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.

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."

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!

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!

Improving your banjo ukulele tone: put a sock in it!

If your banjo ukulele tone has too much sustain and sounds muddy, here's an idea to help clean up the sound.  This little trick is nothing new...it's been used for years, but a lot of people don't know about it.

All you really need is an old sock that's getting ready to head towards the trash.  It might be a bit easier for us guys to locate an old sock (or 10) in the drawer.  My wife always trashes her socks as soon as they develop a hole or two...whereas mine generally have 5 or 6 before I toss 'em.  It's a guy thing, right?



You could also use a piece of foam or a cloth.  Here's whatcha need to do...

Banjo Ukulele buying tips

The "unofficial" banjo ukulele week continues here with some more buying tips for ya.  Earlier this week, John Bianchi listed off some very informative vintage banjo uke buying tips.  Today, a little more modern take on it with some very helpful advice from Steve Roberts of The Banjo Ukulele Forum.

Thanks Steve for passing this info along!

Banjo Ukulele Buying Tips

by Steve Roberts

Here are some things to watch for:

Vintage Banjo Ukulele Buying Tips - part 2

In the last post banjo ukulele expert, John Bianchi gave us some vintage banjo ukulele buying tips and advice.  In this post, John gives us a break down on a TON of different vintage banjo ukes.  Again, I must express my appreciation to John for taking the time to write this up for us.  Hope you enjoy the rest of his article!  And don't forget to do yourself a favor and check out his blog.

http://theukaholic.blogspot.com/

The Banjo Ukulele:

Tips for Buying Vintage

By John Bianchi

Finally, here are a few brand recommendations for prospective buyers.

Vintage Banjo Ukulele Buying Tips - part 1

I recently had an inkling to share some tips for buying vintage banjo ukuleles.  It's a subject that I admittedly don't know a lot about it, so instead of trying to push forward on my own, I asked for some help from banjo uke guru John Bianchi.  In addition to knowing almost EVERYTHING about old banjo ukes, John is a very fine player.  Thanks John for being awesome and passing along all this buying advice!  This is the first of a two part article.  Click here for part 2 where John breaks down all the different makes and models of banjo ukes!

Check out his blog here.

Check out his Youtube here.

The Banjo Ukulele:

Tips for Buying Vintage

By John Bianchi

If you’re new to playing the banjo ukulele, you may hear more experienced players
recommend vintage banjo ukes as having a different sound and feel than the current
generation of the hybrid instruments. And while its true that vintage ukes have the
potential to be great instruments, it can be daunting to approach buying one. But,
there are a few tips that can help you make the right choice when considering a
vintage banjo ukulele.

10 Ukulele Blogs to check out

I guess it just makes sense that someone who blogs about ukuleles also finds himself subscribed to quite a few ukulele blogs.  One of the best parts of my day is checking those for new posts.

I've assembled a list of my 10 favorite ukulele blogs that you should check out and subscribe to.  Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!  Here they are in no particular order....

Ebay Ukulele Buying Tips

If you're into ukuleles, chances are that you have more than one.  UAS (ukulele acquisition syndrome) is a disease to which there is no cure.  If you're anything like me, you spend way to much time on ebay looking for ukes and trying to find a sweet deal.

Ebay (as well as other auction sites and online uke shops) can be a fantastic avenue to finding a great deal.  But if you're not careful, you can also end up getting burned. 

They say that experience is invaluable.  That's why I asked some of my fellow ukers on the Ukulele Underground forum to chip in with their experiences and advice.  Getting burned when buying online is something that is always going to be a possibility, but hopefully these tips will help you to better avoid that fate.

New Ukulele - the importance of warranty registration

A lot of ukuleles being made these days are coming with lifetime limited warranties.  While the "limited" part won't protect your new uke from wear and tear from normal use, damage from abuse, modifications that you make to the instrument, unauthorized repairs, and a whole barrage of other things, it's still important to get your new ukulele officially registered with the company.

Sure, it's a hassle, but it could pay off in the long run.  Your limited warranty should cover any defects in your ukulele that might pop up unexpectedly down the road.  The company should have record via the serial number and model number of every uke made, which leads to the following question....why is it so important to fill out and send in the little card?

