Fitting A Strap Button to A Ukulele

Wanting to use a ukulele strap? You may well benefit from fitting a ukulele strap button then. So a video -  A step by step video guide to fitting a strap button to a uke.

Why would you do this yourself? Because it's easy, that's why!! I really don't want to get into the pros and cons of ukulele straps - it's a pointless debate. I like them, some don't... People seem to be scared about doing this - it's really not hard!

Enjoy




© Barry Maz

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Mobius Ukulele Strap - REVIEW

Ahhh, the ukulele strap ... if ever there was a subject to divide all opinion. Readers of my blog will know my view - if you want to use a ukulele strap, then use a strap! I do! I have been aware of this particular product for some time now, but only recently got around to having a closer look at one. The Mobius Strap for ukulele. A strap with a twist!

The mobius ukulele strap uses a simple but clever bit of mathematics based on the 'mobius ring' to create a support system for the uke that I must say, is pretty decent.

The strap consists of simple bit of webbing as used in so many straps with velcro closures on the ends. But the closures don't match in a way that allows you to create a basic loop - they require you to put a half turn into the loop creating a twist, that rather cleverly helps this to work.

The strap is passed underneath the strings on the front of the uke, then attached in the loop with the all important half twist in the loop. When the strap is then put over the head in the right way (I got it wrong first time) and held in place in the waist of the uke, the twist kind of resolves itself around your body and feels very comfortable. And because of the way the strap runs and twists, it doesn't flap about under the strings, or cover the sound hole - it naturally, and lightly presses down on the soundboard behind the uke, thereby not affecting the sound projection and actually holding the uke against your body. Devilishly simple I thought and it just works.  (And whilst I got it wrong first time, that was because I, typically, didn't read the instructions properly - thankfully they are included and very clear to understand!)

The system comes with a standard strap buckle adjustment for length, allowing you to have the uke held just where you want it.

In play, I didn't really notice it was there and it didn't interfere with my play at all. I would say that I would class this as more of a support than a full strap. It does allow you to go hands free, but you need to ensure that the uke is balanced as I found it quite easy for the uke to tip one direction or the other. Thankfully the instrument is not going to hit the floor as the strap will be stopped by either the neck or the bridge, so it is quite safe, but isn't quite so sturdy as using strap buttons. But really, this is aimed at people who don't want to drill their ukes for whatever reason.

I like this as an alternative to the sound hole hook (something I have NEVER liked as I don't want that kind of pressure on my sound hole, nor does it offer hands free support), and whilst I was apprehensive before it arrived, was pleasantly surprised at the comfort and ease of use.

It won't suit every uke though - pineapple body shapes may be tricky to keep the strap held, and the makers advise that ukes like resonators may be too bottom heavy to hold too. But for the vast majority of ukes, it will work just fine.

I like simple ideas put to good use and this fits the bill very well. If you are wanting to avoid the drill option, then I think you should check them out.

They are available through the Mobius Strap website at http://www.mobiusstrap.com/index.html. They retail at $16.95.

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Ukulele Myths

Been toying with writing this ukulele post for a while now, and was unsure as I suspect it may raise some eyebrows or elicit a negative comment or two.

The thing is though, the boom in popularity of the ukulele over the last few years has coincided with the boom in social media. As such, LOTS of people are talking about ukuleles online and it can be hard sometimes to cut through the noise. Within those discussions are a lot of very knowledgeable and helpful people, but equally I repeatedly see bad advice being given out to beginners, and that is a worry. I therefore thought I would share some of my views, (and they are just that, views). Feel free to take exception to them, but do read carefully! Here are ten of the common misconceptions I see floating around.

1. You should / shouldn't use a strap

I've blogged on this topic before and yet the debate online still rages on. Debate is good, opinions are good, but increasingly I am seeing people telling others that it is either definitely right or definitely wrong and that is just crazy. On a recent post I wrote about straps, I received an online message telling me I was an idiot and that 'I've got two hands, why do I need a strap'. One chap recently, and proudly stated online that 'you are not playing a ukulele properly if you use a strap'.... Seriously - this is quite common.

