It is quite some time ago now since I was persuaded to put my tips about learning ukulele into some books, and it's been quite a ride since.
My first book, What Ukulele Players Really Want To Know ended up being the number one selling music book on Amazon for a time, and since then it, and the other three books keep dipping in and out of the top 100 (and occasionally the top ten!). It's also very exiting to see my books for sale in the likes of WH Smith, Sears and Tower too!
I have my readers to thank for that, and I know that many of you (through kind words posted here and there) tell me that they now recommend the books to others they are encouraging with the uke. That is a great and humbling thing to hear. I'm just a blogger, not an international author and it's so pleasing to learn that I may have helped people starting out, however small a difference that may be.
The books are not just on Amazon, so Google them if you prefer a different store, but the complete sets are here on Amazon.com and Amazon UK.
If this is your first time to Got A Ukulele, I'd suggest you check out my omnibus edition of the first two books (it's better value that way), but if you use an ereader or an iPad you may also find the chord book handy to carry with you.
So, again, a big thank you. It is the nice comments and the supportive emails I receive so regularly that really help keep this all going. Some of those emails end up extending into long exchanges where I am asked advice on buying so don't be afraid to get in touch. One particular highlight example I remember was a back and forth 'Live' email exchange with someone buying a uke for her boyfriend in New York, ending with us exchanging emails on the fly whilst she was in the store!
Lots more exciting stuff on Got A Ukulele in the months ahead too with several more instrument reviews planned, more interviews and some cracking competitions. Watch this space!
It seems an age ago now, but one of the very first products I reviewed on Got A Ukulele was an ingenious ukulele half strap called the 'Uke Leash' - designed, made and sold by Lori Apthorp. As you can see from the review - I highly recommended it.
The beauty of the Uke Leash was that it provided some support when standing even if your uke didn't have a strap button (few new ukes come with them, and understandably many don't want to drill their instruments to fit one).
But, suppose you have a strap button on the butt of your uke - if you look around, there actually are not that many dedicated uke straps on the market, and frankly, a guitar strap is just TOO BIG.
Not wishing to rest on her laurels, Lori has launched what she calls a "Guitar Style Strap" with the Uke Leash branding and I've been having a look at it.
This strap is a full strap, (not a half-strap, as the original Uke Leash is billed) meaning it physically attaches to your ukulele at both ends. At the butt end the thin strap attaches to a fatter piece of leather with a hole and slot cut much like any other strap. The leather is nice and soft and fixes to the uke button easily. It is also nicely branded with the Uke Leash logo. One thing everyone should take care of with straps are buckles and rivets that can scratch or ding your instruments finish. Despite this strap having a rivet, if you look at the picture below, you will see that it is protected from rubbing on your instrument by the larger leather piece meaning nothing but nice soft leather touches your instrument. Nice.
The strap itself is thin, (another bonus for a diminutive instrument like the uke) so it is unobtrusive. It also comes in a choice of either leather or polypro webbing (both pictured in this review). There are also lots of options - sizes, two colours for the leather strap and a choice of plain, oiled or dyed tab connector, and four colours for the webbing strap. You can even choose the size of the button hole for oversided buttons. It is nice to see that even with the (cheaper) webbing strap, you get the same leather tab for the strap button.
Up to the neck end of the uke and this new Uke Leash product employs the same ingenious clip attachment for the neck. Like on the original Uke Leash, you attach a loop around the headstock and the strap clips and releases from it. The beauty of that is that you can buy the headstock loops separately, meaning once you have bought one strap, you can simply buy extra headstock loops for other instruments and move the strap between them. Really clever. (note - Lori does sell an adapter for attaching to a heel of the neck style button, but honestly, I love the clip idea)
So what about the quality - well, there is no let down on this front. The original Uke Leash was very well made, and this is no different. The leather strap I have been mainly testing is soft and supple and despite being thin, is of good quality and won't break. It's also comfortable to wear! The buckles and attachments are also of good quality so nothing should let you down. It's just a strap at the end of the day, but a well made one from a good Company.
All in all I am as impressed as I was with the original, and as my Kanile'a uke as pictured has a button fitted, this strap makes perfect sense for it. I would highly recommend it if you need a full strap - plus the other bonus is that you are supporting a local business who produce these themselves in the USA, not an international faceless corporation!
Oh, and as a final aside - Lori also created something else that is available on her store - a neat little idea. A miniature circle of fifths that you can attach to your strap or case. Really fun idea and useful too - available in either leather or etched plastic!
You can read more about this product and the original Uke Leash at http://www.ukeleash.com. And keep an eye on Got A Ukulele as I will be running a competition very soon in which you can win one of these!
I have been long overdue doing this on Got A Ukulele, but have now introduced a common scoring system on my ukulele reviews!
