Black and White Ebony Ukulele - Custom Build-Sold
Here’s a peek at the latest Black and White Ebony Ukulele.
Black and White Ebony Ukulele.
The Woods
Body: Asian Black and White Ebony with India Rosewood laminate sides. My client and provider of this wood requested laminate sides for this instrument. “Laminate” might be considered a bad word by some but if you want strength and stability then lamination is the way to go. There are a few very high-end guitar builders that only construct with laminate sides and some are experimenting with laminate tops and backs as well to improve performance. Personally, I think it’s a bit overkill for the ukulele. I do think the lamination process might be appropriate for some or the most wildly figured and unstable woods.
Asian Black and White Ebony back and sides.
Sound Board: bearclaw Swiss Moon Spruce. Bracing is Adirondak Spruce. Black and white ebony rosette.
Bearclaw Swiss Moon Spruce.,
Neck: Curly Western Maple with carbon tone bar. I don’t like to stain wood (black ) so I went natural here. Sanded finish.
Curly western maple neck.
Accent woods: Black and White Ebony.
Black and white ebony accents.
Finger Board and Bridge: African Ebony. Originally, I considered black and white ebony but thought that might have been a touch overkill.
The Rest of the Build
Binding and Purfling: Ebonite with Maple/black fiber.
Nut and Saddle: deer antler. This material is a bit more dense than my usual unbleached bone and probably adds a touch to the brightness of this instrument.
Strings: Pepe Romero flourocarbon with wound low “G”.
Tuners: Gotoh UPT in black.
Case: Crossrock fiberglass.
And
Very bright and precise. I would expect this result with the hard and reflective interior surfaces. The use of Swiss Spruce might have even cooled it off a bit. It’s a touch heavier than my standard builds with the double sides, maple neck and dense ebony wood although that doesn’t seem to be an issue when playing. Not only does a Black and White Ukulele look good but sounds good as well.
