Pono ATDC Tenor Ukulele - REVIEW

I am a lucky boy. Sometimes I get a ukulele on loan that genuinely makes me gasp when I first open the box. And  this Pono musical instrument hit that right on the button with this new model in the shape of the ATDC Tenor. I mean, just look at it.

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GNUF Preview - Flea Bitten Dawgs

Another look forward to this years Grand Northern Ukulele Festival and a real treat for ukulele fans. The Flea Bitten Dawgs in their first UK mini tour and festival slot.

I've said many times before that one of the things that makes GNUF very special is their ability to get artists to the UK that haven't previously been over here. And that is to say, they create a bill that stands out from the multitude of other ukulele festivals where you tend to see the same names over and over. The breadth of the bill is astounding year after year. GNUF brought Aaron and Nicole Keim over for their first UK Festival last year (and they are back this year). GNUF is bringing Danielle Ate The Sandwich over for her first UK dates, and of course the GNUF organiser was responsible for the first UK tour of Jake Shimabukuro and the first ukulele festival appearance for the Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain. This year sees the appearance of another US outfit who are revered in ukulele circles - the Flea Bitten Dawgs.

Formed in 2010 by three musicians with MANY years experience in performing (and having shared stages with some seriously impressive names), Flea Bitten Dawgs consist of David Henry Spangler and Thom Pallozola on ukulele and vocals, with percussion provided by Lee Kram. These are real players players and have opened for / shared the stage with some of the ukulele worlds biggest names, such as Gerald Ross, Stuart Fuchs and Cali Rose. Their style? 'Ukulele Jazz Americana'. Sounds great to me!

Their slot at GNUF this year marks the end of a mini tour of the UK and Europe also being organised by GNUF. It sees them perform in Brussells, Bradford, Reading, Belper (with Phil Doleman and Ian Emmerson) and Liverpool.

Take a tip from me - this is an act to watch. Take a look at their 'hello' to the UK!



And have a tune!



Nice huh?


The Grand Northern Ukulele Festival takes place on 27-29 May at Huddersfield, UK.

http://northernuke.com

http://fleabittendawgs.com

© Barry Maz

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Ashbury AU50 Concert Ukulele - REVIEW

Ukulele review time. A brand here that is not new to me personally, but new to Got A Ukulele. It's the Ashbury AU50 Concert Ukulele.

Ashbury are a UK based brand who make their cheaper instruments in China / Indonesia, but compliment them with their solid wood 'Pacific' range of instruments which are luthier made in Vietnam. This is part of the latter series, so not a re-badged factory instrument. You will find them mainly in Hobgoblin music stores in the UK, but also some other independent dealers and across Europe too. I guess they are a less common brand, but they do have some professional endorsees including Pete Williams from Dexy's Midnight Runners and members of the band Staves.

So as I say, it's in the concert  scale, and I love the shape of the body with that fatter lower bout. Gives it a slightly different look and is slightly bigger than a regular concert ukulele. The body is made from all solid Sapele, an African hardwood that is related to Mahogany and is finished in a satin coat that shows the grain through the finish. I really like the traditional simplicity of it and it comes with no edge binding or soundhole rosette. OK, it's not the most striking wood grain in the world, but it's certainly not offensive. It exudes a warm orange glow which I rather like.

The top and back are made of two pieces each, nicely book matched and the back is arched. The sides meet at the base with a strange filler piece of wood on the join. I dont know why I mention that as it's hardly a complaint.

Looking inside we see a tidy if simple build. The braces are not over done, and the kerfing is not notched. No real complaints though and no glue mess!

The bridge end of the strings terminates in a rosewood slotted bridge with a buffalo bone saddle piece. Nice to see that. It means easy string changes, but the extra sustain from the bone saddle should be evident on playing it.

Up to the neck - this has a fairly standard profile and width and is made from three or four pieces of mahogany with joints at the headstock and heel. It is topped with a fairly pale looking rosewood fingerboard with hidden fret ends due to a painted edge (as opposed to bound). Speaking of frets we have 14 in total with 12 to the body. Personally I would like to see a few more, but this is fairly standard I guess. They are all set and dressed nicely with no sharp edges.

We have white pearloid dots for position markers in the 5th, 7th, 10th and 12th spaces and thankfully these are repeated on the side.

Past the bone nut we move up to a fairly basic headstock shape and my first true complaint about the instrument. The Ashbury logo is screen printed on in silver and looks cheap and horrible. In fact, it's not even screen printed on very well either. Let's the instrument down I am afraid. I like the logo that they use for the letter A, and think it would look much better with that really.

Tuning is provided by open gears that are stamped 'Ashbury' with small black plastic buttons. They look like they are decent quality and they work well too.

Completing the deal are Nylgut strings branded by D'Addario (still made by Aquila I believe!) and a decent quality padded gig bag with funky red interior. And for all that you have to stump up an extremely reasonable £129.... Yes, £129. For a solid wood non factory made instrument. With a bag. Seriously good value, no doubt about it. In fact if you shop around you can grab these for a lot less than that. Amazing really (see the Amazon link at the end of this review)

Construction wise, all is sound and I can find no faults there. It's not overly heavy or thick and is nicely balanced in the hand. That satin coat is really tactile and all in all it looks like a very nice thing.

Setup on this one was spot on, with no action or intonation issues that would worry me. It's got a chimey sound that is very 'delicate' and pretty, particularly when picked. Sustain is there too, helped by that bone nut and saddle no doubt, and it has nice clarity and bell like chime when strummed too.

But I suppose there had to be a negative for me, and that is that I just prefer my ukuleles with a bit more punch and volume. Dont get me wrong - I really DO like the tone it delivers, I just wish there was MORE of it.

If you are playing at home or recording it into a microphone I think it will do you very well indeed, but I think it could quite easily get a little lost if you played it in a group acoustic setting or busking with it.  I have a pretty heavy hand when it comes to strumming, but couldn't generate a tremendous amount of volume from this one.

So I guess it depends what you are after. Certainly volume is not the 'be all and end all' when it comes to ukuleles, but it is something this reviewer likes, particularly on soprano and concert scale instruments. Still, at only £129 for a hand made solid wood ukulele, you could pretty much justify having one for the sake of it. Terrific value really.

