10/01/2016 - 11/01/2016

27 Oct 2016

World Record Ukulele Attempt (With a Difference)

Now before you click away from this post. I KNOW that ukulele world record attempts are nothing new. In fact it seemed for some time recently they happened somewhere each year without fail....


STOP PRESS!!! ROBIN MADE IT - IN FACT HE SMASHED THE WORLD RECORD AND SET A NEW ONE AT OVER 30 HOURS!


But as I say in the title - this one is a quite different, and really caught my eye. Top ukulele performer and friend over on the UK circuit, Robin (he, the lover of Earl Grey Tea, lover of rap, lover of the bow tie and occasionally the the lover of a sweary tune) is having a go at one himself. And no, this isn't just another 'how many ukulele players can we get at the same time' attempt. This one is SOLO. And looking at it, it's also rather scary. (Click the image below for a bigger version with all the details!)

robin ukulele world record attempt




On 26 November, Robin will be attempting to play a continuous ukulele set for 30 HOURS (yes 30!) at the famous Duke Of Uke store in London. I don't even know how that is possible, but then, that's World Records for you! The current record is 25 hours, and Robin hopes to smash it. And I thought gigging for a couple of hours was tough!

The event is being produced by Team #GNUF (Grand Northern Ukulele Festival) and sponsored by KoAloha Ukuleles. I also understand that there will be some KoAloha goodies to win if you attend.

See the pic for details, or head to his Facebook event page to show your support. Added to which it's FREE to attend. Go give him your support (or strong coffee!)

Pop along to Duke Of Uke at 88 Cheshire Street, London, E2 6EH from 11am on 26 November right through to 5pm on the 27th. This should be fun!



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23 Oct 2016

Kaka KUS-25D Soprano - REVIEW

A new brand for the Got A Ukulele reviews bench this week, and one with an unfortunate sounding name - The Kaka KUS-25D Soprano.

And a few people have been confused expecting this to be a review of a KALA ukulele. No, it's a KAKA, and not a typo...

Kaka KUS-25D Soprano Ukulele


Now let's get that name over with before we get into the depths of the review. My apologies if this sounds childish, and I fully appreciate that it may not mean something to you in certain parts of the world, but.... In the UK and I believe in the US, the word 'Kaka' is more commonly associated with something you would pick up after your dog or find in a baby's nappy or diaper. I was actually staggered when I saw somebody had named a ukulele 'Kaka' for that reason. Language differences I suppose and you may not see the point I am making. Now it may also be that they were trying to sound suitably Hawaiian (with a name starting with K) or perhaps sound like that other well known four letter named ukulele brand - but I really have no idea. Whatever it is, it's lazy branding in my view.

Anyway, Kaka ukuleles seem to be all over sites like Amazon at the moment and no doubt are attracting attention on account of their low prices and generous package deals. This one is no different, and costs around £60 or $70 to purchase. A very attractive price,  and as you will see comes with a variety of extras to further sweeten the deal. I have no doubt that many people are looking at these and considering them.

It's a standard shaped soprano instrument, with a double bout that is all finished in satin. My first gripe with Kaka is in the product description that I am seeing go out on certain stores (like Amazon). It is being listed as being made from an 'AAA grade solid African mahogany top' and 'AAA laminate african mahogany sides'. Now at least they are not comitting the cardinal sin of misleading the buyer into it being solid when it isn't, but I would say this:  There is NOTHING 'AAA' grade about the wood this ukulele is made from. I don't even know what AAA means or who (if anyone) certifies such silly descriptions, but I am sure you will agree that it is intended to conjure up something 'special' or 'rare'. In reality, the woods on this instrument are some of the plainest and most dull looking pieces of mahogany I have ever seen in all my instrument reviews. Mahogany is not the most striking wood, but this is pale and devoid of any grain stripe or pattern. AAA? I really don't think so, and consider that to be marketing speak of the lowest order.

Kaka KUS-25D Soprano Ukulele sound hole


Looking at it more closely, the top is also very thick for solid wood - the bane of many cheap end 'solid wood' offerings as they are made to such a low budget that it is safer to make them thick than have them split after they have been bought. The downside to thick tops is that they sap all projection and power from the instrument when played. In short they are harder to vibrate through the the action of the strings.

The sides are in two pieces of mahogany laminate and the back is slightly arched. The whole thing is finished in a satin gloss that allows some of the wood pores to show through. The finish is quite nicely done for the price to be honest with no bare patches, pools or bubbles. I've seen much much worse.

Decoration wise, we have no edge binding but the sound hole is decorated with an inlaid rope marquetry design. It's nice to see this rather than a decal. The bridge is interesting on account of it being neither a tie bar or slotted design. The strings actually go through holes in the bridge and are knotted on the inside of the instrument. Kind of like a pin bridge but with no pins. For me that makes for fiddly string changes as you need to feed them through and fish them out of the sound hole.

The bridge itself is made of glossed rosewood and is a less than usual design. Kaka say that they have patented this design of bridge, but I wonder how. To me it looks just like the bridge design used on Taylor guitars.. I do like the design of it, but it's hardly unique or groundbreaking. Sitting in the bridge is a compensated bone saddle. Compensation on a saddle is a nice thing, but to me it seems totally pointless when you consider that the bridge on this one is visibly set in the wrong place. That is to say - the whole thing is on a slight angle. Things like that are pretty fatal for an instrument as they will throw off the intonation up the neck. We shall see.

