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TapTheForwardAssist posted:I hate to sound like I'm shilling for the guy, but musicguymic is a dealer on eBay. You can check both his listings and his eBay Store, and he generally has the best deals on Kalas, and is the main guy selling set-up Makalas. He's a regular poster on https://www.ukulelecosmos.com , so he's an actual player/participator in the community. I just ordered a Kala Tenor from mic. Thanks for the suggestions!
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Nov 26, 2007 02:29
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Benzoyl Peroxide posted:I know I already posted about liking baritone uke (the biggest) best, but if he has four guitars and a bass he'd probably appreciate a baritone. It's the most guitar-like. But you never know! Sopranos (the smallest) sound more fun, so he may be in to that. Do you know what sort of thing he likes to play on guitar? Comparing the two in youtube clips, I can see how the baritone is similar to regular guitars  Which is neat, but I figure he'd probably appreciate the soprano one more, they sound so fun!TapTheForwardAssist posted:I'm going to go the opposite direction from Benzoyl and suggest a soprano uke. A soprano would be the most distinct from his current items. He could use the exact same fingerings that he knows know, just he'll be transposed a key. Yeah, I'm probably going to go with a soprano, thanks! As nice as that guy's deal seems, it isn't much of a deal when you count in the price for shipping to europe.. Thanks anyway, I think i'll have a look in the local music shops before hunting online.
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Nov 26, 2007 02:43
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Benzoyl Peroxide posted:For anyone interested in how a baritone sounds in standard tuning here's a simple version of Tom Waits' song "Better Off Without A Wife" that I recorded a couple of weeks ago nice and quick. Just wanted to say that I really liked your cover. Think I like it more than Tom Waits' version, you have a fantastic voice! 
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Nov 26, 2007 04:02
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This is insane http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRh6fY5taXI Also he looks a bit crazy while playing, I hope uke players don't all spaz out like that.
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Nov 26, 2007 04:13
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Oh god you guys suck for giving me an awesome new obsession. Thanks! Some random links I just came across that's getting me more excited: http://www.sonicuke.com/c_eve.php Eve of Destruction chords & lyrics for uke http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIPhoFspY0Y Social Distortion - Ball and Chain http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrEr6lwLjDM Air Playground Love on a uke???  I swear I am going to learn how to play every Portishead song on the uke. edit: does anyone know of any stores that would carry the sub-$99 (Kala or otherwise) ukuleles in NYC, CT, or Mass?
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Nov 26, 2007 06:56
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Just chiming in to say that ukeleles are awesome. Thank you for this thread.
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Nov 26, 2007 07:55
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Could I get please some examples of the difference in sound between the 3 smaller sizes of ukuleles? For instance, what type is used in the Jake Shimabukuro gently weeps video?
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Nov 26, 2007 08:02
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^Jake plays a tenor uke made by Kamaka. This is relevant, I guess. I was on a little mini-tour up in the Northeast last week and did a thing for Ukulele Disco at their NYC studio. They posted the video of an original up on their site: https://www.ukuleledisco.com/someone There is this whole weird ukulele subculture out there. I had no idea. DaFuente fucked around with this message at 08:07 on Nov 26, 2007 |
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Nov 26, 2007 08:02
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4 years on the forums and my first accidental double post!
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Nov 26, 2007 08:06
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nef posted:As nice as that guy's deal seems, it isn't much of a deal when you count in the price for shipping to europe.. Thanks anyway, I think i'll have a look in the local music shops before hunting online. Oh, if you're outside the US, I'm sure there are better dealers in your country/area. Are you a limey then? Over on https://www.ukulelecosmos.com it's majority Brit, and there are several recommended UK dealers there that I haven't paid attention to, and various random threads like "where to buy a uke in Benelux/Norway/Slovakia/etc". I would definitely check with UkuleleCosmos first for Europe or Australia dealers. Buying locally is really a crapshoot unless you buy a higher-end uke, or buy from a shop that specifically states that they do a complete settup on the cheapies. So far as awesome shops for stock ukes: any PNWgoons should definitely visit Dusty Strings in Seattle for awesome selection of high-end ukes. Decent vintage ukesat Trading Musician in Seattle as well.
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Nov 26, 2007 13:10
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nef posted:Comparing the two in youtube clips, I can see how the baritone is similar to regular guitars I wish I had smaller fingers with which to enjoy it myself.Beasticly posted:Just wanted to say that I really liked your cover. Think I like it more than Tom Waits' version, you have a fantastic voice! 
