Is It Acceptable To Play 'THIS' On The Ukulele?

Time for another rant me thinks (for the benefit of ukulele beginners you understand,  all rants come from a good place!) and something that I hear quite a lot in ukulele circles ' you should't play THAT on a ukulele you should play THIS, that music is not what a uke is for'...

Sounds strange doesn't it? A concept that the uke is built for only one thing?

In the world of music, styles and tastes present a massive (and perhaps infinite) range to the player and listener. What works for or 'moves' me, may not do the same for you, and vice versa. That is cool. Of course it is. But does everybody think that way?

Sadly, I see quite a lot on the various social media circles for ukulele players of a certain stuffiness (at worst) or strong opinion (at best) about what other people are playing on their ukuleles. I have personally witnessed people 'dissing' other peoples song choices, 'likes' or requests for songs with comments back such as 'you shouldn't play that on a ukulele... the ukulele was designed for X, Y or Z', or 'If you want to play that sort of music, you should play it on a guitar (or similar) '. This just doesn't sit right with me at all. I don't think it sits right with the history of the ukulele, nor do I think it sits right with making music, full stop.

Let us start with the ukulele first. Many of you will know that the instrument has it's main origins in the Hawaiian islands. As such the first popular playings and stylings of the ukulele were formed from a particular style of music - music from those very Islands. But, that was an awful long time ago, and since then the instrument went through various booms and busts and changes of direction.  Perhaps one of the biggest changes was the ''music hall booms of the 1930's and 40's that brought the ukulele to the fore with the likes of Cliff Edwards and George Formby - both playing styles that were pretty far removed from Hawaiian origins. The ukulele was HUGE then, and was for many people, the instrument one bought at a music store. I suspect at that time, the traditionalists (traditionalist then being those who made music on the uke BEFORE that time) made their complaints, as the instrument moved into new territory. But that doesn't make that change wrong does it?  Moving to the current boom though, and the same thing is happening. I know that the island traditionalists may still scoff at what is being played these days, but then some music hall fans ( a style that itself was a departure from the traditional) can also be found to  scoff at anything that is not played in their preferred style too. Crazy.

Uke players of MANY styles all on one stage - and rightly so

And let us look at music more generally - is the playing of Jerry Lee Lewis on piano really anything at all like the earliest works of classical piano compositions? Can you compare Duke Ellington to Rachmaninov? Of course not. Does that mean they are not valid? Equally, no.

The guitar had its beginnings in Spain about 700 years ago (and that instrument itself was based on earlier stringed instruments of much older vintage), but how do you equate the different playing styles of, say, Andrés Segovia, Django, Hendrix, Carthy, Clapton, Cobain, and countless others against each other? You don't and you can't. They each have their fans, they each use the guitar, but they put their own spin on it - in many cases a wildly different spin too.

And that is for one good reason, whether guitar, piano or anything - the instrument is merely built to make music. The ukulele is just a musical tool like the others, nothing more and nothing less. I know that the current boom creates a certain romanticism for the instrument and a strong social bond between players (a check of any social media outlet will see the 'four strings good, six strings bad' type of thing), but it must be said, the uke is nothing more than a device for making music. It is not better or worse than anything else on that front, putting aside personal tastes of course. As such, if you want to play traditional Hawaiian tunes, music hall, folk, rock, blues, experimental, industrial, metal, jazz or whatever, then that has to be all good surely? In fact if you want to bang the ukulele with a dead fish, but can get an engaging piece of music out of it, then that is your right. If it serves to entertain / challenge / move people (toes tapping, smiling, laughing, crying, whatever), then in my book it is perfectly valid no matter what you play.

Over the last few months I have been running a poll on Got A Ukulele asking people what styles of music they most preferred to play on the uke. There have been over 1,000 answers and the results are quite illuminating. Here they are for you:

Folk / Traditional - 40%
Rock (and roll!) - 31%
Pop - 28%
Blues - 25%
Country - 21%
Indie - 17%
Jazz - 16%
Classical - 9%
Soul / R and B - 9%
Music hall - 6%

Now, I appreciate that I had to create a rigid list of styles, and it was impossible to capture every style without having hundreds of choices, but I figured these gave a good spread. But the results show a good spread too. Aside from the minimal number selecting music hall (and that may simply be because I don't cater for a lot of banjolele on this site, although I am still a little surprised), the traditionalists and folkies seem to have a lead, but there is a fairly even spread between Rock down to Jazz. I think that is really encouraging - players are playing what THEY like to play and don't seem to be accepting any pigeon holing (or at least that is what this poll suggests). And isn't that the way it SHOULD be? (incidentally, I play about 8 styles on this list!)

So, if you have a style you particularly enjoy, then you have every right to enjoy it to the full. If you come across a player who plays a very different style from you... well, you don't have to enjoy it, but equally, you shouldn't ever suggest that it is not valid or relevant for the instrument. Chances are, they think the same about your style but are just not expressing that view openly? Go to any good ukulele festival and you will see a range of styles of music - all on the same instrument. You will have your favourites (I know I do), but they all have a right to be there. If you are the sort who thinks that 'this' or 'that' shouldn't be played on a uke, then do you follow that thinking up by suggesting that act X or Y should not be on the bill? Don't be silly.

And at the end of all of that, as if it needed to be said - I really love the diversity of music that comes from the ukulele community. Not all of it moves me, but I know full well from the many people I meet that it all moves 'somebody', and that is good enough for me.

We all like different things, but personally think that anybody attempting to play music on the uke, whatever their preferred style, should be encouraged and applauded for doing so.  It's all good, and I do wish that people would think about that.

We can't all be the same - just embrace the common bond of the instrument and enjoy the mix we create!

Varying styles at the Ukulele Fest of GB - I mean, I love these people but would never wear that shirt... 

ps - I write that post in full awareness of the fact that I made something of a name for myself in not being a fan of George Formby. Please note - I am NOT a fan of George Formby, but would NEVER suggest that people who like that uke style should refrain from playing it, or that such performers would not be welcome at a uke event!

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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Got A Ukulele Competition Winner

Time for the draw for the 4th Birthday competition on Got A Ukulele, so let's see who has won the bamboo concert uke from Moselele!

The comp had many entries from all over the place, (not all of them correct either!!). See video below to check out the winner.



The prize goes to Tobias Abel who is in Dublin, Ireland - well done Tobias - will get this shipped to you as soon as I can.

The winner!!

And - the answers to the questions were as follows...


