11/01/2012 - 12/01/2012

30 Nov 2012

Do They Know It's Christmas - Band Aid - Ukulele Chords

Another Christmas tune for ukulele - and one to make us all think a little about those less fortunate. For my US readers - this was the UK single to support Band Aid and Live Aid in the 1980's. If you can give a little for Christmas it will be appreciated by others less fortunate.


The N'Ukes will be singing this as part of our own Christmas Charity event on 19 December.



Do They know It‟s Christmas? - Band Aid 

[C] It's Christmas [F] time, there's no need to be [C] afraid.
At Christmas [F] time, we let in light and we [C] banish shade.
And in our [Dm] world of [G] plenty we can [C] spread a smile of [F] joy,
Throw your [Dm] arms around the [G] world at Christmas [C] time.

But say a [F] prayer; [G] pray for the [C] other ones,
At Christmas [F] time, it's [G] hard, but when you're [C] having fun
There's a [F] world outside your [G] window,
And it's a [C] world of dread and [F] fear,
Where the [Dm] only water [G] flowing
Is the [C] bitter sting of [F] tears.
And the [Dm] Christmas bells that [G] ring there
Are the [C] clanging chimes of [F] doom.
Well, [Dm] tonight thank God it's [G] them, instead of [C] you.

And there [F] won't be snow in [G] Africa this [C] Christmas time.
The [F] greatest gift they'll [G] get this year is [C] life. [C7]
Where [F] nothing ever [G] grows, no [C] rain nor rivers [F] flow,
[Dm] Do they know it's [G] Christmas time at [C] all?

[Am] Here's to you; [G] Raise a glass for everyone.
[Am] Here's to them; [G] Underneath that burning sun
[Dm] Do they know it's [G] Christmas time at [C] all?

[F][C] [C][F][C][F][C][Dm][G] x2

[C] Feed the [F] world! [C] [F][C]Dm][G]
[C] Feed the [F] world! [C] [F][C]Dm][G]
[C] Feed the [F] world! [C] [F] Let them [C] know it's [Dm] Christmas time [G] again!
[C] Feed the [F] world! [C] [F] Let them [C] know it's [Dm] Christmas time [G] again!
[C] Feed the [F] world! [C] [F] Let them [C] know it's [Dm] Christmas time [G] again! [C]


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27 Nov 2012

Eleuke Peanut - Electric ukulele REVIEW

All solid electric ukuleles are a subject that I see constantly discussed on ukulele forums - and this seems to be despite the fact that there are not actually that many choices out there. I am a big fan of the Risa Uke Solid though, which certainly has its lovers and its haters. Since I wrote that review, I had an endless stream of people pointing out that I should try the Eleuke Peanut, that it was a fraction of the price, and why on earth should anyone buy the Risa?


OK, OK - I succumbed. Let's take a look.

eleuke peanut ukulele
The Eleuke Peanut

I had actually owned an eleuke before - an SC100PHP - and, despite it looking the part - I sold it for one very simple reason - the one thing it was built to do above anything else - i.e. play electric - just didn't cut it for me. The pickup employed was ultra cheap, noisy and just plain bad. If it couldn't do that right, I thought, then what exactly is the point of it? So it was with some trepidation I took a look at the Peanut - one of Eleukes latest offerings in the electric ukulele range. It's key selling point? At £79 it's about half the price of the Risa Uke Solid.

The first thing that strikes you about the Peanut compared to other Eleukes is the size - this thing is tiny, with a rather cute shape that gives the instrument it's name. I think it looks great!

On first inspection, like other eleukes I have played, it is all put together rather nicely in terms of the main build. I am not sure whether this is a nod to the Risa, but the body on this employs the same stained and smooth satin finish wood as the Uke Solid - it shows off the grain nicely and is extremely tactile and comfortable to hold. A nice job.

The body is, as I say, tiny, but of a decent thickness. Like the Risa, the whole instrument is made from a single piece of wood - no joints, neck included - just one slab of wood from tail to headstock that is finished rather nicely. I think this is billed as soprano scale.

eleuke peanut ukulele body
Eleuke Peanut body (shaped like a .... geddit?)


On the top of the body we have a rosewood tie bar bridge with some nice binding trim on the tie bar which looks quite pretty. The saddle is synthetic and underneath it lies the piezo pickup that gives this uke it's electric output. Also on the top are the tone and volume controls for the pickup (this being an active pickup instrument). They are small and unlike other electric ukes I have seen, don't stand out too much - they are in keeping with the diminutive size of the uke. They move smoothly, and the tone is notched at the halfway point so you know where you are with it. It's also worth noting that these controls are one of the plus points people shout about over the Risa which has none at all.

Flipping the Peanut over, we see the battery compartment which takes a standard 9v battery, and the cover for the electric gubbins inside. The cover seem to be made of a laminate with wood veneer and looks kind of cheap to my eyes. Still, nobody will be seeing this.

eleuke peanut ukulele back
Eleuke Peanut back - battery cover in black.


On the top edge of the uke are two mini jack sockets - unmarked, but both are used for the other tricks that Eleuke like to shout about. One socket is a headphone 'out' so you can plug 'phones in to it directly and listen to your playing. The other is an MP3 (or line) input - meaning you can stream your own music into the uke, then play along listening in to the headphone out. Quite a nice idea that again, is not employed on the Risa.  The main instrument out is a standard guitar jack affair on the tail of the instrument which doubles as a strap button.

eleuke peanut ukulele bridge and controls
Eleuke Peanut MP3 and Headphone sockets


Up to the neck, and past the second strap button - the profile is chunky like the Risa but not so square. Very comfortable and smooth though, and I think that being such a small instrument, it needs to be that chunky or you would lose control of it when playing it.

