PeteyHoudini]

Les Paul had (still has) his own Gibson guitar. Was his name ever on it? Everyone still knows what it looks like.

 

[badhabits]

Les Paul had (still has) his own Gibson guitar. Was his name ever on it? Everyone still knows what it looks like.

Uh, yes, and still is on some (engraved on truss rod cover).

 

[ampeep]

Believe there's a difference between putting your name on the fingerboard & the model name of the particular instrument (Les Paul & Chet Atkins models).

 

[Neil_O]

Believe there's a difference between putting your name on the fingerboard & the model name of the particular instrument (Les Paul & Chet Atkins models).

I agree. And the name of a band on the bass drum is quite a long tradition.
I did have a negative reaction when I first saw a video of Albert King (guitarist) with his name on the fretboard. Amazing player with an ugly fretboard. I got used to it, and Stevie Ray Vaughn's initials on his after a while. I had the same reaction to seeing Taimane's name on hers and Jake's name on his, many years later. I'll probably get used to it, but I think for me I don't like a design spanning multiple frets. If I ordered a custom I might request unusual fret markers tho'...like little cat heads or a bearded dragon.