1. What score (out of ten) did I give the Kanile'a K-1 Tenor uke?

A - 9.3 out of 10 - (ANSWER HERE)

2. How many different ukulele clubs do I have listed that are in Australia?

A - 15 (ANSWER HERE)

3. Who were the five uke players that Ken Middleton said inspired him?

A - Aldrine Guerrero, James Hill, Lil' Rev, Gerald Ross, Lorenzo Vignando (ANSWER HERE) 


Congratulations Tobias!

Keep an eye on Got A Ukulele for more competitions soon!

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Wishing You A Merry Ukulele Christmas!

Nearly the big day, and just wanted to wish all my readers and supporters a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I will be doing another review of the year at the end of December, but until then, eat, drink, be merry and play a lot of ukulele! (ps - lots of Christmas themed uke songs on the songs page HERE! )

Thanks to all who have helped contribute to the site over the last year. I think it has been fun!

xx

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A Very Ooty Christmas

Yesterday was a lot of fun! Most of The N'Ukes grabbed their ukuleles and headed up to Chester at the invitation of Ooty And The Cloud - a great three piece band who we like. Ooty had organised a Christmas uke get together at The Compass Inn, to celebrate Christmas and to raise money for charity.

And boy, did people come - the place was packed! Ooty kicked things off with an hour long set of their own penned songs and a few covers, delivered in their unique style - ukes, bouzouki, melodica, whistles, percussion, cow bell (MORE COW BELL!!) and delightful harmonies. Oh, and a smattering of Christmas songs to get the crowd singing along. Loved it, as did the audience, made up of ukulele fans from Chester and beyond.

In attendance was Rachel Walker, the Lady Mayoress of Chester no less, who took to the stage after the Ooty set to explain a little more about the charity the day was in aid of. Adoption Matters Northwest is a voluntary charity agency with a history of finding loving families for children who, for a variety of reasons, cannot live with their birth families. A very worthy cause I am sure you will agree.

The N'Ukes then took to the stage (minus our drummer - which meant we played at turbo speed!) to play through a few of our rockier numbers. Was great fun and seeing the Lady Mayoress of Chester singing along to Highway To Hell was extremely cool.

Then on to the singalong section of the afternoon - ably led by Stephen from Ooty, they had song sheets and words up on the large TV in the room and the whole place singing along. The massed ranks singing Tom Jones' 'Delilah' were enough to drown out any instrument!

Sadly we had to then depart, but I know there was then much more playing and further performances on stage, a raffle and lots more fun to be had. I think the band were not sure what to expect from the day, but the numbers in attendance should tell them all they needed to know. Lot's of fun. Same time next year?

Ooty And The Cloud

Adoption Matters Northwest

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Ukulele News - 22 December 2013

Been a while since I did a round up of where the ukulele had hit the press. Better get one in before Christmas!!

Clitheroe Ukes entertain the shoppers

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Teacher gets Queen Latifah on board with his Kickstarter to get ukes for kids in his school

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Ukulele!

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Bandwagon jumping post of the week....

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That Orangutan with a ukulele video....

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James Hill's Ukulele Epiphany

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Lily and Madeleine - Sea Of Love

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Say hello to Langley Ukulele Ensemble



More news soon. Have a great Christmas!!

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Winter Wonderland - Ukulele Chords

Tis' the season - moving on with another set of chords for a Christmas Classic for your ukulele.

Winter Wonderland

Sleigh bells [F] ring, are you listenin'?
In the [C] lane, snow is glistening.
A [C7] beautiful [Gm] sight, we're [C7] happy [Gm] tonight,
[G] Walking in a [C7] winter wonder [F] land.

Gone [F] away is the blue bird
Here to [C] stay is the new bird
He [C7] sings a love [Gm] song as [C7] we go [Gm] along,
[G] Walking in a [C7] winter wonder[F]land.

[A] In the meadow [D] we can build a [A] snowman,
Then pretend that [D] he is Parson [A] Brown.
[C] He'll say, "Are you [F] married ?" We'll say, [C] "No man,
But [D7]you can do the [G7] job when you're in [C7] town."

Later [F] on we‟ll conspire As we [C] dream by the fire,
To [C7] face un-[Gm]-afraid the [C7] plans that we [Gm] made,
[G] Walking in a [C7] winter wonder[F]land.

[A] In the meadow [D] we can build a [A] snowman,
Then pretend that [D] he‟s a circus [A] clown.
[C] We‟ll have lots of [F] fun with mister [C] snowman
Until the [D7] other [G7] kiddies knock him [C7]down.

Later [F] on we‟ll conspire As we [C] dream by the fire,
To [C7] face un-[Gm]-afraid the [C7] plans that we [Gm] made,
[G] Walking in a [C7] winter wonder[F]land.
[G] Walking, [C7] walking in a winter wonder-[F]-land. [C7] [F]

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2000 Miles - The Pretenders - Ukulele Chords

Another Christmas ukulele song for you. 2000 Miles by the Pretenders.

This one can either be very easy to play (just strummed) or complex if you want to fingerpick over the melody. Either way though, it is essentially the same all the way through. Have fun - video at the end to play along to. Love this song!


[G] [C] [D] (repeat)

[G] He's gone [C] [D] [G] two thousand [C] miles
[D] [G] [C] Is [D] very far
[G] [C] [D] [G] The snow is [C] falling [D] down
[G] Gets [C] colder [D] day by [G] day
[C] I [D] miss [G] you

[C] [D] [C]

The [D] children will sing
[C] He'll be [D] back at Christmas [G] time

[C] [D] [G] (repeat)

[G] In these [C] frozen and [D] silent [G]nights
[C] Sometimes [D] in a [G] dream [C] [ D] you appear
[G] [D] [C] [G] Outside [C] under the [D] purple [G] sky
[C] Diamonds [D] in the [G] snow [C] [D] sparkle
[G] [C] [D]

[C] Our [D] hearts were singing
[C] It [D] felt like Christmas [G] time

[C] [D] [G] (repeat)

Two thous[C]and miles
[D] [G] Is very [C] far through the [D] snow
[G] [C] I'll think of [D] [G] you
Wher[C]ever you [D] go

[C] [D] [G]
[G] He's gone [C] [D] [G] two thousand [C] miles
[D] [G] [C] Is [D] very far
[G] [C] [D] [G] The snow is [C] falling [D] down
[G] Gets [C] colder [D]day by [G] day
[C] I [D] miss [G] you

[C] [D] [C]

I can [D] hear people singing
[C] It [D] must be Christmas [G] time
[C] I [D] hear people singing
[C] It [D] must be Christmas [G] time

[C] [D] [G] (repeat)


Check out the rest of my Christmas songs HERE

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Korala Explore (PUC -20-BK) - ABS concert ukulele REVIEW

Time for another instrument review, and a rather interesting one. The Korala 'Explore' concert ukulele. Could this knock my usual recommendation for the best cheap starter uke (the Makala Dolphin) off it's perch?

