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Growing up, I had a friend who was a wonderful musician. Ever since I started building instruments, making him a ukulele has been on my to do list for when I'm good enough. Well, this week, he had a kidney transplant, so the plan has been modified. Now I'd like to make a matched pair for him and his brother / donor.

So, I'm to the point where I make a pretty decent instrument, but I'm not much for design ideas.

I think obviously, it needs to have bloodwood bindings, but beyond that I'm open to suggestions. WOuld the fretboard and bridge take away from it? I've got to go dig around in that end of the basement, but I think I've got some mahogany B/S sets and maybe some port orford tops. I decided a kidney shaped pineapple uke would be a little too weird.

Thanks for any ideas.

Mike

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Mike Lindstrom

This is a really nice thing you are doing. I just did an OM with bloodwood bindings and a bloodwood fretboard. THe top, back and sides are koa. The koa looks really good to me with the bloodwood bindings and fretboard. Were you looking for suggestions for everything but the binding? Take a look at the OM I built:
This picture shows off the bindings with the bloodwood really well:


Here is the thread for that guitar:

http://luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=31919

If you are set on bloodwood bindings, you probably want to use a lighter colored wood for the body of the uke to make it show up nicely. Koa plays well with BW.

Good luck with this project. I am sure the brothers who get them will really be pleased!

Tony

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http://www.CostaGuitars.com
PMoMC

I'm not set on the bindings. It just seemed like the obvious choice. And I'll take advice from anyone about anything.
Mike

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Mike Lindstrom

Just two thoughts off the top of my head:

1) Kidney shaped sound holes?
2) You could pick two woods that would be appropriate materials for all parts and appointments (other than the sound board). Cut the two tops from the same piece of wood (making them brothers of sorts). Then do the rest of the components in the opposite wood from the other (so they are the same, but different and together complete). For example (insert any woods of choice I'll use Quartersawn sycamore and walnut because I had considered doing a similar project with a parlor guitar and mando):

Uke 1-
sycamore back, sides and neck (center) lamination with walnut bindings, fretboard, neck and bridge.

Uke 2-
Walnut back, sides and neck (center) lamination with sycamore bindings, fretboard, neck and bridge.

You can carry it further if you wish with opposite FB binding, peg-head veneers, rosettes. . .

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

A little over a year ago my 15 year old son had a kidney transplant that was made necessary by an auto immune disease called Wegener's disease. One thing I can speak to is that he doesn't like being remembered as someone who had a kidney transplant. He just wanted to get back to being a normal kid.

My point here is that your gesture of building these folks a uke is wonderful and I'm sure anything you make for them will be cherished and appreciated. It doesn't have to be kidney shaped and I'm sure they could be identical. If you want to employ the kidney into the uke maybe you could carve or scroll cut them and put them inside the sound hole.

Just a suggestion and tip of the cap goes to you for being such a great friend and your act of kindness.

Marc

Thanks for the ideas. I especially like that idea about the mismatches paired woods, Brayn. What's the word for that? It's not mirrored. Checker board sort of conveys the idea, but in a confusing way.

And Marc - Thanks for making that point about people maybe not wanting this to define them. I know that can be huge for some people, though it doesn't apply to my friend. This is his second transplant. He upgraded his liver in his early 20's and embraces it every day. Maybe I could inlay replicas of all the scars?

But really, now that I've had time to mull it over and come to my senses, I'm thinking any references will be more subtle, and it's really more about the bond between the pair.

Well, I've got another project to get off the bench before I can start them. I better get busy.

Mike

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Mike Lindstrom

Make sure to update us when you are done.

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.