Bargain price on Amazon! (At this price I would DEFINITELY buy one!)

http://www.ashburyguitars.com

Be sure to read all my other ukulele reviews here

UKULELE PROS

Price
Nice construction and shape
Decent tuners
Solid wood
Nice bell like tone

UKULELE CONS

Lacks projection and volume
Cheap looking headstock logo

UKULELE SCORES

Looks - 8.5 out of 10
Fit and finish - 8.5 out of 10
Sound - 7.5 out of 10
Value for money - 9 out of 10

OVERALL UKULELE SCORE - 8.4 out of 10

UKULELE VIDEO REVIEW

© Barry Maz

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How To Adjust Ukulele Action At The Saddle

A little while ago I put up a video explaining that any ukulele player should not be afraid of adjusting their instrument for optimum play. Ukuleles, like many stringed musical instruments are designed to have certain things adjusted to assist the player. It's called a 'setup'. For some reason it's an area that people are scared of but they really shouldn't be. That video is here by the way. (How To Adjust Ukulele Setup)

That was, however just a general introduction, and I thought it was about time that I actually did a demonstration video and written guide to look at one of these adjustments in a lot more detail. The action at the ukulele saddle.

The vast majority of ukuleles will come with a removeable saddle at the bridge end of the strings, and that is removable for a reason. It's the white strip, usually made of bone or plastic, sitting in the bridge mounting over which the tail end of the strings sits before being tied off. The bridge does a number of highly important things for the ukulele. Firstly, it transfers the vibration of the strings down into the soundboard. Secondly it sets the accurate scale length of each string - ie the vibrating length of the string for accurate intonation  when you fret them. And thirdly it controls the height of the string off the top of the fingerboard. This last point is called the 'action' and it's what we are looking at today.

Often a ukulele can arrive with an overly high action, or can even develop a higher action over time as the stresses of the strings start to pull the neck up. They can also arrive with a low action. A high action makes it harder to press the strings down onto the frets at best, and if it is very high it can affect the tuning accuracy when played (the intonation). A low action can create buzzing as the action of plucking a string creates a wave down the length of it that can clip the top of the frets.

First of all, and contrary to many armchair expert advisors views, there is no perfect action setting that suits everybody. There is only an acceptable 'range'. And that is a range that gives the best compromise between playability and tuning accuracy. Go too high and you have the difficulty in fretting I mentioned above, and go too low and you create buzzing. One of the biggest myths is that you should set the action as low as you can go without buzzing. This is not particularly good advice as some very low, but non buzzing action settings can suck all tone and volume out of the strings. In short it needs to be a little higher than that. The point you go for is really down to you as a player. I know how I like my action (at the lower end) but not everybody does. The only way you will work that out is to try it.

What I find though is many players who have never considered adjusting their ukulele may be missing an opportunity. They struggle on with overly high action settings and think that it is 'just the way it is'.

So how do you measure your action? Well, you need to take a careful measurement of the distance between the bottom of the strings and the top of the 12th fret of the ukulele, this being the halfway point of the string. To measure this you really need to invest in a metal straight ruler with measurements that run right to the end of the metal so when you place it down at the tip you get an accurate reading. They are not expensive and available in all DIY stores for a few pounds. Even better you can use a string height ruler designed for stringed instruments which come with markings for common string heights in various formats. You simply hold the ruler on the top of the 12th fret and note the distance between the top of the fret and the bottom of the strings. You can check each one as on most ukuleles the fretboard is flat so they should be around the same (taking into account the different string thicknesses). (Note - if you do have a curved fingerboard, called a radius fingerboard, you will need to adjust for this).

What is the optimum? Well, like I say -it's a range really. That range depends on the string gauge and also how you play the ukulele. A more vigourous style of strumming will require a little more clearance to allow for the excessive string vibration.  For me a low action would be about 6/64ths of an inch (or 0.093 inches, or about 2.2mm). At the upper end I would go no higher than about 8/64ths (or ⅛ inch, or 0.125 inches or about 3mm). If you check your instrument and you are below the lower figure it is likely you are on the verge of string buzz or not getting the optimum tone projection and you you need to raise the saddle. If you are above the higher figure, you may be finding it a chore to press the strings down on upper frets, or are finding your fingers are getting tangled on strums or even having intonation issues.

Now for the adjustment downwards. You can take the long winded path of removing the strings, sanding the base of the saddle a little, replacing it, re-stringing it, checking it, then repeating it until it is right. You can also use a bit of mathematics to help us. Because the string creates a very long thin triangle between the saddle and the top of the 12th fret, if you find your action at the 12th is (say) 0.5mm too high, because the 12th is the halfway point of the string, taking down the saddle by double   that amount will lower the action at the 12th by 0.5mm. So it's a case of noting the height you are at, working out how much lower you want to take it, and then multiplying that by 2. That is the amount to drop the saddle by. Want to drop the action by 0.5mm, drop the saddle by 1mm.. and so on.  You can then mark that depth on the saddle with a pencil and a straight edge.

Now the tricky part - you now need to sand down the base of the saddle (leave the top alone!!) to just reach the line you marked. The trick here is to keep the base of the saddle perfectly flat. If you dont do this you will find that the saddle will dip back or forward in the slot, affecting tuning, or wont make a clean contact with the soundboard.  You can do this with a large piece of sandpaper on a hard surface working it slowly and monitoring what you are taking off. Even better is to put the saddle in a metal topped vice upside down with only the amount of saddle below your pencil mark visible. Even a cheap hobby vice will do as it's not a particularly strenuous job. You can then take a file, sandpaper or a Dremel to the base and be sure you are only taking off what you need. Sand it down, keeping it flat until you are at the marked point. I cannot stress enough how important it is to keep the base absolutely flat!

And that is it for a high action - replace the saddle and restring and you should be good to go. If you measured accurately you shouldn't face problems and your action will be lower.

Of course mistakes do happen though, so what if you go too low and create a buzzing? Or what if the saddle was too low to start with? Dont panic - this is easily remedied by simply putting a shim of thin card or wood veneer under the white saddle to raise it back up a little. You may need to add a couple of layers to get the saddle to the right height, and remember you can use that 'double the required height' rule. In other words, if your string action is 0.5mm too low at the 12th fret, raising it by about 1mm at the saddle will do the trick.