Perhaps they will cause controversy or debate - who knows. Remember this though - reviews and scores are a personal thing. I am not telling you my scoring is right, or that if you have a different opinion, you are wrong. They are just MY opinions of the ukes I play with the style I play.
The reviews can all be found in the top section of this post (and I can assure you, more will be coming soon - that's UAS for you..), but a quick word on the scoring
I have chosen four recognisable scoring sections, and provided and overall average also. They are....
Looks - how the ukulele looks to me. Not concerned with finish or faults - just how it grabs me to the eye.
Fit and finish - ignoring whether I like the looks - how is it built - how is the finish or paint, are the frets smooth, what is the action and intonation like, how are the tuners - you get the drill.. Doesn't matter if it's a cheap uke - if the finish is bad, it gets a low score (cheap ukes can build points in the value for money section and likewise, well finished ukes that are over priced will score lower there)
Sound - how it sounds to my ears with my style of playing, with the preferred strings I have settled on.
Value for money - what it says on the tin - all things considered, how suitable is this for the money in your pocket.
Anyway - I hope that helps and provides a bit more balance to the reviews!
The N'Ukes are expanding their ukulele setlist of late, and this one seems to be one we kind of like. Really really simple chords, but the trick is all in getting that Keith Richards rhythm. Listen to the original!!
Honky Tonk Women
[G]I met a gin-soaked bar-room queen in [C]Memphis
She [G]tried to take me [A]upstairs for a [D]ride
She [G]had to heave me right across her [C]shoulder
Cause I [G]just can't seem to [D]drink you off my [G]mind
CHORUS
It's the [G]hoooooo [D]oonky tonk [G]women
Give me, give me, [D]give me the honky-tonk [G]blues
It's the [G]hoooooo [D]oonky tonk [G]women
Give me, give me, [D]give me the honky-tonk [G]blues
I met a divorcee in New York City
I had to put up some kind of a fight
The lady then she covered me up in roses
She blew my nose and then she blue my mind
Repeat Chorus twice
(try to get the strum rhythm the same as the way Keith plays his chords. Add some extra frills on the end of the first and third verse lines by hammering on from a normal C (0003) to (0005).)
N'Ukes performing it below. Sorry for sound quality - noisy audience!
Occasionally an entry in my list of famous ukulele players (ie players you would not necessarily associate with the uke) really catches my eye and makes me smile.
It seems ages now since I first came across Amber and Jeff of Shiny And The Sppon, going back to their days of living room shot videos highlighting their talent. One standout was their take on the A-Ha track, take on me which I put up on Got A Ukulele Over two years ago now! (making me feel old)
Anyway, delighted to see they are going places and have the track out and accompanied by this lovely professional video. Good stuff, and Amber's voice is still to die for.
I seem to blog about ukulele themed stickers quite a bit don't I? Well I am kind of hooked on them and a hard ukulele case to me looks bare without them. In fact, the back of plastic ukes also look bare in my opinion!
So many thanks to Phil Doleman for furnishing me with an official Re-entrants sticker which you can see below, proudly displayed on the back of my Fluke uke. In fact that instrument has now run out of space...
You can read more about the guys when the spoke to Got A Ukulele HERE.
And if YOU have a thing for ukulele themed stickers - send me your pictures and if I get enough of them I will collate them into a blog article!
My weekly news roundups usually come on a Sunday, but yesterday was about the only sunny weekend day we have had in months so I spent the day out in the canoe with my daughter! So, a day late, lets take a look at what has been happening around the uke world.
I love it when something like this happens. Spotting our flyers for the The N'Ukes around the town, on the last two ukulele jam sessions we have had, we have been joined by some students from the local school who call themselves the Malbank Ukulele Club.
Despite only playing for a short time, their skills actually put us to shame, and they are keen to come along with their own songs too. We captured them on video and with thanks to parents can share it here. Inspired song choice too - Soul Man! The use of the scrunchie to hold the Kazoo is also brilliant!
Say hello to Jack, Matthew and Alice. Please give them a like or share the video - they deserve it. Direct link below the video too.
Many thanks to Will Grove White of the UOGB for letting me use these new entries below that I hadn't seen before. Yet more famous players you may not normally associate with the ukulele!
Gloria Swanson
Hank Williams Jr (Senior is on the left, obviously..)
Marlon Brando
Sir Tom Courtenay
For the rest of my famous ukulele players, click HERE - and if you spot any others - do let me know and send me a picture!
I'm a sucker for ukulele case stickers... In fact, sometimes I plaster my ukes with them as you can see here.
Big thanks though lately to Tim and the guys for a big bundle of Chonkinfeckle stickers which now adorn both my cases and my ukes.
Oh, and if you don't know who Chonkinfeckle are you can either Google it as the sticker says, or let me help you with this link. Give them your likes and support.