5 Pineapple Ukuleles under $300

Looking to add a pineapple ukulele to your collection?  Here's a few fantastic pineapples that won't break the bank.

Kala KA-P
$75

Probably the best entry level pineapple ukulele out there right now.  Laminate mahogany, geared tuners, and a very affordable price tag.  Here on Amazon, you can score one for $69.

Ukulele won't stay in tune? Here's some ideas...

If you're ukulele won't stay in tune, it's probably the strings or the tuning machines.  This is a common problem and can be very frustrating if you've never dealt with it before, but before you go bashing your uke into a wall out of frustration, here are some ideas that you can try....

1. New strings take time to settle in - If you recently restrung your ukulele, the strings will naturally slip out of tune for a while as they stretch and settle in.  Exercise some patience and keep retuning them every time they fall out of

Mini Ukuleles: Which one should I buy?

The first time I saw someone playing a "mini" ukulele, I knew I had to have one!  Maybe you've seen one or played one and felt the same way.  By almost all accounts, these are novelty ukes...but I use that term loosely.  They do have a very different and distinct sound.  The cute factor probably puts them in the novelty category more than anything. 

There are a few different companies making these right now, so which one should you get?  Here's a quick rundown of some of these mini ukuleles with price points...starting with the most expensive....

How to Package and Ship a Ukulele

So...you're an awesome gift giver and you found a sweet vintage ukulele at a flea market or an antique store?  Or maybe you just sold a ukulele on ebay?  And now you need to package and ship that ukulele across the country or across the world, right?  What's the best way to pack and ship a ukulele so that it arrives promptly and without injury?  Anyone can throw something in a box with some packing peanuts and write an address on it, but with these special little guys extra special care and precautions need to be taken!  Here's a few tips that will hopefully help you sleep a little easier at night after you drop your package off.

Is your ukulele solid wood or laminate?

With most new ukuleles, the manufacturer will be pretty clear about whether the ukulele is made from solid wood or laminate...but sometimes they like to stretch the truth a bit.  And what about those vintage ukes that there is little info about on the web?  How do you tell if your ukulele is solid wood or laminate?

Barry Maz of www.gotaukulele.com suggests a couple of ways to check in this article.

Two of the solid wood "tests" involve looking at the grain on the inside of the sound hole and looking inside your ukulele with a flashlight to see if the inside grain matches up with the pattern of the outside grain.

Some generally good advice and it helped me determine that one of my vintage ukes is solid wood.  

Ukulele Tuners: friction vs. geared

One of the ongoing debates among ukulele enthusiasts is what style of tuning machines are best.  And to be quite honest, this argument can get downright silly.  There are ukulele "purists" who will never come to the dark side of geared tuners...and the other side of the coin...players that love their geared tuners and are too stubborn or afraid to ever consider friction tuners.

This seems ridiculous to me.  I mean, they both do the same thing!  Here's the basic breakdown of the pros and cons with each style.


GEARED TUNERS

Pros - They tune the strings at a lesser ratio per rotation.  This makes them easier to tune and helps them stay in tune.

Ukulele Finger Pain Tips

You started playing the ukulele for fun, right?  So why all the pain and discomfort?  Unfortunately, it's just something that you'll have to go through, but believe me, it will get better!  In time, your fingers will get used to the new exercise that you're putting them through, and those sore fingertips will develop calluses and stop hurting all the time.  And that's probably the best advice that can be given to a beginner on the uke...just stay the course and play through the pain.

While there's not much that can be done to alleviate those growing pains, here's a few tips that might help you get through

Where to buy your next ukulele

Before you jump the gun and grab your next ukulele from a random retailer on Amazon, consider this....a good setup can make a world of difference in sound, intonation, and overall playability.  Don't know what a setup is?  Check this blog post for some helpful links about ukulele setup.

There are a couple of online sellers that have become notorious for the awesome job they do setting up your instrument.  And as kind of a bonus, I've included the link to an Etsy shop that many folks aren't aware of that sells vintage ukes and banjo ukes.  Us Etsy shop owners have to stick together!

Uke Republic

Just ask anyone in the ukulele community about these guys.  Not only do they have some great deals on some sweet ukes, but the setup they perform on all their ukes is