But it made me smile...
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23 Aug 2010
16 Aug 2010
16 Aug 2010T10:57
I need no excuses to post a Loudon Wainwright tune
The brilliant Loudon Wainwright III, with his Ukulele
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12 Aug 2010
9 Aug 2010
9 Aug 2010T13:45
My daughters plastic dolphin - update
As posted last week, I bought my daughter a plastic dolphin and thought I'd provide an update on setup (considering I rate these so highly)
I bought my first Dolphin from the Highly Strung online store (based in Wantage). Its a shop I very much like, cos I know it is run by a musician who cares. I knew the dolphin would come with nasty strings so ordered it with Aquilas. Even though he knew I would be changing strings, he set it up for me very good - adjusting the nut slots and the saddle height - the thing played perfectly on arrival - all for £25 plus £2 packing.
My review of that is here - CLICK HERE
Anyway, Highly Strung only do them in three colours, and I wanted something different for my daughter - have been keeping an eye on UK stores waiting for confirmed plastic models to come in - I found one at Bonsai Guitars LINK who I had never seen before - in fact I found loads there - in tons of colours. £25.50 and free delivery - I ordered her purple
The service was great - and it arrived in super quick time (despite the free postage)
Setup though was, sadly, lacking - mainly at the saddle which needed a major sanding down. One of the tuners was also loose. I have set it up myself and put Aquilas on it - and it now plays great - the beauty of these Dolphins.
In summary therefore, if you are looking for no nonsense well set up instrument in the UK - go to Highly Strung. If you desperately want to get a wackier colour - go to Bonsai - but be prepared to do a bit of work on it yourself.
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I bought my first Dolphin from the Highly Strung online store (based in Wantage). Its a shop I very much like, cos I know it is run by a musician who cares. I knew the dolphin would come with nasty strings so ordered it with Aquilas. Even though he knew I would be changing strings, he set it up for me very good - adjusting the nut slots and the saddle height - the thing played perfectly on arrival - all for £25 plus £2 packing.
My review of that is here - CLICK HERE
Anyway, Highly Strung only do them in three colours, and I wanted something different for my daughter - have been keeping an eye on UK stores waiting for confirmed plastic models to come in - I found one at Bonsai Guitars LINK who I had never seen before - in fact I found loads there - in tons of colours. £25.50 and free delivery - I ordered her purple
The service was great - and it arrived in super quick time (despite the free postage)
Setup though was, sadly, lacking - mainly at the saddle which needed a major sanding down. One of the tuners was also loose. I have set it up myself and put Aquilas on it - and it now plays great - the beauty of these Dolphins.
In summary therefore, if you are looking for no nonsense well set up instrument in the UK - go to Highly Strung. If you desperately want to get a wackier colour - go to Bonsai - but be prepared to do a bit of work on it yourself.
7 Aug 2010
7 Aug 2010T18:25
Ko'olau strings on the Bruko
Well, I have been playing my new slim Bruko all day with the Ko'olau gold strings on it.
I am very surprised and very pleased.
These strings came off my Mainland some time ago as whilst I loved their tone, I found them too temperamental.
They were properly stretched, but I was finding they would slip slightly out of tune with temperature change, particularly the temperature of the fingers - very odd. Anyway, as I say, I liked the tone, but they were, in my view, more trouble than they were worth.
Put them on the Bruko for the hell of it to replace the overkill Aquilas, and, well, they are great!
The uke sounds lovely and balanced now, and I have had no tuning issues with them.
They also look great in contrast to the black uke (they are a gold colour)
I read an awful lot on uke forums where people ask "which strings should I buy". This is a case in point that the answer is - it depends - try all strings on all ukes - some suit one type, some another, and all are subject to your own ears.
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I am very surprised and very pleased.
These strings came off my Mainland some time ago as whilst I loved their tone, I found them too temperamental.
