Has anyone designed a uke to accommodate a woman's body?

[Serious question.]

I think you know what I mean. Protrusions in the front of our personal selves make holding a uke the way men do impossible. Either the uke sits on top of our girls [impractical, awkward and silly] or we have to sit and wedge it between body parts to get it to sit still.

So I'm wondering...with all the luthier talent in this forum, has anyone tried to make a uke that would work with [or around] what women have, not fight against it?

what about a thin body uke?

e.g. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgoKmdsxk-M

interesting idea! not exactly what i imagined, but it could be one solution, definitely. thanks for the link!

I was at a show this weekend where a couple of women were discussing this very issue... I didn't hear much of it.

I think it is down to where you hold your uke. There is no set way - the ukulele police won't arrest you for slinging it low. Sadly, because of your anatomy whatever you do will be a compromise.

Do ladies play the Uke then?

How can they manage the time inbetween washing, irioning, cleaning, cooking, talking on the phone, and eating chocolates?.

Don't kill me I was only joking, honest, honest. I just couldn't resist saying it.

Witters said:

Do ladies play the Uke then?

How can they manage the time inbetween washing, irioning, cleaning, cooking, talking on the phone, and eating chocolates?.

Don't kill me I was only joking, honest, honest. I just couldn't resist saying it.

Click to expand...

Sorry but that ain't funny...

They do make concave backed resonators for banjos to fit mens "Pot bellies"

So pehaps. a cup shaped back may do the trick ..It's a pity "Howard Hughs"Kicked the bucket..He would have designed one.

Amy said:

[Serious question.]

I think you know what I mean. Protrusions in the front of our personal selves make holding a uke the way men do impossible. Either the uke sits on top of our girls [impractical, awkward and silly] or we have to sit and wedge it between body parts to get it to sit still.

So I'm wondering...with all the luthier talent in this forum, has anyone tried to make a uke that would work with [or around] what women have, not fight against it?

Click to expand...

I feel your pain. (Serious Response)

I have a huge pot belly and substantial man-boobs. It's far easier to play uke than a dreadnaught-sized acoustic guitar. Perhaps one of Lisa's uke thongs is the answer to both of our anatomical hindrances.

Witters said:

Do ladies play the Uke then?

How can they manage the time inbetween washing, irioning, cleaning, cooking, talking on the phone, and eating chocolates?.

Don't kill me I was only joking, honest, honest. I just couldn't resist saying it.

Click to expand...

LISAXY -- help me!!!!!!!

Although I do talk on the phone, I hate making calls. I'll talk but the other person has to call me.

casetone2514 said:

Perhaps one of Lisa's uke thongs is the answer to both of our anatomical hindrances.

Click to expand...

They really do work! That is THE ONLY way I can stand and play, otherwise it's slipping all over the place!

Also, I realized that the position I play it in while sitting has changed over the past months too - I used to prop it on top of the girls (you can see almost the entire uke in my first YT videos), but now I rest it on my lap and it seems to work better.

sukie said:

LISAXY -- help me!!!!!!!

Although I do talk on the phone, I hate making calls. I'll talk but the other person has to call me.

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LOL, oh no Sukie! Deep breaths...just take deep breaths...

I hope their wives know they talk this way!

Okay, so I've ordered 2 thongs, because 1 of anything is never enough.

But still! I don't think we should give up on this idea of accommodating boobs in uke design. There has to be a solution (and don't you think the person who starts designing and selling these things would do quite well? there are a lot of girl uke players!)

Timbuck said:

They do make concave backed resonators for banjos to fit mens "Pot bellies"

So pehaps. a cup shaped back may do the trick.

Click to expand...

That's a good idea! Would the work required to shape the wood make it insanely expensive?

I just had an odd idea. The general shape of bodies of guitars and ukuleles is wide at ends and narrow in the middle. This design is the problem, the wide parts conflict with the two "girls". Why not reverse it to fit the ladies. Narrow on the ends of the body and wider in the middle. As long as the volume of the ukulele body is about the same the sound should not suffer much.

UkeNukem said:

I just had an odd idea. The general shape of bodies of guitars and ukuleles is wide at ends and narrow in the middle. This design is the problem, the wide parts conflict with the two "girls". Why not reverse it to fit the ladies. Narrow on the ends of the body and wider in the middle. As long as the volume of the ukulele body is about the same the sound should not suffer much.