Kaka KUS-25D Soprano Ukulele bridge


Looking inside, we have an otherwise tidy build, with notched kerfing and tidy bracing. Also adorning the body are two strap buttons with one on the base and one on the heel of the neck. This is a nice addition.

Up to the neck, this is made of mahogany and has very visible joints at the heel and half way up the neck holding its three pieces together. Sitting on top of this is a rosewood fingerboard which is a little uneven in colour but otherwise in good enough condition. We have 12 nickel silver frets to the body and a generous (for a soprano) 17 in total.  This is a nice touch as most cheap sopranos have less and you tend to find you run out of notes for some pieces of music. They are all dressed very well and the edges are hidden by painted edges. I do like how the end of the fingerboard extends down to the sound hole and follows the curve.

Kaka KUS-25D Soprano Ukulele fingerboard


We have outward facing fret markers at the 5th, 7th and 10th, inlaid in pearl, and thankfully these are repeated on the side.

The nut appears to be bone and is cut far too high (as you will read below). This moves on to an interesting shape of headstock with the Kaka logo engraved in in. I like unusual shaped headstocks, but think this one is just too narrow. It means the tuner posts are far too close together as shown by the severe break angle of the G and A strings as they leave the nut. I'm not a fan.

Kaka KUS-25D Soprano Ukulele headstock


Tuning is provided by silver sealed, unbranded geared tuners with Kaka logos on the cover plates. The small black rubber buttons are nice but the tuners themselves are very cheap. They hold well enough, but I never like tuners where some are easier to turn than others. At the end of the day, they are ok, but much prefer friction pegs on any soprano as they are lighted. Also on the back of the neck is a sticker of authenticity. I will leave you to make your own judgements as to whether that is really necessary or not with a fifty quid ukulele..

Kaka KUS-25D Soprano Ukulele tuners


Completing the deal is quite a package. First we have fitted Aquila strings, but the Kaka also comes with an embroidered gig bag, a chord chart, a pick, a strap, a polishing cloth and a clip on tuner. Also in the bundle was an intriguing back of white strings with an Aquila card. I found this odd as Aquila strings are always packaged with colour coded wallets so you know which is which. These are just four strings in a plastic bag. You would have no idea which was which rendering them kind of useless. To the best of my knowledge, Aquila do NOT provide their strings this way, so I would be interested to hear their take on this and whether they authorised it.

Kaka KUS-25D Soprano Ukulele accessories


So, a lot for your money, but some issues for me. On to the playing.

Kaka KUS-25D Soprano Ukulele strap button


First of all, it feels nice enough in the hands on account of that satin finish and the tidy fret board. Sadly the whole thing is neck heavy and not balanced at all. That's another major gripe for me. I don't like holding an instrument that feels like the headstock is trying to drop to the floor.

But the biggest issues I have with it are on volume and projection and one of intonation. Firstly, this is not a loud instrument. In fact it sounds strangled and mute. I can only put it down to that thick top, but you really need to hammer these strings to get some volume out of it. In the review video below, I manage that, but believe me, I was strumming it hard. A real shame, if not fatal. I guess some people like quiet ukuleles!

But most displeasing for me was that intonation. Tuned accurately at the nut, several of the strings sound off further down the neck. Most strings go sharp when fretted at the first fret and it generally sounds dischordant. Now, a lot of that can be sorted with a thorough setup, and certainly the issues with the high nut can certainly be fixed. But I do wonder how much of that is down to the badly placed bridge - that is a much harder one to overcome. Naturally, others may not have that bridge issue and with a setup you might be able to get them playing in tune. It's still quiet though!

Sound wise, it's rather uninspiring aside from the above. No real depth to the sound. There is some reasonably good sustain, but otherwise I found it sounding a little confused and muddy.

As you can probably tell, I am not a fan of this one. Looks wise it is ok I suppose (and I have seen far worse), but it's completely let down by the way it plays. I don't like the marketing spin of how they describe the wood, and as for the 'package' being attractive, it does seem clear to me that throwing the kitchen sink at a ukulele in terms of goodies never hides the flawed instrument underneath. In fact, with the whole thing costing £60 it does make you wonder what the underlying ukulele costs if you take away all the extras. It's also another prime example of the fact that just because you use 'solid wood' doesn't automatically mean it will be any good. Add to that the fact that I could never personally play an instrument with Kaka on the headstock in public, and I am afraid this one gets a NO from me. Even the included clip on tuner is pretty rubbish...





UKULELE PROS

Price (but at a cost)
Nice enough finish
Pre-installed strap buttons
Well dressed frets and plenty of them

UKULELE CONS

Misleading product description
Very plain wood
Top is too thick
Bridge incorrectly set
Nut needs setup
Cheap tuners
Neck heavy
Minimal projection and volume
Intonation issues

UKULELE SCORES

Looks - 7 out of 10
Fit and finish - 6 out of 10
Sound - 5 out of 10
Value for money - 6 out of 10

OVERALL UKULELE SCORE - 6 out of 10

UKULELE VIDEO REVIEW






WHY NOT DONATE TO HELP KEEP GOT A UKULELE GOING?


THANKS!
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18 Oct 2016

Primrose Hill - Loudon Wainwright III - Ukulele Chords

Couldn't resist another one from the great Loudon Wainwright III for ukulele - Primrose Hill.

This is one of my favourite songs of his from the album 'So Damn Happy'. It tells the (true) story of the homeless busker Loudon reportedly saw on his walks through Primrose Hill when he used to live in London. It's a really simple song that works well on ukulele. These chords are a match for the original key, but very easy to transpose!