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Nov 26, 2007 13:31
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I picked up the uke about 2 years ago because I hadn't played an instrument in years, and just about everyone plays guitar, banging out wonderwall in the dorm stairwell. Whether it's a supplemental, or your first instrument, the uke is a fantastic choice. It's also a great stepping stone to other fretted instruments like guitar or mandolin if you've got no experience playing one. The uke is also great if you like to sing/muck around with friends. It tends not to overshadow you (though for some people that might be a bad thing) and puts you a little closer to your audience. Plus it's just that much easier to hold and play. Most of my favourite uke sites have already been posted, but I use this for my chords: http://www.sheep-entertainment.nl/ukulele/index.html and here's a good list of sites with music: http://nwfolk.com/uketabs.html
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Nov 26, 2007 14:01
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Prophet 60091 posted:Oh god you guys suck for giving me an awesome new obsession. Thanks! I was going to drive from CT to to East Village Music in NY today, with the intention of finding a <$99 Kala. About halfway there I was thinking about the Flukes and Fleas I had seen on their site, and decided to call them to see if they could help me find a local Fluke/Flea retailer. hosed if they aren't made right in CT. Within a few hours I picked up this:  
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Nov 27, 2007 00:17
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:Here's one for $59, with settup and gigbag, and free Priority shipping. I actually bought one of those last Friday. It arrived in the mail today. I bought it with the idea to either give it to my Father for Christmas (big guitar guy) or keep it myself if it turns out I like it. I think I'm going to have to end up buying another one for my Father. Do you know any quality difference between that Uke and the ones that he sells for 59 + shipping?
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Nov 27, 2007 05:25
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Prophet 60091 posted:I was going to drive from CT to to East Village Music in NY today, with the intention of finding a <$99 Kala. About halfway there I was thinking about the Flukes and Fleas I had seen on their site, and decided to call them to see if they could help me find a local Fluke/Flea retailer. hosed if they aren't made right in CT. Within a few hours I picked up this: I bought bascially the same model, and it should be delivered any day now (supposedly today, since the seller lives 2hrs away). I'm probably going to sell my larger Fluke (a standard concert-size in purple), since the Flea size is plenty big for re-entrant, and a small bit more portable. I'm up to six countries and territories since August, so portable is becoming a big thing for me. Speaking of travel and ukes, I picked up one of these just a few days back. Poked into a store in Malaga to check for cheap guitars for travel, and saw something I'd never even heard of before:  It's a "timple" from the Canary islands. Basically a uke with an arched back and an extra string on the high end. It's re-entrant on the two lower strings, so basically tuned gcEad. If your immediate reaction was "oh, it's tuned like a lute!", then you're a sever geek. Got a lot of high end, but (due to rounded body?) sounds chimey rather than tinny. I'm digging it. Should be able to get some YouTube clips made on it in December. If you like obscure stuff like this, check out: http://www.atlasofpluckedinstruments.com
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Nov 27, 2007 15:16
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I have a cheap Mahalo ukulele, haven't played it much mostly because of the tuners making it a pain to play. I plan on changing them for some guitar tuners I have and changing the strings to something nicer. Any tips on other mods I could do to make the playing more enjoyable?
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Nov 27, 2007 19:20
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Well you guys have got me considering buying one of these now. I've dabbled in guitar and bass before but I think the simplicity of the uke might be appealing to me. I don't have a lot of free time and I'd like something inexpensive to dabble in. I may order one of the Makala beginner ukes from musicguymic on eBay. I love music and want to play something. Maybe this will be it!