And if that lot has foxed you, I created another video that shows the process in more detail!



At the end of the day - the action should be right and there is no reason why you should struggle to play an instrument that is designed to be adjusted.  A well adjusted ukulele can be a revelation. I see some shocking examples that people battle with and it need not be like this. Sure, you can pay someone to do this for you, but really it is SO easy to do - why would you do that? Get to know your instrument!!

Just go carefully and logically and you should be fine.

And as a final (final) word - there are some instruments that dont have removeable saddles. Many plastic ukuleles do and some others with moulded or carved wooden saddles. I am afraid this process wont work for you, and if you have high action you have a far more complex job on your hands involving taking the top of the saddle down. I would urge lots of caution here as whilst dropping the top will work, it is very easy to throw the shape of the saddle top out and create tuning issues. I'd seek professional help for those! There are also some rarer features on some ukuleles that can assist with buzzing strings called truss rods running through the length of the neck. You really dont see many of those though and they are more for neck relief and NOT for adjusting action. I may deal with those in a future post.

Good luck!

(and if you want a string action ruler - it's one of those things that Amazon are perfect for.

String Action ruler - Amazon.com

String Action ruler - Amazon.co.uk )



© Barry Maz


WHY NOT DONATE TO HELP KEEP GOT A UKULELE GOING?





THANKS!

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Mabuhay MC-11 Concert Ukulele - REVIEW

A new brand for Got A Ukulele, that have been around in the UK for a couple of years now. Thanks to Omega Music in the UK I have been lucky enough to test one one - it's the Mabuhay MC-11 Solid Mango Concert.

Mabuhay are a hand made brand from the Phillipines, who specialise only (I believe) in Mango wood ukuleles. And that's what we have here - solid mango wood and then 'more mango'... More mango? Read on.

The brand story is suitably stylistic in it's description, proudly stating that the ukuleles are made from 'Century Old Tonewoods'. It gives it an air of something special, but the reality is that a tree that is over 100 years old is not actually a rare thing.. Marketing eh?

Anyway, Mango it is, a wood that I rather like in ukuleles for it's looks. This one is in the Concert scale, and is in a traditional double bout shape. I think it looks particularly nice in the shape department on account of that curved butt which you dont see all that often and I think makes a ukulele look classy. The body is all solid Mango and is free from any adornments whatsoever, giving this one a plain look.  But you know me.. I like plain.

And that plain look is strengthened by the fact that it's not just the body that is made of mango. On the top we have a slotted style bridge that is made from mango too, making it blend in with the top. I actually prefer a contrasting bridge wood myself, but there you go. It's functional and the slotted style means fuss free string changes. The top and back are made from single pieces of wood and the saddle is plastic and slightly arched (more on why later). It's not the most striking mango wood I have ever seen. The back is particularly plain and whilst there is a bit of stripe on the top it's off centre.

Other than that there is little else to comment on regarding the body, which is unbound, and flat backed. I would however comment on the wood used on this example on the sides. Mango is a wood that can often be subject to spalting which leaves dark stains and stripes in the wood and there is an example of this on the sides of this one. Spalting like this doesn't really change the wood, but I think this example just make it look mucky. Like someone spilled a bottle of ink on the side of it and wiped it off. I know it's a natural feature of woods like this, but personally I would select one without that marking. It might have been more acceptable if the markings were book matched but they are not. The whole body is in a satin hand rubbed oil finish.

Inside is neat and tidy with delicate looking braces (made from mango) and notched kerfing (mango again).

Up to the neck and this too is made from mango and the fingerboard that tops it is (you guessed it) mango too... The neck is nice though and I do like the paler looking fretboard. Interestingly for the price, the neck is a single piece of wood. It means it's dead straight grain pattern is unbroken down it's length giving it a classy touch. It's fitted with 18 nickel silver frets with 14 to the body. I am seeing more and more ukuleles coming to the market with flat tops to the fret crowns and this one has them too. I hope that is not a fashion thing because I really don't like them. I actually think it's done to avoid intonation issues. Whatever the reason I find them uncomfortable when sliding up and down the neck. A purely personal gripe.

More positvely on the neck it is built with a slight radius to it which is unusual at this price. It means the face of the fingerboard (and frets) are not dead flat, but have very slight curve. It is said to provide comfort in playing.  I like radiused fretboards a lot myself.

We have black dot fret markers at the 5th, 7th, 10th, 12th and 15th spaces, and these are thankfully repeated on the side.

Past the plastic nut and to the headstock we have a generic three pointed crown shape with a small white silk screened M for for the name. I like the headstock and the minimal look.

Flipping the headstock over and we have another logo on the back in black. The Mabuhay logo with tree design. I like that as it's a bit different.

Tuning is provided by open geared tuners. Mabuhay say they are Gotoh brand, but I am not convinced they are - they look more like generic open gears to me. They work ok, although I do think the cream buttons are a bit on the chunky side.

Completing the deal are Aquila strings and a price tag of £199. I must say for an all solid ukulele, particularly one in a less common wood that is extremely good value. How does it play?

Thankfully it's good news in this department. First of all let's get the other details out of the way. Setup and intonation are spot on for me. I wouldn't adjust this action myself, either at the nut or the saddle, and it plays pretty accurately all the way up the neck. It's also comfortable to hold on account of most of it being finished in a satin hand rubbed oil finish (nice and tactile) and it not being heavy. It's nicely balanced in weight around the 12th fret. No complaints.

Sound wise. It sounds like a ukulele. Come on Baz, you can do better than that. But I mean it, and I mean it in a very good way. Many ukuleles I come across are starting to sound less and less like ukuleles. They can lack the traditional ukulele bite. This one though has a punch and brightness that to me screams ukulele. It's got excellent volume, projection and sustain but combines those with a bright punch that is unmistakenly ukulele.

The clarity of individual strings in the mix is absolutely superb, with every one in it's place and that gives it a kind of shimmer in fast strumming, almost like it had more than four strings. It's not muddy,  and even strumming it hard produces a typical ukulele bark that is a good thing I think. Another observation - regular readers will know I am not normally a fan of Aquila strings - but I have no complaints with them on this instrument.