I have been hankering after an all electric ukulele for quite some time. Not just an acoustic with a pickup fitted, but an all solid electric uke. A while ago I had an Eleuke instrument which, whilst fun, just didn't do it for me on the sound front, and I subsequently sold it. Since then there is one very intriguing model ukulele that has been calling me. Finally bitten the bullet - say hello to the Risa Uke-Solid.
Risa Uke-Solid
The Risa Uke-Solid (previously called the Uke-Stick) is a solid body ukulele that basically just amounts to a strung piece of wood with a pickup fitted. Whilst that sounds simple, where it stands out from the crowd is it's unusual and striking design. From what I read online, the looks of this thing (think miniature cricket bat with a hole in it) suggest it is very much a 'Marmite' uke - you love it or hate it (for my international followers - Marmite is a spread which people either love or loathe). This ukulele player likes the looks. In fact I like the looks a lot - there is something so unique about it, the way it is strung, the lack of a headstock that I think is impressive in itself - a company doing something away from the norm.
This is the concert model of the Risa Solid and is a fifteen fret uke (eagle eyed readers will spot 16 frets, but more on that later), fitted with a passive pickup and it really is as simple as that. They also do a Soprano and a Tenor, but for me the former looks too small and the Tenor overly large (well, d'uh!!)
Comparisons all over the web will be made between this and the (cheaper) Eleuke range, particularly the very simple Peanut uke model. Those Peanuts are £70 for what is, again, a slab of wood with strings on, whereas this runs at £170. There are distinct differences though and I will try to touch on those in the review.
Risa body showing string arrangement
The Risa is designed and made in Germany, and that precision attention to detail really does ooze out of the thing. It is extremely well made and even more extremely well finished. It is such a tactile instrument with a beautiful soft smooth satin finish that is a joy to hold. The whole of the body is made of one piece of maple, and for the concert model it has been stained brown. The Soprano offering comes in either unstained maple or black, and the tenor in a darker wooden stain. I love the grain on the body with almost tiger stripes in places, particularly on the back of the neck.
The first most striking difference between this and, well... pretty much any other ukulele is how it is strung. There is no headstock on the uke and the knotted end of the strings start at the very end of the neck where they are fed through the headstock via some small drilled holes on the back. From there the strings run down the fingerboard, over the bridge / saddle mounting which is set in an aluminium block, around a round aluminium guide bar inside the "hole" in the uke where they then shoot off on an angle to the tuners. Certainly unusual, but as I say, this is a design that is far from the norm.
Dude, where's my headstock? String holes.
Starting from the neck down (in reverse to how I normally order my reviews, but then, this is a uke in reverse!) the fingerboard is extremely soft and smooth. The neck profile is almost square with rounded corners and really chunky. There is no fitted fingerboard and the nickel frets are set directly into the maple. I said it had 15 frets, and it does have 15 'playable' frets. There is an additional one though right at the top - a 'zero fret'. Because the uke has no nut - this zero fret represents the point at which the scale length of the strings starts. The benefit of this is in tuning and intonation accuracy - no nut slots to cut correctly. Fret markers are evident on the third, fifth, seventh, tenth, twelfth and fifteenth. They are in a white pearl finish and I like the way they are offset. Side fret markers are also evident in black - a plus point often missed by some makers.
Risa Solid Neck - note off centre fret markers.
Down to the body proper and things start to look even more unusual. Firstly, you can't really ignore that logo. WAY to big and bright in my opinion. For a uke with such a slant on design and looks, I have no idea why they slapped a cheap looking bright white screen print on the body. I know they want the brand on it, but please - a little smaller, and perhaps in cream? That said though - this design is so iconic - why go with the logo at all? Perhaps put a smaller one on the back. Flukes and Fleas don't have huge logos slapped on them and every uke player knows what they are.
Logo - way too big and bright!
The strings pass over the cavity carved out of the body and over the bridge. The bridge is a piece of solid aluminium that sits across the uke, resting in a slot in the body. It is kind of like an aluminium boat with a slot routed out of it for the saddle. The saddle is plastic looking and seems raised at the 4th string end, presumably to account for the lack of a nut that can give the strings the correct height. Of course it is what is under the saddle that makes this ukulele what it is though - the pickup. Inside we have a passive Shadow brand pickup - this being the first big difference to the Eleuke range. The Eleuke instruments use an active pickup system - that is to say a battery powered one. This does provide a few advantages, namely it is easier to drive smaller unpowered speakers or headphones. In fact the Eleuke has a dedicated headphone socket and MP3 input - both of which are missing on the Risa. The Risa being passive means that it needs to get plugged into a powered amplifier with a standard guitar cable. The Risa also lacks shaping controls (tone and volume) which are present on the Eleuke meaning all adjustments on that front need to be made on the amplifier. Sounds like the Eleuke is winning the day on this front - but do read on, as the sound is what matters.