The fingerboard is nicely finished rosewood, applied neatly to the neck. It is unbound, but the fret edges are fairly well hidden by the satin coat. There are 13 nickel frets, quite chunky in feel, but all are finished nicely on the ends with no sharp edges. Fret position dots in an abalone material are on the 5th, 7th and 10th frets and pleasingly, there are side markers too for the player in white. A nice touch.

eleuke peanut ukulele neck
Eleuke Peanut - rosewood neck - nice to see side fret markers


Up to the nut (black synthetic) and then on to the headstock which is part of the same single piece of wood. Its a simple rounded square shape that looks quite nice, with the Eleuke logo screenprinted rather badly on to the face. It's in pale gold so doesn't stand out very well and is also applied off centre. The headstock size, to my eyes looks a little small. I appreciate this is a tiny instrument, but if the headstock was a touch bigger I think it would give the uke more balance to look at.

Tuning is provided by unbranded geared tuners which stick out a little too much for my liking (again, bigger headstock may help here), but generally look ok. They are finished in chrome.

eleuke peanut ukulele headstock
Eleuke peanut headstock


So in terms of describing the instrument, that really is about it - a simple affair. It also comes with a thin padded and zippered gig bag and a strap - much like the Risa, and the uke arrives strung with (what else) Aquila strings. Very simple - as it is intended to be. But... what you really want to know is how it plays.

Well, firstly let's look at the general setup before we start looking at the electronics.  Action for me at the saddle was a touch high, but not too bad, but at the nut things were much worse with most strings throwing out of tune at the lower frets. I filed them down a little and got things sorted quite quickly. If you are buying I would ask your dealer to give this a thorough setup!

To play, the uke is quite comfortable - helped by the chunky neck and feels balanced. Sitting without a strap can find you losing the instrument a little, and whether sitting or standing I found the strap was a real bonus. It's not that light, but not overly heavy to hold, and in fact feels secure in the hands.  I am also no fan of Aquila strings (I dont like the strumming feel to them and find they grip to fingers too much) so swapped them out for Worth Clears and it feels great now.  With the nut adjustment and the saddle down a touch, intonation all over the neck is perfectly respectable. So things are looking positive before I plugged it in.

A quick word on the tuners before we move on to the electric sound - they really are pretty nasty. Two of them are overly loose with some real slop and play in them - meaning that when you turn them  you have a couple of millimetres of turn before anything actually happens at the post. The E string tuner on the other hand is extremely stiff, to the point that once every full revolution of the post it needs a vice like grip to turn it. I used a string winder to put the new strings on and actually thought the tuner was broken beyond repair. It does turn though, but with lots of effort. In short - for £79, perhaps not surprising, but bad tuners really should still be weeded out of quality control checking (and plastered all over the back of the neck are a multitude of quality control stickers....). On the plus side, once in tune, they hold just fine, but really, they are horrible.

eleuke peanut ukulele tuners
Eleuke peanut - wonky tuners


So - the sound.... Let's first look at those onboard headphone and MP3 sockets.  Well, the MP3 first - yes, it works just fine. Plug in your headphones and an MP3 player and you can hear back the tune you are streaming it to it. It's a nice feature that many beginners will welcome I am sure.  But the playback really ends there, because when you then actually start strumming the thing, the sound of the uke through the headphones is really rather dreadful. The volume and tone seem to do little more than switch the sound between awful and distorted to less awful. It's a thin, odd sound, that really doesn't sound like a ukulele at all, full of noise, hiss and hum and to my ears is nothing more than pure novelty. Sure, yes, I suppose it 'works' but if you like your tone and clarity of playing you will cringe at the headphone sound. I tried various 'phones with little improvement, and also found that the uke was not capable of driving much more than tiny in ear bud earphones. I suppose that at a push it works fine for, say, late night practice without disturbing the neighbours, but really, the sound would very quickly start to grate on me. Interestingly this was exactly the same complaint I had about the first Eleuke I tried some years ago. Things haven't improved then.... For me, I don't miss not having these sockets on my Risa - for £30 you can buy a decent headphone amp for any electric ukulele with a sound quality that far, far exceeds the output from the Eleuke sockets.

In listening through the phones, something else was abundantly clear to me - some strings (namely the C and the E ) were significantly higher in volume than the others which, naturally, renders playback pretty useless. This is a sign of either a cheap pickup or a bad setup of the piezo strip under the bridge saddle. I took off the saddle (as part of my plan to lower it as I mentioned above) and found that the issue was both a cheap pickup and a bad setup. The pickup piezo strip was a fat, wonky piece of braided copper around the piezo - far too chunky and difficult to lay flat. Perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised at £79, as good piezo strip pickups can cost more than that alone, and that is before you add tone and volume control and other gizmos employed on this instrument. The strip was also not covering the whole of the base of the saddle slot which would explain why the G string in particular was so quiet. In addition though, the base of the saddle was not sanded flat - and this is essential to getting balanced tone from a piezo pickup. I re adjusted the piezo strip, sanded the saddle base flatter and also added in a thin wood shim to ensure the strip was nicely seated and put the thing back together. Thankfully the volume balance was corrected, but it was a setup hassle that I could do without.  Again - I question the quality control checks....