So all in all, I think it's a mixed bag on the looks front, (you will love it or hate it), but is well made, keenly priced and great sounding. If you rank your ukuleles based on the sound they make rather than what the woods look like, then I think you should probably give this one your consideration.

Mango mango mango!

http://mabuhay-ukulele.com
http://www.omegamusic.co.uk


Be sure to read all my other ukulele reviews here

UKULELE PROS

Great value
Clear bright tone and great projection
Radius neck
Nice finish and tactile to hold
Good overall build quality

UKULELE CONS

Flat topped frets
Some mismatched woods
Would prefer nicer tuners
Looks will be love or hate

UKULELE SCORES

Looks - 8 out of 10
Fit and Finish - 8 out of 10
Sound - 9 out of 10
Value for money - 9 out of 10

OVERALL UKULELE SCORE - 8.5 out of 10

UKULELE VIDEO REVIEW

© Barry Maz

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The Ukulele and the Hawaiian Assumption

Going out on a limb on this rant, but then I have never shied away from the more difficult ukulele discussions (and nor do I think it is healthy for other people to do that). But I realised that I hadn't actually talked about this issue before. What is it with the assumption that we all need to prostrate ourselves to Hawaii if we play the ukulele? (Bear with me here - do read on before immediately jumping for the email button..)

I've been prompted to write this based on a couple of recent heated debates (and comments left on this very blog) that, to be honest, left me a little irritated. They were comments that essentially tried to guilt me (and others) by suggesting that I was NOT showing any reverence or respect to Hawaii, because I didn't feel the need to dress like one or speak like one. It's quite absurd. A suggestion of an automatic contract that you have to sign up to when you start playing uke. Surely that can't be right can it? I'm not from Hawaii - I was born in the rainy north west of the UK... Surely you can acknowledge the origins without being full on Maui about it?

Let's deal with some basics first. Of course, the ukulele is most commonly associated with Hawaii. That much is obvious because it was Hawaii that appropriated the instrument from the Europeans (possibly Portuguese, possibly Madeiran, possibly the Azores depending on which of many varying stories you believe) and gave it that name - a Hawaiian word. But note - 'appropriated'. The instrument already existed as a box with strings. So it was really only the taking up of the instrument and naming it 'Ukulele' which is the Hawaiian bit. And that was back in 1880's - there has been an awful lot of ukulele playing around the globe since then.

But fair enough - the ukulele IS most commonly tied to an origin in Hawaii. The instrument is revered over there and is intrinsically linked to establishing Hawaiian culture. It was promoted by the King and used in ceremonial royal events. The instrument is incredibly important to that society.

And I acknowledge that. Totally. But it really isn't being disrespectful if I choose to play one without taking up Hawaiian acoutrements to go with it. You see, I don't think that's how respect works.

Personally, I have more time for quiet and serious respect for any 'thing' rather than going the full on gaudy about it.

Take a cheap Chinese ukulele brand churning out terrible instruments that most Hawaiians would cringe at, made by cheap labour and in poor working conditions, but labelling their website and their boxes with Hawaiian flowers and pictures of surf boards. Is that respect? It isn't. It's just lowest common denominator marketing spin.

Is being a bloke or a lady from ukulele club being respectful by wearing an ill fitting Hawaiian shirt that was made in China together with some plastic flowers around his neck respectful? Perhaps, to some degree, but I suspect it's more about having a bit of fun with friends.

How about a brand of toilet paper / cars / anything using some ukulele music in their adverts to sell more product and choosing a Hawaiian style sound. Is that respect? No, just capitalist marketing again.

It's everywhere. The branding, the outfits, the song choices. And let's be clear - if you want to dress like that or you want to play a ukulele decorated in flowers then that is absolutely YOUR choice. But that is not the point. Doing so does not make you any more reverential to the origins of the ukulele than someone who doesn't.

Being disrespectful to Hawaii about the ukulele would be trying to re-write history to remove the connection of the instrument from the Islands, or have it re-named. That isn't actually as absurd as it sounds as when the islands were originally annexed by the US, what followed was a period where traditional Hawaiian culture and language WERE sidelined / not taught, and rather forcefully at that. But it's 2016. That really isn't the case in the modern world any longer and I think the chances of the ukulele losing it's connection to Hawaii would be slim to nil. In fact, the very fact that so many of us are playing the damn thing and the fact that I truly have never met anyone who didn't know it originated in Hawaii... well, I'd say that the respect to Hawaii is alive and well myself. Should we forget that history? Of course not, but I just don't think approaching the whole respect thing as some sort of weird cosplay event isn't my kind of respect.

Of course, celebrating culture and keeping traditions alive is important. I regularly attend UK folk festivals for (partly) the same reason. Those events thrive and in part are keeping alive very earliest British folk music traditions. It's the same thing and the events keep it alive.  But I dont dress like a Morris Dancer on any day of the week. It doesn't mean that I don't respect the history though.  Hey, I really respect the guitar too, but I don't speak with a Spanish accent or dress like Paco de Lucia.

And as the instrument continues to grow in popularity that in turn has allowed many Hawaiian names to go on to great success on the music circuits GLOBALLY. I've featured a few on this site. When arguably the most famous player of the instrument today is Jake Shimabukuro, a Hawaiian, it seems clear to me that the roots of the instrument are hardly being forgotten, regardless of how I pronounce it or what shirt I wear. The popularity of the instrument itself IS growing the pool of respect for the culture. How can it not?

Hawaii is clearly a very beautiful place (I have never been). It's also a place that automatically conjures images to me of happy people and a rich cultural heritage. This bloke from the rainy UK automatically thinks that and I believe most other people do to. I think I always have. In my mind Hawaiian culture is a wonderful thing and I would sorely like to visit. That automatic link with the ukulele and Hawaii is ingrained in all of us I think.

So, please don't tell me I am not showing enough respect because I don't choose to go with the faux adoration. Don't tell me that having spent years writing a ukulele site that specifically aims to encourage people to play the thing that I am not doing enough for the support of this instrument. And don't assume you know what I do and don't respect based on how I dress and speak.


You can read my many other rants on various topics surrounding the odd world of the ukulele on this link.