Saddle and bridge mounting
Over the bridge and the strings then swing around a round grooved bar which sets them back in the other direction, but off on an angle towards the tuners. I have read much about this bar and its design being rather troublesome with regards to tuning and string breakages. The trouble seems to be with the A-string in particular, and looking at the bar I can see why - the angle the string takes seems quite severe and I can see it cutting up against one of the grooves. I have tried an immediate remedy by applying some graphite based gel called 'Nut Sauce' (no sniggering at the back) to the grooves. I shall report back if it works. It strikes me that if that is the problem, the design can be altered. The strings only need the guide groove where they go over the top to keep them spaced, but I think the groove around the back and underneath could be then flared or widened out to stop the string catching.
String guide bar - A string bottom of picture.
On to the tuners and we have a set of four banjo style planetary geared tuners. These ukes previously shipped with friction tuners, but it is pleasing to see they have chosen to upgrade this part of the instrument. Planetary tuners look like frictions, but within the casing is a planetary gear system giving the best of both worlds - mainly easier to turn (which was a complaint with the Risa frictions as tuning the thing is already a bit fiddly as you will read below). The gear system means that you turn the peg four times to turn the sound post once. I like them, though they are a little big. To be fair though, because of the design of the instrument I cannot see how any normal geared tuners would actually fit or work. To help with that string angle from the round bar, the tuners are set on an angle which looks kind of funky too. The tuners are, however, unbranded with about the cheapest looking bright white plastic buttons on them. Again, an odd let down on a ukulele that is driven so much by design (why did they not choose cream buttons to match the saddle and jack socket mounting plate?). You can tell they are cheap buttons as you can still see and feel the line between the halves of the moulding press when they were made. Being white that line soon catches grime and muck from the fingers and starts to mark.
Planetary tuners with BRIGHT white pegs
The tuners themselves turn just fine, but the whole issue of tuning is one that you need to get your head around. It just isn't intuitive as it is with a standard uke and I still need to check which peg goes to which string, and which way to turn it. Add to which they are quite big and there isn't a lot of room for the fingers and it gets more difficult. I have not done a string change yet, though I can see that being a pain, and the use of a string winder possibly a major problem. The issues with that metal bar are also evident when tuning, as you don't seem to get a smooth transition up through the pitches, but rather it leaps as the bar seems to be biting or gripping the strings. It's a gripe that doesn't ruin the instrument, but it does mean that the Risa takes quite a bit longer than any other uke I own to get tuned up. The good news is that when it is in tune it STAYS in tune.
Elsewhere on the body we have a quarter inch cable jack socket on the underside of the body, set into a (ugly and overly large) cream mounting plate. Not sure why it couldn't just be mounted to the body direct, but more importantly why couldn't it be mounted on the end of the uke? I say this as when playing it sat down and plugged in, the guitar cable digs into your leg. Sure, you can use a right angled jack, but if the socket was somewhere else there would be no need. The back is plain aside from a branded serial number.
Cream jack plate and white tuners... hmmm....
The Risa comes fitted with two strap buttons - one at the end, and one at the heel of the neck. A nice touch here is that the strap that comes with the case has detachable ends with D Rings on them which you can leave on the uke. When travelling, the strap clips to the D rings on the bag itself, but when playing you can remove the bag strap and clip it onto the instrument - a genius idea! The bag itself is also nice enough. It's not a hard bag and won't offer crushing protection but it is soft and zippered and good quality. The stitched Risa logo in white certainly looks better on the bag than it does on the uke! Strings on the uke are Risa labelled brown Worth Mediums. Nice to see that ukulele exists that DOESN'T ship with Aquilas.
Strap clip
So a bit of a mixed bag so far with one or two issues there to be aware of but on the whole a lot of positives.
On to playing it. I had read many concerns online about it being an uncomfortable uke to play, or worries about the lack of headstock. For me, both of those are unfounded. Whether strapped or held without, I find the instrument really easy to hold and the neck profile very comfortable on my hands. It is also really light and a joy to hold and play for a long period. I had no issues with the missing headstock, and despite there being little room up there, a clip on tuner attaches to it just fine.
Once in tune, it stays dead in tune and intonation all over the neck is spot on (as checked with a strobe tuner). There is a really nice 'feel' to the way it plays too, with a very low action (helped by that zero fret) making it an easy uke to play fast. Forming chord shapes is effortless and requires only the very lightest touch, which is not something I could say for my old Eleuke. I used the word 'tactile' earlier and this really shines through when playing it - it FEELS good to play.
Strap clip and serial number - I very much doubt they have made eleven million...
