Hand Crafted "Cat's Eye" Ukulele, Soprano

NOTE: My goimagine shop is "under construction." Check back in a few days for further info, and product offerings!WHAT IS A UKULELE? A "Miniature Guitar," RIGHT? NOT NECESSARILY!Often you hear the ukulele referred to as a small type of guitar, even tho it is very different than a guitar musically.  And just as importantly, the ukulele has had its own unique and remarkable history, independent of the guitar, as the focus of a popular worldwide movement for over a century now. Ukulele mania has had its ups and downs, but it has never gone away over the years. The uke has a sort of charisma all its own, and to this day ukulele enthusiasts of all abilities love and cherish their instrument in a special way, like no other musical "fan base." While it's true the great majority of ukuleles on the market are built to look like mini guitars (from the basic figure-8 body shape to decorative details), it is also true that ALTERNATIVE forms of the ukulele have arisen over time and found acceptance in the ukulele community--the famous Pineapple ukulele, the Bell ukulele , and the Flea and Fluke, to name a few--not to speak of all the wild and wacky just-for-fun “novelty” ukes fancifully shaped like airplanes, mermaids, Christmas trees, or you name it). At Dave's Extravagant Ukuleles, I build only alternative types of ukes, from original designs of my own, and also adaptations of classic "alt ukes" like the Pineapple. I make stock items for sale, and also take custom orders that can incorporate a player's personal preferences and even basic design concepts. I call my ukuleles alternative mainly because they do not look like small guitars.   Some of my building methods and materials are also unconventional:*The sides of my ukes are not made of thin bent wood like guitar-type ukes, but are band-sawn to achieve alternative shapes.*The necks are straight, without the taper from the body to the nut.*My ukes are made entirely of reclaimed wood from old Michigan barns and other local sources.While the standard type of ukulele is primarily a traditional craft product, the alternative ukulele is by its nature a work of art, and I do my work based on this understanding--all the while recognizing that designing any musical instrument must above all pay heed to the art that the instrument serves--music, and the user the instrument serves--the player. So a player considering an alternative ukulele might well ask, "How does it sound?" The answer is, the sound of any stringed instrument will be affected by its overall shape and other factors like materials and construction--but the bottom line on this issue is, a ukulele does not need to mimic the form of a guitar in order to have fine musical qualities.my practice I have re-discovered what builders and players in the 1920s discovered in the first flourishing of alternative uke types: