stevejfc
Well-known member
It is not hard to find a ukulele that has no parts of animals in the materials used for construction. As suggested above, a sustainable wood like mango comes from a plant not an animal. The metal frets are not from an animal. You can get wooden or plastic nuts and bridges. And there are glues which are not hide glue. What is hard is to find a uke that is made in a process where it can be guaranteed that no animals were harmed in the process of harvesting and or refining the materials.
We can currently access many low cost ukes from East Asia, these are the ones which are possibly going to be hardest to find with a definitive statement about the use of hide glue and or harm to animals. It can seem strange watching "protestors" with their Chinese made ukes at Vegan rallies and Free Tibet protests, you often wonder at their commitment to the cause.
So you may have to look for a more expensive model made by a company which does not feel a need to hide all the information about the materials and processes used. There will be ukulele makers who live not very far from you who has enough control over the process and materials who would be pleased to take the time to make a uke that is guaranteed to be made without harming animals in any way, you just have to order it and pay the costs.
I recall a thread in the luthier section where a maker showcased a lovely uke made for a vegan customer who was willing to pay extra to make sure the materials and processes involved no harm to animals. I am not sure if the maker had to get rid of the rat poison from the woodshed, but it did appear to be a successful project. So it is possible.
Very well said Bill.