What about the sound? Well unplugged it is very, very quiet but still audible making it great for late night practice. I'd say it is about 25% the volume of a regular acoustic ukulele. But you buy a uke like this for one reason and that is to plug it in. WOW! Very impressed! Despite the shortcomings of not having a pre-amp or tone and volume controls like the Eleuke, this is one sweet pickup. Plugged in to my Marshall Acoustic combo I can get bell like clarity on a clean setting and really rich harmonics on chords. The tone is absolutely wonderful and you can tell it is a higher end ukulele from this alone. Of course you can have all sorts of fun making the tone a little dirtier or running the uke through effects pedals as well. Zero feedback too unlike electro acoustics. It is a shame it misses the tone and volume controls but if that is a sacrifice that needed to be made at the price point in order to get this sound, then I think that was a good one. Compared to the Eleukes I have played the tone is far far superior as to my ears, their pickups sound rather thin and clunky.
Plugged in to a micro amp is just as much fun, and into my Pignose amp, with the volume anywhere above about 3 o clock and it creates nice warm fuzz!
The sound is also really balanced across the strings (something else my Eleuke failed at) - the benefits of a better build quality and pickup.
It also misses out on the headphone socket the Eleuke has, but to be honest that was the feature that I least liked about the Eleuke - the sound from that headphone amp is brittle, thin and rather nasty I thought. On this instrument I plug in a Vox Amplug external headphone amp that I already owned so I am good to go, and that has a far nicer sound than the Eleuke.
So soundwise I think it beats the Eleuke hands down despite it missing some handy features. Comparing the two on looks would be unfair because they are so different (though I think the Risa has killer looks!), but the whole tuning thing on the Risa is something to be very clear on if you are buying. The Eleuke uses the tried and tested method and is, as a result, a much easier instrument to get along with when getting it in to tune.
The Peanut is also significantly cheaper than the Risa and that needs to be taken into account also. Yes, it also has more features, but as I say above though, I actually think those extra features on the Eleuke are not much cop, but there is still no arguing with the Eleuke prices.
The Risa is not without it's problems either. It is a real shame that there are some design flaws in there (easily fixed ones too), and the tuning is jerky and awkward (less easily sorted if they are sticking with this design).
In terms of final recommendations though - if you really care about the best tone and great build quality in a striking package, I think the Risa is hard to beat when choosing a solid body electric uke. If you are just looking for a solid electric for a bit of shredding fun - I suppose you can afford to look elsewhere.
PROS
Looks
Build quality and finish
Addition of planetary tuners
Sweet pickup and wonderful balanced tone
Lightweight and wonderful playability
Great bag / strap concept
CONS
Design flaws (tuner buttons, logo, jackplate)
Tuning system
Lack of tone shaping controls
Price (compared to the obvious alternatives)
SCORES
Looks - 7.5
Fit and finish - 8.5
Sound - 9
Value for money - 8
OVERALL - 8.3
STOP PRESS
I have now reviewed the Eleuke Peanut and did a sound comparison of the two ukes side by side. I know which one I prefer! Trust me - all solid electrics are NOT the same - cheap pickups sound cheap. The Risa doesn't use a cheap pickup...
Hot on the heels of Chester Busk, tonight was the first get together since of the Nantwich N'Ukes.
A great turnout in the pub including a group of kids from the local school who have set up their own uke club, plus some other new guests including Ken Middleton who gave us a great couple of beautifully fingerpicked songs.
We were a bit rough round the edges, but took a couple of first take audio recordings. Not the best we have done, but nowhere near enough beer had been drunk, plus they were recorded straight into an iPad microphone on a crowded pub table...
There was no ukulele news round up last week because I was away and busy with the Chester Buskulele - you therefore get a bumper double edition this time!
Continuing my series of Ukulele Rainmakers - in other words - somebody other than a gigging performer who contributes significantly to the ukulele world. In this edition - Alastair Wood.
You may have gathered that there quite a few (massive understatement) ukulele websites out there. Heck, you are reading one. But there is one site that gets mentioned by every ukulele player you will speak to, no matter where in the world you are - Uke Hunt.
It was back in 2007 that UK music lover Alastair Wood decided to set up a new website dedicated to the ukulele. He had been blogging before about music more generally but found he had more and more to say about the uke and chose to dedicate a site to it. In the time since, Uke Hunt has gone on to become what is more than likely THE most popular ukulele website there is (Don't believe me? Go to Google, do a search for the word Ukulele and see for yourself (Wikipedia doesn't count - its not a uke site!).
Al's is a site that nobody misses - and contains a huge resource of song sheets, a blog, videos, tips, tricks and more. So popular was the site that Al was asked to write the first ukulele guide in the "For Dummies" series of books.