Honestly - if you want to use a strap, use a strap, if you don't, then don't. But please don't state its completely wrong. For me it's about giving me free hands when gigging, which is likely the same for professional players like James Hill, Brittni Paiva, Jake Shimabukuro etc who use straps. Yes, you read that right - some of the top players on the planet.....

I will drop in one exception - if you play banjolele in the Formby style, then I can see how a strap will totally go against the technique you are using. Fair play. But I am making this point regarding ukuleles in general.


2. After a soprano, a concert is an 'upgrade'

I am seeing this statement bandied about more and more. The suggestion is that the soprano is the beginner instrument, and once you have learned your chops you are allowed to move on to a 'better' ukulele which happens to be bigger. I've seen the same people recommending first time buyers should 'buy up a size from the start, as it you will only upgrade anyway'... I struggle with this logic. The soprano is not a beginner ukulele, it is THE traditional ukulele scale. If anything, the soprano is the daddy of the ukulele world. Some players I know prefer sopranos solely and have been playing for years. For me, my favourite sizes are sopranos and tenors. Both have their attractions for me. If you are a beginner and like a soprano, please don't feel that you MUST 'upgrade'..

Choose your instrument based on the tone you want, how comfortable you find it, and how it looks and speaks to you. No one size is 'the winner'.

Please do read my article about the soprano and host of myths associated with that here.


3. Larger scale ukuleles are easier for beginners to play

This statement is extremely common and is closely linked to point 2 above. Beginner X asks for help online saying he finds the fingerboard cramped on a soprano, and dozens say 'get a bigger uke'. A couple of points here. All fingerboards on ukes are pretty cramped. It's a ukulele! Second, whilst a bigger uke can help, it is not always going to be the case. The misconception that a concert is naturally easier because the fret spacing is wider is just plain wrong. The difference in scale is actually pretty small, and what is FAR more important to giving you comfort on the neck are a range of things, namely; The scale, the neck width and the neck profile. Other factors can also come in to play that are a little more subtle too, such as the size of the frets, string choice and action, but generally it's the first three.

What tends to happen here is people struggle with cheap sopranos and then buy concerts and tenors and think 'oh, this is easier'. But it's almost always easier because the nut has naturally become wider. And THAT is where you feel relief - across the neck. And here's the thing. You CAN get sopranos with necks just as wide as tenors! So it's not the scale increase that is giving you the space, it's the nut width!

I have owned soprano ukes that have wider nut widths than concerts, as much as most tenors and as such have more space on the fretboard.  The Bruko 6, the Flea and the Koaloha all fit this category and have far more space than narrow neck concerts. Most Kiwaya ukuleles do regardless of scale.  The only real answer is go to a store and try a few out. You may find that a concert is indeed easier for you if you are a beginner and that is great, but depending on the ukes you play, you equally may not. I also know accomplished players who find tenors difficult to hold and get their arms around, even with a strap. Please, please please - it is NOT the scale increase that is helping you!

The wide nut Bruko No.6 Soprano

4. The electro uke price conundrum...

Quite simply, a pickup in a ukulele costs money. They are not thrown in for free.  If you have £150 to spend on a ukulele, and get an electro acoustic for that price, you are NOT buying a £150 ukulele. The pickup has to have a price. Putting that in perspective, a half decent entry level piezo pickup, such as a Shadow under saddle, will cost you RRP about £50. Let's say that the cost price is half that (I am guessing), then if you want a £150 quality ukulele that has a pickup, perhaps you should extend your budget to £175?

The real issue here comes at the absolute entry level price point, where people pick up an electro for about £75. This means that either the ukulele or the pickup is woeful in quality (usually both). I've inspected the pickup strips on some of these ultra cheap electro ukes, and they really are poor quality, and often badly fitted. That means a muddy, electric sound, and often volume differences between the strings. Prime example. And back to prices, you can pick those Peanuts up for only a little more than the cost of a shadow piezo pickup. Corners are cut somewhere!

Plugging in a uke is a lot of fun, and essential for our band, but I am afraid it will cost you more, not the same amount. Choose wisely!


5. The Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain use music stands, so should we!

OK, I 'ummed and ahhed' about whether to post this one, as it's most likely to get me flamed. But the UOGB have an act (a very good one). They sit down, wear bow ties, tails and evening gowns, they read from music stands..... Because of the word 'orchestra' in their name. They are aiming to look like a full blown orchestra. Behind that though are some of the most talented performers you will meet. Do you think they really need sheets to tell them the next chord is a G7? They are props in the main.