So the onboard playback is a huge let down, but how about plugging it in direct? Well not much better I am afraid. Plugged in to an amplifier the sound is muddy and extremely noisy (lots of hiss, background noise and other unwanted nonsense). It's extremely bass heavy, and the tone control has no real range to it - more a case of it being either extremely muddy on most of the dial, or with the tone set to full, 'slightly less muddy'. There is no zing or brightness to the tone, no clarity between the strings, and it really doesn't sound like a ukulele. Only a lot of mixer twiddling is giving anything close to a nice tone, but still there is no separations between the string notes. The volume control when set above two or three really adds to the loss of clarity, meaning amplification at the amp side, and that only increases hiss and noise. It also seems to lack any sustain at all, meaning quite a staccato sound to picking.

I plugged both this and the Risa Uke Solid in to the two separate channels on a Marshall AS50R acoustic amp (a lovely amplifier). The difference was night and day. The Risa really sings, it is sharp and crystal clear with little noise, and despite it having no onboard controls, changing tone settings on the amp gives a real range of sounds you can play with. (see the Soundcloud clip at the end of the review - not perfect example but recorded from ipad microphone directly off a monitor speaker) The Peanut on the other hand still suffered from the bad to the 'only slightly less bad' in the tone stakes. In fact I tried to get them matched in sound, and only got close by cranking the Risa treble down and bass up, and the Peanut treble up and bass down. Even then, the Risa still far exceeded the Peanuts tone.

I also tried it through a couple of micro amps, and the issue is the same - muddled noisy tone with no clarity.

eleuke peanut ukulele jack socket
Eleuke Peanut - standard guitar jack / strap button


All in all - rather disappointing when plugged in and requiring a massive amount of tweaking of tone for only slight rewards in sound quality.

Therefore to conclude - for me it seems a real shame that the one thing this ukulele is designed to do, is not done well at all. It is not as if it is an electro acoustic where you could say 'sure, the pickup is a bit rubbish, but it sounds ok unplugged' - you can't - this uke is pretty silent unplugged. It's purely an electric uke and it doesn't deliver that single thing very well.

Perhaps I got a bad one - but then this is the second Eleuke I have played and thought exactly the same issue, and a quick browse of ukulele forums will find others with the same complaint. Actually though, the first Eleuke I played was more respectable plugged in direct than this, so perhaps things have gotten worse at the Eleuke production line..

On the plus side, it looks great, feels good to play and the price is hard to ignore for beginners - but that is the problem for me. When even an entry level under saddle pickup will cost you around £40-£50 (and many cost much more) then it comes as no surprise that at £80 for a whole instrument, with bag, strap and strings, that the sound isn't up to much.  For me it should really only be considered as an emergency practice or travel uke, or as a novelty. There is no way you would want to plug in and perform with this on stage. In fact, if you wanted to I suspect you would be spending good money on DI boxes, pedals or other amp modelling shenanigans (together with a noise gate pedal) to get the sound even slightly respectable for a gig performance - and with that much money being spent - just buy a Risa...

Perhaps I am being harsh - as a beginners uke, I suppose it will suffice, but it's just a shame that it will never be much more than that. My answer? Eleuke should crank the price to just over £100 (still a bargain in ukulele terms) and fit a better quality pickup.  Simple as that.




PROS

Good body build, looks, neck profile
Price (if you know the limitations)

CONS

Tone and sound - woeful through both headphones and muddy and fussy through amplifier
Poor setup
Poor pickup setup
Poor pickup!
Sticky tuners


SCORES

Looks - 8
Fit and finish - 5.5
Sound - 3.5
Value for money - 6

OVERALL - 5.8


To understand my review scoring and see this result in context - visit my review page at

And - the sound comparison - not the best recording, but you get the idea.

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26 Nov 2012

For Sale - Big Island Concert - all Koa

Never tried my blog as an option for selling a uke before - but here goes.

Before I go for a dance with the eBay devil, thought I would offer this here first. But please - for now this is a UK ONLY listing as I get petrified about overseas shipping (seen too many snapped necks and squashed bodies...)



Anyway - for sale is my all solid Koa Big Island Concert ukulele. You may have seen the review of the uke on this site HERE and that I gave it one of the highest scores on the site. This is a jumbo body concert in solid and quite beautiful Koa. Finished in a lovely deep and well applied gloss.

So, why am I selling it?  - well I mainly play only my tenors and sopranos when gigging, so this uke has virtually no play whatsoever - literally a couple of times. As such it is in MINT condition - not a scratch. Would rather someone did play it, and I will use funds to grab something else to review on this site!

I have fitted a strap button myself, and changed the strings to Worth Clear Dense - which really suit it. It also comes with a pod style case.

The new price is now £380 for these and the case is £25 or so. As the uke is virtually unplayed was hoping for about £320 for the lot.  Can be picked up or I can arrange UK shipping at cost to be agreed.

It really is a stunner as you can see. If interested - ping me an email on bazmazwave@gmail.com and we can discuss!




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Merry Christmas Everyone - Shakin' Stevens - Ukulele Chords

With Christmas getting ever closer I thought it was time to add some more ukulele Christmas songs to the list.

This one is Merry Christmas Everyone by Shakin' Stevens (My US readers may be confused by this - video at the end to explain!)

And all my other Christmas songs are on the Got A Ukulele song sheet page with the Christmas tunes now at the top!  Shaky actually plays this up a couple of steps in A, but I like this key.


Snow is (G) falling (D) all a-(Em)-round me (C)
Children (G) playing (C), having (G) fun.
It's the season of love and under- (Em) -standing, (C)
Merry (G) Christmas (D) everyone! (G)

 Time for (G) parties and celeb-(Em)-ration (C)
People (G) dancing (C) all night (G) long
Time for presents and exchanging (Em) kisses (C)
Time for (G) singing (D) Christmas (G) songs.

 (Em) We're gonna (C) have a (G) party (D) tonight, (Em)
I'm gonna (C) find that girl,
(G) Underneath the misteltoe, and (D) kiss by candlelight.

