Kala Design The Next Ukadelic Contest
September 30, 2011 at 8:29 pm | Posted in Events, General, Giveaway, Kala, Projects | 3 CommentsTags: DIY, Giveaway, home made, Kala, learning, posts, uke, ukulele
Kala is doing something that I think is really groovy. They asking you to design the next Ukadelic Uke.
Here are the quick Rules:
-Be a Kala Facebook fan.
-Email all artwork to joy@kalaukulele.com
-Information on our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kala-Ukulele/34868244956#!/pages/Kala-Ukulele/34868244956?sk=wall
-Contest ends October 31, 2011
-You can get the templates from their Facebook Page (E-mail me if you want my vector template)
What you win:
-3 of your Ukadelics with your design
-They add your design to the Ukadelics that they sell.
-they mention you as the designer
I have a couple of ideas that I am not submitting, But I can dream right?
A take on my UITW logo, and my logo. I put my logo on everything
Good Luck, and make sure to tell them that you saw the contest on Ukeeku.com when you submit your designs.
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Fishing Line Ukulele Strings
June 21, 2011 at 2:32 pm | Posted in General, Products, Strings | 5 CommentsTags: cheap, DIY, home made, learning, posts, Strings, uke, ukulele
I don’t usually repost other people’s articles, but when I do…..
Actually I love the way Kevin, of wolfewithane.com, writes. I just saw this article and thought I should point others to it.
Fishing for Ukulele Strings
Kevin is an avid ukulele player and an all around fun person to talk to. Make sure to check out the rest of his site after you read his article on fishing line ukulele strings
Other Articles I found
http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?9232-Fluorocarbon-String-Conspiracy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR6Y6m3Mn2Y
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Bridge Bone Beads Review
June 19, 2011 at 9:40 pm | Posted in Products, Reviews | 3 CommentsTags: Bone, Care, Full review, home made, posts, review, uke, ukulele
What is not having to tie your strings to the bridge worth to you? Is it worth $11? For me it is not, but for some I can see this being a great product. The Bridge Bone Beads set that I received from Rosette Guitar Products came in a while ago and I finally had time to install them. I am lucky that I have 2 sets of almost identical ukuleles to try them on.
I put the white set on one of the Tall Grass Bamboo ukes (The non-port hole one) and the other I put on one of the Eleuke acoustics. If you expect them to do anything to sound then do not buy these, 
they made no noticeable difference in sound, but….they seemed to change the tension or feel of the strings. I think the sharper angle that the strings come in at makes the strings feel like they are tighter. Makes sense. On a banjo you see that some have an extra piece that hold the strings down, this is done to add tension behind the bridge. Same kind of thing happens when you use these Bone Bridge beads, or any other bead that makes it so you don’t have to tie the string to the bridge. Here is a post of what my friend Andy uses.
- Andy’s Pearls
I can’t pan this product, nowhere does it say it will improve tone or sound, and I see how it can improve response since the strings have more tension on them. Otherwise it delivers on the quickest string change, and it is easier to change strings. Adding unique visual character? I think it looks like the ukes have teethe, especially the Tall grass with the white ones. Beyond that it does its job holding the string to the bridge with the added bonus of not having to tie a single knot. Also a lot of thought went into the product. They shave down the side that faces the soundboard so it will not buzz, and it is made of a known material that will not kill the sound, bone.
I use to play guitar before the ukulele took over my life, and I am a pack rat. I saved the little beads that were on the ends of the strings I used. I now use them when I string any of my tie on bridges. Others have used nice round pearls or other bead to do the same thing. Cheaper by a long shot. A few cents per string compared to a few dollars per string, but the DIY methods you need to tie knots to hold it in place. Both ways work and have their pros and cons. it is a matter of what you think it is worth to you.
Where to Buy Them.
http://www.southcoastukes.com/stringuide_files/BBBs.htm
Weird thing is that you save $1 if you buy them with strings.
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Double Soprano Cardboard Case
June 2, 2011 at 2:53 am | Posted in Cases, Soprano | 4 CommentsTags: cheap, home made, learning, Martin, posts, uke, ukulele
necessity is the mother of invention, right? Well then, it just bore a new case!
I needed a case to hold the Brad Donaldson and the Martin S1, and figured why have 2 cases when I can just make one.
All it is made of is Found cardboard, Found 1/2″ foam, roll and half od zebra duct tape, a ton of Gorilla Duct tape, Some velcro, and a piece of rope. Took about 3 hours of fiddling with the design to get this one.
There is padding at the bottom and they slide in with a piece of cardboard between them. Then the sides fold in to fold the head in place, kind of like a wine glass box. All I know is that it works and the ukes don’t move in transit. I figure one I make enough of these I will do a full “How-To”
If you are going to Ukulele World Congress this week-end you will see this crazy thing.
Ukes Secured
Free floating Ukes
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The Brad Donaldson is IN!!!
