Ukulele Guy

Two weeks ago I was running pretty much ragged with work and family visiting, etc.   I pretty much didn't know which direction I was headed.  But, sometime during the two weeks window of insanity, I had the clarity of mind to order some new Aquila Ukulele Strings and then pack them into my ukulele case (for my Lanikai CK-TEQ).  Then I surprised myself even further by remembering to pack my Ukulele and my flipVideo when I had to leave town for a week-long job.  Long story short?  I had new strings and the means to make a before and after video in my lonely hotel room.  Boo-yah!

Hopefully you can tell a difference from that video, but I think it's definitely more clear during the single note stuff.  On the Aquila Strings it's just so much more percussive and it really rings out.  I'm totally loving these strings!

I mention Musicguymic in this video.  He's a big eBay seller and I would consider him a great resource for any ukulele-related purchase.  Hell, he's got almost 600 ukulele-related items up for auction right now.  I'll include a few sample items at the bottom of this post, or you can check out Musicguymic's eBay Store.

I was going to make a video showing everyone how to string their Ukulele, but I'm not a big fan of re-inventing the wheel and Aldrine from UkuleleUnderground.com already made this great video:

So, if you need to re-string your uke (and if it's been so long since you've done it that you can't remember, then it's time), I would highly recommend Aquila strings!

As promised, here's some listings from Musicguymic!

So, @MandolinChick on Twitter turned me onto this cool handmade ukulele gigbag that she made.  It's pretty rad so I wanted to let everyone know about it.  If you aren't already following @MandolinChick, then you probably should be.  I'm pretty sure she plays Mandolin, Ukulele, Penny Whistle and probably something else as well.  She's also into sewing and whatnot.  I'm pretty sure I've seen that she's made Penny Whistle cases besides this cool Uke case.  I'm sure there is more as well.  Check out the fabric on the Uke Gigbag, it's pretty rockin!

Handmade Ukulele Gig Bag

Here are some notes from the auction:

Handcrafted by me,this soprano Ukulele gigbag has velcro closure "buttons" spaced along the top. Fully lined with a groovin small zebra print fabric-entire gigbag is 100% cotton made in the USA. It's padded on both sides with batting. Reinforced handles you can carry with confidence.

Um... did that say Zebra print on the inside?  RAD!

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So, I had an e-mail this morning from a person looking for an 8-string Tenor Ukulele. They weren't having an easy time searching my site for such a uke. Well, I could see why. I pretty much just list Ukuleles by Brand. That is... I did. Until today!

So, now if you are looking to buy (or maybe just look at some pretty pictures of) different types and sizes of Ukuleles, then check out these new sections on the site.

• 6 String Ukuleles
• 8 String Ukuleles
• Pocket  Ukuleles
• Concert Ukuleles
• Soprano Ukuleles
• Tenor Ukuleles
• Baritone Ukuleles
• Electric Ukuleles
• Banjo Ukuleles

Let me know if you think I'm missing a section.  I actually created a section for Tiple Ukuleles as well, but there was only one listed, so I didn't add that to the my Navigation on the side.  So, if you are looking for a new Ukulele, hopefully this makes your quest even easier.

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I've been waiting for the Kala Pocket Ukulele to make its appearance "in the wild", so to speak, for a few weeks now.  If you recall, Kala sent me the Acacia model to test and review and I freaking love it.  It's adorable, beautifully made and it sounds fantastic!  But, I've been getting a lot of questions like "Where can I get one?",  "How much will they cost?" and so on.  I had originally heard that list on the Mahogany was going to be around $299 and list on the Acacia was $399.  Yup, don't let the size fool you.  These are beautiful, high quality instruments... they just happen to be teenie tiny.