The fist thing that stands out with this one, is that the uke is almost 100% made of ABS plastic. It was helpfully brought to my attention in a great review by ukulele pal Simon Taylor, who thought quite highly of it. I had been thinking about plastic ukes for a while, and this caught my eye for a number of reasons.  Firstly, 'plastic?' I hear you say... Yes plastic. There is actually nothing all that much new in the concept of a plastic uke. I blogged about it HERE some time ago, and whether you want to go back to the vintage Maccaferris and TV Pal ukes that now have collectors in a froth, or look at more recent incarnations such as Fleas, Flukes and the Outdoor Ukulele, there is really nothing new under the sun.

Actually, it was the Outdoor Ukulele that I first played earlier this year that has had the subject of plastic ukes in my mind. They were not totally new to me as I have been an owner of a Flea and Fluke for some years (sure, they are not totally solid plastic, but have plastic backs, sides and fingerboards), but the Outdoor uke really created a buzz online on account of it being TOTALLY plastic and therefore fitting the 'Outdoor' take anywhere tag. In reality, based on the couple of examples I have played I really dislike them. This excellent video from Ukeeku really sums up all my gripes - a horrible echoey sound, terrible peg tuners which you really need to replace with gears (meaning the 100% waterproof claim is now blown), a horrible angular feeling neck, and, in my opinion, a quite crazy price tag. As much as I would like to review one, I am not spending that money! As such, when the Korala came to my attention - all plastic bar the tuners, but for a price of only £30, I really needed to take a look. It may be helpful in this review to draw comparisons to those other plastic based instruments I have had experience with, namely the Flea (circa £150) and the Outdoor (circa £100).

The Korala Explore comes from the far east, and is distributed under this UK based brand. This was supplied by the excellent Omega Music who delivered it for £30 all in. Quite the bargain price. A bit of research shows me that these have also been distrubuted under the Clearwater brand, and as a rebadge of a far eastern product I wouldn't be surprised if they existed under other names elsewhere in the world too.

That name 'Explore' seems to take on the same sort of connotations as the 'Outdoor' name - meaning that they envisage this being a rugged take anywhere instrument. Being totally plastic, that will be true to some degree (more on that below), but the geared tuners will stop it being totally waterproof. That said, whilst the Outdoor uke was indeed totally waterproof with the peg tuners, those peg tuners were so woeful that most people swapped them out, losing that total waterproof status. But I am referring to the Outdoor here for another reason. The scale length. The Korala is a concert scale uke, and this is where I think (if they are marketing it as a backpacker instrument) it loses out to the Outdoor and the Flea. You see, those latter two are soprano scale and very easy to find room for in a backpack or suitcase. In my experience, concert scales do tend to be pushing the limits a little on portability (without sticking out) and can with some carriers present issues as carry on luggage. One wonders whey they didnt consider a soprano scale? On that point, the logical answer to me seems to be the myth that concert ukes are easier for beginners due to fret spacings. I don't think that is true, and believe nut width is more helpful in this regard. Either way, this is a standard concert scale instrument.

The whole of the instrument is made from injected moulded plastic, body, neck, fingerboard and headstock included. In fact as far as I can tell, only the tuners are non plastic parts... This one comes in black, but it is pleasing to see that they offer them in a range of bright colours for those less morbid than me. The finish is rather shiny and slippy and it feels very light in the hand. To me, the Outdoor finish is a little more tactile as it has a more matte finish (and the body pieces feel a little thicker to me also (again more on that below)). Still, the beauty of injected moulded parts is that they are all the same, and on this example the whole thing goes together neatly and flush.

It comes in a standard double bout ukulele shape. On the top, there are no adornments, or stickers. The bridge mount is made of plastic and appears to have been glued or bonded on to the top and holds a standard looking white bridge saddle. This is nice to see, and differs from both the Outdoor and Flea instruments that use one piece moulded saddles that cannot be adjusted. Looking inside it looks like... well it looks like the inside of a plastic box. Not much to see here, although it is adorned with a Korala logo label behind the sound hole. Through the injected moulded top, if held in the light one can see some fan bracing emanating from the sound hole area to strengthen the top, with another brace piece in the moulding just north of the sound hole. The back appears to use horizontal bracing pieces you would see on a wooden instrument, although they are moulded into the body.

The back and sides are plain also, and the back is bowed to help with sound projection. The giveaway to the injection moulding is the dimple on the back (and on the back of the headstock) left from the process, much as you see on the back of a Flea.

The plastic neck is not attached to the body with a joint - in fact it is part of the same piece of plastic which makes the whole of the back, sides, neck and rear of the headstock!  It is a nice profile, a little shallow for my liking, but much more of a ukulele neck than the Flea (which is a little angular, and, admittedly, made of wood) or the Outdoor (which has a neck profile so angular it is seriously uncomfortable to play). The Korala neck is very easy to hold and play, although I would have preferred a slightly more matte finish as it feels a little slippy in the hands.

The fingerboard is made of a one piece and is moulded in plastic mounted to the top of the neck, complete with the frets (just like the standard Flea and the Outdoor). Whilst some may recoil in horror at this, it is actually a rather clever idea as it guarantees the accuracy of the fret placement, height etc. As such, this should prove to be an accurate player. I know some people dont like plastic fingerboards, but I have always gotten on with my Flea and Fluke so they dont bother me and in fact I find them quite comfortable. This feels very similar to my fingers as the Flea, so no bad thing at all. The frets, being black, can be hard to see in dim light, but that goes for the Flea and the Outdoor also. There are 18 frets in total (with 14 to the top of the body), and fret markers at the 5th, 7th, 10th and 12th. It is nice to see that these appear to be inlaid in white plastic unlike the Flea which were just screen printed on and have since been rubbed off. Sadly, there are no side fret markers Unlike the Flea, this does not make use of a zero fret to complete that totally accurate fingerboard, and uses a standard cut nut that is part of the moulding. That said, it is shaped just fine.

On to the plastic headstock - it seems to me overly narrrow and looks a little odd to my eyes. That is made noticeable by the angle taken by the G and A strings from the nut and that is something to keep an eye on in terms of string wear. The back of the headstock forms part of the one piece moulding of the back, sides and neck, but is completed by a plastic facing piece on the top. Overall though I like the shape of it if not the width.

Tuning is provided by pretty cheap feeling unbranded open geared tuners. But they work just fine on this model, are not too sticky and hold very well. The uke is finished off with a screen printed Korala logo and the ubiquitous Aquila strings (what else). No gig bag is included. Those Aquila strings are a question mark for me. I know they are a love or hate string, but I am not a fan as I find they can make the sound of instruments boom a little. They work wonders in driving thick laminate tops on instruments like Dolphins, but on a hollow thin plastic box like this, I fear they may accentuate the plastic construction. Certainly that is how I have found Aquilas on the Flea and use Worths on mine.

