Luna neck break and subsequent repair

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. I haven't blogged in a long time. Yes, I know - you don't want to hear my excuses. Fine! I'm not going to give any this time. However, today I have a post that might (or might not) make up for my long absence.

My good friend, Tom acquired a Luna Concert Uke a couple years ago and he has been enjoying the heck out of it. But recently, tragedy struck. Tom dropped it (allegedly) and it broke! Personally, I don't buy his story. Here's what I like to think happened instead...

Tom was enjoying a leisurely cup of coffee on a Saturday morning while strumming some chords. The front door suddenly burst open and two men with guns rushed in and pointed them at Tom. "Where's the money!", exclaimed one of the men. You see, Tom has recently gotten himself involved with some mafia types and some drug deals have gone south. Tom is now indebted to them for large sums of money. Tom, of course, didn't have the money on that particular Saturday morning, so like any good mafia dude who is worth his weight, Mafia man A (we'll call him) sent Tom a message. He picked up Tom's Luna uke by the neck and bashed it into the wall, thus turning the ukulele into the pile of wood that you see below...

But no worries, Tom! I know (sort of) how to repair such breaks. As for repairing your relationship with the mafia...I'm sorry, but I can't help you there.

First things first, here's what we need - wood glue, clamps, paper towels, and hope.

Thankfully, the break on the neck was fairly clean so it didn't require expert skill...just me. Disclaimer: I did tell Tom that I might further damage it trying to fix it.

After setting the clamps, I cleaned up the excess glue with power towels (and love). As for how long you should leave the clamps on, different people have different opinions. I'd say 6 hours AT LEAST. This one set clamped for over 24 hours...mostly because the time of day I did it (about 5pm). After I got home the next day from work, I took the clamps off.

As you can see, there is still some residual damage. And yep, my glue job was a little bit sloppy.

Next step was to test it's strength by stringin' it up. I chose Martin M600's because the tension is a bit lighter and I was a bit hesitant to put on something with higher tension. After stringing it up and testing, I do think the bond is strong enough to hold some Aquila's.

Voila! The Luna is once again playable and ready to be shredded upon...or lightly plucked, if that's what Tom prefers. Boy, I hate to see what the mafia will do to this ukulele next time if Tom doesn't pay up...

The "new" Outdoor Ukulele

Wow!  Been a while since I last had the time to blog.  My new job as well as family happenings have kept me from it for awhile.

Anyway, I saw the new natural Outdoor Ukulele the other day and I must say this is a thing of beauty!

Wow....simply wow.  I'm thinking this is another to add to the ever growing list.

I loved the original, but man, this transparent look is just a knock out.  Well done, Outdoor Ukulele folks!

Now...send me one for free, please?

Where did the time go?

Wow!  It's been awhile since I had a chance to sit down and blog.  For anyone that might be wondering what happened to me, don't worry!  I'm still here.  Life has been chaotic lately.  Most of it having to do with my job.  I recently got promoted to a very demanding position.  It's definitely a blessing, but doesn't allow me a lot of time to blog or work on new new ukulele ideas.

But seeing as I had a few free minutes this morning, I thought I'd give you a heads up on a couple of ukulele related things that I've got going on right now.

I recently had the pleasure of contributing to this article - 5 Ukulele bloggers explaining their recording setups for both video and audio.  Definitely worth a read if you're not satisfied with the quality of your recordings.

And secondly, I asked my blogging buddy to build me a mini ukulele (with an 11" scale).  It is fnished!  And it looks and sounds absolutely amazing (video below)!  The body and neck are solid cherry with a Tru-Oil finish. The rosewood bridge has a bone saddle and the rosewood fretboard has abalone inlays. It has Grover 3W tuners strung with Worth Clear Light strings.  Many thanks to Daniel Hulbert of Circuits and Strings for creating this little beauty for me!  Make sure to check out his site for some awesome builds.

So that's my unofficial update for the moment.  Hoping to getting back to blogging some new ideas on a more regular basis, so please don't change the channel. :)

4 Uke bloggers - 4 sweet arrangements!

Wow!  It's been awhile since I've blogged.  Let's just say between my job and my family, life has been a little bit crazy. 

Recently, I had the privelage to contribute a video complete with the chords for a play along for "You've Got a Friend in me" from Toy Story.  Check out the full post here...

http://theukaholic.blogspot.com/2013/07/five-uke-bloggers-on-creating-original.html

Three of my fellow uke bloggers chimed in with some of their favorite tunes as well.  Go there!  Check it out!  Pick up your ukulele and get to playing!

Kamaka Ukulele - White and Gold Labels

Kamaka Ukulele is one of the oldest and most respected uke makers in the business.  Kamaka was founded in 1916 by Samuel Kaialiilii Kamaka who had already been building koa ukes since the beginning of the century. 