The first place that I heard about the Kala Pocket Ukulele was Easy Music Center.  I don't see a notice on their site that they have them for sale, yet, but it might be worthwhile contacting them.  (UPDATE: They do have them at Easy Music Center!  In fact, you can even see them in the picture below.  Peter, said if you are interested to just e-mail him at admin@EasyMusicCenter.com and he'll hook you up!  Make sure and remember to mention Ukulele Guy to get the good deal.)  Besides, wouldn't you want to buy a Ukulele from a store that has the WALL OF UKULELES [tm]!   Check it out:

Easy Music Center's "Wall of Ukuleles"

But, for those of you who just can't wait, I have seen a few of these beauties popping up on eBay.  So, here's what's currently out there right now.  Good luck!

Best Match Items Ending First Newly-Listed Items First Price + Shipping: Lowest First Price + Shipping: Highest First

kala spalted maple spruce pocket uke ukulele with gig bag $228.00 Time Remaining: 1d 10h 24m Buy It Now for only: $228.00

Kala All Spalted Maple Pocket Uke w custom gigbag setup Free Shipping $229.00 Time Remaining: 4d 9h 7m Buy It Now for only: $229.00

NEW KALA PORTABLE POCKET KA PU SSFM SOPRANISSIMO UKULELE UKE UKELELE w CASE $228.00 Time Remaining: 4d 22h 33m Buy It Now for only: $228.00

Kala KA PU SSFM Solid Spruce Flame Maple Pocket Ukulele $228.00 Time Remaining: 4d 22h 37m Buy It Now for only: $228.00

Brand NEW Kala KA PU SSFM Solid Spruce Flame Maple Pocket Ukulele w Bag $212.00 Time Remaining: 14d 12h 14m Buy It Now for only: $212.00

KALA KA PU SSFM Flame Maple w Solid Spruce Top POCKET Ukulele w Bag $228.00 Time Remaining: 16d 22h 33m Buy It Now for only: $228.00

KALA KA PU SSFM POCKET UKULELE FLAME MAPLE TOP w Bag FREE SHIP $228.00 Time Remaining: 21d 37m Buy It Now for only: $228.00

KALA KA PU SSFM SOLID SPRUCE FLAME MAPLE POCKET UKULELE $228.00 Time Remaining: 24d 1h 38m Buy It Now for only: $228.00

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Well, it's been awhile since I've done this and I'm not exactly sure why. So, here we go!

Today, I was perusing eBay looking for Banjolele deals or just something weird and ukulele-related when I discovered this Tin Can Ukulele (currently only $1!)

Here's a picture of this little beauty.

Tin Can Ukulele

It seems like something that a goat would be playing in an old cartoon.  You know, playing his tin can ukulele, chewing tobacco and whatnot.  Heh.  I'm sort of cracking myself up just thinking about it.

Oh, but wait!  I forgot the best part.  It's electric!  Yup, it's got a K+K pickup in it, so you can plug it into your amp and melt faces, should you so wish.  Here's some details that I grabbed from the auction listing:

Neck- Honduras Mahogany
Fingerboard- Rosewood
Headplate- Spalted Sycamore
Bridge- Maple
Nut- Maple
Pickup- K+K Hotspot
Tuners- Gotoh friction tuners

Happy bidding!

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So, @RabbitRemix was asking me, on Twitter, how to tune their 6-stringed ukulele.  At first I thought we were talking about a Tiple or maybe one of those Ukes where the A and C strings are doubled in octave or something.  But, no, there weren't any doubled strings.  So, then I started thinking, "Umm.. are we just talking about a small guitar?"  Turns out, we aren't, I'd just never heard of it.

Yamaha's is calling their GL-1 a Guitalele.  And, from what I can see, it's basically like a ukulele (only with a low G, instead of a high G string) and then you add an A and D string on there.  Or, to make it less complicated, take your normal guitar and then pop a capo on the fifth fret.  So, your open D chord (just how you play it on guitar) would actually be a G chord on the Guitalele.

It's funny because when musicians (who aren't familiar with Ukulele) ask me how a Uke is tuned, I always say, "Imagine your guitar, now pop a capo on the fifth fret and pull off your E and A string."  Well, this is like another hybrid of that.

But, all I really know is that I NEED ONE.  I can't find them on Amazon or Musician's Friend right now, but I've listed some eBay auctions below that show some off.