© Barry Maz

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Danielle Ate The Sandwich with The Quiet American - My Girl

One of those ukulele videos that really takes my breath away at the effortless beauty of it. We've got three for the price of two here - Danielle Ate The Sandwich performing with Nicole and Aaron Keim of The Quiet American.

That's musical understanding right there. The voices, the laid back style. This is right up my street!

And for UK people who like the sound of this - bear in mind that both of these acts are headlining at this years Grand Northern Ukulele Festival. Would be amazing to hear them do this!

Get your tickets for the fest soon as they are going fast! I will also be sharing some more videos of some of the featured artists at this years festival over the next few weeks.

http://northernuke.com

© Barry Maz

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Biscuithead and the Biscuit Badgers - Seaweed Under The Sofa

OK, this is an interesting one to keep an eye on at this years Grand Northern Ukulele Festival. Biscuithead and the Biscuit Badgers!

The GNUF event always promises variety - and nothing seems to fit that bill this year as much as this outfit. Not a ukulele band (but they feature one) - but I much prefer that than acts that are just 'uke uke uke'... Seriously - if the instrument is ever going to be taken more seriously we need more that rooms full of people all playing the same thing. Anyway, I rather love this.



The act bill themselves as a mix of Vic Reeves, The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band and The Divine Comedy and I can see exactly what they mean. Catch them at GNUF this year from 27-29 May in Huddersfield.

http://northernuke.com

http://www.biscuithead.co.uk

© Barry Maz

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UKE Magazine - 12 Months Flies By

A little over 12 months ago, I wrote a short review of the first printed ukulele magazine available in the UK. UKE magazine was born, and now with a year gone it seems to be going from strength to strength.

You see, that was quite a big thing back then. Sure, there are lots of ukulele resources on the internet (you are reading one!), but there is something I think most people think is nice in having something in your hand to read. The US has had a printed ukulele magazine for some time, but there had been nothing in the UK. The brainchild of Matt Warnes of Omega Music / Feckless and Fuddle, Matt decided to even the balance. I think at the time he wasn't sure how it would be received. I'm personally glad to see that it is still working, so he must have got something right.

Actually, I know he got something right for the simple reason that I genuinely look forward to my copy arriving. As someone who reads a ridiculous amount of stuff about the ukulele online, impressing me is no mean feat!

It's nicely printed, and it always contains interesting articles. Don't think this is UK centric - we've had articles and interviews with the likes of Danielle Ate The Sandwich, Mike Hind and Jake Shimabukuro, but it's the variety I like. Really something for everyone. Throw in some expert contributions, like tabs from Phil Doleman and you are laughing. I've also loved watching the travels of the famous Bruko ukulele around the UK (watch this space on that one!!)

Now on issue 5, you can get still get back issues, or you can subscribe. I would recommend it! Here's to the next 12 months Matt!

You can get it direct from World Of Ukes HERE, or if you like the convenience of Amazon purchases - it's available there too (Amazon Uke Magazine )

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Please Stop Arguing Over How Ukulele Is Pronounced.

How do YOU pronounce ukulele? It's an argument that has been running for years and years. I kind of hoped it must have run its course by now, but no. The 'what is the correct way to pronounce ukulele debate' is alive and kicking. I lose the will to live with it. Anyway, I thought it was probably time to nail my colours to the mast. (Or at the very least give me an easy to find statement that I can just share on the next discussion that I see going on and on).. 

Please note - this is 'irony'...

Only very recently on a very well known social media group this debate raged YET AGAIN and ran into around a hundred comments... In the red corner: Those who claim that it must be pronounced 'OOK-KUH-LAY-LAY' and in the blue corner, those who claim that it muct be pronounced 'YOO-KUH-LAY-LEE'. Both sides fight their corners with venom, some making quite outlandish claims and always with a sprinkling of 'i'm offended'.. And it's not the first time - many people witnessing the debate were shaking their heads thinking ' please...not this again..'

So who is right? Well, they BOTH are. And that is what makes the argument quite so ridiculous.

The Ook brigade are, in the main, traditionalists who choose to pronounce the name of the instrument in the native Hawaiian style. In fact, in Hawiian the instrument is spelled with an apostrophe type symbol before the U, so it reads 'Ukulele. That's called an 'Okina' and denotes that the pronunciaton should be a soft U, giving you the 'Ook' sound. Compelling huh?

Well, I cannot argue with the Hawaiian tongue as being correct, but only IF YOU ARE HAWAIIAN. If you are Hawaiian that is exactly how you will pronounce it because you are, errr.. Hawaiian. I am not. I am from the rainy North West of the UK.

You see, language is a quite wonderful living thing and it changes as you move around the globe. In fact it can change within regions of the same country. In the UK words like 'bath' and 'castle' will differ in pronunciation depending on which County you are in. It's essentially vernacular - and it relates to the common parlance of the district, region or country that changes the way words are pronounced. Put simply, a particular region of population will pronounce a word in the way that is most common for the area they are in. It's the same reason some people in the US pronounce words like Oregano, Aluminium, Duke, Zebra, Yoghurt, Semi, Vase, Buoy, Futile, Anti, Schedule, Herb and Garage differently to the way people in the UK pronounce them. Neither side is 'wrong' - they are just pronouncing words in the way that is most common in where they live. English speakers pronounce the name of the capital of France as 'Pah-Riss' whereas the French (and they should know) pronounce it 'Pah-Ree'. But both sides know exactly what they mean, and to the best of my knowledge they don't slug it out on social media groups arguing which is right. And they don't do that because they know how language works. They are just phonological differences, but the words still make total sense. And in fact, such phonological differences not only within different regions but also over time too.

Some people have surnames that are difficult to pronounce and get irritated when people get it wrong. I totally get that because it is your actual name. But it's completely different with an inanimate object and I have yet to meet the person who named the ukulele in person..

So with the ukulele, whether YOOK or OOK, the debate just rolls on and on and on and on (and on). I've seen people get quite upset by it and I've seen people suggesting it is in some way disrespectful or rude to Hawaiians to pronounce it any way other than the native way. What absolute and total nonsense. It's just a word and in the same way the French don't get offended by people pronouncing the name of their capital differently, neither should the Hawaiins be offended. (In fact, I would be surprised if true Hawaiians were actually offended, and they would probably just be pleased you played a uke - rather I suspect those who 'claim' offence are the sort of people who just like being offended... we all know someone like that).

