Ideas for binding on a Tiger Myrtle uke

[kiwigeo]

Ok I'm starting work on a tenor uke for my sister. Top will be bear claw sitka and back and sides will be tiger myrtle. Neck will be honduras mahogany salvaged from a failed steel string neck.

Looking at a few other builds the consensus seems to be that binding options are limited to ebony or tiger myrtle.

Any comments from the uke meisters?

[graham mcdonald]

Ivoroid looks very stylish against tiger myrtle, with a subtle line of black between the binding and the soundboard. I know the current fashion is to sneer at celluloid, but it was the bee's knees 100 years ago. The marvelous modern material and all that.

cheers

[kiwigeo]

Thanks Graham.

[Allen]

Not much goes with Tiger Myrtle except Black, and itself in my experience. But to be honest I haven't tried ivoroid or tortoise shell patterns. That might work as well.

[MattW]

If you matched the fretboard, bridge and binding woods so they all matched it wouldn't look out of place, if the colour tone worked with the myrtle. So rosewood, ebony, wandoo, ironwood etc. would work.

[Kim]

Some nice plain dark mahogany would look pretty good I reckon, especially with the mahogany neck.

[kiwigeo]

Ebony lights my fire...black is my favourite colour.

Thanks for all the suggestions guys...will pull out a few different bindings tomorrow and have a bit of a test layout session.

[Kim]

Quite frankly, ebony and black plastic are all but impossible to tell apart under a finish but plastic can be fit in just one hit right around a guitar, you could probably do a full uke, top and back, with 1 x $4 strip.

If your a purist and cringe, then think about this. If you remove looks from the equation and only focus on function, bindings are only there for two reasons, to seal end grain and protect the edge from knocks and bumps on the edge of the instrument. Plasitic does a better job than wood at both of these things 'and' if we get back to appearance, it also creams ebony if you are after a nice even black.

Seriously, if one can allow themselves to get over that pretentious "buts it not proper wood" phobia, then black plastic bindings are the very best thing you could possibly use when you after that nice clean classy all black bindings look which so cleverly avoids detracting from the statement of the back and sides material.

Cheers

Kim

[Allen]

I use the black plastic on the ukes for the binding. I can't quite get one piece to do both the top and back in one go, but a concert would be easy. The heel cap is ebony on mine and there is just no way to tell the difference between the two.

[Dennis Leahy]

Here are some attempts to visualize a non-ebony binding that will look great against Tiger Myrtle, without competing:

Deep blood-orange:
Chakte Viga http://www.globalwoodsource.com/chakte_viga_lumber


White:
Holly


Dark brown:
(unfigured, dark) Snakewood
Gidgee
Chechen http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_i1ehG2TUAbw/T ... en+006.jpg

Dennis

[kiwigeo]

Hey Dennis, how the hell are you??!!

Thanks for your valued input into the thread.... much appreciated.

Have a great Christmas and a prosperous New Year mate

Cheers Martin

[Dennis Leahy]

Hi Martin, well, it will take a few beers or coffees to say how the hell I am, but so far, still alive and well and pushing forward.

My very best to you and your family for a great Christmas!

Dennis