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. :)

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

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