 Room is (G) swaying, (D) records (Em) playing (C)
All the (G) old songs, (C) love to (G) hear.
Oh I wish that every day was (Em) Christmas (C)
What a (G) nice way to (D) spend a (G) year.

(Em) We're gonna (C) have a (G) party (D) tonight, (Em)
I'm gonna (C) find that girl,
(G) Underneath the misteltoe, and (D) kiss by candlelight

Room is (G) swaying, (D) records (Em) playing (C)
All the (G) old songs, (C) love to (G) hear.
Oh I wish that every day was (Em) Christmas (C)
What a (G) nice way to (D) spend a (G) year.

Snow is (G) falling (D) all a-(Em)-round me (C)
Children (G) playing (C), having (G) fun.
It's the season love and under- (Em) -standing, (C)

Merry (G) Christmas (D) everyone! (G) (C)
Merry (G) Christmas (D) everyone! (G) (C)
Oh, merry (G) Christmas (D) everyone! (G)


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25 Nov 2012

Ukulele News - 25 November 2012

It's Sunday, so time for another global ukulele news roundup



Paia Uke festival did go ahead - can't be doing with by laws and objections to people making music.

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All aboard the ukulele express

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Cancer survivors share their journeys on ukuleles

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Kiwi ukulele love

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Dallas men collaborate on banjo ukes

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Sijo ukulele

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The B Cups support the Halesowen Christmas lights switch on

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More next week!
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24 Nov 2012

Ukulele Christmas with The N'Ukes

Really pleased to announce that our group - The Nantwich N'Ukes have been asked to lead a night of Christmas sing songs and fun all in aid of the St Luke's Hospice Charity.



We are playing on 19 December from 7.00pm by kind invitation of the Leopard Pub, London Road, Nantwich CW5 6LJ, and the whole night is in aid of the very worthy St Luke's Hospice in Cheshire - an Adult Hospice offering support and care for those suffering with cancer and other life threatening illnesses. The pub also has a facebook page which is great for updates too.

The N'Ukes hope to be joined by ukulele players from other local groups - the more the merrier - and even if you just want a sing song, why not come along. The Pub are putting on festive treats in aid of the charity and we will also be running a raffle in which you can win a ukulele of your own - donated very kindly by the good people at Merben Music of Hightown, Crewe.

It promises to be a lot of fun and hope those within easy reach can pop along to say hello. We will be putting together a songbook that you can download to know what to expect very soon - details to follow.

The events page for up to date info on the night can be found HERE so keep an eye on it!


Thanks again to The Leopard for hosting this and inviting us!



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22 Nov 2012

Ukulele eBooks rebrand!

Time for a change I thought, and therefore I now have new covers on all of my e-versions of the four ukulele beginners books I wrote.


No biggie, but I like them! What do you think? Couple of examples below.





All books are on Smashwords (in a variety of e formats), Amazon UKAmazon.com as well as Kobo, Nook, Sony, iTunes and many other places!

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21 Nov 2012

No Woman No Cry - Bob Marley - Ukulele Chords

Love this song (and who doesn't?) - No Woman No Cry by Bob Marley. Works nicely on ukulele with a slow skanky strum.


Like a lot of Reggae, it follows a pretty simple and repeating pattern. The basic chord progression throughout is C, G, Am, F.  At the end of the second part of each chorus however the progression changes to a quick C, F, C, G, C with strums in time with the vocal of '[C]no [F]wo [C]man [G]no [C]cry'.  For the change from Am to F, just hammer on to the F from the Am with a finger at the E string 1st fret.


-----------------------

C, G, Am, F
C, F, C, G, C...... G


[C]No [G]woman, no[Am] cry [F]
[C]No [F]wo [C]man, [G]no[C] cry [G]
[C]No [G]woman, no[Am] cry [F]
[C]No [F]wo [C]man, [G]no[C] cry [G]

[C]Said I re [G] member [Am]when we used to [F]sit
[C]In the govern [G] ment yard in [Am]Trenchtown [F]
[C]Oba, ob-[G]serving all the [Am] hypocrites [F]
As they would [C]mingle with the [G]good people we [Am]meet [F]

[C]Good friends we have [G] had, oh good [Am]friends we've [F]lost
[C]a [G]long the [Am]way [F]
[C]In this bright [G] future you [Am]can't forget your [F]past
[C]So [G] dry your tears I [Am]say [F]

[C]No [G]woman, no [Am]cry [F]
[C]No [F] wo [C]man, [G]no [C]cry  [G]
[C]Oh my Little [G] darling, [Am]don't shed no [F]tears
[C]No [F]wo [C]man, [G]no [C]cry [G]

[C]Said I re [G]member [Am]when we used to [F]sit
[C]In the govern [G]ment yard in [Am]Trenchtown [F]
[C]And then [G]Georgie would [Am]make the fire[F]light
[C]Log wood [G]burnin' through the [Am]night  [F]

[C]Then we would [G]cook corn meal [Am]porridge [F]
[C] Of [G]which I'll share with [Am]you [F]
[C]My [G]feet is my [Am]only carriage [F]
[C]So I've [G]got to push on [Am]through But while I'm [F] gone...

[C] Everything's gonna [G]be alright
[Am]Everything's gonna [F]be alright
[C]Everythings gonna [G] be alright
[Am]Everything's gonna [F]be alright
[C] Everything's gonna [G]be alright
[Am]Everything's gonna [F]be alright
[C]Everythings gonna [G] be alright
[Am]Everything's gonna [F]be alright

[C]No woman, no cry [G] [Am] [F]
No, no [C]woman, no [F]wo [C]man, [G]no [C]cry [G]
[C]Oh, little [G]sister, [Am]don't she'd no [F]tears
[C]No [F]wo [C] man, [G]no [C]cry

C. G, Am, F
C, F, C, G, C....G

Repeat to fade, or repeat the chorus as you wish!