So, why am I making that point? Well because I suspect that because of their act, ukulele clubs up and down the country use music stands in the same way. Now, time to dig myself somewhat out of the hole I appear to be digging... I am not against music stands at all. Our band use them for practice all the time. They are absolutely essential for large clubs to ensure everyone is on the same page, particularly for beginners. But if you go out as a club to perform a real 'gig', particularly one where you may be getting paid, I just think it looks all wrong if you are staring at them, and to some extent is taking liberties with your venue. Go out to your local live music venues and watch a few bands. How many stand stock still behind music stands? Very few. Would you be impressed if you went to see your favourite musical artist and he or she stood behind a music stand, head down, reading?

Please don't get me wrong, performing a show takes a lot of work, and that means a lot of words and progressions to learn. It takes time and effort. And heck, crib sheets on music stands are absolutely fine - but why not place them where they are not directly in front of your face? Engage with your audience. My band used them all the time, but kept them hidden or subtle and out of the way! Lot's of the worlds biggest professional acts do this. Some players stick reminders on the back of their instruments too! The point being, you are not hiding behind a music stand, and playing to your audience whilst looking down as opposed to looking at them! In live performance I just think they kill interaction and look unprofessional.

And I am not knocking clubs here - as I say, stands and sheets are essential for those with huge songbooks and many beginner players. But try to encourage people to step away from them as they progress and play from memory or use them as subtle prompts only learning to play glancing at them rather than with their noses buried in a folder of sheets.

Oh, and if you do play full on classical music, then of course, a music stand is entirely appropriate, as it would be if you were playing violin at the Royal Albert Hall.

And as I type this, next to me in my room, is a music stand....


6. Ukulele X is cheaper on Amazon, buy it there!

Ah, Amazon... Strange of me to knock them considering I sell my books through them, but to me, that is what they are at heart - a bookseller.

I see countless examples of people recommending beginners get their first uke from Amazon, usually because it means you save a dollar or two on the price compared to a music shop. With ultra cheap ukes though, whilst you can find a good one slip through, you really want them to be checked over by a musician or tech who can ensure that things like intonation and action are acceptable. Amazon will NOT do that. What you will get is a box straight from the factory in China that has probably not even been opened. I have seen people on line asking for help, having bought a £30 uke on Amazon which is unplayable. They then either spend another £25 on a tech giving it a setup, or they buy another uke. Suddenly their basic outlay has jumped up dramatically. Do yourself a favour if you are buying your first instrument, go and support your local music shop!

And yes, someone will point out I do have links to Amazon products on this very site. I am not saying you shouldn't buy from Amazon - anyone who is confident in adjusting action and changing strings themselves will likely be fine with them. This advice is really aimed at the first time buyer.


7. Koa is the holy grail..

This one may ruffle a few feathers too, but seriously, Koa wood, as pretty as it is to look at, is not some sort of holy grail in ukulele construction beyond which nothing can be bettered. Koa does make (in my opinion) a very nice sounding ukulele. It's also the traditional wood used in Hawaii, so I appreciate it has some real heritage. But, that is only my opinion. Wood choice is totally personal, and it is in no way wrong to play a uke made of mahogany, cedar, spruce or whatever. Nor is it any way sub standard to a koa uke. It is just different. Vintage Martin sopranos tended to be made of mahogany, and some of those can fetch huge prices. Play a few ukes, and choose a wood type based on what your ear tells you, not based on what Facebook told you about Koa.


8. Volume is not everything

Take a cheap laminate ukulele, add Aquila brand strings and have a strum. Big noise! But if I strapped Aquila strings over a biscuit tin I would get a big noise.

I know many players who moved on from their first laminate uke to a solid wood instrument and then complained that it was too quiet. What you are gaining moving to more serious instruments is an increase in tone, sustain, harmonics and just ukulele loveliness that you just don't get on an entry level laminate uke. Your ears will adjust, and as you progress as a player you will learn to spot these nuances and never turn back.