They were properly stretched, but I was finding they would slip slightly out of tune with temperature change, particularly the temperature of the fingers - very odd. Anyway, as I say, I liked the tone, but they were, in my view, more trouble than they were worth.
Put them on the Bruko for the hell of it to replace the overkill Aquilas, and, well, they are great!
The uke sounds lovely and balanced now, and I have had no tuning issues with them.
They also look great in contrast to the black uke (they are a gold colour)
I read an awful lot on uke forums where people ask "which strings should I buy". This is a case in point that the answer is - it depends - try all strings on all ukes - some suit one type, some another, and all are subject to your own ears.
6 Aug 2010
6 Aug 2010T21:41
string update on the Bruko slimline
As posted earlier - not really happy with my usually reliable Aquilas on my Bruko slim - they were a bit "too much" for it if you see what I mean (such a light delicate little instrument)
I have some Martin Flouros on order, but then digging inside one of my uke cases I found the set of Ko'Olau golds that I had fitted to my Mainland.
I really wasnt happy with the tuning of them on the mainland, and found them too precise and slippy.
Anyway, whilst I wait for the Martins, I have just popped them on the Bruko. Immediately I know I am on the right track moving away from the Aquilas - whilst I worry about the Ko'Olaus in terms of tuning stability, when in tune on my Bruko, they give a much sweeter tone to this little thing- chiming sound, and as good a volume level as Aquilas (and no booming)
Will leave these on for a while to determine if they suit this, and it was just the Mainland they didnt like. I figure that if I hit the same tuning probs, I put on the Martins - this being the same route I followed on another sweet delicate uke in my collection - the Mainland
More to follow
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I have some Martin Flouros on order, but then digging inside one of my uke cases I found the set of Ko'Olau golds that I had fitted to my Mainland.
I really wasnt happy with the tuning of them on the mainland, and found them too precise and slippy.
Anyway, whilst I wait for the Martins, I have just popped them on the Bruko. Immediately I know I am on the right track moving away from the Aquilas - whilst I worry about the Ko'Olaus in terms of tuning stability, when in tune on my Bruko, they give a much sweeter tone to this little thing- chiming sound, and as good a volume level as Aquilas (and no booming)
Will leave these on for a while to determine if they suit this, and it was just the Mainland they didnt like. I figure that if I hit the same tuning probs, I put on the Martins - this being the same route I followed on another sweet delicate uke in my collection - the Mainland
More to follow
5 Aug 2010
5 Aug 2010T23:32
New strings for the bruko?
If you read my earlier posts, you will note that my new Bruko slimline came with the usual (in my view nasty) Pyramid nylon strings.
I swapped those out for Aquilas. Now, I did that for a couple of reasons:
1. Aquilas are in my opinion a great string that work in a wide variety of situations (but see comments below)
2. I used to own a Mahogany solid Bruko 6 and I really liked Aquilas on that uke.
All of that said, as much as I love Aquilas, they are not ALWAYS right on every uke in my opinion. They drive thick topped ukes (and non solid beginner ukes like Dolphins) really well as they are seriously powerful.
But.... I did learn a lesson with my Flea and my solid Mainland, where Aquilas seemed a bit overkill, a bit boomy, and a bit.... well, too much!
I now run Worth clears on my Flea and Martin Flouros on my Mainland and in each case I think I have found my Nirvana on those instruments (personal choice I know)
Anyway - the Aquilas I put on my Bruko slim seem too much, too powerful - it is such a light delicate little thing.
Bit the bullet, and have some more Martin Flouros on the way to test on the Bruko - review to follow.
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I swapped those out for Aquilas. Now, I did that for a couple of reasons:
1. Aquilas are in my opinion a great string that work in a wide variety of situations (but see comments below)
2. I used to own a Mahogany solid Bruko 6 and I really liked Aquilas on that uke.
All of that said, as much as I love Aquilas, they are not ALWAYS right on every uke in my opinion. They drive thick topped ukes (and non solid beginner ukes like Dolphins) really well as they are seriously powerful.