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Nov 27, 2007 20:48
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I am the milkman posted:I have a cheap Mahalo ukulele, haven't played it much mostly because of the tuners making it a pain to play. I plan on changing them for some guitar tuners I have and changing the strings to something nicer. Any tips on other mods I could do to make the playing more enjoyable? Putting decent strings on a cheapie is always a good idea (provided the rest checks out). Putting better tuners on a cheapie (if it can be done affordably) could be a good idea. Aside from that, you'd be looking at tweaking the action by lowering or raising the string height at nut and bridge. If wouldn't dick with that unless you talk to some uke luthiers on UkuleleCosmos or 4thPeg to get some advice on how to go about it. That aside, some cheapies need "dressing" of the frets, basically filing down the sharp corners on the sides if they're rubbing your hand wrong. If you have a cheapie and want to mess with it, you can't go too wrong. Main issue is intonation: if the frets simply aren't in the right place, not much can be done (short of ripping off and regluing the saddle). Everything else is pretty tweakable. Very important note on breaking in new strings For folks not accustomed to nylon strings, do note that they take a day or more to break in. If you tune up your brand-new uke for the first time and it won't stay tuned for more than a few verses, don't panic. Just play it for a bit, retuning it up as needed, and tune it up again before going to bed. Tune it up again in the morning, and just tune it up to pitch every so often until it stops going out of tune. At that point it should stay stable for days at a time, unless your tuners are crap (possibly the case on a $30 uke). TapTheForwardAssist fucked around with this message at 23:35 on Nov 27, 2007 |
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Nov 27, 2007 23:06
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Great thread! I thought a few months back about purchasing a new instrument (already playing banjo) and the ukulele seemed interesting but never came close to puchasing one. I was wondering what kind of ukulele James hill is playing (there are a few youtube links on the thread that talk about him). If I don't want to pimp my uke by filing it and changing the tuners and so on how much should I consider having to spend on it to have a passable sound without doing all the handywork? (what uke to buy, I like the sound of James' uke but it must have cost a fortune so yeah) I don't really have a budget though, I was just thinking about it. I think I would put metal strings on it though instead of nylon, good idea?
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Nov 28, 2007 03:25
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Odddzy posted:Great thread! There's not a whole lot you can do to a crappy uke to make it sound better (aside from practicing :p). Metal strings require more tension so it's possible they could collapse the top when you tune up to pitch.
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Nov 28, 2007 03:43
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There, I just went and took one from the seller that was talked about earlier on ebay. It's the first time I use ebay though so I hope I didn't miss any steps, I used the "buy it now" option and then made the money transaction through paypal, what next? Should it just arrive through the mail in the next few days or will he send some info on the purchase beforehand trough e-mail? fake edit: I purchased a Kala KA-T tenor ukulele, I didn't find any reviews on the net though so I guess I'm taking a pretty big chance. Did I do good?
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Nov 28, 2007 03:56
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You'll probably get an email from the seller when it ships. "Buy it now" works just like every other e-store.
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Nov 28, 2007 04:16
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Odddzy posted:There, I just went and took one from the seller that was talked about earlier on ebay. It's the first time I use ebay though so I hope I didn't miss any steps, I used the "buy it now" option and then made the money transaction through paypal, what next? Should it just arrive through the mail in the next few days or will he send some info on the purchase beforehand trough e-mail? I've bought two Kala tenors from Mic (one that I sold to a friend, another for my da), and both were great for the price. It's not a $600 Kamaka tenor, but it's definitely better than 1/6 of a Kamaka, thus a good buy. If you sent payment immediately through PayPal, it should ship from Hawaii in the next day or so, and then you go into eBay and leave feedback saying "Arrived promptly, good product" or whatever else. quote:If I don't want to pimp my uke by filing it and changing the tuners and so on how much should I consider having to spend on it to have a passable sound without doing all the handywork? (what uke to buy, I like the sound of James' uke but it must have cost a fortune so yeah) If you want affordable but solid, Kala is probably your best bet. Usually around $59 for a soprano, $99 for a tenor. As stated numerous times, check musicguymic on eBay for good Kala prices. Do not put steel strings on a uke, you'll cave the top in. Steel exerts far more tension than nylong. If you want a uke-like instrument with steel strings, you need to buy a cavaquinho (Brazil), braguinha (Portugal) or similar. Here's a clip of a cavaquinho player in Brazil: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1erYoJ__Zk If you buy a cavaquinho from a US dealer, probably $150 or more, probably far less if you have musician friends in Brazil to find you one. You're probably better off dicking around with a uke first, and then getting a cavaquinho if the nylon strings just don't do it for you.
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Nov 28, 2007 04:43
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quote:You'll probably get an email from the seller when it ships. "Buy it now" works just like every other e-store. The seller (musicguymic) just sent a mail saying that it should arrive in canada in 2-3 days but will probably take 2-3 weeks through customs because of the christmas rush apparently. Is there a way of getting updates on where the package is? (tell me if i'm hijacking this thread towards a destination you don't want to get to) The uke is a kala tenor.
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Nov 28, 2007 05:03
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If he didn't send you a tracking number then no. But he can't actually ship anything until daytime so you may get a tracking number sometime tomorrow.