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19 Nov 2012

Puka PK PHC Concert Uke - REVIEW

This was a new brand name to me that I hadn't tried before, but brought to my attentions by Tom and Will who asked me to try them out. In this review I am looking at the Puka PK PHC, from their Rosette Series, Concert ukulele in Fire Phoenix Black.


Puka PK PHC Ukulele

Puka is a line of ukuleles made by a new far eastern builder called Pukanala (meaning 'sunrise' in Hawaiian). The brand make two lines of ukes - Pukanala and Puka - both in a range of sizes, and at price points that range from the cheap entry level to more serious intermediate solid wood ukes. I am not sure of the difference between the branding of Pukanala and Puka as ukes with each name carry similar spec ranges so perhaps it's just down to appearances.  Anyway, this model is from the Puka Rosette series which comes in a variety of colours / designs including the intriguingly titled Hibiscus, Peace, Tropical Fish and this one in Fire Phoenix Black. They also come in the usual ukulele sizes and the 'Rosette series' tag relates to the soundhole decorations that adorn this range.

This model is classed as an entry level uke, and at an RRP of £75 for the Concert scale model is up there against the likes of the entry level Ohana and Kala ukes, as well as the ever popular Lanika LU21 series and the Luna tattoos.  As such, in that price bracket it will come as no surprise that this is an all laminate ukulele.

So as I say, this is a concert scale, but it is quite a beefy concert to my hands. Not only is the body depth deep but it has a fat lower bout reminding me of a jumbo concert in dimensions. I like that, and in a laminate uke, the more sound chamber the better if you want volume.  The body is finished in a satin sheen which is very nicely done with no flaws to my eyes. Despite the term 'black' in the title it's more of a very (very) deep brown stain on the mahogany laminate body. The grain pattern of the outer mahogany veneer shows through the stain nicely, and it's pleasing to see that the grain patterns are straight and in line with the body on both the front, back and sides. Nice attention to detail often missed by others at this price point.

Puka PK PHC Ukulele top


The top and back are joined to the sides in a traditional manner, and a look inside shows fairly standard looking un-notched kerfling and bracing system. Generally inside all looks neat and tidy with no glue seepage and a simple Puka label behind the sound hole. Hiding the joins on top and back is a rather nice set of binding in what Puka call 'Mock Hawksbill'. It's plastic (and could equally be billed 'mock tortoiseshell' I suppose), though it looks the part and matches the colour of the body nicely. It's also applied neatly. It's a nice touch that lifts the uke in my opinion and I don't normally go in for all that much binding or bling. Perhaps I like it because it blends with the dark body.

The bridge is a fairly standard tie bar design made of rosewood, with an uncompensated plastic saddle. All fairly standard stuff bridge wise.

Puka PK PHC Ukulele sides


Up to the soundhole and we see where the rosette series gets its name - a rather attractive design adorns the uke which reminds me of those on LAG ukuleles - kind of an offset extra detail at the six o clock position.  It's fairly subtle, yet different enough to set it apart from its peers. That said, at this price point it is not surprising to see that it is a transfer not an inlay, so time will tell how it will stand up to strumming.  Looking at the edge of the soundhole and I see the laminate is pretty thick on this model, and that is borne out by it's weight - this is quite a chunky uke not only in size but in ounces - and that should be borne in mind.  This is no featherweight uke, and that can sometimes be a worry on tone and volume. This is often called 'over-building' and can often sap an otherwise pretty instrument of the things it is built to do.  We shall see how that large deep body helps to over come this.

Puka PK PHC Ukulele soundhole detail


The neck is hardwood and made of three pieces (joint at the heel and headstock) and finished in the same dark brown / black stain and is finished well. It's quite a chunky profile neck that I like, and I suppose goes with the chunky body. Nut width is pretty standard for this price of instrument. The neck is topped with a rosewood fingerboard which is nice and even with its stripe and finished well. Frets are nickel silver with 14 to the body and 18 overall. They are fitted nicely and edges are smooth and well finished which is more than I can say for some competitors I have played at this price. Fret markers are in faux mother of pearl and fitted at the 5th, 7th, 10th and 12th frets. They are small and understated and look good. There is no double spot marker but, honestly, I've never saw the importance.. What is important to me though is that there are also small fret markers on the side of the neck which is extremely pleasing to see. Really - these are often absent on ukes many times the price - and these are the ones the player likes to use!  The edges of the fingerboard are unbound so fret edges are visible, but as I say, it's tidy in its finish so this is no biggie.

Puka PK PHC Ukulele neck


Up to the headstock we pass a plastic nut which has been cut reasonably well (not obviously deep or wide) and the headstock itself borrows from the traditional Martin crown shape. It's not faced with any veneer, but just the same neck wood in the same stained colour. The Puka logo is screen printed in silver and looks OK. Thankfully they went with silver as opposed to stark white like some of the competition.  The tuners are sealed unbranded chrome affairs which hold tune but have the typical feature of this price point - some have slop or play in them and some are tighter than others! Not the best tuners by far but then at £75 that would be wishful thinking. Still, they can be swapped if you wish.