It looks like it has 18 frets and it's built to a 17" scale.  Oh yeah, and it's cute as all hell.

Best Match Items Ending First Newly-Listed Items First Price + Shipping: Lowest First Price + Shipping: Highest First

Yamaha GL1 Guitalele $99.99 Time Remaining: 18h 53m Buy It Now for only: $99.99

Yamaha GL 1 Guitalele 6 String Guitar Ukelele Natural Finish $99.99 Time Remaining: 22h 5m Buy It Now for only: $99.99

Yamaha GL1 Guitalele Gig Bag DAddario Strings Travel Backpack Ukelele $90.00 Time Remaining: 4d 1h 16m Buy It Now for only: $100.00

Yamaha GL 1 Guitalele 6 String Guitar Ukulele $99.99 Time Remaining: 5d 4h 35m Buy It Now for only: $99.99

Yamaha GL1 Guitalele Guitar Ukulele Hybrid Uke COMPLETE GUITAR BUNDLE $129.99 Time Remaining: 13d 48m Buy It Now for only: $129.99

Yamaha GL1 Guitar Ukulele Guitalele New In Stock $99.99 Time Remaining: 16d 23h 22m Buy It Now for only: $99.99

Yamaha GL1 Guitalele Ukulele $99.99 Time Remaining: 20d 22h 12m Buy It Now for only: $99.99

Yamaha GL1 Guitalele Guitar Ukulele Hybrid Uke NEW $99.99 Time Remaining: 26d 22h 36m Buy It Now for only: $99.99

Yamaha GL1 Guitalele Guitar Ukulele Hybrid Uke GUITAR ESSENTIAL BUNDLE $104.99 Time Remaining: 27d 4h 18m Buy It Now for only: $104.99

NEW Yamaha Guitalele Ukulele GL1 GL 1 guitarlele +BAG $92.50 Time Remaining: 28d 13h 26m Buy It Now for only: $92.50

Yamaha GL1 Guitalele Guitar Ukulele $99.99 Time Remaining: 29d 21h 52m Buy It Now for only: $99.99

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Well, my Eleuke arrived on Friday and I've been as giddy as a schoolgirl ever since.  For those for those of you who don't know what an Eleuke is (shame on you, you mean you aren't hanging on my every word?) check out my "Everybody, meet Eleuke (and a rad Pedro da Silva video)" post.  I imagine that this will be the first of several videos talking about the Eleuke and showcasing what it sounds like.

I was in such a rush to do this video that I didn't even leave my office.  The down side to that is that the only amp I have in my office is a wimpy little guy, but it'll give you an idea anyway.  Tomorrow I'll run the Eleuke through my Fender SuperAmp and various pedals (Electric Mistress, Marshall Guv'ner, etc.)  Maybe I can even run through a song with my Heavy New Wave band, Volumen.  I'm thinking Misfits (Maybe Halloween?), but we'll see what I can talk them into.

Anyway, on to the Eleuke itself.  This is the model that I have in my grubby little mits:

Eleuke Solid Body Electric Ukulele Concert MP3 - Blue CCK100BL-MP3

Just holding the Eleuke is pretty soothing for some reason.  I think I am so used to playing Electric Guitar that the smaller body and weight of an electric instrument feels more natural to me.  So, if you spend more time on Electric Guitar than you do on Acoustic, then you might have a similar experience with this Electric Ukulele.

I have to say that I'm pretty impressed with the Eleuke, overall.  Sure, It's the first solid body electric ukulele that I've played, but to be honest, there aren't really that many of them out there.  It's well constructed, sounds great and the design is really interesting.  It's also hard to believe that it's only $220.  That seems like a scream of a deal.  Anyway, enough of my jawing.  Here's the first of what I hope to be a long string of videos showcasing this little number.