And there we have it. I think it is rather neat, and it appears to overcome some of the issues I have with the Outdoor at a FAR more sensible price. But the proof is in the playing...

Set up wise, let's start at the nut first of all. As I say above, this is just about perfect, the slots are not high, so there are no intonation issues at the lower frets at all. Down to the bridge end though, and the action gets too high when you get down to the lower frets. No worries I thought, I will just take the saddle down a little. But on closer inspection, there is actually a bow in the neck like the bridge is pulling closer to the nut. That is not a permanent bow though, like the instrument is faulty - it is there on account of tension. In other words the neck is pulling forward with the tension of the strings and that raises them noticeably above the lower frets. I grabbed the uke, and you can actually make it bow yourself, and in both ways. Strumming the open strings if I push the neck from behind the tuning goes low, and if I pull it back they go sharp! (see the video review below to check that out). It seems evident to me that there is not enough strength in the neck and it needs some internal bracing to stop that happening. Tapping it suggests it is hollow, unlike the Outdoor which I believe is braced. As such, with the action at the nut just about right, if I take the saddle down and bow the neck back a little during playing, I am going to mute off the strings on the lower frets. One thing I may try is a string change as Aquilas have quite a bit of tension and wonder if some lower tension fluorocarbons would help ease this issue.

Examining the bridge mount also, this seems to be dipping a little into the body due to the same tension, which suggests the top is not quite as strong as it might be... And on that point - the quality of the plastic here seems a little more 'brittle' (if that is the word) than that used by the Flea or the Outdoor. How rugged this is therefore.... well. I have not checked it in a drop test! I did drop a Flea down the stairs once and it was still in tune at the bottom. I don't want to test this in the same way, but the plastic feels like it could possibly crack..

However.... I am telling it like it is, and to an extent, I am nit picking. There is no reason that when playing I should be moving the neck like that, it is bad beginner technique and with a lighter touch it will be fine. In addition, this has quite a long neck and it is perfectly acceptable action wise up to around the 10th fret. And on cheap comparable sopranos such as the Makala Dolphin, things on those get a bit ropey at the 10th fret and beyond anway... I suppose that brings me back to the question, why not make this in a soprano scale? The Outdoor does not suffer in this way, but it instead presents all sorts of other problems with flappy echoing strings that are not present on the Korala. The Flea is the only one that has it nailed in this regard with a solid neck and nice low action all the way down the fingerboard. But then the Flea is five times the price.

Sound wise I was really pleasantly surprised. Sure, it sounds plastic (though nowhere near as bad as the Outdoor) though not overly so. It has some plastic sounding echo on the lower notes, particularly when played hard, but loses any plastic sound a little higher up the neck, and has a pleasing tone to my ears. It is a bright sound with lots of volume. Sadly I think those Aquila strings DO overpower it a little and it can bark when strummed in anger. Intonation on those lower frets is nice and accurate and it is very light to hold and easy to play. It is in fact a LOAD of fun to play and will certainly be a talking point uke. I sound like I am being hard on the instrument with the moving neck, but in play it really doesnt manifest any problems to me. I do wish the action could be lower further up, but for a beginner I would question how important that would be. Sure, you are not getting £1000 tone here, but really, it has volume and character that I have seen missing on several £100-£200 wooden concert ukes!

So I will end as I started, by working out where this sits in comparison to the Flea and the Outdoor uke...

Well the Korala wins all round on price. For me £30 is a amazing price. It should put Outdoor to shame as they are essentially the same thing. It is perhaps unfair to compare to a Flea which also employs woods, better tuners etc, but you really cannot argue with £30. Perfect for a new player, and the sort of money that  seasoned player should be prepared to drop on getting a beater for camping or the beach without too much questioning.

Build quality and materials are not up to the Flea standard (and nor would it be). - but despite them both being plastic, you could dunk the body of this in the drink and not worry - you would not do that with a Flea on account of the wooden top.  The Outdoor is definitely more solid feeling and does not bow in the neck, but then there are many other issues that instrument has that do not appear here.

Sound and playability though, it can't beat the Flea, but I think is FAR better than the Outdoor uke. It feels and sounds like a ukulele to me. The neck is easy to hold and move around on, and it doesnt suffer from that echoey slap sound that plagues the Outdoor.

But again, back to the price..... £30, why wouldn't you? I personally think this may be up there with the Makala Dolphin as an ultra cheap uke recommendation now... Sure, the bowing neck thing may fox some people, but it otherwise arrives with no reason for a setup, is louder than the Dolphin and seems fairly indestructible with no paint to chip or scratch. Surely it has to be a recommendation from me?

Interested in grabbing one - here's a link!

FOR

Price price price!
Fun factor
Volume

AGAINST

Build strength
Plastic quality


SCORES

Looks - 7.5
Fit and Finish - 7
Sound - 7.5
Value For Money - 10

OVERALL - 8 out of 10

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

http://www.gotaukulele.com/p/ukulele-reviews.html

And as such, it just pips the Makala Dolphin

On to the video review!!

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All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey - Ukulele Chords

Another Christmas song for ukulele - All I Want For Christmas, by Mariah Carey

You may find a couple of these chords a little odd, but the Eb-5 is really quite easy (fingered 0330), and the Am7-5 is fingered 2333 (though you could get away with playing a B7 there.. have fun! Video at the end to play along with!




[G] I don't want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need
[C] I don't care about the presents, [Eb-5] underneath the Christmas tree

CHORUS

[G] I just want you for my [B7] own, [Em] more than you could [Am7-5] ever know
[G] Make my wish come [E7] true
[Am7] All I want for [D] Christmas is [G] you Em C D

[G] I don't want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need
[C] I don't care about the presents, [Eb-5] underneath the Christmas tree
[G] I don't need to hang my stocking there upon the fireplace
[C] Santa Claus won't make me happy with a [Eb-5] toy on Christmas day

CHORUS

[G] I won‟t ask for much this Christmas, I won't even wish for snow
[C] I'm just gonna keep on waiting [Eb-5] underneath the mistletoe
[G] I won't even make a list and send it to the North Pole for Saint Nick
[C] I won't even stay awake to [Eb-5] hear those magic reindeer click

[G] 'Cause I just want you [B7] here tonight, [Em] holding on to me [Am7-5] so tight
[G] What more can [E7] I do, baby
[Am7] All I want for [D] Christmas is [G] you, you baby Em C D

[B7] All the lights are shining so [Em] brightly everywhere
[B7] And the sound of children's [Em] laughter fills the air
[Eb-5] And everyone is singing I [G] hear those [E7] sleigh bells swinging
[Am] Santa won't you bring me the one I really need
Won't you [D] please bring my baby to me

[G] Oh I don't want a lot for Christmas, this is all I'm asking for
[C] I just want to see my baby [Eb-5] standing right outside my door
[G] I just want you for my [B7] own, [Em] more than you could [Am7-5] ever know
[G] Make my wish come [E7] true
[G] All I want for [Em] Christmas is [C] you [D] ooo baby






And check out the other Got A Ukulele Christmas songs on THIS PAGE

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Blue Christmas - Ukulele Chords

There are already quite a selection of Christmas themed ukulele chords on this site - you can find them at the top of the Chords Page, but I thought I would add a few more for 2013. So here we go with Blue Christmas.. Enjoy!

