Names on Ukulele Fingerboards

[Oldscruggsfan]

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.

Obviously I'm all in on the cat's head, Neil_O! (see my avatar). I'll add the option of spades, stars, clubs, diamonds, maple leaves, Fleur de Lis, the Hawaiian bee eater bird, possums, buck deer, various running vines and shamrocks. Yes, I intentionally omitted hearts. Martial symbolism should also be fair game for inlaid fret markers, starting with the crossed rifles of the Infantry. For some inexplicable reason, I lean toward diamonds and envision inlaid MOP diamonds of varying sizes, with the largest (say 3mm) at Fret 10, slightly smaller but doubled at Fret 12, then getting progressively smaller (in succession) from 7 to 5, and from 5 to 3. KohanMike posted a pic of a custom tenor uke with just that sort of fret marker arrangement several years ago.

 

[ukudancer]

If you get to design a custom instrument for yourself, why not? It should be 100% to your liking. I can't fault anyone for that.

 

[ampeep]

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.

Anyone else remember using black electrical tape to put their group's name on the bass drum? Brings back fond memories.

 

[Neil_O]

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

Wasn't his name on the SG first (on the truss rod cover)? He didn't like it and got his name removed from it, but it appears in script on the headstock of some models and as mentioned, on the truss rod cover.

Of course it's not gaudy and large like MOP letters.

 

[PeteyHoudini]

Wasn't his name on the SG first (on the truss rod cover)? He didn't like it and got his name removed from it, but it appears in script on the headstock of some models and as mentioned, on the truss rod cover.

Of course it's not gaudy and large like MOP letters.

Not sure. Educate us.

 

[Griole]

Maybe it's to make sure that the viewer knows that the instrument was a one-off, custom made by the luthier for the musician. I'm sure that there are a number of other valid motives previously suggested, that would also fit the bill. Not my cup of tea, but if the buyer wants it, they are willing to pay for it.

 

[Neil_O]

Not sure. Educate us.

I double checked on the reason Les did not like the SG associated with him, the necks were floppy enough that you could bend the notes by bending the neck forward or back.

 

[PeteyHoudini]

I double checked on the reason Les did not like the SG associated with him, the necks were floppy enough that you could bend the notes by bending the neck forward or back.

Sounds like a bad idea, instead of a whammy bar. I don't think bending the neck is a good idea. Though, on a uke as I showed in an old tenor video, you can imitate the whammy bar with your wrist doing tremolo behind the bridge.

 

[One Man And His Uke]

I wouldn’t do it to my instruments, like I wouldn’t want a personalised number plate on my car, but if it pleases them it’s no biggie really is it?

 

[bsfloyd]

I double checked on the reason Les did not like the SG associated with him, the necks were floppy enough that you could bend the notes by bending the neck forward or back.

This can be done on just about any guitar.

 

[Luke Plays Uke]

Wasn't his name on the SG first (on the truss rod cover)? He didn't like it and got his name removed from it, but it appears in script on the headstock of some models and as mentioned, on the truss rod cover.

Of course it's not gaudy and large like MOP letters.

The Gibson Les Paul model that we know came first. The SG was supposed to be an updated Les Paul and a move with the line, but Les didn’t like it (complaints about the neck, but reports said he also just thought it didn’t look good) and said no.

As much as Chet Atkins and Les Paul get pointed to for having the first signature guitars, Les had a much more interesting career and left, what I would argue, a much more interesting legacy. Chet did a lot for fingerstyle playing and he “revitalized,” country music by making it more in line with pop sensibilities, but Les was a great player as well AND a tinkerer. We owe so much to his creations for our musical production and enjoyment it’s bananas.

 

[plunker]

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!

Oh my, I found another person who can use the HP 12C

 

[kkimura]

Oh my, I found another person who can use the HP 12C

RPN rules!

 

[ampeep]

Was just thinking about this topic again - if I played one w/ my name, wondered if others would think “geez this guy must think he’s hot s-it”.

Also if I ever was to buy a used one, would be good to have a famous name like Herb Ohta Jr. rather than some random person. My friend was Ohta-san’s student & has one of his old Martins - there’s nothing on it.

Wish that the calculator on tablets & phones were RPN. Soooo much better if you mess up inputting a string of numbers - can go back & change rather that starting all over again.

 

[mountain goat]

Was just thinking about this topic again - if I played one w/ my name, wondered if others would think “geez this guy must think he’s hot s-it”.

Also if I ever was to buy a used one, would be good to have a famous name like Herb Ohta Jr. rather than some random person. My friend was Ohta-san’s student & has one of his old Martins - there’s nothing on it.

Wish that the calculator on tablets & phones were RPN. Soooo much better if you mess up inputting a string of numbers - can go back & change rather that starting all over again.

random persons:

it's a reason i always balk at buying ex-custom Mya Moe's from the old days -
cause they all have the name of the original owner written on the label in the soundhole.
insignificant to some, not to me.