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. 

Banjo Ukulele: Changing the head (skin)

This week, we've been blogging about banjo ukes!  We're gonna keep that going for the rest of the week and designate this the "unofficial banjo ukulele week".

Today, we're passing on a couple links about changing out your banjo ukulele's skin head...Something that I need to do soon on my 1920's Slingerland.





First things first, where to buy one?  You can buy goat skin and calf skin heads at Elderly Instruments.  I bought one through them recently and was very pleased both with the quality and service, so I'd recommend 'em.

Here is a great "how to" article from Ukuleleguide.com.  It's a very thorough explanation of the process of replacing a banjo uke head complete with links and plenty of pictures (the picture above was taken from their article).

If you'd rather watch somebody do it, below is a great video demonstrating the process.  Our friend and banjo uke enthusiast John Bianchi tells me that replacing a torn or worn out skin is absolutely essential to finding out exactly what your banjo uke sounds like.  So order away and give it a shot!  The process might seem a little intimidating, but once you get going, you'll find that it's something that even the most inept person (like myself) is able to do.  Good luck!

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.

Interview w/ Jerry Hoffman from Boat Paddle Ukuleles

Boat Paddle Kayak - yet another uke I must have!

For being such a fantastic custom ukulele builder, Jerry Hoffman sure is very humble guy.  Sometimes humility can be mistaken for a lack of confidence, but that's not the case with Jerry and his Missouri based company, Boat Paddle Ukuleles.  I simply think that he strives for excellence and perfection in all his builds.  He strikes me as the type that's never satisfied and always wants to do better both for the customer and for his own peace of mind.

I don't know about you, but that's exactly the kind of individual that I want building my custom ukulele - someone that will go above and beyond to make sure you're 100% happy with your purchase.  This is exactly why I'm planning on making that beautiful uke to the left (Boat Paddle Kayak) my first custom ukulele. 

I recently had the opportunity to correspond with Jerry in interview type fashion and ask him a few questions.  Hope you enjoy it!  And of course, don't forget to check out some of his AMAZING work here at the Boat Paddle website.

Interview w/ Jake Wildwood of Antebellum Instruments

"They don't make 'em like they used to".  It's an old cliché that rings particularly true with Jake Wildwood of Antebellum Instruments.  Jake spends his days fixing up and reviving pre-WWII instruments out of his family's Rochester, Vermont store.  He certainly picked a good name!  The word "antebellum" is a Latin phrase that literally means "before the war".

On the Antebellum Instruments site, you can check out what Jake is currently working on via his running blog (something that I spend WAY too much time looking at).  You also have the opportunity to buy one of these pieces of musical history - ukuleles, banjos, guitars, mandolins, etc. 

There is a group of people in this world that are absolutely fascinating to me - people who have stories and anecdotes to pass along to you...people who seem like they've done it all....people who are just plain interesting.  From my brief correspondence with Jake, I would have to put him in this category.  I enjoyed every bit of his responses to my questions and I hope you will too!

Ukulele repair: top separating from sides

Here is my 1950's Favilla soprano ukulele.  As you can see, the top has started to separate from the sides.  In my last post, I showed you how to make your own spool clamps for this kind of repair.  If you missed that, check it out here.

Now that our spool clamps are ready to go, we can put 'em to the test and get down to fixing this little guy up.

Ukulele repair tools: diy spool clamps

The day that I walked into a local antique store/flea market and spotted a beautiful Favilla soprano ukulele is one that I will always be grateful for.  At the time, I didn't know anything about the Favilla company.  I looked at the price tag ($95) and went home and immediately jumped on the Ukulele Underground forum.  If you are ever wondering about any type of vintage uke, chances are that one of the nice folks on that forum will be able to provide information.  Of course, a few people pointed me towards some info about Favilla's and encouraged me to go grab it.  As it turns out, these little guys are worth at least twice that amount and are rising in price as more people realize how awesome they are.  As one UU member put it, "Go get it!  Run, don't walk".  I immediately hopped back in the car and raced to pick it up.  It was worth every penny.  This little guy has some battle scars (general wear and tear), but he still plays like a champion.  It's become my "go to" ukulele.

Well, one day horror struck!  I picked up my Favilla (aka - Flava Fav...yep, I give my ukes ridiculous names) and noticed that the top had begun separating from the sides!

Ukulele building tools - fret calculator

My buddy, Daniel Hulbert over at Circuits and Strings builds some AMAZING stringed instruments (like this little pocket uke above).  Click that link and check out some of his work.  He also has some free building plans at his site!

In addition to all that awesomeness, he also put together this Fret Calculator Tutorial, complete with some guides to help people like me who aren't very good at building.

Rejoice novice uke builders!  Help is here! 

Ukulele repair: fixing a crack

I stumbled upon this video a few months ago while thinking about making a repair to one of my beater ukes.  Well, I got busy (or I'm too lazy) and haven't actually fixed the small crack yet, but when I start to feel ambitious again, I will be following this guide.

For those of you who process better through reading, here's the basic idea in a step by step on ehow.

Happy Uke'n!

How to "setup" your ukulele

Whether you are new to the ukulele or you're an experienced player, a bad setup (or no setup at all) can often times be the difference between playing beautiful music and auditory pain for both the player and those listening.

In my own experience, I have learned that there isn't a cookie cutter approach to a good setup.  Believe me, I wish it were that simple!  But because every ukulele is different, the setup of each one will be a bit

Vintage Harmony ukulele: replacing a broken bridge

This is sort of a good news/bad news post.  The  good news is that the original tuning machines on this Harmony uke didn't need to be replaced as I originally thought.  They just needed a little tightening up.  The bad news is that when I went to string this sucker up, I heard a brief cracking sound and then a very loud SNAP!  The front part of the bridge must have had a crack that I couldn't see and it gave way under the tension of the strings pressing down and ever so slightly forward on the saddle.  But I guess it's not all that bad...at least now I get to show you