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I am stuck at a point in the build, and I can't really progress until I have this thought out since it isn't possible to retrofit a uke with rosettes.

I am at a loss as to what to use for rosettes on the uke I am building. I want something simple but effective, as in I really don't need anything elaborate or requiring extensive routing/inlaying but it just needs to be there... was thinking of simply routing a channel and putting purflings inside... what do you think? The top is Western Red Cedar.

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

I'll be interested in the responses you get; I hope to soon start a pair of tenors and am struggling with this question too. One will be a softwood top and the other hardwood. On one hand, I like the inlaid burl or other wood rossettes, but I fear they might be too much or not work on such a small scale. On the other hand, I like the simple venerable line (maybe a narrow pattern line too), but I don't want it to look too much like all the factory ukes you see all over.

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

Tai Fu
The zip flex strips in .047 work amazingly well. Maybe one of the members would be willing to sell you one strip. Look up my latest post for a pic of what it looks like.
Tracy

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Tracy
http://www.luthiersuppliers.com

Here is the link: viewtopic.php?t=38975

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Tracy
http://www.luthiersuppliers.com

Many of the high end ukuleles have no rosette. Check out the Koaloha ukulele site.

I have never used a rosette on any of my ukuleles, maybe I am just lazy, but I consider them a lot of work to make the instrument look "pretty". "Pretty" may be profitable for the pro's but I am more involved with tone.

Bob

Rosettes also seal the end grain, which helps to minimize possibilities of cracks.

Actually, on a hard wood top like Koa it is not necessary, but on softwoods like cedar and Sitka it is a structural issue. The sound hole could split in dry climates and the rosette is used to add support and stop splitting of the end grain.

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Tracy
http://www.luthiersuppliers.com

Zipflex would indeed be great, because it has built in super-fine black purfling, which would probably look great at uke size.

Burl ring bordered by fine black/white/black purfling is my favorite as far as quick and easy rosettes go, but maybe just one line of purfling for uke size. For a koa top, maybe either maple burl with black or rosewood border, or walnut burl with maple border.

But to my eye, even a burl ring looks like a blank canvas waiting to have some imagery added to it I'm pretty sure I'm the only one, though.

I used purfling for mine.
2 bwb together (easier to bend)
Here is how it look

Nope, I like unique rosettes too! To me it is one of the the most important visual aspects of the guitar (or uke). Without one, it would look unfinished IMO.
This is definitely not simple, but this is what I've just done on my piccolo guitar (just a bit bigger than a uke):

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"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."
Pablo Picasso

https://www.facebook.com/FenskeGuitars

Simple, understated is best. Zipflex with maple purfling strips.

Nice work Pete.

Any style or material you would use for a guitar will work for a ukulele. Just make sure it is in proportion to the sound hole and the top area. For my tastes, large, complex rosettes look odd to me on a uke. No rosette is too boring.

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Kevin Mason
Mason Guitars and Ukuleles on Facebook
http://masonguitars.net

Here's one I did on a concert uke. Just some marquetry purfling that I bent into a ring using a clothes iron, and a b/w/b ring. It wasn't too hard to do and I still like it

Looks Nike Kevin, that's a lot like what I was thinking. BTW, I hanen't forgotten about you, things just got really hectic here.

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

I've always wondered how to bend something sideways because when I bend them on a bending iron they would fall apart or bend in the wrong direction...

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

Kevin - that's a mighty handsome uke!