May 27, 2011 at 3:49 am | Posted in Brad Donaldson, Soprano | 11 CommentsTags: home made, posts, uke, ukulele
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Brad Donaldson Build Part 1
April 27, 2011 at 8:38 pm | Posted in Brad Donaldson, Soprano | Comments OffTags: home made, posts, Solid, uke, ukulele
I am always out on the hunt for the best ukulele for your money, and I try to stay in or below $300 for the ukuleles I review. Every so often I find a true gem that blows my mind when it comes to quality, sound, and price. One of my favorite builders right now is David Gill, who builds awesome solid wood ukuleles in his garage and sells them for about $350. That is so cheap it is almost criminal to buy one. But that is what he wants for them, and I was happy to give him the money.
What does this have to do with the Brad Donaldson build? You see I am a talker, and I love to talk about ukuleles. When Uke chat had its first 2 shows I could not resist calling and putting my 2 cents in. One of the shows he asked people about their favorite uke and why, I had to call in about my lovely David Gill Pineapple concert and we got to talking and I said “I am always on the hunt for awesome ukuleles that real people can afford” fast forward a few weeks and I get a private message on the Ukuleleunderground.com forums from Brad asking me if I would like to review one of his ukes, I looked at his profile and his posts. I was amazed at some of his stuff (Fun Build, Mendel Build, Fun Build 2011) and thought there is no way he could be making these under $1200. I e-mailed him me deal about how I do reviews ($300 and under, I bring it with me everywhere, blah blah blah) and he responded with this:
“Thanks for getting back to me. Your review process sounds like a very well considered plan and I like it. So I’ll build you something that I would sell for less than $300. That is in the low range for my custom ukes. My lowest price sopranos sell for $189 in the stores that carry my instruments, and the custom pineapple that was just delivered to UU’s Shrink9 was $650. The reprised Fun Build for mendel will be $375. That will give you some idea of my prices.”
3 days ago I got this little e-mail and then pics a few days later:
“I’m going to try and get going on your review uke next week. I’ve decided to send you one of my Vintage Model sopranos. It is based on a 1920 Jonah Kumalae . The two big differences are, I add a bridge patch and a raised fretboard. It will be all solid koa, with PegHed tuners, normal retail price is $299. I donated a similar uke to Uketoberfest in Eugene,OR, last October. Everyone there loved it and they fly out of Dusty Strings in Seattle when I take them some. I think it makes more sense for you to review a model I regularly make on spec, than something custom.”
The build has started!!! WHOO, already looks so cool. I will post other things as he sends them. When I get it I will play it for a month or two and do a full review of it just like all the others I get.
He does not have a Website…yet, hoping soon so I can point you to that.
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DIY Banjo Uke
April 21, 2011 at 8:22 pm | Posted in Banjo, Projects, Size | 4 CommentsTags: banjo, banjolele, cheap, DIY, home made, learning, posts, uke, ukulele
Some people know that I am a DIY kind of guy (Hey, that rhymes!) and because of that passion I frequent a site call Instructables.com. Today I was looking at it to find some ideas on how to build a jig to cut large pieces of plywood for a new fireplace mantel, and low and behold on the front page was an article on how to make a banjo ukulele, it was a sign that I had to post about it. I know there are people out there that could make one from rim to neck without having to buy anything. This is for those with out a full woodworking shop.
Here is the original article;
http://www.instructables.com/id/Home-made-banjo-uke/
But there are issues with it, one is that the person is french, I have no issues with the french, but it can be a little confusing and they call things like a hand drum a tambourine. So I have added some links below for the parts that I have found. good luck and make sure to check in and tell everyone about yours. If you like, send me a few pics and info on it and I will add it to this post. Believe me, I will be doing this soon.
Rim/heads:
- This one looks like the one in the article - tunable
- One just like the one on the Firefly - Not tunable
- Cookie Tin or metal lunch box – Who says you have to use a rim and head type thing to make one of these? Be creative!
Neck/Fretboard:
- One referenced in the article – Funny thing is that on Amazon it has the kit under “Other items people have purchased” when you look at the hand drum.
- Mainland has the parts - Currently not on the website, but I called and they have necks, fretboard, and most other parts needed to make a banjo uke. Call or stop by the shop.
Bridge:
- Make your own – Not super hard, I made mine by shaping one out of maple with LOTS of sandpaper and a really flat piece of MDF to attach the sandpaper to.
- Mainland has parts – I assume the same nice 3 leg bridges on the Mainland banjo ukes
- Elderly Music – They have 9 different 4-string ones to choose from.
About the coordinating rod; not sure that it is needed for this build. when I do mine I am going to look in to it and see what I feel is going to work. I will find something like these hanger bolts and a block of wood shaped to fit in the rim to bolt the neck to the rim and not worry about the coordinator rod.
Good luck, hope to see some home made ones soon.