Heck, Hawaii is part of the USA, but even some parts of the US itself pronounce it 'YOOK' so it's not even an 'America vs the rest of the world' phenomenon..

I saw one defence of the 'Ook' pronunciation as 'the Hawaiian dictionary gives the phonetic word soundings as it being 'OOK'. I am sure it does - why would it not? It's a Hawaiian dictionary! But in the Oxford Dictionary (the bastion of the English language in the UK) the pronunciation guide suggests it is 'YOOK'...  and so we go on.. (Incidentally, Websters and Collins dictionaries also both favour the 'YOOK' variety...)

But arguing the point based on reasonings such as those above is rather pointless.  These arguments on both sides  miss the understanding of language differences and vernacular.

I suppose it could be worse - the debate about the spelling seems to have died down (note - BOTH of these are technically correct for the same reason).

credit - Tim Harries

So please, come on.. - recognise that language changes around the world and over time. It's how it works. Nobody 'owns' it and so long as you are understood between other humans who speak the same or similar languages, that really is all that matters. We can all be right in our own way. Nobody is trashing your heritage or trying to be offensive. If you have your way of pronouncing it that differs to others, then that is absolutely fine if you are understood (whichever way you pronounce it). And if you think differently I will ask you whether you keep a buoy in your garage and whether your aluminium vase has herbs in it... in the British way... (and then get really offended if you don't sound like you are from Downton Abbey). Honestly, I really don't care how you pronounce it and neither should you...

(And if you are one of those people who think that you can only pronounce things the way the native speaker does - have you thought for a moment that you might be like this guy?)


EDIT - it's been said on Social Media (and in the comments below) that I am missing an important point here - I really dont think so actually. I DO recognise the arguments on both sides. I see them fully. I am not trying to belittle or wipe out either argument - the whole point of the post is that both sides of the argument are so strong that the debate is pointless. Neither side will win. Neither side will prevail and ensure that the other way of saying the word will stop. Yes some of those arguments can be powerful and can surround heritage and some horrible history. But ultimately, language is resilient to such things (and rightly so in my opinion). As such, the basic premise of the post stands as far as I am concerned. Before you choose to get offended - my view is - 'you are both right' but so what. Just play the damn thing!

And if you enjoyed this rant, you may enjoy my other ukulele rants here.  Some posts to read over coffee while you scratch the varnish from your desk with your fingernails in despair..


© Barry Maz

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Hey, What's The Best Ukulele?

Probably the question I see from beginners on forums and social media the very most - the extremely open question of 'What's The Best Ukulele'? Which Ukulele To Buy? It's probably the same in all musical instrument circles.

You see that question really can't be answered without more information.... if at all. Too many things come in to play to choose a 'best' of anything. What is your budget? What scale do you want? What are your tastes in looks (plain, traditional, fancy, modern, crazy?). Without knowing these things it's impossible to advise on what I think are good purchases. Asking 'What is the best ukulele?' is like asking 'what is the best car' or 'what is the best food?' It's totally subjective. If you see a site listing the 'best' then move on - quickly!

What I do is  provide a link to my ukulele reviews page with a suggestion that they have a browse, but to be honest, I suspect that some people don't really want to read through all of that to come to a view. A shame, but true. That is always up to date though and anything with a score of 8 out of 10 or more is worth a look. Still, people still dont look

So in an attempt to summarise in an easy to share single post, I looked back over my review scores and thought I would give my 'best of' for different price categories at the date of writing!. Even if you don't want to go through all my ukulele reviews, these are the ones that I (currently) think you should have a read of. And before you complain that something is missing - these are taken from the many instruments I have tested and reviewed, but only those - hard to make a recommendation for something I haven't played!

Think of this as the Got A Ukulele Awards.. Ultimately though - this is just a list of the top scores on Got A Ukulele for easy reference.  It is also time limited to the date of this post - ie MARCH 2016.. Be aware of that - other ukes HAVE been reviewed since!!

Got A Ukulele Best Instrument £0-£50

A difficult price point because there are genuinely so many bad ones around with poor quality control.

For me the first prize goes to the Octopus Soprano Ukulele - just remarkable for very very little money. Great sound and the neck is an absolute joy!

Octopus Soprano Ukulele

Runner Up: The Makala Dolphin - what else?


Got A Ukulele Best Instrument £50-£100

At this price point we are starting to get into the realms of instruments that are usually playable from the get go, with some truly nice surprises for what is, again, very little money. It's a close call at this price point for me, but I will give the first prize to the Baton Rouge Sun Series Concert Uke. A fairly plain looking affair and built from laminate woods, but seriously - great tone, great build quality, just really really great actually!

Baton Rouge Sun Concert Ukulele

Runner Up: Snail UKS-220 Rosewood Soprano


Got A Ukulele Best Instrument £100 - £200

This is the price point where the majority of my reviews sit. There is a clear winner, but the problem here is that they don't make this one any more. It's the Omega Zedro II ukulele which I found quite remarkable for the money. But fear not - Omega have replaced it with the Klasiko model which I hear is just as good.

Omega Music Zedro Ukulele

Runner Up: Several could have taken this spot, but I will give it to the Riptide Electro Concert (with an honourable mention to the John Daniel Pixie)


Got A Ukulele Best Instrument £200 - £500

Quite a price range this one, but this is where we start to get into serious territory. It's shared hours for me between the Big Island Koa Concert - so nice looking it featured on the cover of one of my books. Looks to die for and a beautiful delicate tone that I really really liked and the Pono ATDC

Big Island Koa Concert Ukulele

Runner Up: Again - several to choose from here, but I give it to the Pono MTD Tenor - just really really nice in every way.


Got A Ukulele Best Instrument £500 plus

An odd one here and one where I am clearly opening myself up to criticism - 'Hey what about Kamaka? What about Martin?' Well, as I say - these are just based on ukuleles I have tested. For me the winner is clear and I think it's a stunningly good instrument. First place goes to the Kanile'a K1 Tenor - no frills, but wonderful clear woody tones that still make me smile to this day.