I'll have a [D] blue Christmas [A] without you,
I'll be so blue just [A7] thinking [D] about you. [D7]
Decor-[D]-ations of [D7] red on a [G] green Christmas tree, [Em]
[E7] Won't be the same dear, if [A] you're not here with [A7] me.

And when those [D] blue snowflakes start [A] fallin',
That's when those blue [A7] memories start [D] callin' [D7]
You'll be [D] doin' [D7] all right with your [G] Christmas of [E7] white
But [A] I'll have a blue, blue, blue, blue [D] Christmas. [A]

[D] Mmm mm mm mm [D] Mmm mm mm mm
[A] Mmm mm mm mm [A] Mmm mm mm mm
[A7] Mmm mm mm mm [A7] Mmm mm mm mm
[D] Mmm mm mm mm mm mm

I'll have a [D] blue Christmas [A] that's certain
And when that blue [A7] heartache starts [D] hurting'
You'll be [D] doin' [D7] all right with your [G] Christmas of [E7] white
But [A] I'll have a blue, blue, blue, blue [D] Christmas. [A]


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From Drawing Board To Store: A Look At The Ohana Ukulele Process

Most of my readers will know that ukuleles these days fall into about three main camps. The smaller number of private luthier built instruments, the high end factory / hand made ukes from places like Hawaii, and those from the Far East.

That latter category is by FAR the biggest, and can often come in for criticism as being inferior to a significant degree. Whilst it is fair to say that there are many truly substandard instruments coming out of china - often just generic models to which a 'new' company simply just has their logo silk screened onto the headstock without a real care for the underlying instrument, there are those established makers who try to put care and attention to the process to ensure their standards remain high.

I was lucky enough to recently talk to one of those brands, Ohana, about their process and how they try to 'get it right'. So after an enjoyable coffee with Ken Middleton, he sent me on my way with a bundle of Ohana ukes to take a look at.

Ohana do not try to hide the fact that their instruments are made in the far east - they want to make the best quality instruments they can, but at a price that is affordable. It is a fact of modern life that most goods we want to buy these days that fulfil those requirements do tend to come from the far east. But it became clear as he explained their process that Ohana were certainly not one of the companies who were happy to slap their name on anything at all.

Ken explained that they still use a single factory in the main, and all uke development fits into their product range categories that have been long established. When they want to introduce something new, or a variation to a model, that takes some time to get right. Ken works closely with the Ohana owner in this process and together the team mull over ideas and undertake research on what to go for.

Take their homage to the Martin type 2 ukulele the SK21M. In view of the vintage Martin fan base out there, they needed to take care they got this as right as they could, so the start of the process will involve speaking with the factory and sending a new specification over and then receiving a prototype. I was delighted to take home the original (and only one in the world) prototype of this popular model to take a look at. It is an absolute delight, though discussion at Ohana did mean they wanted to change things and they did that with more variations before launching it on the market.

Below you can see the original prototype (called the SK38) next to the production model SK21M (in sopranino scale, but otherwise identical to the soprano in spec). Can you spot the differences?

L-R SK38 prototype, SK21M sopranino prodution model

Well, apart for the slightly obvious change in colour to an even more relic'd finish on the production model (Ken explained that the production model actually has a higher grade wood than the prototype) we may need to look a little closer. Ken explained that on the original they were not happy with the edge binding and wanted a more aged look, something creamier, so this change was made.

The ebony bridge saddle and nut stayed, but another major change was on the fretboard.

note brass frets and smaller markers on prototype

Ohana had specified original style rectangular brass frets on the prototype - exactly the same as the original Martin, but for anyone who has played one, they are extremely uncomfortable on the fingers, especially when sliding notes, so the production model reverted to more common nickel silver frets with a standard crowned shape (a positive change in my opinion!). You will also note the move to larger fret markers away from the more traditional tiny dots used by Martin.

The prototype Peghed tuners are the black ones.

Tuners were changed also, the prototype employing Peghed brand tuners to give the vintage look with a modern feel. The cost of these would have skewed the instrument out of the right price range, so these were changed to more common friction tuners. I for one agree, Peghed prices seem crazy as much as I do like them.

But otherwise the ukes are still quite similar and both sound great. One thing the photographs will not show you is that the prototype is extremely thin in construction and therefore very light. Knowing that such construction can be prone to cracks, Ohana decided to thicken that up a little, but they still play great.  In fact Ken explained that the original was a full 2 ounces lighter than the production model, which in soprano ukulele terms is quite a lot. I must say I've been honoured to play that original though!

Another new uke that Ohana have launched recently is another homage to a vintage instrument, inspired by the instruments introduced to Hawaii by the likes of Nunes and Dias. Their SK-28 model is based on an original instrument made by cabinet maker Augusto Dias and is an absolute cracker.

This is the first prototype of that model in soprano form showing off it's classic figure 8 body style. In this case, the instrument that recently went into production though didn't change all that much.

You will note the headstock below bears the Ohana name..

Yet on the model that went into production, Ohana decided to continue the inlay on the fingerboard up through the headstock and put the Ohana name on the back as you will see below.

That and a minor change to the sound hole rosette are simple and you might think insignificant, but they form part of the prototype process.

Ken explained that ukes can change further when the company otherwise think they are finalised. They have a large network of dealers who they work closely with, and often with a new instrument they will start with a small production run of say twenty or so instruments and send them to dealers for sale and feedback. This too can lead to minor changes down the line and seems to me a great way of taking stock of the market.

Finally, I was left to spend some time with a trio of absolutely stunning instruments from their '80' range, right at the top of the Ohana line.