But.... I did learn a lesson with my Flea and my solid Mainland, where Aquilas seemed a bit overkill, a bit boomy, and a bit.... well, too much!
I now run Worth clears on my Flea and Martin Flouros on my Mainland and in each case I think I have found my Nirvana on those instruments (personal choice I know)
Anyway - the Aquilas I put on my Bruko slim seem too much, too powerful - it is such a light delicate little thing.
Bit the bullet, and have some more Martin Flouros on the way to test on the Bruko - review to follow.
3 Aug 2010
2 Aug 2010
2 Aug 2010T11:39
Bruko black slimbody soprano - REVIEW
Here goes with a fuller review of my new Bruko slim soprano, which arrived courtesy of Duke of Uke.
I had wanted a slimline travel uke for sometime, something I could slip into a suitcase easily, and it was going to be this or the Kala.
This uke is handmade in Germany from all solid woods. Whilst the finish is matt black (everywhere - everything bar the frets are matt black!), the top back and sides are all solid maple. Not sure how many pieces the neck is in as it is painted, but it is also maple.
Its very thin, and very very light. It has plastic but good quality friction tuners which work perfectly and have needed no adjustment. Like other Brukos, it has a wooden one piece saddle and a wooden nut. 12 brass finish frets on a black painted fingerboard. Also like other Brukos, there is no labelling on the headstock, and the only branding is the Bruko name that is literally branded onto the wood and visible inside the soundhole.
It is very very plain! In fact my wife did say "how on earth is that over £100" and I can kinda see her point. Its the way its made and the materials used that lead to that price (handmade, not Chinese and all solid wood, not laminate)
Another interesting point is the way the fingerboard joins the body. As you'll see from the pics, it is completely level, not raised like virtually every other stringed instrument I play - this is cool though, as it allows noodling with odd notes beyond the fretboard onto the body itself.
Its well constructed and holds its tuning well. Intonation all over the neck is spot on, so no complaints there. The inside is braced, but there is no kerfling around the inner edges, so not entirely sure how it is held together. As I say, the finish is totally matt black which I think looks great. One or two imperfections in the finish on the top which is disappointing for Bruko standards - ho hum...
That totally black finish means no fret markers either (either on the fingerboard on even on the side of the neck). That niggles me a little as I do use them, but not a deal breaker I suppose, and it allows the uke to keep its dark and broody look!
So, how does it play? - well, as I say, tuning and intonation is spot on. Sound wise, its warmer than my old Bruko 6 which is very bright. Its quieter than most of my ukes which is hardly surprising, and doesn't have a great amount of sustain, though I need to experiment with strings. But it does its job well and I like the sound. Volume may increase if the top opens a little being solid wood - we shall see (my old Bruko 6 certainly did)
Playability is great cos it is so damned light! - great uke to leave lying around and just grab - it weighs nothing at all!
The downside I suppose of that thin body and lightness is that I find the way I normally hold my ukes mutes the sound on this. In fact, I've never played a uke before where strum location and how you hold it change the sound quite so much - it is really dramatic, and again something I will experiment with. Thats not a downer - its just something that requires me to work on playing style.
On the whole, pretty darned good - its not a solid Hawaiian sound (obviously) but it aint cheap trash either. Just be aware that you are getting travel uke sound - heck, my Dolphin is louder...
Gripes - well as above, finish imperfections not great, and the ease in which you can mute sound. Other than that, I would have to point out that the strings it arrived with (Pyramid Carbons) were dreadful. I don't like Pyramid strings and these were no exception. Slippy, dull and low tension so I'd find fingers catching in strings, and fretting bending notes. Put trusty Aquilas on it which, as far as playability goes, are spot on, but I need to think about the sound. Might try Martin Flouros.
Other than that - no case or gigbag, which is a shame. Being an odd thickness, this may rattle inside my hard soprano case. Kala travel ukes come with a branded zippered padded bag - Bruko, you may want to think about that?
