The Ukulele!

[bazmaz]

Hi everyone - not been on B&B for a little while but something got me thinking of you.

I actually wonder if this would also suit in the 'Finer Things' forum, but bear with me. I'm a ukulele player and write about ukes for beginners.

On a general music forum the other day I mentioned I played the uke and some friendly troll responded "I bet you are the sort of person who shaves with a safety razor"......



Well, yes, I am, and I adore that way of shaving. Also adore the ukulele! But did he have a point? Any uke players on here? I'm happy to advise - I write the site http://www.gotaukulele.com

 

[jwcarlson]

You sure the guy doesn't know you or something? Is there some Ukulele/Safety Razor correlation I'm unaware of?

 

[raisindot]

I would think it's quite natural that ukulele players are quite naturally drawn to DE shaving, since, like bagpipe and accordian players, they have a tendency to engage in activities that other people find strange and often annoying. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to practice on my didgeridoo.

 

[Slash McCoy]

I am a uke player though I have not been messing with it much the last couple of years. But I don't use a safety razor. Straights here. I have also messed with the 5 string banjo and concertina in the past. I built a one of a kind short-necked 5 string banjo that is now hanging in a music store / museum in Baltimore. I never went in for guitar. Too common. Sort of like cartridges. Anyway some uke stuff on my site, www.thevoicestoldme.com. Stuff not very organized... work in progress and I only work on it for a couple hours twice a year or so. Anyway good to see another ululele-ist here.

 

[GrimmFu]

Love the uke! I'd been a guitarist-vocalist for many years, then picked up a uke and a mandolin a couple of years ago... Playing and writing on the uke rekindled the "fun" of music for me. They've got so much character, and it never fails to get positive energy flowing when I take it out during a set. It's like you've just brought a puppy on stage, the crowd goes "awwwwww!"

Gf

 

[Slash McCoy]

Love the uke! I'd been a guitarist-vocalist for many years, then picked up a uke and a mandolin a couple of years ago... Playing and writing on the uke rekindled the "fun" of music for me. They've got so much character, and it never fails to get positive energy flowing when I take it out during a set. It's like you've just brought a puppy on stage, the crowd goes "awwwwww!"

Gf

Even in Hawaii you can turn heads with a uke. I walked into a Long's drugstore one time and they had a bunch of $19.95 wall-hanger souvenier ukes. I tuned one up and ran off the unmistakeable opening chords of "Lola" and then started in on "Free Bird" and "Stairway to Heaven". People get amazed so easily...

 

[Ken Stanton]

Count me in! Even if my main instrument is the saxophone. After shaving with my slim adjustable this morning I played "whispering" on my uke. great instrument!

 

[P Funk]

That sounds cool - count me in.
I'm a guitar player (more of a poser than player) who is about to head to Hawaii and have been researching places to pick up a nice all koa uke.
I haven't really played much (only messed around on the cheap ABC store ukes) but love the sound and want to add one to my collection.

I'm fairly new to DE but am firmly entrenched.

Nice site! I already bookmarked it.

 

[Slash McCoy]

That sounds cool - count me in.
I'm a guitar player (more of a poser than player) who is about to head to Hawaii and have been researching places to pick up a nice all koa uke.
I haven't really played much (only messed around on the cheap ABC store ukes) but love the sound and want to add one to my collection.

I'm fairly new to DE but am firmly entrenched.

Nice site! I already bookmarked it.

In Honolulu go to Aloha Tower and look for The Hawaiian Ululele Store. The guy has everything from cheesy peg tuned ukes with monofilament fishing line strings and plastic hula girl decals to $1200 masterpeices. Lots of Koa wood ukes. The guy loves ukes and loves talking uke. Great selection.

 

[mboschm]

Goddam Ukes! The same way cannabis is a "gate drug" for hard stuff, Ukulele was my "gate instrument" for portuguese cavaquinho, Canarian Timple, Charango and Venezolan Cuatro. I've built a cookie can banjo and I'm planning to buy a cigar box uke this summer.

 

[Legion]

I've never played the Uke, But I recently built a three string cigar box guitar.

 

[JaggerDragger]

My main instrument is acoustic guitar, but I dabble in the ooKooLeLe.

My Uke is a pink cheap thing but my daughters (3 and 1yr) love it when I play twinkle twinkle little star of all things on it...

It was a good education for furthering my guitar/music theory and knowledge, because I was too young to care about all that stuff when I started playing the guitar.

 

[bazmaz]

Sorry for posting then not replying - some work issues in the last week!

Thats great to hear there are some uke players on the boards - yes I think I can see the natural attraction one way or the other - the uke is very very traditional too.

If anyone is looking to take up the instrument and wants tips - just get in touch!

 

[Miles]

SWMBO is a uke fan, she has a nice starter uke but it's been neglected for a few years now.

Funny story: I went to the local music shop to find a good travel case for her uke, found a couple but was unsure of the fitment. The salesclerk helping me took a uke off the wall and showed how well it went into the case. I said I'd take it right there, paid and went home. Once home, SWMBO was presented with her new case and lo and behold the salesclerk had left a vintage ukelele (~$300+ price tag) in the case after her demo! The thing was so lightweight that I never noticed it. Of course I took the instrument straight back to the shop, but unfortunately the reception was more of an "oh, thanks." than a "Holy crap!". Sometimes I wonder if maybe I should have kept it, but then that particular uke could only be used for evil purposes, and we couldn't have that.

 

[bazmaz]

Ha! Yes, the uke is far from evil!

 

[letterk]

I'm a guitar player since high school, but got a uke a little over a year ago and love figuring it out.