Uke Jazz

[ah.clem]

Nice to see ukers here. I have played them for years. I have a soprano, concert and tenor. I use Aquila's on them but I picked up a set of D'Addario's (like Jake uses) for the tenor (my go-to uke). Haven't tried them yet, they look like they might be a bit stiff.

Someone mentioned solid wood tops and worrying about humidity. I live in a really humid part of the country and no problems over the years, and I keep my instruments on stands, not in cases. So, might give it a go.

Kala has some nice mango ukes, I played a few last summer in Honolulu. If you do decide to go mail order, I highly recommend Music Guy Mic on eBay. He also has a store in Kaneohe (I recommend going there, too); he is an excellent guy and the setups he does on ukes sent by mail is excellent. He sets the action, dresses the frets, installs Aquilias, etc. Good deal, I don't use anyone else for ukes anymore. No relation, just a very happy customer.

A good uke resource for folks just getting into the instrument is ukuleleunderground.com - Aldrian has a lot of free lessons posted there. good stuff.

[pollysurfs]

i met musicguy mike at the uke fest in nyc a few years ago, largest table of new and vintage ukes. i bought my jenny direct from bushman and my makai i got from elderly, both set up with aquilas. haven't needed to change them and no cracks, one is gloss the other matte and they both sit out of case in my home and have spent plenty of time at the beach and in my car spring, summer and fall. kiwaya makes a fine uke too a bit higher end met them there too.

[lindydanny]

MGM is who I got my tenor from. Also, he has some good deals on strings. I picked up a "sampler" of low G sets from him a while back and that's how I discovered Hilo strings. They sound great and have both a wound G and a wound C string.

~DB

[23skidoo]

Not to hijack the thread, but here are my demands......

I showed my kids the video of the little Asian kid playing uke someone posted in another thread a few weeks ago and my seven year old has been bugging me to get one ever since. They look like loads of fun, wouldn't mind getting into it myself.... any recommendations on what to get? I want to get something I wouldn't mind taking hiking, spending some time outside with, but want a real instrument, too.... maybe the $50-$100 range? Any advice is greatly appreciated.....

[mangotango]

How about this one...my concept of the sound is halfway between Charlie Christian and Alvin & the Chipmunks....Charlie Chipmunk, ha!

Ovation Gallery

SO want one of these......

[ah.clem]

Originally Posted by 23skidoo

...any recommendations on what to get?

I recommend that you don't go cheap, and you go for a tenor rather than a soprano. You will find the tenor much more comfortable to play above the 4th-5th fret. In that price range, I'd recommend a Kala mahogany tenor (around $100-$125). I've played a lot of low-end tenors, and IMO the Kala sounds better and has better fit and finish than say, Makala. I also think the Kala sounds better than the Fluke or the Ovation, but that's just my experience/opinion. Also, if it comes with GHS strings, swap them out for Aquilas right off; there is a big difference in sound with the Aquilas.

[Jazzaluk]

Get a yellow one.

"Bring Me Sunshine"

[lindydanny]

I'll second that. Go with a tenor and expect to pay about $150 to $200 for one. The two brands that I believe are the best to start with are Kala and Lanikai. Both offer great instrument value and both have excellent track records on quality and service.

I've played the Kala archtop and I'm not impressed. You can get a far better instrument for the money other places. Also, I a little biased for staying away from the Fender, Gibson, and Ovation models. I've just not played one I like.

If I had to buy one for you, I'd point you at the Kala KA-T through MGM. He will professionally set up the instrument before it leaves the shop and you will have a good instrument for noodling. As an alternative, the Lanikai LU-21T is a good fit as well. I've played it and it sound rather nice.

If you wanted to pay a little bit more, there are a lot of options in the $200 to $300 range. Kala and Lanikai are still going to be your best bet, but you can also start looking at Mainlands and Flea's. My Kala tenor has a pickup with a tuner built in, is mahogany laminate and I'll probably never need to replace it (it cost me about $250 shipped).

If you have/had one in mind that you are looking at, feel free to post it. I always like a good

~DB

P.S.: Makala is Kala's low end brand.

[23skidoo]

Thanks for the input, everyone....

Jazzaluk - love the Jive Aces video.... sometimes it seems you Brits reinterpret our popular music better than we do.....and I think my daughter would friggin love a bright yellow instrument.

lindydanny - I just pulled the trigger on the Kala tenor on e-bay. That is exactly what I was looking for.... a bit more than I was planning to pay, but after a little research and considering the reputation of the seller, I think worth the money.....

many thanks to all. My daughter has been learning some guitar, open chords and melodies for kids' songs..... I may be biased, but I think she's got a knack for it and she's a veritable sponge at this age, so the more I can throw at her to keep her interested, the better. As I said, she's really into the idea of learning the uke and has infected me with it as well.... let you know when I get the instrument.....

[pollysurfs]

nice to see this thread is alive...

the little asian kid is phenomenal, watched every video.