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You might remember, from my January 18th post "Luna Tattoo Pineapple Soprano Ukulele (it’s new to me)", that I seemed a little surprised by Luna Ukuleles.  Basically, I was a little stunned that something as cool as their Polynesian tattoo and floral designs had snuck right on by me.  Well, I'm not feeling so flabbergasted now.  Today I was contacted by Yvonne at Luna and that was apparently their first ukulele shipment.  I think they've been making primarily guitars up until this first Uke foray.  I asked about possibly reviewing one of these beautiful ukuleles but Yvonne informed that their first just flew out the door.  So that seems like a good sign for their first effort.  If you want to learn more about Luna, you can check out their website at www.lunaguitars.com.  The Ukuleles are listed under Acoustics.  You can also take a look at this neat flash animation that shows off their line of ukes (in exotic locations, no less).  Yvonne tells me that they expect their next shipment around March 15th, so I might be able to get my hands on one around that time.  If I do, you know I'll post a video/review so everyone can take a look and listen at these ukes.

Oh yeah, and I created a Luna Ukulele section on my site as well, where you can buy their guitars.

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So, as you might have noticed this morning, if you follow me on Twitter that is, I discovered a rad little solid body electric ukulele.  Or, that is to say, I discovered a whole bunch of them made by EleukeUSA.  Frankly, I was a little embarrassed that I hadn't discovered them much earlier.  Especially considering that they sell them on Amazon and, again, if you follow me on Twitter you will know that I'm obsessed with tweeting random Amazon ukulele-related items.  (Ukulele Salad Tongs anyone?)

Anyway, I've talked with the good folks at EleukeUSA and they are going to send me one to test drive!  I think I'm getting the K-Series Blue Ukulele.  Here's a picture of this little beauty:

Eleuke Solid Body Electric Ukulele Concert MP3 - Blue CCK100BL-MP3

They have quite a few styles available, though, check out all of Eleuke's Solid Body Electric Ukuleles on Amazon. Another one that really dig the look of, is the Eleuke Mahogany Electric Uke.  It looks like something that Les Claypool would play (that is, if he played  Ukulele).  Here's a picture:

Eleuke MP3 Solid Magogany Concert Solid Body Electric Ukulele

I know what you are thinking, though?  What does a $200-250 electric  ukulele sound like?  Well, here's an answer, in video form.  This is Pedro da Silva pretty much melting faces with an Eleuke (Mahogany, I think?).

When I get my hands on my Blue K-Series, I'll definitely make some videos for everyone to check out. Don't expect such proficient wizardry as Pedro, though. But, I think I will test drive it through my Fender SuperAmp and all of the effects pedals I use when I play guitar in my Heavy New Wave band. So, that'll be fun! It will surely be my loudest video to date, anyway.

Anyway, expect more posts about Eleuke in the coming days.  I'm pretty intrigued by the MP3 input on the Uke.  I'm trying to think of weird ways in which to make use of that.  So, hopefully I'll have it figured out by the time I test drive it.

Here's more information for those who are interested.

EleukeUSA Website: http://www.eleukeusa.com
EleukeUSA Twitter: http://twitter.com/eleuke
EleukeUSA Facebook: http://facebook.com/eleuke

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So, I was randomly surfing Amazon to see if there were any new Ukuleles available when I found a "Luna Tattoo Pineapple 21 Inch Soprano Ukulele".  Huh?  After the Kala Pocket Ukulele snuck by me earlier today I was feeling a little disheartened to see this purty uke.  Mainly because I hadn't really heard of Luna before.  Dang.  I must be losing my edge (assuming I ever had one, I guess).  Take a look and see what I mean by purty:

Luna Tattoo Pineapple 21 Inch Soprano Ukulele

According to the Amazon detail, this ukulele is made of Mahogany and the Polynesian Tattoo design on the body and fret markers was laser-etched on there.  It's got Aquila Strings on there and triangle inlays.  I mean, I'm a little surprised that it's only $69.  It's freaking gorgeous!  Also, if you are one of those giant Samoan guys who is covered in those rad tattoos, then think how great it will be to have a Uke that matches YOU!  Heh.  Ok, I can only dream that giant Samoan Tattooed guys are reading my blog.  Some day, man... some day.

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