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Paper Toy Ukeeku
February 20, 2011 at 8:15 pm | Posted in General, Projects | 4 CommentsTags: cheap, home made, posts, uke, ukulele
I woke up yesterday to an e-mail from my Friend Mike (Better known as Uncle Elvis) saying;
http://www.thedevilisland.com/
http://www.mikehind.com
The other sides of me
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$5 Hard Ukulele DIY case
February 14, 2011 at 5:56 pm | Posted in Cases, Projects | 16 CommentsTags: cheap, cigar box, DIY, home made, learning, posts, uke, ukulele
Up front, I lied a little…The case is $5 and you could leave it as is and not spend any money, but it is hard not to look at this and just make it awesome.
Case with legs installed
I was walking around the Beast (What we nerds call Best Buy) and I saw that the DJ Hero cases were $5, and I looked at it for a good 5 minutes and wondered if a uke would fit in it? And by chance it is a perfect size for a concert ukulele (25″ x 12″ x 5.5″) , except that to make one fit I had to modify it a little, the bottom has legs that screw in to make it a Dj hero stand. So the adventure begins.
- DJ Hero Case (dimentions 25″ x 12″ x 5.5″)
- Small Thin sheet of metal found at most hardware strores, thin enough to cut with tin snips
- Tin Snips
- Hand Rivet Gun (cheap one with 4 sizes works great)
- 16 Rivets Sized 1/8″ X 1/4″
- 3 Rivets Sized 1/8 X 7/32″
- Padding
The first thing I did was to throw the legs away and pull out the the pieces that were there to store the legs in the middle of the case. They are just glued in with a rubber cement . Then I unscewed the the nuts and bolts for the plastic pieces that the legs screwed into. This left 4 holes in the bottom of the case.
Legs screw into this bracket
Metal patch and rivets. Notice the one with a washer, It was to fix the blown-out hole
At first I tried to use the exsisting holes that the leg brackets came out of but figured out that it leaves a corner that can’t be riveted since there is a big hole under it. That is when I cut out the rounded squares and used the 1/8″ by 1/4″ rivets. The rivets will not go all the way threw, they will expand and wedge into the hole that you drilled leaving a nice flat surface on the inside. I did have one rivet that blew out the hole, but that was when I tired a larger rivet and I had to use a rivet washer and a longer rivet (1/2″) to go all the way threw to the rivet washer on the inside.
Post Rivet-polooza
After the bottom holes were covered I noticed that some of the rivets for the case had either fallen out or never put in, so I used a few 1/8″ x 7/32″ rivets to secure the corners.
Case closed, Nice feet.
Beyond that I took some foam that I had around and cut it to fit the bottom and used double stick tape to hold it down.
Hollowed case with padding I cut
At this point if I wanted to I could cut foam to make it work for a concert uke, but for now I am leaving it free form. I like the fact that I can use it for a concert or use the padding that came with it and the other pieces to fit 2 small ukes like a Kala Travel soprnao and an Ohana sopranino, and still have room for some music books.
Case with padding that came with the case holding my OU-2 concert
Kala and ohana layer 1
Kala and Ohana layer 2
As of today (Feburary 13, 2011) my Best Buy has 5 cases on the shelf, but none online.
Gallery
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- Case closed, Nice feet.
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- Case with padding that came with the case holding my OU-2 concert
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- Case with legs installed
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- Legs screw into this bracket
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- Bottom part with legs and side walls still
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- Hollowed case with padding I cut
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- The metal I cut and riveted over the hole
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- Post Rivet-polooza
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- One of the holes with the metal patch and rivets. Notice the one with a washer. It was to fox the blown-out hole
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- Case with its intended cargo
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- Kala and ohana layer 1
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- Kala and Ohana layer 2
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Family Photo 2011
January 1, 2011 at 5:48 pm | Posted in Family Photos, General | 2 CommentsTags: banjo, banjolele, BugsGear, cheap, cigar, cigar box, DIY, Electric, Eleuke, home made, Laminate, laser, Oscar Schmidt, OU-2, posts, uke, ukulele
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! And what a year!
Just like last year I am posting all the ukes that are at my house currently. Some are my personal ukes, while others are reviews pending or have not been sent back or given away…..yet.
Click to make it bigger
* The blue one is my customized Oscar Schmidt OU-2
* David Gill Concert Pineapple (Link to review)
* Lanikai CK-S
Eleuke EAS-C – I actually have 2 of these, funny story that I will tell later
Kiwaya KS-1
BigIsland KT-SP (Link to review)
*Papa’s Boxes Concert cigar box (Link to reviews)
*Nameless soprano banjo ukulele (Link to articles)
*Bushman Jenny Concert cutaway – Will be leaving next month, she is sold
Paulele KBUS – Review almost done
Kala KA-SSTU (Travel soprano)
* Makala Dolphin that I got for the Reddit secret santa
* Early Papa’s Boxes cigar box uke (Link)
* Grizzly Kit- will throw in fire at UWC
* Risa soprano Solid – Sitting in front of the lat 3
Cordoba 25CB – Review very soon
Ohana SK-21 – better known as the sopranino
Cordoba 10CM (Link to review)
aNueNue Papa II concert (Link to review)
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