Uke Leash Review
December 19, 2010 at 9:44 pm | Posted in General, Products, Uke Leash | 3 CommentsTags: banjo, banjolele, Full review, posts, review, Strap, uke, ukulele
Every so often I am contacted by people to review their product. Not a bad gig really considering that most of the review stuff I get I have an exchange of 10+ e-mails back and forth to actually send me something. Having someone ask you to review something is refreshing.
Lori contacted me a month or so ago and asked me to review the uke Leash, I was a little apprehensive because honestly I thought they were weird. Why would I want to support my uke by the head? I would think that I would want to have the back end supported. I decided that if she believes in it enough to send it to me then I would give it the good old college try and see what this thing was.
All the goodies Lori sent me
Designed Way on a Standard Ukulele
I will start with how it is suppose to be used; one side goes on the head and the other goes around your arm on your shoulder. At first it feels strange and you have to adjust the size of the loop to a comfortable size that will not cut the circulation to your arm and not too loose. Once you have that you get the loop on your arm/shoulder area and pull the strap over your head (look at the instructions for clarification) Make sure that the top of the loop, the part that clips together around your arm/shoulder, is pointing up to your ear so it will not get all bound up on your arm. Once you also have a comfortable length (done easily and has a nice clip to hold the excess) you can start playing. In all honesty I tried it several times and am not a fan. I like to have the head free to move, but that is me and this is far from over. I have found many other way to use this very versatile accessory.
“Regular” Strap Way on a Standard Ukulele
With Strap button attachment
Since the uke is a light instrument it does not need a heavy strap. The thin Uke Leash is very well suited to be used on a ukulele, and if you have a strap button on the butt of the uke you can take the part that goes a round the arm and hook it to the button with a little piece that you can get from Lori to make it a “regular” strap. One advantage is that it is easy to untangle since it just snaps a part where it is attached at the head. I like how thin it is and that it is very small and light weight. I do see a small thing that I am not a huge fan of, you really can’t leave it on the uke when you put it in a case. the plastic clips could rub on the finish and scratch it if you are not careful, but really since it is so small you would just unclip it and put it in the pocket of the case. As a “regular” uke strap it is really exactly what most people would want and it has a ton more adjustments than a standard ukulele strap.
Modified Designed Way on a Banjo Ukulele
Me using the Uke Leash for a banjo uke
So let’s get to where I think the Uke Leash will change peoples lives. If you play banjo ukulele than the normal way of using a Uke Leash will not work. The body of most banjo ukes is the heaviest part and is what needs support. After a bit of experimenting I found a great way to use the Uke Leash that in my opinion is what this thing is made for. If you take the part that is suppose to go on the head and put it on one of the j-hook bolts (the things that hold the head down) then use it like you are suppose to, with the other loop around your arm/shoulder, it works out great! I found for this Morgan Monroe I have in for review that the j-hook next to the neck was the best spot, I would think that you would want to experiment on others and find the balance you like. I really like using the Uke Leash like this because it holds the body in place, it leaves it so you can easily move it, and it keeps you from muting or distorting the strings since there is no good place to put your arm on a normal banjo uke. As you can see I am using the leather one in the pictures. I found that since the banjo uke is heavier that it was more comfortable than the nylon one. Oh, and leather looks way more bad ass.
Uke Leash on a banjo uke
“Regular” Strap Way on a Banjo Ukulele
The other way to use it is to make it like a “regular” strap and take an extra head loop and loop it on the tail piece and put a head loop on the head and clip them to make a “regular” strap.
Using it like a "regular" Strap
I know I will get e-mails about how I should like the Uke Leash when used the way it is designed, but really I think it is a great product and another option for people to use. There are a ton of reviews of people who really like it. I think for banjo uke players this is a must have accessory. All in all I think Lori is doing an awesome job of getting this into people’s hands and they are so well made that you cannot deny that the uke leash is a great product, and in my eyes not a one trick pony. I was able to use it so many ways that I did not talk about that for $21 (Polypro leash, extra headstock strap, and button adapter) you can use it so many ways that it will make your head spin.
Check the Uke Leash out at UkeLeash.com
Gallery
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Ukulele Player Magazine #12
April 29, 2010 at 1:03 am | Posted in General | 1 CommentTags: fest, festival, home made, jamming, learning, review, Strap, uke, ukulele
I dont know how long it has been out, but like clockwork there is another awesome issue.
Eleuke Concert Full Review
March 23, 2010 at 3:28 am | Posted in Brands, Concert, Eleuke, Reviews | 37 CommentsTags: BugsGear, Electric, Eleuke, Full review, posts, review, Solid, Strap, uke, ukulele
Full Front View
Imagine if back in the day when Led Zeppelin was forming and Jimmy Page decided that his main instrument would be a ukulele!!! If that did happen, and Eleuke was making these ukuleles, he would have played it. I think Led Zeppelin would have been even bigger than they were!…….. Maybe not, But it would have been cool to see.