L-R SK80RW prototype, TK80RW prototype, SK80RW production model

Here we have, from left to right the SK80 prototype, the TK80RW prototype and the production model of the SK80RW. With specs like those in this higher end range, it clearly pays to get things right. You will notice between the two sopranos that a decision was made to introduce edge binding in rope marquetry to the body binding and around the headstock facing that isn't there on the plainer prototype.

Prototype on the left, production model on the right

Flipping them over you see the quite beautiful backs that this range employ - made of solid Myrtle, and you will also notice a change in the neck colouring and that the production model moved from friction tuners to open geared Grovers.

But looking at the tenor model was where I really saw how the prototype process can show the manufacturer a thing or two. You will see from the picture above that the top on the tenor is really quite dark. It is a 'sinker' redwood and to me looks absolutely fabulous. When the prototype arrived though, the look of it clashed with the much paler Myrtle back as you can see.

TK80RW prototype - note clash in colour between top and back

It is purely an aesthetic thing, but I can see what Ohana mean. I think this prototype has one of the nicest looking tops you can imagine, and - wait til you see the back!

WOW!

Wow! But... judged together they didn't seem to work and for that reason the production model uses a far paler redwood top to give the instrument a better balance. On a model like this, Ohana source their wood in Oregon to ensure quality and ship that over for the construction process. When the product is launched they all go back to Ohana for checking and never direct from the factory to the shop. That is also encouraging!

So this has been a bit of an eye opener for me. When Ohana started there were only a handful of factories making ukuleles, and that number is now HUGE. Whether you like the far eastern way of production or not, it is pleasing to note that some brands are ensuring that they do take care in their process. It is not just Ohana that work this way, Kala do as well, but sadly it seems that with each month that passes a new brand name appears, and it is certainly the case that a lot of these are generic ukes with merely a change of headstock.

Thanks very much to Ken Middleton for his time and the loan of this bunch. Hope you found the background as interesting as I did.

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On Ukulele Performing, Gigs and the dreaded Dirty Money

I have had the bones of this blog post almost ready to go on the site for some time, but hadn't gotten around to posting it. I was also a little unsure as to how it would go down, but wanted to share some views on performing with the ukulele and the dreaded issue of the cold, dirty cash.. File this down in another of my 'rant' posts that tend to put the proverbial cat amongst the ukulele playing pigeons! (I fear these are becoming a regular feature!!)

What prompted me to write it however was that I had been speaking to some gig and festival promoters for my band and came across the increasingly common response of 'oh no, we don't pay the bands'. I had a bit of a moan about this on Facebook, and what followed were hundreds of responses all supporting my point of view. Since then I see regular rants about the same subject (in fact one is running today where the same point of view is being agreed with). But do all ukulele players share that point of view? I am not so sure. And if there are so many people who agree that bands and performers shouldn't be ripped off, then why is it still happening?

So, back to the post...

If you are developing your uke skills and your club is looking at getting out there and performing, you are taking a step into a wider musical circuit in which ukulele players form only a small part. How should you approach that? I must say at the outset that you are all, of course, entirely free to approach such things exactly how you want to. It is not for me to tell you what to do. But, I hope reading this may give you some things to ponder.

So what is a gig? Pretty basic starting point but an important one as I see a lot of reports of bands playing gigs that are not really that at all. I personally think that a 'gig' is the step up you take beyond busking at events or in the local town. I am also not talking about club nights, jam nights and general get togethers - they are something else entirely.  I would class a gig as being booked and billed in a pub, venue, function or event in your own right (or perhaps part of an event), but definitely something that was arranged by not just the band themselves. Something you promote, something you work up a set for, perhaps you take your gear and rig with you.  Something where the venue see the 'value' in you being there and perhaps do their bit to promote you as well. I am seeing more and more uke players taking these steps now, and that has had me thinking on the issue of, 'should we charge'? Quite simply - yes you should.

As I said in the opening, it is becoming increasingly common that venues are expecting the artists at their events to perform for nothing, not even expenses. In my experience this tends to be backed up with comments such as 'we have no budget' or, 'no, this is a free festival or event'.  Both upset me greatly. The reason is simple. What they actually mean is, 'we don't value the musicians in this, but of course we had to pay for the stage guy, and the promotion, and the security staff etc'. Even if an event is a no profit affair, I would wager that there are very few that have no people on their books being paid for their services in some way.  With pubs and clubs it's a slightly different affair, but the same thing applies. A pub introduces extras such as entertainers to their venue to bring more people through the door and to make more money. It is simply business. So, they may hire a fruit machine or a pool table. They pay for that. They pay for them in the hope that they will keep people in the venue, spending more money. Why is booking a musician different?

For our band, the only times we will play for free is where the event is a genuine charity affair - and by that I mean it is a charity where everybody involved - crew, staff etc are giving their services for free as well. I mean, if the bar staff are getting paid, why shouldn't the entertainment? Sadly I have come across a few events we have initially considered where the excuse for no pay comes on the back of a very vague reference to charity. What it actually amounts to is that the bands are expected to donate their services to charity, but nobody else. Don't get me wrong, charity events can work, and we play them regularly. But don't insult me by saying that the musicians are the only ones in on the charity thing. Charity events can work in pubs too and we have played for nothing, but on the strict condition that our normal fee goes in the charity bucket. At our annual N'Ukefest we charge the venue a fee, and our fee goes into the charity bucket. I know lots of venues who are pleased to do this. Playing a charity gig in a pub passing around the buckets, but the venue not contributing is NOT the same thing. For those venues, they are merely getting more beer money over the bar at your expense. And don't tell me their contribution is the venue - they are delighted to have live music in - it means more punters and more sales. Think about that a bit more. If you play a charity event in a pub that normally has live music - if they put their normal band fee in the bucket then everyone is a winner (they would pay that to another non charity act anyway). If they don't, then they are getting a free band. Ask them - if they refuse, find another venue!

In one of the comments on my post on Facebook, one chap said that it should be about the love of music, not the money. That is admirable and if only life could be like that. What it should really be about is being 'fair', and not having the musicians being taken advantage of. Sure - if nobody got paid for anything at all, then fine, but that is ultra utopian!  How about this - I know some chefs whose sole passion in life is cooking, but would we expect them to give their meals away for free? Of course not. Just like that, playing music comes with costs. Not just the physical - the cost of gear, strings, fuel to get to the venue, but also time and effort in preparing the set and delivering it. Would you expect a plumber to fix a burst pipe for nothing? No. The examples are, of course endless.

Another increasingly common response I am seeing from venues is, "you have to do the first gig for nothing, and if we like you we will book you again". On the face of it, that looks like an audition, but I am not so sure. Put it another way - try responding to that pub and tell them "I will be in your pub next Friday and I am going to sample your beers, perhaps have a bite to eat. I am not going to pay you though, but if I like what I try, then I may come back...."