There are a couple of instrumental interludes between some of the verses, but they use exactly the same chord progression.

PRIMROSE HILL - LOUDON WAINWRIGHT III - for education purposes only


(D) Living on the side of Primrose Hill
Drinking (G) cans of Tennents just can't seem to get my fill
Got a (A) beat up guitar and a dirty old sleeping bag
And this (G) mangy dog whose tail don't wag

(D) Sun's been shining down on my hillside bed
(G) That's not the only reason my face is so red
This (A) nasty cut on my nose is not from no fight
I just fell (G) down yesterday or maybe it was last night

(D) And I used to sing and play down in the underground
(G) But a few years back they started cracking down
Now I'm (A) living on the side of Primrose Hill
I'm no (G) tourist attraction but I give them a thrill

(D) Yeah I see you riding by on your flash new bicycle
Yeah they (G) can do you for that on Primrose Hill
(A) A pretty young mother goes by she's pushing her pram
(G) Her little baby leans out just to see what I am

(D) From the top of the hill there's a hell of a view
(G) Houses of Parliament and London Zoo
Those (A) politicians all chatter they trumpet and roar
That must (G) be what those hyenas all are laughing for

(D) When you come up to London it sure is something to see
(G) It's somewhere to go but it's no place to be
And there's (A) two things keeping me from going 'round the bend
(G) I got my music and this dog for a friend

(D) 'Cause life gets slippery when you're living on the side
Yeah I (G) know I should quit drinking but I haven't even tried
(A) My mutt's licking my fingers and I'm wetting my lips
I got a (G) can of extra strong and a bag of chicken and chips

(D) If I had a little money I'd get a few things
(G) Like a bottle of vodka and a pack of new guitar strings
I guess (A) I could die here on the side of this hill
(G) I'm no tourist attraction but I'd give them a chill

(D) And I'm living on the side Of Primrose Hill
Drinking (G) cans of Tennents Just can't seem to get my fill
Got a (A) beat up guitar And dirty old sleeping bag
(G) This mangy dog..... Whose tail won't wag (A)


 
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17 Oct 2016

The Ukulele Song - Loudon Wainwright III - CHORDS

You might not know it, but this website takes its name from this song by Loudon Wainwright III.


Loudon Wainwright III with ukulele got a ukulele

I've been a fan of Loudon for many, many years and consider him one of the best singer songwriters around. I've also had had the pleasure of seeing him perform which is a delight. You should check out his work, and also realise he's the father of Rufus and Martha Wainwright (two other stellar performers too!) and was married to their mother, the late Kate McGarrigle who was a folk legend. Musical royalty you might say..  Oh, and as well as guitar.. he plays uke.

Oh, and I am happy to stand corrected, but that line he says in the opening to the video about  every baby being issued a ukulele? I've seen a lot of memes crediting that to Jake Shimabukuro - but to the best of my knowledge, Loudon got there first..

Just check that opening line! So I figured I was overdue putting the chords up on here considering that fact! I owe him a debt! When I started the site I was starting out on ukulele and knew this song. It just fit. And Loudon's pronunciation making the 'Got A' bit work with the way Ukulele is pronounced as 'yook' (as we do in the UK) made sense for me.. at least. This is the reason it's not 'Got An Ukulele'...

Quite a tricky one on the bridge bit, but am sure you can master it.  Those Eb chords are:

Eb6 - 3333
EbM7 - 3335
Eb - 3336

So you kind of do it best with a full barre  at the thired and use your little finger to get the upper notes on the A string. The rest of it is a kind of skiffle between  Bb, C and F7

Video to assist you (and you'll see Loudon doing that barre), and chords and lyrics below for educational purposes.




THE UKULELE SONG - by - Loudon Wainwright III


[Bb] Got a ukulele, [C] now i'm not afraidee
[F7] Cat in case I get a bout of [Bb] blues [F7]
[Bb] In the event I get 'em, [C] there's no way i'll let 'em
[F7] bring me down, no way, I will [Bb] refuse..  [F7] believe me

[Bb] Cos a ukulele [C] is like a little baby
[F7] you cradle it in your arms and you just [Bb] sing [F7]
A [Bb] lullaby or ditty, [C] when you're feeling shitty
[F7] it will cheer you up it's just the [Bb] thing.

(Chorus)

Life [Eb6]could [EbM7] be [Eb] bright [EbM7] and [Eb6] breezy
[Bb] when it should be nice and easy
[F7] there's nothing hard or heavy about a [Bb] uke [Bb7]
[Eb6]I [EbM7] dont [Eb] play [EbM7] bull [Eb6] fiddle
[Bb] no mystery, no riddle
[C7] shlepping that thing make you look like a [F7] kook

[Bb] Four strings made of nylon [C] always put a smile on
[F7] anybodys face who's feeling [Bb] blue [F7]
[Bb] When your mind starts slumming [C] start a little strumming
[F7] on your uke and your gonna feel brand [Bb] new [F7]

(SCAT VERSE - over same chords as other verses)

[Bb] Even though it's raining [C] quit all your complaining
[F7] your roof's not leaking, nothings getting [Bb] in [F7]
[Bb] This axe is a hatchet, [C] there's magic you can catch it
[F7] on your uke you can't lose you just [Bb] win

