Category: Ukulele News

aNueNue Concert Banjo Ukulele (it rules)

Well, after my broken string problem yesterday (NOTE: you should probably triple knot your strings before you slip them through the tailpiece on these bad boys) I got this baby tuned up last night and then I ended up drinking wine, playing banjolele and singing too loud until about 1am.  That would have been fine and dandy but my wife is out of town and I have both the boys.  So, 7am came earlier than I remembered this morning.  But blurry-eyed and happy, I still managed to get food in them, make a lunch and get them to school and Grandma's house (respectively).

To celebrate, over lunch, I made some videos with my new favorite possession.  First off, I once again want to thank Rich of ABetterGuitarStore.com for the screaming deal on this banjo ukulele.  Also, I think the aNueNue folks had something to say about it, so huge thanks to them as well!  I would have gladly paid $500 for this ukulele!  If you want to get one for yourself, check out my newly added aNueNue section on the website.

Anyway, here's the video introduction:

Let me know if you have any specific questions and I'll make another video.  I've also recorded a video of me playing Five Foot Two with this baby (because it really seems to lend itself to standards like that).  After I post that video, I just remembered that I never posted the drunken escapade that became the escalating electric fence wager.  So, just wait for that.  It's barely ukulele-related at all, but it's pretty funny.  Happy weekend all!

aNueNue’s Banjo Ukuleles (details coming soon)

So I got an e-mail from a nice fella named Rich Cichowski. He runs an eBay guitar store (www.abetterguitarstore.com) and he's a big fan of Orcas strings.  So, we get to talking and he's telling me about Orcas strings (which I will review now that I have some) and also about the new Tenor Banjo Ukuleles from aNueNue.  I'm super intrigued especially when I see how pretty these things are.  Check it out:

aNueNue Banjo Ukuelele Click on the uke to go to their site and see what else they offer, but then come back here because they don't sell direct and Rich has the goods!  The banjo ukulele in the picture is a concert, I believe, but the one Rich sent me to test out is a tenor.  I literally just opened the package but I was so excited that I had to tell someone.  Don't worry, though, videos and reviews will be forthcoming on both the aNueNue Banjo Ukulele and the Orcas strings.  Although, I already broke a string with my stupidity, so I'm going to order another set from Rich as soon as I post this.  Heh... no one has ever accused me of being the Ukulele genius, thank god.

Anyway, in the meantime, check out Rich's stuff.  Here is his Orcas stuff:

And here are some of the aNueNue ukuleles you can get from Rich:

Holy smokes. I'm freaking excited! My first banjo ukulele experience!

EDIT: Turns out the aNueNue Banjo Ukulele I'm testing out is a Concert, not a Tenor like I said above.  I think I got it confused because Rich was talking to me about aNueNue's 6-string tenor ukuleles and I transposed it somehow.  Anyway, I've got the aNueNue Concert Banjo Ukulele out of the case, I've got the floating bridge in place and I'm stretching the strings right now.  The tone is soooo much more different than I'm used to.  I'll tell you more once I get a video recorded.

Drunken Discovery: Tahitian 8-Stringed Ukulele

So, I had a few beers last night and it started out that I was going to be searching eBay to find a replacement/upgrade for my Danelectro Hodad Guitar.  I played an American Fender Stratocaster at band practice and, while I did enjoy it, I think I'm too used to my Hodad's whammy bar and I really like the thin sound it has (see, it's made of masonite).  Anyway, that's how the evening began.  I'm not totally sure how it ended but here is what I do know.

  1. I had to clear more than 4 beer cans off of my desk this morning
  2. I had about 30 eBay browser tabs open
  3. I had e-mail from eBay saying that I had made an offer on a Banjolele
  4. I discovered the Tahitian 8-Stringed Ukulele

I'm most excited about number 4.  You see, I never knew there was such a thing as a Tahitian Ukuelele.  What's awesome about them is that they are all carved into cool representations of sea creature.  So, some have pairs of dolphins on them and others look like gigantic manta rays!  The bad news about this discovery is that it's only a matter of time before I have to buy one of these.  Regarding the Banjolele offer I made, though, I heard from a guy today that's going to let me review a Banjolele soon.   If I like it, I'll probably buy it as well, so I'll make sure and show it off to you guys.



Ukulele Pichu, the ukulele-wielding pokemon

I'm not exactly sure how I stumbled upon this, but apparently there is going to be (or already is?) a new Pokemon game for the DS.  It's called Pokemon Ranger: Guardian Signs.  Anyway, your sidekick in this adventure is a little guy named Ukulele Pichu.  Yup, he's awesome.  Check out this picture.

Ukulele Pichu

How long do you think it will be before you can buy a ukulele that looks just like Ukulele Pichu's uke?  Let's hope it's not very long because that thing looks rad.  I don't know much more about the game, but here's the trailer if you are interested.

My New BFFs: Pretty Good Musicians (Duck Tales + Paula Abdul)

So, I think I got a tweet Hillary a week or so ago but I forget how this whole thing started.  I think we were just shooting the shit and then suddenly she dropped that her and some friends have an all-ukulele version of the Duck Tales theme song.  What?!  That freaking reeks of awesome.

So, we get yakking back and forth and I decided the world needs to know more, especially after I heard their covers of "Sweet Jane", "Duck Tales", "Straight Up" and "Who's That Girl".  Not only does the world need to know more, but I need these guys to move to Montana.  I've been toying with the idea of making a ukulele novelty band for a few months now, but finding the right folks is proving tough.  I'd be more than happy to play second fiddle to these badasses.

So, their band is called Pretty Good Musicians.  It's comprised of Hillary O'Keefe, Ian K and Matt Miklos.  Depending on the song, you are gonna hear between 1-5 ukuleles and most likely some hilarious commentary and occasional cursing.  Everybody likes swears, right?  Yup. In the recordings, they play a Lanikai Tenor LU-21T, an Eleuke, a cigar box ukulele and a few other random ukes.  You can tell that they have a blast playing together and recording and that's what it's all about folks.  What is the point of being in a bad if it isn't fun?  These guys get it.

Check out the Pretty Good Musicians Facebook Page if you wanna be a fan.

I noticed that the Facebook page doesn't have some of my favorite tunes, so here ya go:

Oh yeah, and to all of you who might be saying, "Man, I could do this."  DO IT!  Stop talking.  Do it!  The world needs more ukulele bands.  Especially ones who know how to have fun.  The world doesn't need anymore Interpol or Coldplay.  Joy is contagious.

P.S.  If you are already in a hilarious and fun ukulele-powered band, please send me songs and vids!  I don't care if it's recorded on your 4-track or karaoke machine.  (In fact, I almost prefer that).  I want to hear it!