And then there is the huge corporate event type affair - totally driven by money, and during the planning someone thinks it would be a good idea to have live music on, but the committee agree that 'bands don't need paying'. Sound crazy? Earlier this year we were 'booked' at a pretty large Christmas Extravaganza to play on a couple of days. The event was expecting a footfall of about 500,000 people, and every one of those people pay £5 to get in (do the maths). Beyond that, activities inside such as ice skating, santa etc were charged extra. They put up stages, hired security, bar staff, promotion, glitzy brochures, websites, and took sponsorship money from one of the leading High Street Department Stores. What part of that (huge) budget did they put towards musicians? Not a penny. News on this broke and they faced a backlash from musicians in the UK. They suddenly changed their position claiming that the musicians they had booked were just amateurs, schools and the like. Were that true (it wasn't - they went on a drive through various Facebook music groups looking for 'bands'), I am not entirely sure it makes one jot of difference. This was a high turnover, totally corporate event that simply did not assume that bands should even get their costs paid. Their response to me was that it was their 'policy'. Laughable. We pulled out, though sadly I am aware of a ukulele outfit who are agreeing to play it on those terms...

So why am I having this rant? Well it goes back to the reason I posted on Facebook. It is becoming increasingly common that venues are expecting performances for free. Perhaps it started with Open Mics (something I am kind of in two minds about, but will save that for another post), but I think it is also fuelled by performers who are willing to play for free. Think about it. If you play venue X for nothing, those venues DO talk to each other and when you approach venue Y, they may well think you are free as a matter of course. This then builds and builds.  In our locality there are three fairly sizeable music festivals. In one (the one we play at) every band is paid by the individual venues. It isn't a lot of money but it does cover the costs. At another festival the bands are based in very similar pubs, but because they bill it as a 'free festival', the bands don't get paid. Therefore the venues, which are packed with revellers are getting free promotion. At the third (and this one really irritates me), they put up stages in a village (stage crew get paid) they provide PA (engineers get paid), they have traders and stallholders (who pay the event). The bands on the other hand get nothing. Not a penny. Quite ridiculous I am sure you will agree. The festival we agree to pay at proves it can work.

And why does that matter - 'who cares?' you may think. If I want to play for free, I will do so - not up to you Barry.... Well, sure, but I'd suggest you bear in mind other performers. As I said above, performing in local venues puts you on the circuit with other bands. Some of those bands perform for a living. I mean it - that is their JOB. Gig money pays their bills and puts food on their table. If you support going in to venues and playing for nothing, that venue may start to realise that, 'hey - this is good! Free entertainment!!". And then that spreads. For the band that gig for a living, opportunities for them to make a dollar and keep gigging get squeezed out. It's actually happening, and if you are playing for nothing in a pub then I am sorry, but you are part of the problem no matter how you dress it up.

I could get a bit more deep and meaningful too. I could point out that playing for nothing means you are placing zero worth on your skills and talent. That you are worthless. Is that how you feel about yourself? Perhaps you don't think you are ready for a booked live performance - that is fine - but don't go and take a slot that a band that relies on payment could fill by playing for nothing. (In some of the responses I have seen online on this subject, many people point out that if you are in a band that are continually playing venues for nothing, then you probably shouldn't be playing live in the first place..). And if you don't think you will get the money or are 'worth' the money, then, well... that is kind of the same point.

In that regard, one comment I have had back on this subject represents an understandable concern many new bands or performers have. 'If I give them a price, they won't book me... I need to start somewhere'. Maybe, maybe not, but I know many venues that DO pay, and WILL give new bands a chance. If you are good you will get more bookings and get paid again. If you are not you won't. If you are in a band and cannot get a gig that pays you then as I said above, I would respectfully argue that you are probably not very good. That may sound blunt, but I can't see it any other way. Getting that first gig can be tough and that is where a website, Facebook page and sound recordings / videos will help you. All of that said, I am not against a loss leader if you are desperately looking to get that first gig. Reason with the venue if they reject your price. Offer perhaps a cut rate, or to get drinks and expenses. Then after performing go straight back (assuming it went well!) and ask for another booking but at the original rate you first asked for. If they like you I am sure you will get it. And remember if you step on the ladder and perform well,  you will then get the very best form of promotion there is. Word of mouth.

But hang on Barry - you are sounding a little obsessed with all this - very Capitalist of you .... is it all about the money?? Well that is unfair. In our band, we are never going to be rich doing this as there are 7 of us. In fact we do well to break even. But if we take our full set to a venue, it will involve hiring a van or taking three cars (and the fuel). We carry gear worth a few thousand quid, and we give our time. Those are actual costs. If we do make a profit, it gets ploughed back in to the band for improved gear. I see nothing wrong with that, and everything wrong with a venue who expects all that cost to be taken on the chin by the performer.

So yes, this all concerns me. I know a lot of clubs who are performing for nothing. That coupled with the common misconception of the ukulele as something of a novelty is only adding to the struggle for it to be taken more seriously. If you think about it, it makes sense - 'oh yeah we had this band in, playing these little toy guitars... good fun, and they are free too of course...Just a bit of fun... You should book them at your place! (free of course). That perception IS out there. I have had it thrown back at me when trying to get a gig booked.

So. Please don't devalue yourselves and exacerbate the problem. The point of this post isn't to criticise, but to make you think about what is fair. If you are playing your 30th gig for no recompense then that is surely nowhere near as impressive as being on your third that you are being booked and paid for in my view. In those cases the venue wants you and values you and that means something. And no, this isn't about holding venues to ransom, or money grabbing whilst forgetting the fun of playing the music. It's just about not being taken for a ride.

Have fun!

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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Noah Monkeypod Tenor Ukulele REVIEW

Quite some time ago now I hooked up with a chap called Matt Cohen regarding his plans to bring a new line of ukuleles to the UK. We discussed and talked about an instrument review, but things went on hold. But here we are again with the Noah Monkeypod Tenor ukulele.

I mention that delay for good reason though. Matt was living out in Vietnam with a  business called Saigon Guitars and had the aim of launching the 'Noah' brand of ukes. In our discussions though it became clear that this was not a case of a fly by night brand wanting to jump on the bandwagon - the delay happened because Matt was just not happy with the prototypes he was getting. So he went back to the drawing board until he was satisfied. I admire that.  These are not made in huge far eastern factories, but in a small workshop - and knowing that Matt used to live there, you know that he actually spent time with these builders.

I believe his first outing was at the Grand Northern Ukulele Festival at which I picked up a couple of instruments to take a look at. I've been having a good play and am here now to tell you about the Monkeypod Tenor.