Life [Eb6]could [EbM7] be [Eb] bright [EbM7] and [Eb6] breezy
[Bb] when it should be nice and easy
[F7] there's nothing hard or heavy about a [Bb] uke [Bb7]
[Eb6]I [EbM7] dont [Eb] play [EbM7] the [Eb6] tuba
[Bb] tubas do it to ya
[C7] just the thought of tubas makes me [F7] puke (you gotta believe me)

Kind [Bb] sirs and gentle ladies, [C] grab your ukuleles
[F7] I suspect by now you know my [Bb] song [F7]
[Bb] The next time that I do it [C] get down and get in to it
[F7] I trust you all will sing and strum a [Bb]long [F7] believe me

I [Bb] Got a ukulele, [C] now i'm not afraidee
[F7] Cat in case I get a bout of [Bb] blues [F7]
[Bb] In the event I get 'em, [C] there's no way i'll let 'em
[F7] bring me down, no way, I will [Bb] refuse..

[Bb]Be [C7] lee [F7]eeve [Bb7]me....



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16 Oct 2016

Logjam Travelog 2 - REVIEW

Review time, and not a ukulele this week, rather an accessory that I think uke players will really like. Say hello to the Travelog 2 from Logjam.



Got A Ukulele reviews - Logjam Travelog 2


The Travelog is a stompbox in the truest sense of the word. By that I don't mean it's a stompbox such as an effects pedal, rather it's a box you stomp! They are made in the UK and were the brainchild of Howard Bragen. The product also has some rather impressive endorsees including Seth Lakeman, Guy Garvey and our own Phil Doleman (who I have seen perform with one!)

The concept is simple, but highly effective. The Travelog is a wooden box chamber that contains a capsule pickup. Plugging the Travelog into an amplifier you have a box at your feet that when you tap it creates a beat sound kind of like a bass kick drum. The idea is as old as the hills and for years, folk performers would use upturned wooden crates to create a beat sound with their feet on stage. By making them small and capable of amplifcation, Logjam have developed something that you can easily carry around and with the right amplifer, make as much noise as you like.

The construction is simple but rugged and really rather pleasing. The body of the Travelog is made from a block of sustainable Sapele wood which contains a routed chamber inside housing the pickup. You connect that pickup to an amplifier with a standard guitar cable into the jack socket screwed to the side of the box. And that really is it. No batteries, and nothing really that I can see that can go wrong.

Got A Ukulele reviews - Logjam Travelog 2 jack socket


The hand finish is really rather nice as it's finished in rubbed linseed oil. The wood-shop smell from the box when you open it is divine! Aside from that is the Logjam logo plate riveted to the front of the box and an essential grippy rubber mat glued to the base to stop it sliding around on wooden floors.

What I found really interesting to play around with was the range of sounds you can get. Of course you can play around with the EQ on your amplifier (I found it best mainly on the bassy side, but really, the rules are yours to make or break), but choosing different footwear gives very different sounds too. In the video below I am wearing fairly hard leather soled shoes, which gives a very bright snappy sound, but if you use it in a pair of rubber soles, such as trainers or Doctor Martens, you get a more bassy thud.

Got A Ukulele reviews - Logjam Travelog 2 name plate


Logjam recommend that it's best paired with a large-ish amplifier with good bass response for obvious reasons. For the video however, I have it running into a small simple Roland Mobile Cube and found it is still effective as an accompaniment to an acoustic instrument. Obviously if you are going to plug your ukulele in, you will need the Logjam plugged into something powerful to balance it. But the beauty of the simple design that it's only need is a jack input, means the sky is the limit. This would be a hoot to connect to a powerful PA system!

So why is this featuring on a ukulele blog? Well simple really - the ukulele on it's own has a pretty thin sound and it does (I think) come alive when accompanied by something else. Performers around the world who are playing songs (less so those who play delicate instrumentals) bolster the ukulele by playing in larger groups, or adding friends on bass guitar (or uke) or things like Cajon hand drums. But the role of the solo troubadour song singer is still one that many people are drawn to. And if you don't want to take drummer out on gigs with you, something like this gives you an extra dimension to your sound.  A self accompanying beat!

Got A Ukulele reviews - Logjam Travelog 2 rubber base


The Travelog is part of a range of similar products from Logjam, but I like this one for the balance of size, simplicity and just sheer ruggedness to throw in your gig bag. If you are a solo performer, I think something like this could really add new options to some of your set. Recommended

The Travelog retails at a shade under £65 and is available from music dealers and from Logjam direct

http://www.logjam.net

VIDEO REVIEW




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8 Oct 2016

Ukulele Capos Roundup - REVIEW

An accessory that I haven't really talked much about on Got A Ukulele is the Ukulele Capo.

It's something I am seeing more and more of, so thought it would be good to do a roundup review of the main styles available.
ukulele capos
Clockwise from top left - Shubb, D'Addario, Chord Trigger


So what is a capo? Well it's short for 'Capo d'astro / Capotastro' and is a device used on stringed instruments to deliberately shorten the scale length of the instrument. In essence it's a clamp that can be applied to one of the fret spaces to raise the key of the instrument when played open by effectively moving the nut down a selected number of spaces. It's used to transpose a sequence of music up in key whilst allowing the player to use the same chord shapes.

Now, I personally haven't really seen the need for ukulele capos. They are popular on guitar, but then the guitar has a much wider fretboard, is harder to engage the strings and has six of the blighters. On the ukulele however, I've never found it all that complex to use natures own capo - the first finger - to barre the neck and do the same job. But the spirit of Got A Ukulele has never been to tell people that 'you can't do that', and as I say, I am seeing an increasing number of people use capos, and not just beginners either. At the end of the day, they are convenient!