If you've done any amount of ebay ukulele window shopping, chances are that you've seen some vintage Kamaka's.  You might have noticed that some of these ukes are described as "white label" or "gold label".  So what in the heck does that mean?  The "white label" and "gold label" tags have become a very convenient way to date Kamaka's back to 1954.

Here's one of the gold labels.  Kamaka ukuleles with this label were produced from 1954-1969.

George Formby documentary

The other day as I was perusing YouTube videos, I stumbled across this documentary of ukulele great George Formby.  For those of you that don't know much about Formby, he was a British comedy actor and performer.  He is often credited with inventing the highly syncopated banjo ukulele style of playing known by most as "Formby style".  Hope you enjoy watching this as much as I did!

Do solid wood ukuleles "open up" over time?

To be quite honest, when I first heard people talking about their solid wood ukuleles and/or guitars "opening up" or "breaking in" over time, I thought they were all nuts!  Well, now that I own a few solid wood instruments, I'm starting to rethink my position.  The tone of my solid wood ukes seem to have improved over time (at least the new ones in the first few months that I owned them). 

As I researched this a little bit I quickly deduced that no one really knows if they really do open up or not. 

In this article on the Jumping Flea, Ian Chadwick tells us that the wood actually changes it's tonal effects and density the more it's played.

"As an instrument ages and is played, the wood will actually change its density and tonal effects. This is sometimes referred to as 'breaking in' or 'opening up.' Most often this will result in richer sounds, with more complex overtones in the mid range coming forward. In general, an instrument will benefit from being played and will improve its sound with use. So if you don't like its sound now, keep playing and you may like it in the future."

Making Music Magazine - Ukulele issue

Making Music has recently released released a ukulele issue featuring a nice write up and interview with Jake Shimabukuro.  You do have to order the full issue, which you can do here.  But you can also read a portion of the interview here.

I've gotta share this Jake quote with you - when asked about what makes the ukulele so appealing here's what he had to say....

"“I used to joke around and tell people that ukulele is the Facebook of instruments. When you play it, you want to find ukulele friends, and have jam sessions. It’s a very social instrument. People don’t have egos with the ukulele —it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been playing; we are all just ukulele players.”

 Made me chuckle a bit, but have to say that he hit the nail on the head.

Interview w/ Utah Uke Fest organizer Ryan Taylor

The 2013 Utah Uke Fest is just a couple weeks away (June 15th)!  This year's festival features performances and workshops with Craig Chee, Daniel Hulbert, Micheal Stone, and others.  There will also be open mics and plenty of giveaways.  We're proud to be a donating sponsor once again this year!  You can find more information about the festival at www.UkulelePlay.com

Festival organizer, Ryan Taylor was kind enough to sit down and tell me a little bit more about the Utah Uke Fest.  I hope that you enjoy the interview!

5 Custom Ukulele Builders

Like so many others, I don't own a custom ukulele and I probably won't have the money for one anytime soon.  Having a wife and kid definitely limits your ukulele budget.  Not that I'm complaining.  I wouldn't trade my family for anything!  But that doesn't keep me from looking and dreaming about which custom uke I'd buy.  That being said, here are 5 custom ukulele builders that you NEED to check out if you're thinking about getting your first!

Boat Paddle Ukuleles

I have to start with one of my personal favorites based out of my home state of Missouri.  Boat Paddle ukes have a simple, yet elegant look and every sound sample I've heard has been nothing short of fantastic. 

Spice up your ukulele playing with these different strums

I recently contributed a ska strumming tutorial to the Ukulele Play! website.  As a matter of fact, four other bloggers joined in the fun with tutorials on their "go to" ukulele strums.  Here's the direct link to the article.  A lot of good information on some different strumming patterns including: modified clawhammer, split stroke, triplets, bossa nova, and the fan stroke. 

So check it out and spice up your dull strumming life!  Many thanks to Ukulele Play! for putting it together!

Best Ukulele for a Child

Numerous studies have shown that kids who are exposed to music in an interactive way (music lessons, tinkering with mom or dad's instruments, etc) have boosted IQ's.  I'm a big proponent of getting instruments in your children's hands at an early age and the ukulele is a great place to start!  The chief reason being that the ukulele is small and can fit into those little hands.  Not to mention, it's a fun instrument!

Sounds good so far, right?  But wait a minute...every parent knows that anything they put in their child's hands is at great risk of being destroyed.  So what's a good (and cheap) starter ukulele for a young child?  Here's some inexpensive and durable options....

Interview w/ Ryan Esaki from Ukulele Underground

A lot of great ideas start out as something entirely different.  For example, look at Nintendo.  Nintendo actually started out in 1889 as a playing card company. The game, Hanafuda, became very popular in Japan but they knew the market wasn’t that big. So they began to experiment in other industries. Between 1963 and 1968, Nintendo set up a taxi company, a hotel chain, a TV network, and a food company.
Finally, in 1974, Nintendo entered the video-gaming industry and today they’re third most valuable listed company in Japan.