When someone says ukulele most think of the standard design of a 3 inch deep hollow box with a wood neck, with the wood grain showing, and friction tuners. They don’t think of a 1/2″ thick solid sparkle blue ukulele with a cut away body, geared tuners, no sound hole, and 3 jacks in the end. But why NOT! Uke players can rock out with the best of them gosh darn it!!! (Gotta keep it family friendly) And with the personal MP3 player input you can rock out along with the best of them without disturbing the whole house when you use the built in amp with your headphones plugged in
Eleuke was nice enough to send me a concert sized eleuke a few weeks ago and below is the full review, enjoy.
Specs:
Full Rear View
Model: CCK100BL-MP3
Concert : 19 Fret
Bridge & Saddle : Rosewood
Nut : Rosewood
Pickup : Eleuke original
Output : 1/4″ Phone Jack, H/P output
Input: MP3 Input with connection cable for your MP3 player to play along with backing track.
String : Aquila
Peg : Closed Gear chrome
Bag : Softbag Included
Looks
First look: (4) Its Bright blue, you can’t miss it. My 2009 Honda Civic is the same color (Atomic Blue) I like it because it makes a statement. For some it may not be to their liking, but you can get these in a pineapple, natural wood (Really cool looking since they do strips of different wood), and they also come in purple and red. One of the details that is really hard to photograph is the sparkle in the paint. It looks like car paint, which is not uncommon and means that it is a really sturdy finish. With the mother of pearl binding around the edge of the body and fret board it makes it look like a well made instrument that people took care in making.
My only real turn-off is with the headstock. It has mother of pearl inlay around the body and the position markers, but the headstock logo and design is screen printed on in a flat gold. Just takes away from the overall look.
Headstock
Close-up of the paint
Fit and Finish: (5) When making and instrument there are telltale signs that it is quality. One of them is smoothness of the edges. Every edge has been rounded (Except the bridge where you want it to be crisp). The paint is perfect with no weird blotches. I will say at first I was worried about the paint because it will look kind of dark at the edges when you look at it at an angle. I think this is a two part thing with the sparkle and major thick gloss finish they use.
Other things like the fret board are also just great. The frets are filed back with no edges to catch on. Every joint and part that is not suppose to have paint on it was handled very well. You can tell that it was taped because you can see a small micro space around the fret board at the body from the tape. Not noticeable unless you A) have your face an inch away looking for it , or B) just too picky and expecting a sub $200 ukulele to not have any tiny finish flaws. Either way top notch.
Sound
Sound Type : Depends on where you have the tone knob. All the way down it is mellow and muted, all the way up sharp and tinny.
Intonation: (4) The intonation is not perfect, but I have yet to find a ukulele that is perfect from the factory. With a professionals help it would take a little time to shape the saddle to make it perfect. The only people that would notice are those who are crazy sensitive to pitch. No matter where you play on the fret board it will sound really awesome and right.
Regular Jack, Headphone, MP3 Player in
Volume: (NA) How big is your amp? Unplugged you can hear it, kind of, it is a solid body electric. If you plug this baby into a Marshall double stack and crank it, you could level a house, if that is how you roll. Don’t forget that this has one really unique feature, A built in personal amp. Just plug in some headphones and turn the volume up to make it as loud as you want without disturbing anyone else.
Sustain: (5) Beside the fact that it is an electric, and you can hear the sound as it degrades for longer, it has really good sustain. The Aquila strings have a lot to do with the sound and sustain.
Feel
String Height: (Medium-High) Both the nut and saddle are higher than I would like. Not slide guitar high. The nut could come down a mm or two, and the saddle has room also to come down a bit.
String Height
Neck Radius Depth: (3/4″) Average radius depth for a C shaped neck.
Frets: (5) I measured the fret spacing and found that they are perfect. Along with the frets they are very well dressed with no issues. For the price I was surprised to not to be able to feel the frets from the side of the neck. This is something that shows that great care was taken on the fret board.
Tuning: (4) I know I will get flack for this, but I think ukuleles should come with friction tuners. The ukulele stays in-tune after the strings have settled. Tuning it is very easy with the geared tuners. Perfect ratio for tuning a ukulele. small turns make small changes.
With a Strap
Comfort: (5) The rounded edges, no frets sticking out the side, and the fact that it is very small makes it very comfortable to play. It can sit on your knee while you are sitting. Also has a strap button/amp jack lets you put a strap on it, you just need to tie it to the head on the other side. Very comfortable to play and nothing gets in the way with the cut-out in the body so you can hit the highest notes.
Final Thoughts
I own a Risa solid soprano, so this is not the first electric uke I have played. I love the volume and tone knobs. Very useful when you are playing and need to adjust the sound. The Eleuke is bigger and less compact, but it comes with a great padded clothe case (No kidding at least 2 inches of padding on both top and bottom) and also easier to hold if you don’t want to strap it on. Just a really well made instrument for anyone who wants to play on stage, practice without having others hear it, or just being loud for loads sake.