9. These strings are THE BEST!

Another extremely common piece of 'advice' you will see online is the string recommendation. Of course it is always great to hear other peoples views on strings (and I have reviewed several brands on this very site), but always bear in mind the phrase, 'your mileage may vary'!

String choices are a very personal thing. How they perform on an instrument will depend on a variety of factors; the instrument itself (and even two identical models can perform differently), your own playing style, and perhaps most importantly, your own ears. Nobody else can tell you what a particular string brand will sound like to YOU. Only you can decide that. I use a variety of strings, and that is because on each uke I own, I have tested several brands. Eventually I will settle on the strings that suit that particular instrument when using my own ears. You might not agree with my choices and that is just fine. All that matters is that you like the strings you choose yourself.

And as a final point. No set of strings will make you a better player.


10. The Ukulele is easy to play!

Ah the big one! Perhaps the most commonly used statement trotted out, usually by local newspapers to start a piece on a local event, club or whatever. The ukulele is not 'easy'. No musical instrument is easy to play (well, perhaps the tambourine...). Learning any instrument takes time, dedication and practice.

What the ukulele does have though is a shallower learning curve in the early stages of learning than many other instruments. That means an absolute beginner can get going in a relatively short space of time and get a two or three chord song basically right. That is a huge plus point for the instrument, as it allows clubs to be inclusive and encourages new players to keep going.

But easy is not the right word. If you want to master the ukulele, you may need to spend a lifetime, like most things in life!


11. You MUST go for solid wood!

This is a wildly popular opinion trotted out online - the concept that if you want a decent ukulele that it MUST be made of solid wood, and that is somehow better. Wrong...

Solid wood instruments use solid pieces of tone wood in the body construction as opposed to laminate ukes which use thin sandwiches of wood to create the same thing. Generally speaking, solid wood is more expensive and that has led to the misconception that it therefore must be 'better'. It's actually more expensive because it takes more work to get it right without the ukulele splitting or collapsing, but 'better'? Not necessarily. Sure, at the higher end, you really want to be looking at solid wood, but at the lower and intermediate level price points you will see a lot more laminate. That doesn't mean they are 'worse' though, and in fact there are some stellar laminate made ukuleles out there from brands like Kiwaya. My summary is that I would take a well made laminate ukulele over a poorly made solid wood uke every day of the week. And that matters because in this drive to get the ukulele as cheap as possible a lot of brands are putting out impossibly low priced solid wood instruments because they know the market is telling buyer they are better. But in reality they are poorly finished, poorly seasoned, poorly built and often overly thick and heavy. This is a huge topic and you will find more on the subject here -  https://www.gotaukulele.com/2015/03/theres-good-and-bad-ukuleles-whether.html  I really would urge you to read this one if you have someone in your ear telling you that solid wood is better.

12. If you are left handed you MUST play this way!

Ah yes, the scourge of the right handed player telling the left handed beginner that they know what is best. No they don't. They are not left handed and they don't know whats best. Even if that advisor is left handed themself, they don't know what is best for another player - they only know what is best for THEM. The truth is there are lots of established ways that left handed players have approached playing stringed instruments like guitars and ukuleles - and they are ALL right depending on the person. The correct approach is to try a variety of methods and go with the one that works best for you. It's not wrong if it works for you and you should not put up with anyone else telling you what is best. Only you can know that. Take a look at the options for left handed ukulele players here.


So, there you go. If you are a beginner just starting out do be careful with what advice you take on board. Social media creates a lot of noise, but not all of it helpful. Be wise though and you will have many years of fun with this little instrument!


AND! Be sure to check out my other ukulele RANTS - where I explode the many myths and bad advice that surrounds the instrument - CLICK this link! http://www.gotaukulele.com/search/label/rants

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Neotech Ukulele Strap - REVIEW

I do come across a lot of ukulele products writing this blog, so when I was offered (yet another) ukulele strap to review, I must admit I was thinking, 'isn't a strap just a strap'? I was wrong. Say hello to the Neotech Ukulele Strap.

Neotech ukulele strap

This strap is made in the USA and comes with a promise of a 'weight reduction system' (more on that later!). It's also actually billed as a mandolin strap - similar sized instrument I suppose.