Puka PK PHC Ukulele headstock


So - overall - it's all very well put together and I think really rather attractive in it's looks. Quite a mean and moody looking uke and at this price nice to see something a little bit different apart from the dozens of orangey brown plain looking standard ukes. Sure, it has some tell tale signs of it's price - weight, cheap saddle, nut and tuners, but they all do at this price. As extra bonuses though it comes with a padded nylon zippered gig bag (of better quality than you normally see at this price) and Aquila strings (so no dropping more cash replacing the cheap black plastic strings that still plague some entry level ukes).

Puka PK PHC Ukulele tuners


So how does it play. Well, I set my expectations accordingly - it's not a pro instrument, but I loved the looks and size of it. Action and setup first of all - a little high at the nut causing some intonation errors on lower frets, but clearly not bad enough that cannot be very easily remedied by a dealer. (It's not my instrument so didn't try, but if I did would be a five minute job.) Action was a touch high for me, but I am fussy and perfectly acceptable.

To hold, despite the weight, the chunky body feels secure and comforting and the neck is smooth and easy to play.

Volume first. Wow!  Quite a noisy little blighter. Despite the entry level laminate, that large body is doing a good job. This is actually a little louder than my tenor Fluke ukulele (itself a noise monster) so I was really surprised. Full marks here - you are never going to struggle to be heard with this uke. The Aquilas are helping here and I suspect you may lose some of that volume with flourocarbon strings, but no matter. Certainly louder than a Kala and Lanikai I played at the same price point.

Tone wise it is naturally a little thin and one-dimensional but perfectly functional. I can't wax lyrical in a review of a uke at this price and try to compare it to the chiming harmonics of a $1000 dollar instrument, but it's perfectly pleasing and would be a challenger for several solid top ukes I have played with prices quite a bit higher than this. It's sustain is reasonable and plays as nicely soft, picked or strummed like a demon. All in all, quite pleasing and nothing at all about it made me frown.

So, I think it's a rather nice package really. In the world of ukuleles, despite what some would have you believe the vast majority of beginner ukes for those moving on from their first $20 Mahalo are bought in this bracket - the sub £100 laminate uke that has a little bit more going for it. As such, there is a lot of competition in that range and I have played many of them. I think this uke has the looks to beat much of the competition and coupled with that large body and excellent volume is something I think you should seriously consider if you have this sort of money to spend. In fact a store I highly regard (Southern Ukulele Store) I see are stocking some of the range and have them tagged as 'easily as nice sounding as models twice it's price'. I would have to agree.

It has it's downsides (weight, some cheaper fittings) but those are far out weighed by the looks and volume in my opinion. For me - if you were on your way to pick up a Lanikai LU21C, then I'd give this one a look first. Excellent starter uke.

PROS

Finish and fit
Looks
Volume
Body size

CONS

Weight
Cheap tuners


SCORES

Looks - 8.5
Fit and Finish - 8
Sound - 8
Value for money - 8.5

OVERALL - 8.3


To understand my review scoring and see this result in context - visit my review page at
The Puka can be ordered from Tom and Will and other good dealers.

Also available from time to time on Amazon

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18 Nov 2012

Ukulele News - 18 November 2012

This weeks look at ukulele stories from around the globe. Sure there will be something to take your fancy!


Looking forward to the NZ Ukulele Festival

-----------------------------

And more from NZ - the Ukulele Sundays

----------------------------

Vedder's ukulele tour rocks

----------------------------

Sam Brown launches Henley Poppy Appeal.

---------------------------

Say hello to Kara Square

--------------------------

Jakes 2013 tour dates



More next week!

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17 Nov 2012

Competition reminder - half way point!

A reminder of this brilliant Got A Ukulele competition that is running courtesy of Ohana Ukuleles - win yourself a superb SK25 Soprano ukulele!


The full competition details can be found on THIS PAGE and it's free to enter! Just visit the Ohana website to do your research to answer the questions and ping me the answers by email. Full instructions on the main competition page - and only a couple of weeks to go now - good luck!




Baz
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The N'Ukes Return!

Our ukulele group, the Nantwich N'Ukes are delighted to have been invited back to play another spot at the Leopard - hey  - we can't have been that bad!




Come along from 8.30pm on Saturday 8 December 2012 for a night of ukulele fun! Modern music our way in a great pub with great beers and company.

Check out more news about the N'Ukes at http://www.thenukes.co.uk and you can find out more about the pub and it's location HERE


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14 Nov 2012

Strobe Tuner Pro - APP - Mini REVIEW

You may have already read on Got A Ukulele my review of the Peterson Stroboclip Tuner - the excruciatingly expensive yet staggeringly accurate clip on tuner that the pro's adore.


The Peterson uses a strobe pattern technology on the display rather than a needle or red and green lights allowing you to tune much much finer than with normal tuners. Many clip on tuners are accurate to about +/- one or two percent, yet the Peterson claims to offer 1/10th of a percent accuracy. It certainly works very well and is satisfying to use.

The other day though I was browsing the iTunes App store and came across a free app download called Strobe Tuner Pro. I gave it a go. This is just a mini review, as really, there isn't that much to write about!

strobe tuner pro app

On opening the app you are presented with a simple looking screen. Top left shows the note that is being registered, top right in red is a large strobe wheel, and at the bottom 12 mini strobe wheels for each of the musical notes.  The app uses the devices microphone input to register, and before you hit a note you will see that all of the wheels are spinning wildly in a blurry fashion (that I can't show on a photograph for obvious reasons)

To use a strobe tuner you adjust your tuning until the strobe pattern for the note you are looking for slows to a complete stop. Some of my older readers may recall this strobe pattern being used on the edge of record deck platters to adjust speed. It tricks the brain in to seeing a frozen image at certain speeds in a real strobe wheel - in the app it's simulated but works the same way - allowing for extremely accurate tuning.  It's fiddly (as is the Peterson) but this is the stage of getting that 1/10th of a percent accuracy.