IF this was my instrument I would take it in to have the action lowered. The way I got it was totally playable, I just am really picky. I would also buy some more fun knobs like these that got to 11. The last thing I would do is put a strap button behind the neck where it meets the body.
If anyone asks me what solid body ukulele to buy, I would say that this is my top choice.
All Rating on a scale of 1-5
Click here for an explanation of reviews
| First Look | 4 |
| Fit and Finish | 5 |
| Sound Type | Depends |
| Intonation | 4 |
| Volume | NA |
| Sustain | 5 |
| String Height | Medium-High |
| Neck Radius Depth | 3/4″ |
| Frets | 5 |
| Tuning | 4 |
| Comfort | 5 |
Ukestar Ukulele Strap Review
March 11, 2010 at 5:13 am | Posted in Products, Reviews | 8 CommentsTags: Full review, home made, posts, review, Strap, uke, Ukestrar, ukulele
I have to start this by apologizing to Hannah, the really awesome strap crafter (Says it on her business card) from Ukestar Straps. Hannah was kind enough to send me one of her handmade ukulele strap back in January. No excuses, time got away from me. So on with the show!! 
Most guitar players have a strap for their guitar, especially electric guitar players. Guitars are big and most people can’t hold a guitar while standing and play it (Unless you are my friend Paul, he is weird). Ukuleles are small; you can wedge it between your belly and your arm and still play it just fine, right?
The answer is yes and no. On one hand you can simply hold it with your arm and gut. It is light and that is what a lot of people do, perfectly fine, but………..You knew there had to be a but. When you wedge the uke you are creating some problems:
- You are not letting the instrument completely vibrate, letting the full sound come out.
- You put a nice line in your arm from holding it too long.
- After a while a buildup of sweat and “stuff” will start to show where you hold it with your arm and can cause permanent discoloration.
- Your strumming hand is limited to what it can do since it is locked into position of the arm holding the uke.
Me Holding my Jenny Using the Ukestar Strap
To resolve these “problems” people will buy a strap for their uke. As I mentioned before in a earlier post there are several straps. The one from Ukestar Straps is a handmade classical guitar strap style but made for ukuleles, meaning that it holds the instrument by the sound hole, but Ukestar Straps are way better than your mass produced ukulele straps from Levy.
- It is handmade in America with love ( I could stop here)
- Many different fabrics to choose from (NOTE: She has 5 up presently, but there is a spot that you can custom order size and fabric LINK)
- There are 3 sizes. Absolutely genius mainly because I see so many different sized people playing ukulele. As a 6″ 1′ man with a slight gut I got a medium, IZ would have benefitted from a large, where Jake could probably use a small.
- Unlike the levy strap that has a hard plastic clip, these have an amazing clothe covered hook to protect your beloved ukulele.
- For $20 you cannot beat it. A factory made one from Levy is $15. For a whole $5 more you have a product that is so much better in so many ways.
Clothe Wrapped Hook
All I can say is that my strap changed my playing. I love it, I love it , I love it. The real beauty of it for me is the fact that I don’t have to take it off to change ukes. Just unhook and hook another one on.
The Star Button on all Straps
Buy one today, Hell buy two (one for you and one for a friend)
A few fun things to know about Hannah. Besides being a strap crafter she is in a band called the Ukettes and is a graphic designer (Which explains the really professional tags and other printed materials that come with the strap)
Ukulele Straps
July 9, 2009 at 9:04 pm | Posted in Products | 4 CommentsTags: DIY, posts, Strap, uke, ukulele
How do you strap your instrument on? Do you have leather straps? Nylon? Pink fur? Or do you prefer to use no additional support for your instrument?
Now get your mind out of the gutter! I am talking about your ukulele. My friend Ben e-mailed me not to long ago and said that I should talk about the strap that he uses for some of his ukes. In a nutshell he stated that he wished that someone would have shown him one a long time ago, he really loves his.
Will.I.Am holding a uke
Traditionally people just hold their ukulele up against their body with the forearm holding the body and the other hand on the neck. But there are other options that work and yes it is a very light instrument and all but sometimes you have to take both hands off you instrument.
Another option is to install strap buttons and use a strap. Personally I am always scared to drill a hole in my uke for fear of cracking it.
Leather Strap from Bushman
- Strap Buttons from Bushman
- Strap from Etsy $20
The strap that my friend found is a classical guitar style strap. If you have not seen one, they are very handy because you do not need to make any modifications to your ukulele to use it. It just hooks into the sound hole and goes behind to hold it up. With this kind of strap you still have to hold on to the uke, but the weight is on your neck and you do not need to support it with your forearm to hold it up. REMEMBER ; You can not take both hands off with this kind of strap! It may fall. I just did not want someone to e-mail me with some story of how they used one of these and their ukulele is now broken.
I am going to order one of the Etsy ones soon, they look nice, and there are many options of color and the hook is covered, unlike the hard plastic hook on the Levy.
Please comment with your thoughts and experiences.
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