In essence though it is a pretty standard strap that comes with some nifty features. First of all is the shoulder strap element. I am not a fan of large wide guitar style straps on an instrument as small as a ukulele, so tend to go for narrow bands. That also helps when playing as you don't have a fat wide band getting in the way of your fretting hand. The downside to those I find is that after an extended playing session, they can dig in to the shoulder a little. Neotech therefore decided to keep most of the strap narrow, yet fitted a central part which is made of wide spongy neoprene to aid comfort.

Headstock attachment

Extension pieces

Adjustment of the strap to get that pad in the right place is achieved by some sliding buckles on the thin webbing either side of the neoprene part to allow you to get it in the right position. If you are a larger person and find that the uke is riding too high, it helpfully comes with two five inch extension pieces that can lengthen both ends of the strap. These attach with nifty little click buckles. I found I needed to experiment with a few types of extension to get the strap just where I needed it, but the variety of buckles really does give you a lot of options.

Strap button connector

For connecting to the instrument itself, it comes with two leather tab connectors for strap buttons, and another piece with a loop of cord for attaching around the headstock. Again all options covered and that loop would work very well around a scroll on a mandolin.  Quite a nice little package really. But how does it feel?

Well, I've delayed writing this review (sorry Neotech) as I really wanted to give it a good run out in the field as it were. I've since used this strap at three  gigs, each one in the height of summer, hot, sweaty affairs. As such comfort is essential when you are playing a two hour set. And I can say it performed extremely well. The comfort on the shoulder really did make it feel like there was nothing there. As for that 'weight reduction system' - the neoprene has a spongy slightly stretchy quality to it, and that means the strap has a bit of give in it. As such it kind of feels like the uke is floating in front of you. So that's a real world test for you!

One other element I was worried about was damage to the uke from rubbing, but the leather tabs are super soft, and the position of the buckles meant that nothing rubbed on the ukulele. That's pretty important to me when standing playing a £500 high gloss Pono on stage!

So, yes, a strap is a strap, but I am very impressed with this one. It looks great, feels great on the shoulder and is also extremely well made. I'd recommend you check it out.

The Neotech Ukulele strap has an RRP of $29.25 and can be found at http://neotechstraps.com as well as other musical instrument dealers.

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To Ukulele strap - or not?

Recently I found myself in quite a debate on the merits (or otherwise) of using a strap on a ukulele - and it got me thinking. Why is there such an issue with using a ukulele strap?

It became clear to me that there are a few people out there that actively resent the idea of using a ukulele strap (and are MORE THAN willing to tell others NOT to use one). I find that odd myself, but there you go. There are no 'rules' when it comes to straps on ukes despite what some may think.

I have been told that the ukulele is 'not intended to have a strap' - something I very much disagree with - the ukulele is just a musical instrument and it is permissible for it to take on new developments and features. Sure, the earliest ukes were not played with straps, but if we take that logic, developments like electric ukuleles would equally become invalid. And that is just crazy - adding a strap button, or adding a pickup doesn't stop the instrument being a ukulele. Let's look at the guitar world, and the earliest spanish guitars - they did not employ straps and many spanish style players today still do not use them. Does that make the use of a studded leather strap on a Gisbon Les Paul invalid?  In fact, the traditional guitar is played sitting down - so what is all this standing up nonsense anyway? You get my point...

The view comes, I suspect, from the traditional history of the ukulele. A quick Google image search for traditional Hawaiian players will show very few using straps - and that is just fine. But equally you will not find any old pictures of traditional Hawaiian players with solid electrics, or ukuleles shaped like Flying V guitars - because they didn't exist. It doesn't make them wrong. (Well, actually, in the case of the latter, the jury may be out on that....)

I was also told that this view was supported by the fact that most ukuleles don't come with strap buttons. Sure, many don't, but equally some do, particularly on the larger sizes or those that have a pickup added. High end builders offer a button as an option and some fit them as standard. In fact I would expect that as time goes on, on larger ukes we may see more ukes ship from the factory with strap buttons added. Why? Because there is clearly a demand for them. People are adding them themselves. At a recent mass busk I attended there were dozens of players and the vast majority had straps.

