Ukulele Disaster
About five months ago Mike DaSilva gave Sophia an Islander to use to learn to play the Uke with me. Islanders are antique plastic Ukes from the 50s, that were unusually well made - they are plastic, but not toys. The instrument he sent was in really excellent condition. He is a really great guy, and makes really excellent ukes as well. One day far from now when I have the cash to spend on a hand made Uke, I am definitely buying a DaSilva. Anyhow, we have been playing it, and enjoying it a great deal. It has a fun plinky tone, and plays really nicely. It is nice enough that I take it to work with me sometimes to play in the cube as I sit watching computers running endless scripts.
Today I took it to work in a gig bag, then came home early, set the in the bag against the wall next to the garage door in the kitchen.
Cowboy, our dog, is unusually bright, and also unusually clumsy. Nerd dog.
At one point he wandered along and knocked over the Uke. I heard it, but was struggling to get info about what the kids wanted for dinner, and distractions can draw this out for hours. Since it was in a padded bag I wasn't too worried.
Unfortunately Sophie ran over to the pantry to look for items to eat and stepped on the Uke, which make an unpleasant crack.
I opened up the gig bag, and the Uke had cracked across the head a few millimeters above the nut. It was a pretty straight crack which didn't go near any of the pegs. The crack didn't separate the instrument into two pieces completely (at first), but it was hanging by a thread. Sophie was crying a great deal by this point, since she really loved the instrument, and understood that it was an antique, and not something you can just walk into a store and buy.
So I am seeing if I can get it back together. I glued it with model glue, and it fit cleanly, and then used a heated nail to flatten out the plastic that was sticking up over the crack edge in spots. After I glued it, I though about putting a rod in the neck (it is hollow), but it's too late for that now. Dang. I am thinking that maybe I could put a strip of metal over the crack, glue that down to add more sturdiness, and see if maybe it might hold under the tension so long as I kept it tuned to C and didn't use Nylguts (which seem to have a bit more tension). The crack is high enough that I think it shouldn't interfere with playing, and it is above the nut, so I don't think it shouldn't affect intonation.
Alas, it is awful. Sophie is very upset. I hope it manages to hold together.
Today I took it to work in a gig bag, then came home early, set the in the bag against the wall next to the garage door in the kitchen.
Cowboy, our dog, is unusually bright, and also unusually clumsy. Nerd dog.
At one point he wandered along and knocked over the Uke. I heard it, but was struggling to get info about what the kids wanted for dinner, and distractions can draw this out for hours. Since it was in a padded bag I wasn't too worried.
Unfortunately Sophie ran over to the pantry to look for items to eat and stepped on the Uke, which make an unpleasant crack.
I opened up the gig bag, and the Uke had cracked across the head a few millimeters above the nut. It was a pretty straight crack which didn't go near any of the pegs. The crack didn't separate the instrument into two pieces completely (at first), but it was hanging by a thread. Sophie was crying a great deal by this point, since she really loved the instrument, and understood that it was an antique, and not something you can just walk into a store and buy.
So I am seeing if I can get it back together. I glued it with model glue, and it fit cleanly, and then used a heated nail to flatten out the plastic that was sticking up over the crack edge in spots. After I glued it, I though about putting a rod in the neck (it is hollow), but it's too late for that now. Dang. I am thinking that maybe I could put a strip of metal over the crack, glue that down to add more sturdiness, and see if maybe it might hold under the tension so long as I kept it tuned to C and didn't use Nylguts (which seem to have a bit more tension). The crack is high enough that I think it shouldn't interfere with playing, and it is above the nut, so I don't think it shouldn't affect intonation.
Alas, it is awful. Sophie is very upset. I hope it manages to hold together.
posted by Steven Bach at 6:43 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home