I've heard Al called idiosyncratic, and it's right to say that there is a definite style to his work - but it is about as informative as it can get and I adore the acerbic wit with which he sometimes delivers his writing.
So there is a ukulele rainmaker right there - Al's site is his full time job - a man totally dedicated to writing about the ukulele and giving others the information they need to move on. Oh, and did I mention? He can play a bit too....
And you can check out my other ukulele rainmakers - HERE
Sample of my new ukulele paperback - the omnibus 'The Complete What Ukulele Players Really Want To Know' has arrived. And it's a biggie! All 337 pages of it!
Currently available at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk with other booksellers stocking it soon!
I think it's nice when a new development hits the ukulele shelves, and that is certainly something that can be said for a new brand of strings that have recently been made available - Living Water Strings - which are causing a buzz all over the ukulele forums. I've been trying them out.
Firstly though - a little bit of housekeeping. Whilst I do like to review and test strings, I always make the same point to my readers. Strings are a personal choice and just because I say I do or don't like a certain brand, does not mean you will have the same experience. Other factors come into play; the ukulele they are played on, the players style, the players own ears. As such, the old adage 'Your mileage may vary' has to apply. All of that said, when it comes to these new strings though, I may be changing that opinion a little - read on!
Living Water Strings are a new brand, brought to market by Ken Middleton - and I find that quite exciting for a couple of reasons. Firstly, there are actually not that many strings around for ukulele. There are a few, but nowhere near as many varieties as available for the guitar. Sure there are some bespoke packs cropping up, but in the main the forums are full of people endlessly debating the pros and cons of Aquilas, Worths, Martins, D'Addarios and maybe a couple of others. In that sense it's great to see a new kid on the block. The second reason I find this exciting is because this string set has been selected personally by a renowned player and exponent of the Uke - Ken himself! Ken has chosen a supplier and product line, and tested them until he found the string qualities that he liked and suited his own playing. He is putting these strings together into packs himself and is distributing them in England (although I like the touch on the packet that states they are "Made In Heaven"!)
The strings are available in the four main uke scales, Soprano, Concert, Tenor and Baritone, and, very recently, Ken has launched a Low G version for Tenor. All the others are in high G Re-entrant tuning (the Baritone in high D). It's worth noting that the low G set is an all fluorocarbon set (no wound strings here) which is something I personally applaud.
I have put a set on my Soprano and Tenor ukes so cannot speak for the Baritone or Concert yet. In addition, my review really comes from playing them mainly on the tenor scale - that is where I have been putting my strumming hours the most recently.
The strings are elegantly packaged - a very simple but classy design which explains on the back:
"Manufactured from hi-tech fluorocarbon, these strings give a wonderfully vibrant, crystal-clear tone to your ukulele. They are made to exacting standards, with a complex polymer structure that is formulated to give both strength and flexibility, whilst maintaining resistance to abrasion. In other words, they don't break easily, they vibrate well and last a long time."
I actually really like the packaging. What?? I hear you cry - what does the packaging matter? Well, I think it does matter. For a start the individual strings come in re-sealable clear plastic wallets (and the wallets themselves in a 'master' clear wallet that contains the card branding and a business card with contact details). As someone who changes strings a lot (for fun!) this is great, as a 'not so old set' can go in the wallets and be re-sealed so they don't uncoil. In addition, being clear, I can see what I have put inside them. For me this is far better than flimsy paper bags. Secondly, the wallets are labelled not only with the string number but with the note as well - far better than some of the other coding systems (or no coding systems at all) that you see on other strings.
The strings are a completely clear fluorocarbon and when on my ukes to me feel similar in gauge to Worth Clears. They are supremely smooth on the fingers with no noise when sliding on notes. The tension is also right for my playing (no flopping strings, but not so tight as to feel like strumming iron bars!) On my tenor these settled down from stretching really quickly with only minor tweaks in the week ahead. When I installed the tenors, I found quite a lot of excess string at the post, though less so on the Soprano, and wonder whether Ken is experimenting in the optimum length. (Uke sizes vary and as such strings need to be a one size fits all)
But how do they sound? Well, let me give you a little background on a journey I have been on with my Kanile'a Tenor uke. This is a wonderful instrument with a loud, warm and earthy tone that I adore. Well, I 'say' I adore it - no matter what strings are on it, I adore it's voice when it is fingerpicked. Strummed however, I have been feeling it is falling short for me a little. That earthy voice is making some strumming a little muddy for me - not enough bite or clarity across the strings. I have tried virtually every string I can lay my hands on to try to get the sound I want, but to no avail so far. On went the Living Water Strings and.....