I was then told that using a strap is a 'crutch', that it will affect your playing style and you will never be able to go back to playing without one. Well, certainly learning to hold a uke without a strap is something that should be worked on by the absolute beginner, but I can honestly say that I have no issue moving from playing with a strap to playing without. As for it affecting playing style - well I think that is a misconception also and if anything I think they make playing, particularly fingerstyle, more comfortable.  That made me do a little bit of research as to who out there is using a strap on a ukulele when performing. The list of names is quite interesting. Jake Shimabukuro, Brittni Paiva, James Hill, Lil' Rev, Ken Middleton, Manitoba Hal, The Re-entrants, Victoria Vox, Jim D'Ville, Ralph Shaw - and countless others use straps sometimes. Is the strap affecting their playing style? Is it something they are using as a crutch? Quite honestly - anyone thinking Jake needs a crutch to support his playing needs to have a serious think about that!

So I therefore decided to post this for beginners as I am increasingly seeing questions being asked on forums and social media from beginners along these lines - do I need a strap? (and those shouting that the use of a strap is 'wrong')

My summary thoughts on this:

1. Do you NEED a strap? Well, no, nobody needs a strap, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with using one, it won't affect your playing, and if anything might make things easier. It is good to learn how to stand and hold a uke without one of course, but if you are playing regularly, then a strap is no bad thing to have - if nothing else, it makes you 'hands free' between songs (probably the main reason I use one). If you don't need one, don't use one. That's fine too!

2. I think size comes in to it. I don't use straps on my soprano ukes as I think that is overkill - they are very easy to hold anyway, but on a tenor or baritone in particular, I find a strap makes the whole playing experience that much nicer.

3. Straps and supports come in various flavours - half straps for example only provide support and mean you cannot let go of the instrument, but are a good choice for those without a strap button (and if you don't want to fit a button). You will also find the design that hooks into the soundhole for support, but I would urge caution with those unless they have serious padding and protection. The concept was designed for guitars who's tops and soundholes are much stronger. That said, Jake S is using one on the picture above! Just don't let go of your uke thinking it is being held - it is just a support!

4. The best option in my opinion is a full strap which connects at two points on the uke. First to a strap button on the base of the uke, and the other end either to a tie on the headstock, or to another strap button on the heel of the neck. These straps offer total support - allow you to go hands free between songs to take a drink, fiddle with an amplifier or similar and are just great to use.

5. The chances are you may not have a strap button on your ukulele, but they are extremely cheap to buy and very easy to fit (literally a 5 minute job). To fit one, first take a look inside the uke with a mirror and torch. You need to check if you have a 'tail block' in the instrument which will be an obvious block of wood squarely set inside the ukulele at the base - running between the top and the back. If you don't have one of these I would suggest caution in screwing a button into the instrument as this will create a lot of stress on a very thin piece of wood. If you have one, you are good to go!

Just look at the button screw (that comes with the button) and using a low speed drill or Dremel tool, drill a 'pilot hole' just a little thinner than the diameter of the screw. Don't be scared - it's just like drilling a hole to fix a shelf or anything else - just go slowly and steady. You would do well to put a piece of masking tape over the area you are going to drill to prevent chips or scratches. Drill the pilot hole squarely through the uke base and through the wooden tail block. Then simply screw the button in to the hole, not forgetting the felt washer which will prevent the button doing damage. And that is it! If you want more detail on fitting strap buttons have a look here

6. The choice of style of strap is up to you, but I find that a guitar strap is too thick for me and looks and feels odd with a uke. I use the Uke Leash strap which is nice and subtle (and thin), and banjo or mandolin straps look great too. At the end of the day, a piece of rope will function as a strap if you want it to!

7. Turning to banjoleles - whilst a strap can easily be fitted (using a banjo strap that clips to the tension rods, and traditionally slung over just one shoulder),  the traditional George Formby style of playing may find a strap hampers the complex fingerstyles that go with that type of music. Formby himself didn't use one.

So,  if you don't want to use a strap, then that is cool. If, however, you are playing a lot standing up and finding your ukulele slipping or just uncomfortable, then there is absolutely nothing wrong with fitting a strap. If it is good enough for any of the top end players I have mentioned above, then it should be good enough for you!