For me, there are various elements to a ukulele capo that are important to take into account.

First thing is the size of the capo. I shudder when I see people saying they use a guitar capo - that would be an incredibly bulky thing to clip on the neck of such a diminutive instrument. In short, you want a capo that doesn't intrude on your left hand technique.

Coupled with that point is weight. I have an intent dislike for ukuleles that are unbalanced and heavy in the neck. If you are playing without a strap, they always feel like the neck is trying to drop to the floor and it's an uncomfortable experience. Adding weight to the neck of an instrument can only cause problems in that regard.

And finally we have to think about ease of use and price...  So I've gathered together a few types here that I think represent the most common capos you will find on the market.  There are others, but they are all just variations on a theme.

First up is a generic trigger style capo, often referred to as a Kyser (although, in actual fact, a Kyser capo is quite different, but it's the same general principle). This model is made by Chord but these sort of capos really are ten a penny in all sorts of brands, and all do the same thing. It's basically a clip that acts like a clothes peg, with a spring to keep it in the closed position. There are a number of positives with the trigger style capo. They are cheap (this one retails at about £5), they are light (this one is 17 grams) and they are super easy to attach and move up and down the neck. You can even clip them to the headstock when not using them and they naturally fit all depths and profiles of neck without adjustment. I like all of those features, but this sort of style is just not something I can get on with to be honest. You see, when in place and fretting in the low positions with your hand right next to it, I find it gets in the way. Those sharp edges and sticking out bits catch my hand when in use. It's damn annoying. Your mileage may vary as your hand size and technique may have something to do with it of course, but these are not for me.

trigger ukulele capo
Trigger style ukulele capo

Next up is an old favourite in the guitar world with a ukulele capo made by Shubb. These clip capos have been around on guitars for years, and they are incredibly popular. The simple reason is that they are tough as old boots, simple to use and unobtrusive when in use.  So I was delighted to see a ukulele version, which is similarly made. The Shubb uses a clever hinge to lock it in place, but it does take some adjustment of the screw to set it for your particular depth of neck. It's clever though and very well made. That solid construction though comes at a price as they are HEAVY. In fact, this Shubb weighs a whopping 51 grams, which for me is a heck of a lot of weight to be hanging on the neck of your instrument. (EDIT - I have been informed that Shubb make a 'Lite' version of this, but it is still the heaviest of these three at about 28 grams).  On the plus side though it's easy to use (though not quite as easy as the trigger style), and when in place is folded down into a small area so it really doesn't interfere with the fretting hand. You may however wince when you realise that the price of around £17... For me though it's all about that weight. A nice idea that is perfect for the guitar, but totally over-engineered for the ukulele I think.

Shubb ukulele capo
Shubb ukulele capo

Finally is the kind of halfway house that is more of your manual style capo. This one is from D'Addario / Planet Waves. At about £17 this is also not cheap, but it's very well made from lightweight aluminium. In fact it's the lightest of the three looked at here, weighing a meagre 14 grams. And in addition to not noticing the weight, when it is in place it takes up so little space that you don't notice it when playing either. In fact it is far smaller than the Shubb. There is a downside though. The D'Addario is attached by adjusting the rear screw to open the capo like a vice, and then tightening it when in place. It means that swift changes of position can be fiddly, and if ever there was a capo that was going to get lost on stage - this is it! It's just not as straightforward to adjust as the other two.

D'Addario ukulele capo
D'Addario ukulele capo

So as you can see, there are compromises with all three. Personally I can live with some of those downsides, but weight and the capo interfering with my playing are two that I would want to rule out absolutely. For me then, the D'Addario is the only one I would live with. Sure, it is less user friendly to move about, but when in place it's almost like it isn't there. And that has to be the most important thing I'd say.



Of course, you could also make more of your forefinger, or, if you don't like the cost of these things, revert to the old guitarists trick of placing a stubby pencil on the fret space and looping an elastic band between the two ends around the back of the neck. (Trust me - it works).  But seriously, if you don't like capos, that's fine. Don't shoot those that do though - we don't want another strap / plectrum debate...

Video below to see them in action.







VIDEO REVIEW




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6 Oct 2016

A New Ukulele Store - World Of Ukes Goes Live!

'Why don't you have more stores listed on your Shops page?'...

The reason for that is simple. That page is just a listing of stores that I have either had first class experiences of myself, or I have had reviews of such an experience from people I implicitly trust. That list hasn't really changed much for a while, which is sad, but I was thrilled to see that recently we have a new one - World of Ukes!
World of Ukes
Credit - Matt Warnes
You see, despite there being lots of 'shops that sell ukuleles' around the globe, in my experience there are precious few that I would call a genuine 'ukulele specialist'. Sadly many of those 'shops that sell ukuleles' tend to be mass market type places who jumped on the bandwagon becuase they saw the ukulele getting popular. Yet their walls are adorned with lots of rubbish and you would be lucky to find a salesman who knows how to tune one. And that's why my listings are not very long.

And none of that can be said of Matt Warnes, the brains behind the new World of Ukes store in the UK. You see Matt had already taken the ukulele to his heart at the Brampton based Omega Music, had set up the Ukulelevents (the people behind the Big House and Big Boat events), plays in Feckless Fuddle and The Prince, and then also created the UK's first dedicated in print ukulele magazine ( UKE Magazine). It would be fair to say that he is rather passionate about the instrument!