I recently purchased my second uke, my first a soprano, moved to a concert. they say the concert is the best of both worlds, soprano/tenor. as this is for a child, any size would work, i'd go concert, now i only have to find a concert that sounds as good as my soprano...

as far as make, these seem to be produced all in the same factory, many makes are very very similar. the lanakais are really good sounding economical ukes, almost got one but was a bit picky and patient this time around.

i love my ukes

[pollysurfs]

Originally Posted by 23skidoo

Thanks for the input, everyone....


- I just pulled the trigger on the Kala tenor on e-bay. That is exactly what I was looking for.... a bit more than I was planning to pay, but after a little research and considering the reputation of the seller, I think worth the money.....

just read this after my previous post,

i think youre gonna start playing and digging the uke, good luck, let us know

[lindydanny]

Hehehe... Another convert.

~DB

[timscarey]

Hell yeah I got Uke. It's my favorite instrument for summertime, not the song, the season.

Here are a few of my videos.....

YouTube Video

YouTube Video

I also play U-bass in a brazilian band from time to time.

[lkmuller]

Check this guy out. Hell of a guitarist too. Geez, hell of a golfer as well, lol. Benny Chong.

YouTube - Nearness of You (Live at the Palace Theater)

[Jazzaluk]

Incredible... enjoyed that immensely ... thanks for posting.

[23skidoo]

Hey guys... took awhile to get here, but I got my ukulele from Musicguymic. Apparently he's having some health issues and has closed his ebay store.... the week I placed my order. Bad timing, seems like a great guy. Took a couple of weeks to get here, but it arrived today. Great fun, my kids are already hooked.

I've checked out ukuleleunderground. Any other suggestions on where to get info for beginners? Coming from a bluegrass background, I actually am pretty used to the tuning - I play a lot of tunes capoed up on the fifth fret, but I feel like I'm playing it like a teeny guitar.... looking for ways to get a 'uke' style and sound out of it..... as if I needed more to practice..... great fun, though. Let you know how it goes.....

[lindydanny]

Yeah, it's sad what's going on with him. MGM has been such a great resource for the ukulele community. His service will be missed.

Like you said, it's the same as capoing the fifth fret. I generally just attack it from that point of view.

I like this guys insights: ukulelesecrets They're pretty good.

~DB

[mangotango]

As a birthday (next Wednesday) treat, last night Mrs. Mango took me out to see the Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain. Absolutely brilliant. If you haven't heard them, check them out on YouTube. 8 people with ukuleles of various assorted sizes, though I have a sneaking suspicion that "Bass Ukulele" is an acoustic bass guitar in disguise.... All of them sing as well, and it's a potent mix.

The first set started with Tiger Rag, then Silver Machine (yep, the Hawkwind song), then Anarchy In The UK (yep, the Sex Pistols song).....you can see where this is going, maybe; except that they also threw in little items like Saint-Saens' "Danse Macabre" and the Theme from "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly", the latter complete with whistling and massed vocals in true spaghetti western style. And ukes.

Great night out with the humble uke in the hands of some excellent and creative players. If you have chance to see them, I urge you to do so.

[Stackabones]

Originally Posted by 23skidoo

Hey guys... took awhile to get here, but I got my ukulele from Musicguymic. Apparently he's having some health issues and has closed his ebay store.... the week I placed my order. Bad timing, seems like a great guy. Took a couple of weeks to get here, but it arrived today. Great fun, my kids are already hooked.

I've checked out ukuleleunderground. Any other suggestions on where to get info for beginners? Coming from a bluegrass background, I actually am pretty used to the tuning - I play a lot of tunes capoed up on the fifth fret, but I feel like I'm playing it like a teeny guitar.... looking for ways to get a 'uke' style and sound out of it..... as if I needed more to practice..... great fun, though. Let you know how it goes.....

Yeah, too bad to see MGM go. Great guy and great store.

You'll get used to the size eventually. Just hang in there.

Originally Posted by mangotango

As a birthday (next Wednesday) treat, last night Mrs. Mango took me out to see the Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain. Absolutely brilliant. If you haven't heard them, check them out on YouTube. 8 people with ukuleles of various assorted sizes, though I have a sneaking suspicion that "Bass Ukulele" is an acoustic bass guitar in disguise.... All of them sing as well, and it's a potent mix.

The first set started with Tiger Rag, then Silver Machine (yep, the Hawkwind song), then Anarchy In The UK (yep, the Sex Pistols song).....you can see where this is going, maybe; except that they also threw in little items like Saint-Saens' "Danse Macabre" and the Theme from "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly", the latter complete with whistling and massed vocals in true spaghetti western style. And ukes.

Great night out with the humble uke in the hands of some excellent and creative players. If you have chance to see them, I urge you to do so.

That sounds like a great evening. Bass uke! I know Kala a model out, but I'm pretty sure that's not what you're talking about.

[Al.]

...and then there's James Hill:

James Hill - One Note Samba - YouTube

[Al.]

Feelin" Groovy for Guitalele; Ken Karsh's first guitalele video - YouTube