There is nothing much right and wrong in the world of making music. If it works for you, then go with it - what matters is that you make music.

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Uke Leash Guitar Style Strap - REVIEW

It seems an age ago now, but one of the very first products I reviewed on Got A Ukulele was an ingenious ukulele half strap called the 'Uke Leash' - designed, made and sold by Lori Apthorp. As you can see from the review - I highly recommended it.

The beauty of the Uke Leash was that it provided some support when standing even if your uke didn't have a strap button (few new ukes come with them, and understandably many don't want to drill their instruments to fit one).

But, suppose you have a strap button on the butt of your uke - if you look around, there actually are not that many dedicated uke straps on the market, and frankly, a guitar strap is just TOO BIG.

Not wishing to rest on her laurels, Lori has launched what she calls a "Guitar Style Strap" with the Uke Leash branding and I've been having a look at it.

This strap is a full strap, (not a half-strap, as the original Uke Leash is billed) meaning it physically attaches to your ukulele at both ends. At the butt end the thin strap attaches to a fatter piece of leather with a hole and slot cut much like any other strap. The leather is nice and soft and fixes to the uke button easily. It is also nicely branded with the Uke Leash logo.  One thing everyone should take care of with straps are buckles and rivets that can scratch or ding your instruments finish. Despite this strap having a rivet, if you look at the picture below, you will see that it is protected from rubbing on your instrument by the larger leather piece meaning nothing but nice soft leather touches your instrument. Nice.

The strap itself is thin, (another bonus for a diminutive instrument like the uke) so it is unobtrusive. It also comes in a choice of either leather or polypro webbing (both pictured in this review). There are also lots of options - sizes,  two colours for the leather strap and a choice of plain, oiled or dyed tab connector, and four colours for the webbing strap.  You can even choose the size of the button hole for oversided buttons. It is nice to see that even with the (cheaper) webbing strap, you get the same leather tab for the strap button.

Up to the neck end of the uke and this new Uke Leash product employs the same ingenious clip attachment for the neck. Like on the original Uke Leash, you attach a loop around the headstock and the strap clips and releases from it. The beauty of that is that you can buy the headstock loops separately, meaning once you have bought one strap, you can simply buy extra headstock loops for other instruments and move the strap between them. Really clever. (note - Lori does sell an adapter for attaching to a heel of the neck style button, but honestly, I love the clip idea)

So what about the quality - well, there is no let down on this front. The original Uke Leash was very well made, and this is no different. The leather strap I have been mainly testing is soft and supple and despite being thin, is of good quality and won't break. It's also comfortable to wear! The buckles and attachments are also of good quality so nothing should let you down. It's just a strap at the end of the day, but a well made one from a good Company.

All in all I am as impressed as I was with the original, and as my Kanile'a uke as pictured has a button fitted, this strap makes perfect sense for it. I would highly recommend it if you need a full strap - plus the other bonus is that you are supporting a local business who produce these themselves in the USA, not an international faceless corporation!

Oh, and as a final aside - Lori also created something else that is available on her store - a neat little idea. A miniature circle of fifths that you can attach to your strap or case. Really fun idea and useful too - available in either leather or etched plastic!

You can read more about this product and the original Uke Leash at http://www.ukeleash.com. And keep an eye on Got A Ukulele as I will be running a competition very soon in which you can win one of these!

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COMPETITION! - Win a Ukestar ukulele strap!

COMPETITION CLOSED - CHECK BACK ON THE BLOG FOR MORE COMPETITIONS SOON!

Ok folks - lets get straight into a new competition!  With many thanks to Hannah at Ukestar straps, I have one of her creations available for you to win!

You can read my review of the strap HERE which as you can see is a product I really rather like!  They are very well made, soft and wonderful!  I will be giving away a strap in medium (standard) size in the Argyle Corduroy pattern as you saw in the review.

So, what do you have to do to enter?

Well, I want this blog to be an inspiration for new players, and part of them getting inspiration is getting ideas for songs to try out.  I therefore want you to comment telling me your top 3 favourite songs you play on the uke.   That's all you have to do to enter, and I will put all the eligible entries in a hat on the closing date and draw a winner at random!  Make sure your entry includes your name and is not posted using the blogger "anonymous" option or I wont be able to enter you or contact you!  The best way is to follow this blog (scroll down on the right) and register with Google, though thats not absolutely essential!