In summary - its a handmade solid wood uke for just over £100, so that has to be decent value. Its not a full sized sound, but it works, and is a nice sound. Best of all though is the way it looks and how very very light it is.
Pleased!
SCORES
Looks - 8.5
Fit and finish - 7
Sound - 7
Value for money - 9.5
OVERALL - 8
Read More »
I had wanted a slimline travel uke for sometime, something I could slip into a suitcase easily, and it was going to be this or the Kala.
This uke is handmade in Germany from all solid woods. Whilst the finish is matt black (everywhere - everything bar the frets are matt black!), the top back and sides are all solid maple. Not sure how many pieces the neck is in as it is painted, but it is also maple.
Its very thin, and very very light. It has plastic but good quality friction tuners which work perfectly and have needed no adjustment. Like other Brukos, it has a wooden one piece saddle and a wooden nut. 12 brass finish frets on a black painted fingerboard. Also like other Brukos, there is no labelling on the headstock, and the only branding is the Bruko name that is literally branded onto the wood and visible inside the soundhole.
It is very very plain! In fact my wife did say "how on earth is that over £100" and I can kinda see her point. Its the way its made and the materials used that lead to that price (handmade, not Chinese and all solid wood, not laminate)
Another interesting point is the way the fingerboard joins the body. As you'll see from the pics, it is completely level, not raised like virtually every other stringed instrument I play - this is cool though, as it allows noodling with odd notes beyond the fretboard onto the body itself.
Its well constructed and holds its tuning well. Intonation all over the neck is spot on, so no complaints there. The inside is braced, but there is no kerfling around the inner edges, so not entirely sure how it is held together. As I say, the finish is totally matt black which I think looks great. One or two imperfections in the finish on the top which is disappointing for Bruko standards - ho hum...
That totally black finish means no fret markers either (either on the fingerboard on even on the side of the neck). That niggles me a little as I do use them, but not a deal breaker I suppose, and it allows the uke to keep its dark and broody look!
So, how does it play? - well, as I say, tuning and intonation is spot on. Sound wise, its warmer than my old Bruko 6 which is very bright. Its quieter than most of my ukes which is hardly surprising, and doesn't have a great amount of sustain, though I need to experiment with strings. But it does its job well and I like the sound. Volume may increase if the top opens a little being solid wood - we shall see (my old Bruko 6 certainly did)
Playability is great cos it is so damned light! - great uke to leave lying around and just grab - it weighs nothing at all!
The downside I suppose of that thin body and lightness is that I find the way I normally hold my ukes mutes the sound on this. In fact, I've never played a uke before where strum location and how you hold it change the sound quite so much - it is really dramatic, and again something I will experiment with. Thats not a downer - its just something that requires me to work on playing style.
On the whole, pretty darned good - its not a solid Hawaiian sound (obviously) but it aint cheap trash either. Just be aware that you are getting travel uke sound - heck, my Dolphin is louder...
Gripes - well as above, finish imperfections not great, and the ease in which you can mute sound. Other than that, I would have to point out that the strings it arrived with (Pyramid Carbons) were dreadful. I don't like Pyramid strings and these were no exception. Slippy, dull and low tension so I'd find fingers catching in strings, and fretting bending notes. Put trusty Aquilas on it which, as far as playability goes, are spot on, but I need to think about the sound. Might try Martin Flouros.
Other than that - no case or gigbag, which is a shame. Being an odd thickness, this may rattle inside my hard soprano case. Kala travel ukes come with a branded zippered padded bag - Bruko, you may want to think about that?
In summary - its a handmade solid wood uke for just over £100, so that has to be decent value. Its not a full sized sound, but it works, and is a nice sound. Best of all though is the way it looks and how very very light it is.
Pleased!
SCORES
Looks - 8.5
Fit and finish - 7
Sound - 7
Value for money - 9.5
OVERALL - 8
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