In this app, there is no dedicated ukulele setting, but I just left it on the Key of C option (though there are others for other tunings). But that is all irrelevant really as on the main screen are all of the notes you need to tune a ukulele whether in standard C tuning, or indeed any tuning. Just hit a string and use the smaller strobes at the bottom to to find which note you are closest too and then when you are near the note you need, use the main red screen and the plus or minus percentage in the top left under the note to fine tune.

So how does it stack up? Well I spent some time getting my Martin uke in tune with the Peterson. I then checked the settings with the app. Bang on.  I then purposefully put the Martin out of tune and re-tuned with the app. Checked the tuning with the Peterson and ..... bang on.

Wow. The Peterson costs big bucks, but this app does the same basic thing just as well. Sure there are some downsides to using an app - it relies on quiet as it is using the microphone not vibration so perhaps only really suited to home or studio use. It's also not something that you can leave clipped on for tuning during a set for obvious reasons! It also doesn't come with the Peterson 'sweetened tunings' option but the jury is still out for me on those, but it's also incapable of having the tuning adjusted like on the Peterson which is a handy feature for when you want to be in tune with another instrument that is tough to re-tune (like a piano) - with this you can only be in tune with the App. Finally, it requires you to have an iPhone or an iPad and I know how divisive that whole topic can be (I have searched for an Android version but not found one as yet).

But, if you already have one of the Apple devices and use it for tuning, then this really is worth looking at - it's about as accurate as an App tuner can get and considering the high price of the Peterson, is getting you pro level tuning for nothing!

The app can be downloaded at https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/strobe-tuner-pro/id473530418?mt=8
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13 Nov 2012

Blue Drag - Ian Emmerson

More ukulele goodness from Mr Emmerson giving us Django Reinhardt's 'Blue Drag'.  Gorgeous.





(Direct Link)
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12 Nov 2012

Werewolves Of London - Warren Zevon - Ukulele Chords

Werewolves Of London by Warren Zevon -  a great tune for the uke off his Excitable Boy album.

full moon werewolf ukulele chords


A point to make first - the song is originally piano driven (see video at end of this post). That said, the piano chord riff is actually pretty simple so I sat down last night to get the chords on to the ukulele. It's in D, though could easily be transposed to suit your voice.

For absolute beginners, the basic progression is just D, C, G all the way through the song, over and over. You could happily play it or accompany just playing those in time with the looping riff. However, if you listen to Zevons original, there are more than three chords as he plays a couple of variants with each of the three. Thankfully, on the uke to get the same sound it's just a case of a bit of hammering on or off an extra string. (I think I have them about right, but probably not bang on to the original  but think this works..)

So, the D phrase is actually two strums, but moving from D6 (2222) to D (2220). I find the easiest way is to use a full barre with the forefinger then relax the finger a little and roll the barre on to the GCE strings - essentially all you want to do is remove the sound of the C note that is played in the D6. The C is played as two strums moving from C6 (2003) to standard C (0003) (in other words just hold a normal C with your forefinger on the G string second fret for one strum, then release it for the second C strum).

When it comes to the G, the riff is just four strums of the G, but on the third one  you release the finger on the E string to play just 0202 (G6)  before moving back to the G (0232) for the fourth strum.  Confused? I have added a soundcloud sample at the end to help you out!

So - for absolute beginners, the progression throughout is:

DD, CC, GGGG over and over.

For the extra frills as below it's

D6 D, C6 C, G G G6 G

Other problem - hard to get the chords on to the lyrics in the right place, as such I have just placed the key D, C and G chord places in the first line or two to show where they come in but remember to play the two D's, two C's and four G strums for the basic pattern. Again - check the video and the soundcloud clip at the end to help you.

---------------


D6 D, C6 C, G G G6 G (x 4)

[D]I saw a were [C]wolf with a Chinese [G]menu in his hand,
[D] Walking through the [C]streets of Soho in the [G]rain.
[D]He was [C]looking for the place called [G]Lee Ho Fook's, 
Going to get a big dish of beef chow mein.

[D]Ahh [C]wooooo... [G]Werewolves of London,
[D]Ahh [C]wooooo! [G]
[D]Ahh[C]wooooo... [G]Werewolves of London,
[D]Ahh [C]wooooo! [G]

You hear him howling around your kitchen door,
You better not let him in.
Little old lady got mutilated late last night,
Werewolves of London again.

Ahhwooooo... Werewolves of London,
Ahwooooo!
Ahhwooooo... Werewolves of London,
Ahwooooo! Huh!

He's the hairy handed gent who ran amok in Kent,
Lately he's been overheard in Mayfair.
You better stay away from him, He'll rip your lungs out, Jim, 
Huh! I'd like to meet his tailor.
Ahhwooooo... Werewolves of London,
Ahwooooo!
Ahhwooooo... Werewolves of London,
Ahwooooo!

Well, I saw Lon Chaney walking with the Queen,
Doing the Werewolves of London.
I saw Lon Chaney, Jr. walking with the Queen,
Doing the Werewolves of London.

I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's,
And his hair was perfect.
Ahhwooooo... Werewolves of London,
Huh! Draw blood!
Ahhwooooo... Werewolves of London...

 
Read More »

11 Nov 2012

Ukulele News - 11 November 2012

This weeks Got A Ukulele news roundup.


More kids playing ukes - getting kids into playing music is such a wonderful gift any parent or teacher can bestow on them.

-----------------------------

Jackie Clarke to MC New Zealand Ukulele Festival (I haven't a clue..)