Click to expand...

I was thinking along those lines too, but it might look a bit odd. As if the player was saying "Hey, look at these!"

Electric maybe?

I think an electric Uke could be shaped how ever you wanted. Of course someone would have to do the measurments...

UkeNukem said:

I just had an odd idea. The general shape of bodies of guitars and ukuleles is wide at ends and narrow in the middle. This design is the problem, the wide parts conflict with the two "girls". Why not reverse it to fit the ladies. Narrow on the ends of the body and wider in the middle. As long as the volume of the ukulele body is about the same the sound should not suffer much.

Click to expand...

What about something like the Northern uke, but in the opposite direction? And the point would have to be rounded lest injury result.

I'm thinking that cardboard templates would help to figure out how to refine the shape until we had something that just might work -- then it could be built in wood. Of course, that doesn't have anything to do with proper acoustic principles, but that's where the luthier's knowledge comes in.

Mr Howlett -- any thoughts?

OK, a boob-friendly uke is a fair enough request. I do a lot of custom woodworking and this would be my (presumed) line of customer interview:

First up, let's say we're talking a concert instrument (because we have to pick something). How do you currently hold your instrument when playing? How would you prefer to hold your instrument? Up higher pressed against your body or lower between the lower end of a bra strap and waistline?

Are you thinking of something that has cups formed into the back or more something that has larger transition between upper and lower bout that already exists? Maybe a reshaping of the lower bout to accommodate your physicalities, something like a reversed cutaway shape with the cutaway at the upper right instead of nearer the fingerboard/lower left?

But then, if you have a custom instrument with -- uh -- boob guides , would that make you too self conscious to play? Thus defeating the purpose of a special instrument?

Seems to me that an instrument would need to be fit for a particular generic sizing of woman (M, L, XL). Or a custom instrument for a specific woman. But again it comes back to how you hold it while playing and what adjustments can be made in style and position (standing, sitting, using a strap, resting on your lap, etc.) for best fit. All players have this adventure to some degree. :wallbash:

Too late for the short answer, but here it is: I'll be happy to help you out however I can, but I think building a woman's ukulele is unnecessary. (at which time I close the notebook and move on to the next customer)

Would pineapples or Fleas work any better for female ukies?

They seem to accommodate my man-breasts - er, I mean, my massive pecs - pretty well.

Harold O. said:

OK, a boob-friendly uke is a fair enough request. I do a lot of custom woodworking and this would be my (presumed) line of customer interview:

First up, let's say we're talking a concert instrument (because we have to pick something). How do you currently hold your instrument when playing? How would you prefer to hold your instrument? Up higher pressed against your body or lower between the lower end of a bra strap and waistline?

Are you thinking of something that has cups formed into the back or more something that has larger transition between upper and lower bout that already exists? Maybe a reshaping of the lower bout to accommodate your physicalities, something like a reversed cutaway shape with the cutaway at the upper right instead of nearer the fingerboard/lower left?

But then, if you have a custom instrument with -- uh -- boob guides , would that make you too self conscious to play? Thus defeating the purpose of a special instrument?

Seems to me that an instrument would need to be fit for a particular generic sizing of woman (M, L, XL). Or a custom instrument for a specific woman. But again it comes back to how you hold it while playing and what adjustments can be made in style and position (standing, sitting, using a strap, resting on your lap, etc.) for best fit. All players have this adventure to some degree. :wallbash:

Too late for the short answer, but here it is: I'll be happy to help you out however I can, but I think building a woman's ukulele is unnecessary. (at which time I close the notebook and move on to the next customer)

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Hi, Harold! Well, I'm not thinking one uke for one woman. Unless you're a virtuoso, that seems a bit of overkill. BUT, your suggestions (I bolded the relevant paragraph above) about the reshaping options are really interesting! I think if an attractive enough functional shape were designed, it wouldn't have to accommodate cup sizes and it would appeal to a wide variety of female uke players. I mean, it would be nice if it didn't create the visual equivalent of a neon arrow pointing at the boob area that suggested "look how there is no uke here because the boob is in the way", and I imagine that to be possible. But it's not much better to sit your uke on top of your girls and play that way, either. That's pretty neon-arrowish.

(I had to do it at our jam a few weeks ago and it feels ridiculous. Like balancing a lap steel on your chest. It's just wrong.)

Am loving this discussion, btw.