Ukulele Underground has become one of the top ukulele sites on the web.  I guess it shouldn't surprise us that Ukulele Underground started as a very different enterprise.  Ryan Esaki, one of the founders of UU, was kind enough to sit down and answer some questions about how it all started and where it's all heading.  Hope you enjoy this interview!

Naming your Ukuleles

Admittedly, I'm kind of a weird guy.  I was happy to read on a ukulele forum a few months ago that there are others that do this same thing - name their ukuleles.  So I'm not THAT weird, right?

So why do I name my ukuleles?  I don't know...why not?  People give names to all sorts of inanimate objects.  Cars come to mind.  How many of us named our first car?  Naming your ukulele(s) isn't any different.  In a strange way it gives you more of a connection to your instrument.  So go for it!  Give 'em a name and embrace your inner geek!  Here's what I named some of my ukes...

Kamoa E3 Pineapple - "moe moe"
1950's Favilla Soprano - "Flava Fav"
1920's Slingerland banjo ukulele - "Slingy" aka "jo jo"
Lanikai LU-21 Concert - "Lenny"

What names have you bestowed upon your beloved ukuleles?  Comment below and let us know!

Got a Letter from my Darlin' - ukulele chords

This song was originally written and performed by the Memphis Jug Band.  I stumbled upon it one day while surfing around Youtube and fell in love with this tune.  Here's me playing it complete with some kazoo solos...chords are just below the video.  Enjoy!

Jake Shimabukuro: Life on Four Strings - watch it here!

This past Friday night this documentary premiered nationally on PBS.  It is a must watch not only for Jake Shimabukuro fans, but for ukulele lovers everywhere!  I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did!

Note: this will only play the first 20 minutes of the documentary.  You can keep watching it by clicking "continue watching" when it stops.

Watch Jake Shimabukuro: Life on Four Strings on PBS. See more from Jake Shimabukuro: Life On Four Strings.

Interview w/ plastic ukulele collector Antoine Carolus

Antoine Carolus is a man that is slightly obsessed.  That's not always a bad thing though!  Especially in the ukulele world.  The above picture is his personal collection of plastic ukuleles...all 65 of 'em.  This obsession prompted him to create the website www.ChordMaster.org  
The site serves as a personal nirvana for those who love plastic ukes.  If you are interested in info about any plastic uke that you've seen or acquired, chances are excellent that you'll find it there.
Antoine was kind enough to sit down and answer a few questions about his collection and his passion for plastic ukes.  Hope you enjoy it!

Bust Your Kneecaps by Pomplamoose - Ukulele Chords

I have to credit my wife for turning me onto Pomplamoose.  Very talented people.  Here's a cover of one of their original tunes and the chords for you to play it yourself.



Bust Your Kneecaps by Pomplamoose
Ukulele Chords 

5 beginner baritone ukuleles

Lately I've been thinking a lot about baritone ukuleles.  About 10 years ago, I walked into a music shop in the Kansas City area and found a lonely baritone.  It was used and slightly beat up with a price tag of only $20.  I, of course, took it home with me and it was a real joy to play.  Not knowing a whole lot about ukuleles at the time, I honestly don't remember the brand.  That ukulele ended up in the closet at some point.  It eventually ended up being sold in a garage sale.  Any time I've sold an instrument I always end up regretting it. 

Anyway, I'm starting to think about buying another baritone uke.  There's a lot of great entry level models out there that won't break the bank.  So if you're thinking about getting into the world of baritones, here's 5 starters to consider.

 Lanikai LU-21B Baritone Ukulele

 I actually have the concert ukulele from the LU-21 series and it's a fine instrument.  I wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger and grab this baritone from that series.  You can get one new for around $100.  These also come up

My Dog Has Fleas - the origin...or lack thereof

My Dog Has Fleas - perhaps you've heard someone sing this phrase when describing the re-entrant tuning that a ukulele is commonly played in.  The notes that correspond with it in our modern day uke circles are GCEA.  But where did that silly little phrase come from?

It seems to be one of those questions that yields more questions than it does answers.  The truth of the matter is that no one really knows the origin of "My Dog Has Fleas".  While it's probably not related in any way, it's interesting to note that the Hawaiian word "ukulele" literally means "jumping flea". 

All throughout it's history, music has been filled with mnemonic devices to aid us in remembering.  For instance, my elementary music teacher used a series of acronyms to help us remember the notes on the lines of the staff - "Every Good Boy Does Fine" and "Good Boys Do Fine Always".  I think that these two phrases are quite common in musical teaching curriculum. 

At least the above examples make some kind of sense, whereas "My Dog Has Fleas" doesn't seem to.  But hey, whatever works, right?