Monkeypod is a new wood for me, and comes from a plant that is related to the bean. This Noah Tenor uses all solid monkeypod and comes in with an RRP of £180 in the UK - a pretty competitive price for a solid wood tenor uke.

The body is standard shaped and is finished in satin, although a gloss version is also available and it is nice to have that choice. Looks wise, that monkeypod is certainly something to behold. It has a really interesting curly grain pattern, with plenty of dark stripe amidst the otherwise quite pale wood. It is very nicely book matched on the top and back, and the stripe in the sides follows the line of the body which is also nice to see. Often, at the cheaper end of solid wood instruments, this is where they can let you down on the looks front, with odd angles in the grain patterns, or tops that do not match. Full marks here.

That satin finish is nicely applied. Some satin ukes at this price point, such as those by Kala can have a satin finish that almost makes the uke feel artificial. This is ultra smooth also but has enough grain in it to avoid that feeling.

The top and back are joined to the sides with cream coloured body binding with a trace of black white black stripe in the top and back to set it off nicely. The binding is also made of pale maple which is a really nice touch and something you normally see on higher end instruments (most makers plump for good old plastic). It gives the uke a kind of vintage look that I particularly like.

Looking at the bridge, we have a standard designed tie bar bridge with a bone saddle. You can actually see the shaping marks on the saddle which hints at the fact that this is not totally mass produced. The bridge mounting looks a little chunky for me (I have certainly seen more subtle bridges) and it also looks like it has too been given a satin coat like the body. I have not seen that before, as usually they are in fairly unfinished wood. I don't think that is anything to complain about, but it is new to me.

Around the soundhole is a very pretty rosette which appears to be inlaid rather than being a transfer, another nice touch.

Where the sides meet at the butt of the uke we have some more maple binding which I like and turning the thing over we have more nicely book matched monkeypod wood on the back. The back also has a slight arch to it to help with sound projection which is nice to see.

Looking inside the uke, things are very neat and tidy. No glue seepage and the kerfling holding the sides to the top and back is notched and neatly applied. I like ukes where you can see the grain of the back when looking inside - a test to check if a uke is really solid wood, and we have that here. I also rarely talk about the smell from sound holes, but this oozes a woodshop smell! What I particularly like here is the Noah label - Which comes with the model number, serial number and date of manufacture hand written on to it. It says 'handcrafted in the workshop of Ton That Anh' and he has also signed it - a nice touch which gives it a more personal feel than a laser printed standard label.

Looking inside allows you to see the edge of the sound hole and the top wood to me looks ever so slightly on the thick side - nothing like a cheap laminate, and I have seen far more expensive ukes with similar tops, but I would have expected a slightly thinner wood.

On to the neck, this too is made of maple and is nicely finished. It has a chunky profile which I personally like and sits quite snug in the crook of your thumb and forefinger. It also has a wider than average tenor nut width which I always prefer so feels great for me. The neck is in two pieces, with the only join being at the heel. Incidentally, that heel is capped with a maple finish which is also nice to see.

The fingerboard is in Indian Rosewood, and is evenly coloured. On first glance it appears to be bound on the edges, but I think that is actually a layer of finish that hides the fret edges. We have 18 nickel silver frets, and 14 to the body. They are not overly chunky and are finished well. Forward facing fret markers are at the fifth, seventh and tenth frets in mother of pearl, but really disappointing that there are no player facing markers on the side. The edges of the fingerboard are a little sharp or angular for my liking. That is not the fret edges, rather the edge of the rosewood. I think it is exacerbated by the fact it is a wider than average neck, but expecting rolled fingerboard edges at this price point would be too much to ask.

Past the nut (which too is bone, and set nicely) the headstock is made of the same neck maple and faced with a veneer of monkeypod. It is refreshing to see it has it's own shape, and not a Martin three pointed crown copy and looks good and balanced. The Noah logo appears to be inlaid in mother of pearl and is applied neatly. Incidentally, whilst the company behind these is called Saigon, Matt chose to call his ukuleles 'Noah' after the name of his son - a nice touch!

Tuning is provided by unbranded sealed geared tuners. I would have preferred the buttons to be a little smaller, and my G tuner needed tightening a touch, but otherwise they work just fine and I have seen far far worse.

The whole package is rounded off with Aquila brand strings (what else) and a padded and zippered gig bag of decent quality.  Quite a package I think for this sort of money, and putting the Noah brand head to head with tenors from the likes of Ohana, Eddy Finn, Mainland and the like. So how does it stand up?

To hold, it is nice and balanced. Not overly heavy and comfortable (like a lot of tenors!). I do notice that edge on the fingerboard though. That isn't to say it is uncomfortable, and perhaps I am just pampered as my tenors have rolled edges, so don't let that put you off.

Setup wise - out of the box this was perfectly acceptable. I would probably raise the action at the saddle a touch (which is unusual!), but the nut is perfect meaning no tuning issues at the lower frets. Intontation all over the uke is acceptable and as such we have an accurate instrument here.

Playing it, the first thing I noticed is that it is not the loudest tenor I have come across. That is not necessarily a bad thing though. Many people choose volume over tone, and that is wrong in my view. At this price though, perhaps not surprising, and if you want top dollar projection and tone then you have to pay, top dollar!.  It may be down to the strings, but I don't think that top wood thickness helps. Fingerpicked it really sings and there are some lovely harmonics up the neck when strings are played together and that is where I think this really shines. It is a clear sounding uke with quite a bright voice, whether strummed or picked with nice separation between the strings. Straight up strumming is where I think it is actually quietest (or, more accurately, where I would expect it to be louder!). I would love to change these Aquila strings (which may be partly to blame - I am not a fan of them) and experiment with some others to see what the uke can do. Do not get me wrong - this uke will easily be heard and outperforms many ukes sound wise but it is, lets say 'subtle'.

Overall though it has a pleasant sound which I rather like. I don't usually recommend ukuleles based on looks, but this certainly has them in spades, with some build features that you would expect at a far higher price point. I think for the money this uke is a real contender against the Kala, Ohana, Mainland and Eddy Finn ukes that sit at the same sort of price  and well worth checking out. Check out the video review below for more

FOR

Looks, finish and detailing
Wide chunky neck
Price
Fingerpicked sound

AGAINST

Volume when strummed
Fingerboard edging finish
No side fret markers

SCORES

Looks - 9
Fit and Finish - 8
Sound - 8
Value For Money - 9

OVERALL - 8.5

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

http://www.gotaukulele.com/p/ukulele-reviews.html

Noah Ukes are available at an increasing number of UK dealers and you can contact Matt at Saigon guitars for more details if you want to get hold of them matt@saigonguitars.com

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