Kanile'a K1 Tenor Ukulele

Joint Runners Up: Beltona Tenor Resonator - one instrument that has made me smile more than many others recently. The other one being the quite simply amazing Blackbird Clara. 

So there you have it - I will, in time, adjust this listing as new instruments get reviewed if they change the top spots. But for now, the next time I get asked 'What is the best ukulele', this is the post I will give them the link to!





© Barry Maz

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aNueNue Africa Mahogany II Concert Ukulele - REVIEW

Ukulele review time, and a brand name that I haven't yet featured on the site despite me having played a few for several years. It's a Concert model from far eastern brand aNueNue - their Africa Mahogany II Concert model.

When this one arrived it was one of those 'intake of breath' moments as I opened the case. It's not often a ukulele does that to me, and I do see a LOT of ukuleles. On occasion though one just looks really rather beautiful on the first lift of the case lid. This one did that to me, because I think it is, frankly, rather lovely. But let's get down to the specifications before I gush too much.

It's a Concert scale model, and a fairly standard one at that. I make that point as aNueNue also offer this in a jumbo bodied concert size as well as a concert. The instrument is made from all solid tone woods, with this one having a body made from African Mahogany. I say it's fairly standard, but the shape for me has enough uniqueness about it to make it stand out. That lower bout is wider than most common concert shapes and the butt of the instrument is not flat but curved. Little things like that can give an instrument that certain something.

The top is made of two pieces as is the unarched back and the sides. The wood is really rather splendid. Mahogany is not always recognised for its beauty but the choice of wood coupled with the gloss finish on this really creates an instrument that glows in the light. It's a warm brown orange with some stripe and flame that I think is absolutely delightful. That gloss is another star of the show here as it really is mirror flat and flawless. There is no finish pooling or bubbles on the instrument anywhere.

Setting off the rest of the body is dark (possibly ebony) edge binding to the top and back an and inlaid abalone sound hole rosette. It all goes together I think to create an instrument that looks fancy but classy at the same time. Regular readers will know that I don't go in for bling and often even class gloss as bling. I could happily live with this one though - as I say - it's a combination.

We have a bridge plate that is an unusual shape that I think works well complete with a bone compensated and arched saddle piece. It's a tie bar style and is finished very well.

Looking inside I note a very tidy build, with notched kerfing and delicate braces. The top is clearly not overly thick so I expect good things from the sound.

The neck is fairly standard in profile and width and appears to be made from three pieces of mahogany. It too is finished in gloss. Topping the neck is a rosewood fingerboard that is even in colour and nicely finished. The edges of the fretboard are unbound, but you don't see the fret edges as they are stained dark under the gloss.

Frets are nickel silver and we have 20 in total with 14 to the body join. These present my first (and only) gripe about the instrument - I would prefer them to have a softer crown to their tops. This is something I am seeing more of in ukuleles these days and it may just be personal opinion. It's a more traditional style of fret work but for me I find these jar the fingers a little when you slide up the neck. I prefer frets to be smooth. That isn't to say they are rough (they are not) or unfinished (no sharp edges here). Just that I find the crowning a little angular. Minor point.

We have position markers in pearloid inlays at the 5th, 7th, 10th and 12th spaces and thankfully these are repeated on the side.

Past the bone nut we have a headstock that thankfully isn't a common crown shape, faced in what looks like rosewood or possibly ebony (or darker mahogany!) with the aNueNue logo inlaid in pearl.

Tuning is provided by open gears that look very like open geared grovers, but are actually stamped 'aNueNue'. Either way, they are high quality and work great - trust me, I can tell. They are finished with black plastic buttons which are not overly large.

Completing the deal are strings that appear to be clear fluorocarbon. I think they are aNueNue own brand choice, so could be anything really. They work well though.

And all of that can be yours for about $500... if you can find one (more on that later).

To hold, the instrument is not overly heavy and it's nicely balanced in the hands without a strap. That gloss finish is never sticky and it feels 'nice' in the hands. The setup on this example is spot on with an action that needs not adjusting at either the bridge or nut, and intonation very accurate right up the neck. No complaints so far.

I have to admit that I am not actually a huge fan of concert ukuleles. For me they are neither one thing or the other and I tend to go for either tenors or sopranos. This one though feels like there is more to it. Strummed this is immediately noticeable by the great projection and even greater sustain. I do love a ukulele where you can feel the vibrations in the body projecting into your chest where you cradle it and this one delivers that.

Clarity across the strings range is impressive and it has a nice balance of warmth coupled with brightness and chime that I really like. I find many mahogany concerts can be a bit 'plinky' but this has a more complex sound.

Fingerpicked it is divine on account of that sustain with notes ringing out far longer than many ukuleles would deliver at this price. As I say, the fret crowning is the only let down for me here, but it really is something I could get used to I guess.

So all in all I am rather taken by this one. It's about the sum of it's parts. No one thing is stellar and outstanding, but the various things (wood /  finish / shape) seem to come together into a very pleasing whole.

If you are in Australia or the far east you will be lucky enough to find one of these in your area. Less so if you are in the UK or the US as I don't believe aNueNue currently have a distributor in these regions. I think that is a huge shame as based on the quality of this review model I'd love to see them more widely available.

Recommended if you can find one.

Many thanks to aNueNue and Alan Townsend for the loan of the instrument.

Be sure to read all my other ukulele reviews here

UKULELE PROS
Looks and shape
Wood choice
Wonderful gloss
Great sustain and projection

UKULELE CONS

Would prefer softer crown on frets
Not widely available

UKULELE SCORES

Looks - 9.5 out of 10
Fit and Finish - 8.5 out of 10
Sound - 9 out of 10
Value for money - 9 out of 10

OVERALL UKULELE SCORE - 9 out of 10

UKULELE VIDEO REVIEW

© Barry Maz

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As A Ukulele Performer - Do You Need Insurance?

Here's a ukulele question I get asked a lot. If ever there is a subject guaranteed to cause disagreement in forums it's the subject of Insurance for bands and performers who are going out gigging. Rules and regulations on this can be complex, misleading and confusing and it is not helped by many people spreading false information as to what is what. Actually though, I consider the subject quite simple. For me it comes down to two things. Do you want to be able to play every gig and do you want to lose the shirt off your back if something goes wrong?

