Jack Rickenbach pointed us to these photos of an art ukulele that he commissioned from artist Peter Cree. It's eye-popping in and of itself, but if you really want to blow your mind, check out more of Peter's work on his site. And here's the thing, Peter's technique and materials may actually improve the sound of the instrument:"A great acoustic finish is thin and vibrates in harmony with the soundboard of the instrument. As an artist and musician, I brought image and sound together by working directly on the surface/skin of stringed instruments. Most refer to them as painted guitars or violins but I don't use paint, which would deaden the sound. More accurately, I use a pigmented nitrocellulose finish with an average thickness of 2 to 4 microns - often thinner than a factory finish. The result - my lacquered .instruments have uncompromised sound quality.Thanks, Jack!Before I started producing these innovative decorative finishes, acoustic players had limited choice of traditional unimaginative finishes - matte, gloss or sunburst. Now you can get art and a high performance finish that defies tradition and offers a gorgeous instrument with dynamic visual impact - plus excellent tone and volume."
3 comments:
Thank You Jack and Gary for posting this. I am a true lover of all stringed instruments and kinda new to Ukes. However, another instrument to obsess over is part of the great fun in life.
One technical correction is I've gone to shellac as my medium. Far easier to do and repair and the cost is cut in half.
Currently we are revamping the web-site with new lower pricing and pics of more instruments.
Cheers,
Peter Cree
Very cool-So this could be a refinish option on a vintage with an ugly top?... Ukester Brown
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