Wow! Honestly, wow! It felt like I was playing a different ukulele! The sound was immediately brighter and I think a little louder, but it was the relationship between the strings in strumming that really pleased me. The strings sound like they are really working together and harmonies between notes really shimmer and sing. There is total clarity across unfretted strings, but played in chords and the sound is more than the sum of its parts (if you see what I mean). I spent the rest of the night strumming away with a smile on my face!
But how were they for picking? Had I gained something only to lose elsewhere? Well, they are just great. There wasn't such a massive leap from the Worth Clears that were previously on the Kanile'a (and any leap may have been, to my ear, because I was swapping from a played in string) but they are no worse. As such I am a very happy player - they hit exactly the spot I have been looking for and have made my Kanile'a the full shilling. Most recently I gigged with the N'Ukes as part of the Chester charity event with my Kanile'a and the Living Water Strings - was really pleased with the sound and the feel.
And what about the other gauges? - well that sudden leap in bite and brightness on such an earthy instrument as the Kanile'a did worry me when it came to putting them on my Koaloha Soprano. Whilst I haven't played that as much, it would seem my fears were unfounded as they sound just great on that too though perhaps with a more subtle improvement in tone. That harmonic ring is improved though.
So let's just go back to that earlier paragraph in which I pointed out that string choice is personal. Well, yes I still believe that, but bear something in mind. All over the social media, ukulele players are talking highly about these strings. Friends in our uke group are playing them and posting me extremely positive feedback. In fact I've not yet seen any bad feedback! Could Mr Middleton have hit on something special here? Let's put it this way - I bought more as I intend to keep using them.
Accordingly - these get my vote and a strong recommendation you give them a try asap!
The strings are available direct from Ken on his website (on which you can see the individual string gauges) and I believe he is also selling them on eBay.
Always cool when a ukulele song idea just drops in to place when jamming with your friends. Having played this one on ukulele MANY times on stage, I know it works - just put some energy into it! Insipid is not the way of The Jam!
Intro: G/// Em/// x2
[G]A police car and a [Em]screaming siren
[G]Pneumatic drill and [Em]ripped up concrete
[G]A baby wailing, [Em]stray dog howling
[G]The screech of brakes and [Em]lamp light blinking
[G]A smash of glass and a [Em]rumble of boots.
[G]An electric train and a [Em]ripped up phone booth.
[G]Paint splattered walls and the [Em]cry of a tom cat.
[G]Lights going out, a [Em]kick in the balls. I say.
[Am]That's enter [F]tainment. [Am]That's enter[F]tainment. [G]
[Em]La la [G]laaa
[Em]La la [G]laaa
[Em] La La [Am]la la [F]///
[G]Days of speed and [Em]slow time Mondays.
[G]Pissing down with rain on a [Em]boring Wednesday.
[G]Watching the news and not [Em]eating your tea.
[G]A freezing cold flat, with [Em]damp on the walls. I say
[G]Waking up at 6am on [Em] cool warm morning.
[G]Opening the windows and [Em]breathing in petrol.
[G]An amateur band rehearse in [Em]a near by yard.
[G]Watching the telly and [Em]thinking bout your holidays.
[G]Waking up from bad dreams and [Em]smoking cigarettes.
[G]Cuddling a warm girl and [Em]smelling stale perfume.
[G]A hot summers day, [Em]and sticky black tarmac.
[G]Feeding ducks and [Em]wishing you were far away.
[G]Two lovers kissing amongst the [Em]scream of midnight.
[G]Two lovers missing the [Em]tranquility of solitude.
[G]Getting a cab and [Em]travelling on buses.
[G]Reading the graffiti about [Em] slashed seat affairs. I say.
[Am]That's enter [F]tainment. [Am]That's enter[F]tainment. [G]
Today our group, did a bit of busking in Chester for charity
We were all a bit worried about the weather, but it turned out to be extremely warm and sunny - which meant massive crowds for the dozens of ukulele players who showed their support. Hours of playing, lots of fun, and meeting new friends. Surely that is a good summation of what the ukulele is all about.
Pictures below - and more to come as Buskulele day 2 takes place tomorrow, and sees the N'Ukes taking the stage in Chester for a solo set!
Can't believe I've never posted this uke pic before. I am a HUGE fan of an artist called Loudon Wainwright III. Loudon is also a huge fan of the ukulele! In fact, let's take that a step further... See the name of this blog? That's the first line in Loudon's song called 'The Ukulele Song'... Ok, you get the picture, I love Loudon, Loudon loves ukes.
The man has made many class albums but one of his later ones that I particularly enjoy is called Little Ship, and I would urge you to check it out. Anyway, let's take a look at the album cover..
A new series of articles for Got A Ukulele - Ukulele Rainmakers. On most ukulele sites you will find (including this one) you will find many articles, videos, interviews and the like that champion the the professional ukulele players and performers, but it struck me that we don't see enough for those other ukulele champions - those who have done something else in the world of ukulele to make it keep turning.