So as if that lot wasn't enough, Matt decided to take things a step further and create a dedicated ukulele only music store (the first one in the UK to my knowledge) in his hometown of Carlisle. Just ukes, ukes ukes. Walls of them.

World of Ukes store
Credit - Matt Warnes


And not any old ukuleles either - Matt has clearly gone for a more serious selection of instruments for the discerning player. That isn't to say there aren't things for everyone, but, how can I put this... there isn't a section for cheap Mahalos... His current line up includes ukuleles from Kala, Pono, Imua, aNueNue, Risa, Kiwaya, Uluru, Mabuhay, Antonio Carvalho, Ohana and their own line of World of Ukes instruments called the Pioneer.

Despite him holding what looked to be a great opening night of the physical store a couple of weeks ago now (with performances from Dead Mans Uke, The Mersey Belles and Liam Capper-Starr), I've been holding off on writing this post until his online store was fully ready. It now is!

You see, as much as people like visiting a store, and by the look of the photos, it looks to be a great place - space, walls for different brands, comfy chairs, quiet space to play, coffee, free gin (I lied about the free gin, sorry), there are many people out there who rely on internet orders as they may not be able to travel. And if you are going to offer an online presence, I think you need to get certain things right. Thankfully it seems Matt is offering just that, as every uke will be set up before shipping, and if you want one he will add a strap button for free (nice touch). Even better, shipping is totally free for any country in the EU.

World of Ukes world wall
Credit - Matt Warnes


Plus, with all good online launches, there is an money off opportunity I can tell you about. Enter the code LAUNCH10 before the end of October for a 10% discount!

And how can I be so positive about a new venture like this? Well, I already know Matt, and lots of us do in ukulele circles. I have experienced his great service from Omega music and know he has the instrument in his blood. That's good enough for me!

And I for one am pleased that despite things being fairly static for a while in the list of shops I recommend, that we now have a new one. Now for that trip up the M6!

http://worldofukes.co.uk

Fancy taking a trip there? Programme your sat-nav!

World of Ukes
48 Cecil Street
Carlisle
CA1 1NT

ukes ukes ukes!
Credit- Matt Warnes



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3 Oct 2016

Blackbird Clara Concert Ukulele - REVIEW

Time for something extremely special on the Got A Ukulele reviews page. A ukulele like no other I have seen or played before in close to 10 years of writing reviews of musical instruments. With many thanks to Blackbird Guitars and Southern Ukulele Store, I have had a chance to take a Clara Concert ukulele for a spin.

Blackbird Clara Ukulele


And I will say this from the off, this has been an extremely difficult review to write. The simple reason for that is because the Clara is so unlike anything else I have reviewed,  so the benchmarking and scoring was a real challenge to get right. It was however a joy to get to know. I love brands who dare to push boundaries. Mainly because I think it is a healthy part of developing musical instruments, but also because I think it's equally healthy to shake up the traditionalists for whom 'change' can send them apoplectic. But hey, come on, if people hadn't taken the opportunity to develop the guitar, there would never have been a Telecaster or a Les Paul. As such, any arguments to the contrary are clearly invalid...

Ahem... Moving on... the Clara is the brainchild of San Francisco based Blackbird Guitars, founded by Joe Luttwak and Kyle Wolfe. You may have heard of them in ukulele circles before because Blackbird were the people behind the strangely shaped, but critically acclaimed carbon fibre ukuleles. The Clara is a 'fairly' new departure for them and isn't made of carbon fibre, but instead is a ukulele that is still designed to be extremely resilient but, contains no wood whatsoever... (Purists, take a minute or two to get up off the floor and grab your blood pressure medicine..) Yet that isn't to say it's a just 'another' synthetic ukulele. Far from it.

The Clara is a pineapple / boat paddle shaped, concert scale ukulele with some unusual and quite unique features. I love the boat paddle shape myself, so this one immediately appealed to me from the moment I opened the gig bag. The back, sides, neck and headstock of this instrument are all a single moulded piece, and laid on top of that is a separate top creating the sound chamber. So that's essentially a ukulele made from just two main pieces. It's the technique used by many makers of plastic ukuleles, but what is unusual here though is the material it's made from.

The Clara is constucted in the main (body, neck, headstock) from a material called 'Ekoa', a linen based composite that is both light and incredibly strong. I said this wasn't a synthetic uke, and that's because this isn't a petrochemical plastic - its actually plant based, made from flax based linen cloth hardened with a bio based resin. The point here is that it's still essentially a natural product, but also an extremely eco-friendly one. No trees were harmed in the making of this instrument! In fact flax is considered to be a highly sustainable natural product. The aim was to create a material that is stiffer than fiberglass, but with a lower density than carbon fibre. In other words - stiff but light. On a musical footing, the claim from Blackbird is that this creates an instrument that is light, yet incredibly durable and strong, together with being resilient to things like moisture and humidity. Such things are important to instrument buyers. They also claim that it has the characteristics of vintage tone woods. We shall see.

The material is made up of layers of the ekoa composite that is laid into ukulele shaped moulds by hand and then pressed.