First things first, I appreciate that the ukulele world is global and I suspect different things apply in different countries. I write this as a good practice guide that should apply pretty much everywhere, but please bear in mind that these comments are related to my country and experience (The UK).

First up, lets get one thing clear. There is NO law that makes insurance a strict requirement. You are playing gigs, not driving a motor car. Insurance is all about risk and protection. As such, many bands don't carry insurance and many do. And this is where the mis-information starts to spread.

And why are we talking about insurance anyway, and insurance for what? Well in the main I am dealing here with Public Liability Insurance or PLI.  This is distinct from Insurance for your gear and instruments (although I would recommend that if you are gigging that you check whether your home contents insurance does actually cover your kit - it more than likely doesn't).

So - PLI - this is insurance that covers you / your band in the event that an incident happens for which the blame falls with you. Without insurance you could be required to foot the bill which could be anything from thousands of pounds (in the event of a minor incident) to eye watering numbers in the event of a catastrophe. We are talking here about several sorts of costs. Firstly there is repair or replacement of something that is damaged ( such as walking past a punters car in the car park and scratching it with your instrument case, or damaging the venue negligently). Second is the cost of compensation. That is to say the cost claim brought by someone who is injured or harmed (or worse) or suffers some sort of loss on account of your actions (so things like trips, falls, electrocution and the like). Finally we have the wonderful concept of legal costs (yes, if you are to blame you are probably liable for those too). Add them all up and the bill can be huge, even for minor things.

So we now come to the first myth - the 'It will never happen to us' defence, and therefore you don't 'need' insurance. Are you sure about that? The horrible fact of life is this - firms exist to specifically chase claims for negligence for the smallest thing. You will have seen the TV adverts. So this could be something as simple as somebody tripping over one of your music stands, instrument leads or similar and breaking their ankle. That really isn't so unlikely when you think about the fact that a lot of venues contain people who contain a lot of alcohol! Of course, that is the very mild end of the scale. What if one of your PA speakers falls on a crowd member? What if some of your electrical equipment blows the venue fuses or worse, catches fire? What if your wiring electrocutes somebody? (More on electrics below). Yes, you may think these are all unlikely, but in my experience, life has a funny habit of making the most unlikely things happen when you least expect them. If blame for any of these incidents can be attributed to your or your band, you could be staring at a claim.

Second myth - the 'Insurance is the responsibility of the venue' claim. This is not actually true. Most venues that host anything involving the public will indeed carry their own insurance, but they are totally at liberty to ask you to insure yourselves also. Besides, are you willing to rely on their insurance? I see many people get quite sniffy about this point and claim that its 'an outrage' and 'I would refuse to play'. But the really simple fact is this. An increasing number of venues ARE asking for bands to have insurance so it really then comes down to the question of 'do I want to play this gig or not'?  There is no point arguing with the venue if that is their policy - you won't win and the only result will be that you won't get the gig. In my experience, wedding venues, council property and the like will almost certainly require it, and an increasing number of theatres and even pubs are starting to ask for it too. However much you may disagree with the point, do you really want to rule out so many venues on a point of principle? Seems like cutting your nose off to spite your face to me.

But now lets bring both of those myths together. Even if a venue doesn't ask you to carry insurance, are you prepared to take the chance that if there is an incident that you can rely on them to be fully covered, (and rely on the lawyers to not try to mount a tandem claim against you)? The reality of life is that a claims lawyer will look at targeting absolutely anyone who they think could have liability. It might be the venue, it might be you, it might be both of you. In short - are you prepared to defend yourself by relying on a statement that the claim should be directed at the venue and not you?

So, as you can probably tell, I personally think insurance is a damn good idea if you are performing regularly. And the real bonus here is that PLI insurance is not actually all that expensive. I am not a financial advisor so I won't be giving specific recommendations here apart from to say that in my own experience, insuring a band of 8 people playing with all electric gear cost about £70 for 12 months. That is peanuts to each player for the peace of mind it provides. Joining the Musicians Union could be an option too as this gives you cover as part of a lot of other things, but if you want to shop around just google 'PLI cover for bands'. So I personally hold the view that when it's such a low cost, why WOULDN'T you hold insurance? Perhaps you wouldn't on a point of principle, but I am afraid your principles are not a valid defence to a negligence claim.

So to sum up. There is no legal requirement for you to have insurance, but an increasing number of venues are asking for it. Even if the venues you play don't ask for it, are you prepared to rely on their insurance in the event of an incident? I personally wouldn't. Please don't get me wrong, I am not a fan of the vulture mentality of the Insurance and Legal worlds and it would be marvellous if we didn't have this stuff. But we do. In playing a gig you are offering a service and you are working. Things can go wrong and you could be the target if they do. Your decision will be based on where and how often you are playing, but with increasing numbers of ukulele clubs going out now and playing gigs every month, I would say that is frequent enough to need to look into insurance. Even if you are just busking in town do you think the local Council will take responsibility for a member of the public who trips over your instrument case and breaks their wrist?


And now a final word on something connected to electrical risk and Insurance - PAT testing. PAT testing is a 'Portable Appliance Test' that is in accordance with the Electricity At Work Regulations and is essentially a test and certification of anything that plugs in to the mains for safety.  This is not a legal requirement but you may find that venues ask to see your certificate and that your Insurance requires you to have it if using electrical gear. PAT testing is required for any electrical item over 12 months old and needs to be renewed yearly (or in some cases, more often). It will cost you about £5 per item and I would say it is highly recommended. You will know how Insurance companies like to wriggle when they get a claim so you need to carefully read your policy and ensure that you are complying with it in every way. In fact, most band insurance policies will place a responsibility on the band to ensure they take reasonable precautions to avoid damage or injury, and PAT testing is part of that. A PAT certificate  for your gear in the event of a claim for something damaged by electrical causes (like a fire) will certainly assist your case. Insurance aside though, I have played venues who asked to see the equipment certificates before they would let me plug anything in. Annoying perhaps - but it's another one that leaves you with the question 'do I want this gig or not?'

© Barry Maz

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