So what is a rainmaker? Well, it's a term for somebody who has made something happen, made a success, or made an important noise in their field. First up then - say hello to Jim Beloff.
Photo Credit - Jim Beloff
Some ukulele beginner may not know the name Jim Beloff, but I guarantee you will have come across something of Jims on your ukulele travels. In fact some say that "Jumpin' Jim" as he is sometimes called (and of course, his wife Liz) may well be responsible for the current surge in popularity in the ukulele around the world.
Perhaps his most famous contribution were his ukuleles the Flea and the Fluke, which the Beloffs developed in setting up Flea Market Music in 1992. Working with his brother in law Dale Webb, Jim, recognising that there were very few ukes around at that time that suited new players, they set about creating a new trouble free instrument that would allow new players to get going with minimal fuss, whilst still getting a great tone. The Fluke was born and went on to be hugely popular around the world ( I own both the Fluke and the baby version, the Flea!)
But that wasn't the start of it - before bringing his new uke to the world, the Company had already been putting out what became a hugely popular series of ukulele songbooks, starting with his "Jumpin' Jim's Ukulele Favourites" which went on to be so popular that the couple chose to quit their day jobs and concentrate on their uke business. Bear in mind, this was at a time when the internet was only a fledgling service and the idea of just logging on for tabs just wasn't an option - you went to a music store. Before Jims books can you imagine how many uke songbooks there were on the shelves - yeah, you guessed it.
Most recently the firm have had huge success with their songbook "The Daily Ukulele" giving new players a new song for every day of the year - still delivered with the Flea Market charm and careful selection of songs that will help beginners progress rather than put them off.
So here we have a man and his wife who can quite rightly be credited with bringing ukulele music and the whole idea of playing one back into the mainstream. Truly a rainmaker in my opinion!
I ADORE the ukulele community as they share stuff like this to me. Thanks to Hermann Palmer on Facebook for alerting me to this beautiful piece by Sara Watkins.
As I say, wow... Just wow. I adore this. Like it, search her music and give her support (for obvious reasons)
One of those songs that passed nobody by - Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know - and its a real easy strum on the ukulele! - just get in to the groove of it - (video at the end you can play along to)
Intro: Dm, C, Dm, C x4
Verse
[Dm] Now and [C]then I think of [Dm]when we [C]were [Dm]together C, Dm, C
[Dm]Like when you [C]said you felt so [Dm]happy [C]you could [Dm]die C Dm C
[Dm]Told my[C]self that you were [Dm]right for [C]me
[Dm]But felt so [C]lonely in your [Dm]company[C]
[Dm]But that was [C]love and it's an [Dm]ache I [C]still rem[Dm]ember C, Dm, C
Bridge - repeat intro x 4
Verse (same chord progression as above)
You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness
Like resignation to the end - always the end
So when we found that we could not make sense
Well you said that we would still be friends
But I'll admit that I was glad that it was over
Chorus
[Dm]But you [C]didn't have to [Bb]cut me [C]off
[Dm]Make out [C]like it never [Bb]happened
And that [C]we were [Dm]nothing
And I [C]don't even [Bb]need your [C]love
But you [Bb]treat me like a [C]stranger
And that [Bb]feels so [C]rough
[Dm]No, you [C]didn't have to [Bb]stoop so [C]low
[Dm]Have your [C]friends collect your [Bb]records
And then [C]change your [Dm]number
I [C]guess that I don't [Bb]need that [C]though
[Dm]Now you're just some[C]body that I [Bb]used to [C]know
[Dm]Now you're just some[C]body that I [Bb]used to [C]know
[Dm]Now you're just some[C]body that I [Bb]used to [C]know
Verse:
[Dm]Now and [C]then I think of [Dm]all the times you [C]screwed me [Dm]over C, Dm, C
[Dm]But had me[C] believing it was [Bb]always something [C]that I'd [Dm]done C. Dm, C
[Dm]And I [C]don't wanna [Bb]live that [C]way
[Dm]Reading [C]into every [Bb]word you [C]say
[Dm]You [C]said that you could [Bb]let it [C]go
[Dm]And I wouldn't catch you[C] hung up on some[Bb]body that you [C]used to know
Repeat Chorus, then end with:
[Dm]I [C]used [Bb]to [C]know
[Dm]I [C]used [Bb]to [C]know
[Dm]Now you're just some[C]body that I [Bb]used to [C]know
If you enjoy this blog, donations are welcomed to allow me to invest more time in bringing you ukulele articles. Aside from the Google ads, I don't get paid to write this blog and for reasons of impartiality a not sponsored by brands or stores. Your donations all go back into the site to allow me to keep bringing you reviews, and in the end the ukuleles acquired are given to local schools and charities.