Blackbird Clara Ukulele top


Visually it's a mix of looks, but both with a kind of mid-brown colouring. The back 'ekoa' differs visually from the top, but it's essentially the same material. The back has an outward appearance of a kind of woven checkerboard, rather reminicent of carbon fibre, whereas the top looks more like a cloth finish in which you can see the criss crossed plant fibres in the resin. It's truly unlike anything I have seen before, yet intriguing and, I think, rather pretty. Very pretty in fact. It's not a wood grain look, obviously, but equally it isn't a flat plain brown either. Whatever you think of it, this is without a doubt a ukulele that will draw questions from those around you. It's just that different.

The back is shaped into a wonderful tactile bowl, and almost looks like an armadillo shell. The way it sweeps into the integral neck with no harsh joints or angles is, quite simply, beautiful. It's one of the first ukuleles I've had on test where I have drooled as much over the back as anything else.

Blackbird Clara Ukulele back


The top edges are unbound, but then there is no need for any binding considering the materials used and nor is there any back to bind. Sited on the top side is an off centre, long thin sound hole which is certainly different.  Blackbird desribe the top as being a 'double top', which I think means it's two pieces sandwiched with the grain running perpendicular to each other, thus giving it a stiffness in two directions (or something like that..). I like how you can see the individual plant fibres in the construction and for this reason, every Clara will look very slightly different. In fact on this one, whilst predominantly brown in colour has some variances with hints of pinks and green here and there in the fibres. It's hard to comment on the internal construction as it's impossible to see inside. What I can see is the makers label and I am led to believe that there are internal bracing plates inside the body made from carbon fibre to give it extra strength and also mellow out the sound a touch.

The whole body is finished in a kind of matte gloss - not mirror shiny, but not dull either. You can see the difference when you look in the sound hole and see the unfinished composite inside. It comes across as 'just enough' finishing and I like that. That soundhole appears small although issues of sound projection are not a concern with this one as you will see further on.

The bridge is extremely pretty and glossy black. You could be forgiven for thinking it is made from plastic, but as I said - it's 'all natural products' in this ukulele! The material is actually called Richlite, another eco-friendly composite, but this time made from re-cycled paper. The result is a product that acts like a very dense hardwood, hence it's use in the bridge on this ukulele. In fact it is so hard and non-porous, it has been used as a stone substitute in bar and kitchen worktops. Incidentally, it's not the first time this material has been used in musical instruments either. It has increasingly been used by Gibson as an ebony substitute on some of their electric guitar fretboards. That isn't a bad pedigree I am sure you will agree. It's a very pretty shaped bridge, making the most of the Richlite properties as I think it would be extremely unlikely you could carve a bridge like this from wood. Sitting in the bridge is a saddle made from Graphtech. And as you can see, it's a tie bar style.

Blackbird Clara Ukulele bridge


Moving up the ukulele, the C shaped neck is supremely smooth and nice to hold. Sitting on top of this is a fretboard made from the same Richlite material. It's absolutely jet black, and again has that hardwood quality which makes it perfect for a fretboard and the need for resilience. My only gripe is that I am not a fan of the glossy, shiny look that it has. It attracts fingerprints, and dust and I think I would prefer it looking matte. I appreciate this isn't a wooden ukulele, but this is the one area where I wished it looked more like wood. This is a minor gripe I suppose.

Set in the fretboard are 17 nickel silver frets with 12 to the body. They are all finished extremely smoothly and are quite thin in style. The edges of the fretboard are not bound so you do see the fret edges, but it's all very tidy. There are no outward facing fret markers at all, but thankfully we do have side markers for the player at the 5th, 7th, 10th and 12th spaces. The nut width is a generous 1.4" - not the widest nut around, but wider than most Chinese import ukuleles.

Blackbird Clara Ukulele fingerboard


Up to the headstock and the first thing that jumps out at you is the oblong hole in the outer face. What could that be? Truss rod access? Nope. This ukulele doesn't need a truss rod. What it actually is though is extremely interesting. As I said, the neck and body of the ukulele are a single piece, but that  neck is also hollow. The hole in the headsock is actually another sound hole. You read that right. Becuse the vibrating chamber of this instrument is not just the body, but also the neck, you get another sound hole at the headstock!

Blackbird Clara Ukulele headstock


The front of the headstock uses the same Ekoa finish as the top of the body, whereas the back is the same as the back and neck of the instrument. The Blackbird logo is screen printed, looks classy and suits the instrument. Like the saddle the nut is made of Graphtech Tusq. Shape wise, the headstock is really simple, but hey, when you have a ukulele that looks this different, you don't need to fuss with fancy headstocks!

Flipping the Clara over and we have rear facing tuners (thank you thank you thank you!!). But these are not just your common junky tuners, they are Gotoh UPT's with black buttons and gun metal black posts and bolts on the front - quite sublime instrument tuners to be honest. They are the best of both worlds, as despite them being rear facing (and therefore looking GREAT), they actually contain helical gears and work like geared tuners. Just superb.

Blackbird Clara Ukulele tuners


Completing the deal are Oasis Fluorocarbon strings, a padded and branded 'Gator Cases' gig bag and a strap button installed on the base of the uke. Those strings come with a low G, which is what Blackbird recommend for this model, but they can provide a high G if you prefer. And for all of that, the Clara will set you back the not inconsiderable sum of $1,295 in standard spec. They can also offer it with extras like a MiSi pickup, custom inlays, fret markers or in left handed spec for an extra price.  Personally at this sort of standard price I would expect a hard case and outward fret markers to be standard, but there you go. Incidentally, the gig bag came with a little clip on the zip which holds a Blackbird logo plectrum. Just another thing to annoy the traditionalists!