Competition closes on 11 May 5.00pm UK time -  I will announce the winner on here and on twitter and Ukulele Underground - I need (obviously) to be able to get in touch with you to get your postal address so if you win, you can email me through the blog (see the contact me page above).

Good luck everyone, and lets try to get a big list of uke songs going to provide that useful inspiration to others!

To see more of the Ukestar strap range - visit - Ukestar straps shop

RULES (IMPORTANT)!

1. Competition starts on 12 April 1400 GMT and ends at 5.00pm GMT  on 11 May 2011

2. To be eligible for the prize draw, you must post a comment on this thread stating your three favourite songs to play on the ukulele

3. I reserve the right to reject comments that I deem in any way offensive ( I have some younger readers!)  My decision on this is final.

4. On draw day, I will put all eligible entries in a hat and draw a winner.  Only those comments that I have published will be eligible for the competition.  My decision on the winner is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

5. The winner will be announced within 7 days of the draw day, and will be announced on this site.  The winner will need to make contact with me to collect the prize

6.  Winner will need to provide valid postal address for the item to be posted

7. In the event the winner does not respond to the request for address within 14 days, I will pick draw another name from the hat.

8. No responsibility is held for failure with the postal service, and no replacement will be offered.  This prize has no alternative cash value.

9. Item will be posted standard post within 14 days of confirmation of winners address, depending on where you are you may need to sign for it.

10. No purchase necessary

11. posting a comment is not proof that I have received your entry. No responsibility can be accepted for entries that are lost or delayed, or which are not received for any reason

12. The prize in not transferable to another person

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Ukestar ukulele strap - REVIEW

I like it when people create new products for themselves and market them, so was delighted to be recently asked to review a new Ukulele strap by Hannah Barrell of Ukestar straps.

First off, this isn't a full strap, its more of a support.  The design is typical of other such supports, in that you loop the adjustable band over your neck, and at one end there is a padded hook that you run under the instrument and latch on to the soundhole as shown below with my battered looking Flea Ukulele.  Because of the design, you need no strap buttons on your instrument for this to work.

The strap is fully adjustable with a standard strap buckle in order for you to get the uke positioned just where you want it.

What I really like about the Ukestar strap is the quality of it.  Hannah offers the strap in a huge range of fabrics (17 of them) and the one shown is called Argyle Corduroy and looks very funky.  There are also some fabulous Hawaiian type prints, but if you want plain, then that is catered for too.  The fabric is thick and of very good quality with a real soft finish to it - no scuffs and rubbing on the neck with this strap!  The buckles for adjustment are also substantial and the hook for attaching to the uke is nicely padded to protect the finish.

I also very much like the branding, and each strap is fitted with a nice metal star badge, rather like a Sherriffs star - that faces front when you wear it - very cool

Attached to the strap when it arrives is a nice Ukestar logo card, which on opening provides the fitting instructions.

The strap comes in 4 sizes - Child (xtra small), Small, Medium and Large and her webstore has sizing instructions to make sure you get the right one.

I have tried the strap on all of my ukes, and it really does provide for a nice playing experience.  You still need to hold the uke, but it acts like it is floating on your chest.  It really makes fretting, particularly more complex chord shapes, much much easier.

All in all a very nice product.  Sure, there are other straps on the market, but this one oozes quality, and the range of colours is great.  Besides that, I think it's great to support new independent businesses rather than the faceless corporations!

You can order a Ukestar strap from Hannah on her page here - Ukestar straps, and there is also a Facebook page here - Ukestar Facebook page

Thanks Hannah - and good luck with them!

AND - keep an eye on this blog, as I will be running a competition shortly to win a Ukestar strap like the one in the photos above!

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Uke Leash

With many thanks to Lori at Uke Leash, I have in my possession a couple of Uke Leash ukulele straps all the way from the USA.

I will be reviewing the Uke Leash very shortly (when I get a moment, work super busy), but this is just a heads up for a review coming your way.  After that, one lucky reader will get an opportunity to win a strap in a free prize draw!

In the meantime - have a check of Lori's store at http://ukeleash.com/

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