----------------------------

Say hello to the Rocky Mountain Ukulele Orchestra

---------------------------

Future Genius (already a genius actually) - Michael Atalig

---------------------------

Rhythm of Da Islands

---------------------------

Ingrid Michaelson concert review


More next week!

Read More »

9 Nov 2012

TOMANDWILL 66UKC Gig Bag - REVIEW

I noted to myself recently that I haven't done any reviews of ukulele cases on Got A Ukulele. Seems strange. I have talked about them but never reviewed. As such it was timely that the nice people at Tom and Will got in touch and asked me to take a look at their 66UK range of soft gig bags for the ukulele.


tomandwill ukulele case
The Tom and Will 66UKC concert ukulele gig bag

This range of cases comes in different sizes (I am looking here at the concert model) and they start at £19.99 for the Soprano so pretty good value. They also come in a couple of colour styles, Carbon (like this one) and black.

A soft shell case is perhaps the most commonly bought ukulele case on account of their prices, but I do find the quality of some of them out there rather shocking (with minimal padding, cheap stitching and zips etc). As such I will say from the outset that this one is a breath of fresh air. From the moment I took  it out of the box you can see that it exudes quality.

Now, a soft shell case will only, however, provide so much protection. It won't stand up to crushing (being trodden on) like a hard shell case and should only be relied on for minor falls and knocks. That said, for the majority of situations (going to uke practice, school, college, work, with your ukulele - ie where it is unlikely to be dropped off a balcony or sat on) then a soft shell case is perfectly adequate so long as you get one that is durable.

The Tom and Will case is certainly that - made of a thick robust nylon fabric and a claimed 20mm of padding all around. Around the edges of the case are rubberised scuff strips which will also help it stand up to wear and tear.

tomandwill ukulele case zips
nice strong zips and handle

Zips and handles are an area where many cheap cases fall down - broken zip often then means whole new case. Nice to see some good quality on these cases though - nice chunky zips (with Tom and Will branding on the tags) and a well stitched strong handle too. Then over on to the back and another nice touch - straps!

tomandwill ukulele case straps
two nice, shaped and padded shoulder straps

Again, this is an area where some uke cases let you down - with thin uncomfortable straps. On this model you get two, shaped and extremely well padded straps which make it really comfortable to carry an instrument with. And, as there are two, you can wear it like a rucksack - perfect for cycling. The straps also have quick release clips if you want to take them off.

Other little features include a nice tough name tag (in case you ever leave it somewhere) and the Tom and Will logo stitched into the top of the case. In addition there is an accessory pocket for tuner, strings etc on the front of the bag.

tomandwill ukulele case back

Inside is plush in feel and nice and soft. The padding is nice and thick although it is missing a couple of things that I would have liked to have seen on a 'premium' soft gig bag. First, it has no neck strap used to secure the instrument inside for extra security. Second, the padding in the neck and headstock area could be improved in my view - and I have seen other premium gig bags include some side bolsters in this area and around the top to avoid snapping incidents on this delicate area of the ukulele.

tomandwill ukulele case inside padding

That said, with a ukulele in the case it all feels secure, and if you are really that concerned about damage, then perhaps a hard case is for you. As a gig bag goes though, I think this is really rather nice and well made and would give it my recommendation.

The cases are available direct from Tom and Will as well as a range of good music stores.
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Ben Harper - Suzie Blue on Ukulele

I'm a big fan of Ben Harper, and this is rather nice (even if he is using a pick).

Thanks to Willie Deuel on Facebook who alerted me to the fact that Ben plays a ukulele now and then. Anybody know what model uke he is playing?



(Direct Link)
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8 Nov 2012

Chords ebook - HALF PRICE

Time for a bargain. For the next month you can grab a copy of my chords ebook in a variety of ereader formats for half it's normal price!


Simply go to the book listing on Smashwords add to the basket and at the checkout apply the following promo code for a 50% price cut!

YF95U

And that's it - feel free to share!

(Oh, and my other books are also available on Smashwords too - see HERE)
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It Must Be Love - Labi Siffre - Ukulele Chords


A really nice song this one for Valentines that works well on ukulele! Video of some of the N'Ukes together with the world famous Richard G (and friends) playing the same song and same ukulele chords at the end!




(Intro: Am  Am9  Am  Am9)

Am          Am9                       Am             Am9             G  Gsus4  G  Gsus4  
   I never thought I’d miss you      half as much as I do
Am                 Am9                       Am                Am9           G  Gsus4 G  Gsus4  
   And I never thought I’d feel this way, the way I feel about you
Em                  A7                Dm           E7
   As soon as I wake up, any night, any day
Am                     C6              D7 Alt               D7
   I know that it’s you I need to take the blues away

G                 Bm7  Cmaj7  C     D7 C
   It must be love,  love,   love
G                 Bm7  Cmaj7  C     D7 C
   It must be love,  love,   love
Am                 Bm7             C
Nothing more, nothing less, love is the best

Am           Am9           Am           Am9
/   /   /   /   /   /   /   /  /   /   /   /   /   /   /   /

How can it be that that we can say so much without words
Bless you and bless me baby, bless the bees and the birds
I’ve got to be near you, every night, every day
I couldn’t be happy baby any other way

It must be love, love, love
It must be love, love, love
Nothing more, nothing less, love is the best

(Solo)

As soon as I wake up, any night, any day
I know that it’s you I need to take the blues away

It must be love, love, love
It must be love, love, love
Nothing more, nothing less, love is the best

Am           Am9           Am           Am9
/   /   /   /   /   /   /   /  /   /   /   /   /   /   /   /

It must be love, love, love
It must be love, love, love
Nothing more, nothing less, love is the best

(Outro: 1 verse to fade)

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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.