Blackbird Clara Ukulele gig bag


So, let's re-cap...  Clearly this is a serious intrument with a very serious price. But then it employs some pretty radical ideas too, and something would be drastically wrong (and hugely disappointing)  if those things didn't come together to justify that price. Let's get to the playing.

To hold, not only is it light (just over one pound in weight), but it's perfectly balanced in the hand. It feels like a regular wooden uke and only the fact that it doesn't look like wood is the giveaway. What I mean to say is, it doesn't feel like a plastic ukulele, or as some people call them, 'a lunchbox with a neck glued on'.  This feels like a high quality instrument. It's very comfortable to play, even without a strap and is no more 'slippery' than any other gloss ukulele. It's certainly easier to hold than something like the Flea or Fluke ukulele. If you do struggle though, there is of course the strap button. It's also immaculately put together and feels very solid in every aspect.

Setup on this review model was perfect with absolutely no adjustment needed at nut or saddle giving it a nice low action. If it did need any adjustment there is enough play at either end to have a meddle.

Blackbird Clara Ukulele strap button


To actually play it though was truly a pleasant, glorious surprise. You could be forgiven for thinking that because there is no wood in the instrument that it would end up with an artificial sound. Seriously, you couldn't be more wrong. In fact, the way this sounds immediately left me worried that my own playing standard just simply isn't good enough to get the most out of the instrument on my review video. You just KNOW this is high end when you first play it.

I am not sure how Blackbird have done it, but it just delivers an extremely bright, sweet and natural sounding tone from all over the neck. The clarity between the strings is piercingly clear and the sustain is simply remarkable. In fact this is one of the longest sustaining ukuleles I can recall playing.   It just shimmers and sings when you play it and notes flow into each other. For me it really excels the most when fingerpicked, but it's no slouch with any style I threw at it, even with my shonky playing.  I believe Blackbird recommend the low G as it balances off that brightness and I can see what they mean. You kind of 'need' that low G in the mix. If you love 'bright' you will love this.

And as for those soundholes? Well this is without a doubt one of the punchiest ukuleles I have EVER played. It really is astoundingly strident, but without any muddiness or loss of clarity no matter how hard you play it. It kind of feels like your whole chest and arms are projecting tone. Some brands go for power, but are found wanting when you strum them with some power - they kind of lose their way, get muddy and just sound like a mad jangle. Not this one though - it just responds no matter how hard you go at it. That isn't to say that it is over-bearing , because when you ease off your attack it just still delivers a bell like sound with minimal effort from your picking hand. In fact it's incredibly pleasing to play softly too. I hate to use the 'it almost plays itself' cliché but it works... The effect of the extra sound hole in the headstock is subtle, but it does work. To my ears - you get more bass and resonance from the body sound hole, but the headstock provides a little extra treble. Think of it like a woofer and tweeter in a hi-fi speaker. Trying to sum it up I suppose I could say this - whilst it is in concert scale, and tuned in standard concert pitch, it has the resonance and power of a baritone ukulele.
Blackbird Clara Ukulele sound hole


But it's the dynamic response that really stands out. It's hard to describe, but it kind of feels like it would make a noise just by looking at the frets! Lively as you like!

Does it sound like a wooden ukulele? Well, remarkably, yes it does a bit. Not exactly like one I must say, but certainly a far cry from a plastic bodied instrument. And I don't mean that to sound non committal - I will stick my neck out - this sounds fantastic.

As I said in the introduction,  I have a fondness for people who create things that are a bit different in the ukulele world and this certainly fits that bill with bells on. Ultra traditionalists may not like it, but I think there is room for both in the uke world. And yes, the price is very serious and some people may say 'but I can get a Kamaka for that money'. Well, yes, you could, but then I tend to judge my ukuleles on sound and playability and not just based on what badge is on the headstock. On this front, I think the Clara delivers what you would expect for the price. And at the end of the day, innovation, new materials and being made in San Francisco (and not on a production line in a Chinese factory) costs money, but this isn't about expensive materials for the sake of it. It plays wonderfully too.

And, of course, a word should also be said for the bravery in developing a product that doesn't use wood. The planet is getting ever more crowded and the pressure on resources is at an all time high. Yes, there are many responsible wooden uke brands out there, but the number of new Chinese brands appearing every year is dizzying. All those ukes streaming out of the far east use a lot of timber!

Add to all of that the strong durable build, the humidity resistance and I think this is an instrument that deserves a lot of praise. With a pickup, this would represent a superb, resilient gigging instrument.  Saying that, I think this would be an impeccable recording instrument as well as the clarity is that good. Koa vs Ekoa? Meh.. what does it matter if it sounds good and is wonderfully playable?

Highly recommended. Can somebody now please ask Jake Shimabukuro to come over and record a better video than I can?


(Thanks to)
https://www.blackbirdguitar.com
http://www.southernukulelestore.co.uk


UKULELE PROS 
Unique looks
Innovative build materials and eco friendly credentials
Stellar projection and sustain
Superb response
Bright and supremely clear tone
Wonderful tuners

UKULELE CONS 
Would prefer a matte fingerboard
Would like a hard case and fret markers included at this price

UKULELE SCORES 
Looks - 9.5 out of 10
Fit and Finish - 9 out of 10
Sound - 9.5 out of 10
Value for money - 9 out of 10

OVERALL UKULELE SCORE - 9.3 out of 10

UKULELE VIDEO REVIEW





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