Here we go.. Another guitar brand that feels duty bound to jump on the ukulele bandwagon and put one out in their name... In my experience it rarely ends well, and so it is with some trepidation I approach a ukulele from a guitar brand I am rather fond of. The Takamine EGU-C1 electro acoustic concert ukulele.
It's ukulele review day and back with, perhaps, one of the most well known ukulele brands worldwide. It's been a while, but Kala are back with one of their Novelty Series ukes - The KA-WTML Watermelon Soprano.
If there is a ukulele brand that has done nothing but blow me away in the last couple of years, it's aNueNue. They have consistently gained my highest scores so it stands to reason that I'd want to take another look and this week it's something really quite special. The aNueNue ANN-UT5K Solid Koa Moon Bird Tenor.
There is a ukulele brand out there that I have held deep in my heart since I started playing ukulele. That's the Magic Fluke brand from Massachusetts in the USA. I've looked at most of their stuff, but not this one before. The Magic Fluke SB Solid Body Electric.
I originally said I wouldn't put this on Got A Ukulele. Well, it's not a ukulele, it's a guitar innit? But thought it probably needed a post for posterity..
Here's a subject that Got A Ukulele readers who follow the channel on Facebook probably see me going on about more than is probably healthy. Shills, marketeers and reviews that are not to be trusted. As a reviewer who strives to be totally impartial, this troubles me.
So.... I recorded the video below..
I don't want it to sound like sour grapes - it isn't. I am just GENUINELY concerned about new buyers being taken in by positivity online for reasons that are not particularly fair. Got A Ukulele will NEVER be bought, be paid (in cash or kind) to write nice things, will shill you, will act as a marketeer. I don't live in a house with hundreds of free instruments - they get sent back. If they don't want them back they are sold to get more instruments for review and in time when that has run out of steam get given to the local school / charities. In fact, that is the ONLY way to offer a fair and real review. You can't fairly review something if you are being given inducements.
All that matters on this site is my own personal uncoloured opinions about instruments. Even if the brands I dearly respect send me something shoddy, I WILL say so and they know this!
Brands that choose to pay for nice words, shilling their customers are making it an unfair playing field for many other brands (new and old) and in time will destroy credibility in the market for all (themselves included). And yes, I KNOW this has always plagued product marketing. Doesn't make it right.
Now I have recorded this, lets hope this is 'therapy' and I don't need to go on about it so much. (I probably still will, because it stinks)...
I am moving to the smaller end of the uke scale this week on Got A Ukulele with a new sub-soprano sized instrument from Ortega Guitars. This is the K1 Keiki Sopranino ukulele.
A welcome return to Flight Ukuleles on the site, a ukulele brand I have reviewed several times before and not been let down. In fact with each model I review they seem get better. I will come on to why I think that is in the review, but this is the Victoria CEQ Tenor.
Not that long ago I was introduced to the ukulele design skills of Zachary Taylor when I had a chance to try his Tenor model. And what a terrific instrument that was! Since then I have been keen to look at Zachary's own personal favourite scale - the Baritone. Luckily I managed to get one of those on loan.
Oh I do like a ukulele brand that pushes the boundaries. And so it has been so far with the Bonanza Ukuleles company from Big Falls, Minnesota. I'm therefore rather pleased to be looking at their latest development in the form of the Bonanzalele ukulele.
Back today with another steel strung electric ukulele, the type of which are continuing to prove popular with ukulele players. This time it's an intriguing 'double header' name. That's because this electric Les Paul style tenor is badged differently depending on where you are on the planet. Clearwater in the UK, Vorson in the USA. But the instrument is identical in both cases.
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. 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.