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Nov 28, 2007 05:07
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Odddzy posted:The seller (musicguymic) just sent a mail saying that it should arrive in canada in 2-3 days but will probably take 2-3 weeks through customs because of the christmas rush apparently. Is there a way of getting updates on where the package is? (tell me if i'm hijacking this thread towards a destination you don't want to get to) The Kala tenor is good kit, so no worries there. I had one Kala mailed to me (from musicguymic) when I was in Newfoundland, took about 2 weeks to get there, and Customs tacked on 14% HST (harmonized sales tax) payable on delivery, which was drat annoying. About 1/5 of the musical instruments I had mailed to me in NL (maybe 20 in all) had HST tacked on to them. It was completely arbitrary, in that I had $250 instruments with no HST added, and $60 instruments with HST due on delivery. It literally appears that some Customs guy just grabs random packages and says "oh, I'll put 14% HST on this one". Then again, if you bought from a Canadian dealer you'd positively have to pay HST, so a 1/5 chance of paying HST sure beats the alternative.
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Nov 28, 2007 05:08
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withak posted:If he didn't send you a tracking number then no. Thanks for the info, I'll just check with him if there's any tomorrow. I hope I wont have to pay extra now but oh well, it won't be such a big deal.
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Nov 28, 2007 06:17
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Just bought the Kala KA- 15S Mahogany Soprano Ukulele from musicguymic on eBay. I'm pretty excited  I've never picked up a uke and don't really have much musical experience. What is the best place for me to start once this thing arrives?
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Nov 28, 2007 15:39
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Ehud posted:Just bought the Kala KA- 15S Mahogany Soprano Ukulele from musicguymic on eBay. I'm pretty excited First thing is to tune it up. Here's a free online tuner for ukuleles: http://www.get-tuned.com/ukulele_tuner.php Next is to learn some chords. Probably best way is to check out the links above and find a song with only two or three chords in it. A uke site for beginners should have a chord chart showing where to put your fingers to form each chord. Uke is tuned, you have a song laid out in front of you showing which chord to change to at each point in the song. The chordsheet will either show a diagram of the chord, or you can print/draw a cheat sheet to look at to remind you what a "C" chord looks like, or whatever. Now you just strum the uke in some vague semblance of rhythm, and change chords whenever you reach the next chord in the song. Your chord changes will be slow and sloppy at first, your rhythm spastic, but as you practice it gets better. I've been teaching my da some uke recently, and the main problem he has it making sure that his fingers aren't muffling the neighboring strings. On some chords you have to kinda arch your fingers and come down from above so that you're only touching the string you actually want to touch. There are various ukulele tutorials on YouTube as well, I'd check those out to get some ideas too. If you find yourself confused on any particular point, just come back here and post your question.
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Nov 28, 2007 21:13
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I'm friends with a bunch of people who want to get together weekly and learn a new instrument, so this thread is perfect. Thanks for introducing me to something I would have never once considered. (I ordered a $59 Kala uke, by the way.)
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Nov 29, 2007 05:45
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Calvin Schoolidge posted:I'm friends with a bunch of people who want to get together weekly and learn a new instrument, so this thread is perfect. Huh, do you bring one instrument and pass it around the circle? Are most of the folks in your group pretty experienced multi-instrumentalists? We might end up having a pass-around of an Appalachian dulcimer in the NMD:ML subforum early next year, you might want to check that out if we do.
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Nov 29, 2007 22:10
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:Huh, do you bring one instrument and pass it around the circle? Are most of the folks in your group pretty experienced multi-instrumentalists? Nah, we're all learning our own instruments. Nothing too fancy, just a few keyboards, guitars, an organ found at Goodwill, and a mandolin. No one in the group is a savant, but we all manage well enough. I might have to check out the dulcimer, just for the heck of it.
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Nov 30, 2007 00:23
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Would you recommend a "Beginners" one or a regular Kala from Musicguy?
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Nov 30, 2007 00:42
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Fermata posted:Would you recommend a "Beginners" one or a regular Kala from Musicguy? Would that be the Makala vs the Kala, or are you referring to some other "Beginner" brand? With the current deals Mic has, the Kala is only slightly pricier than the Makala, and is probably a better deal unless you're really scrimping. If you're comparing to some other beginner brand (Hilo, Mahalo, etc), I would say that Kala is probably a notably better piece of gear unless the Hilo/Mahalo/etc was properly set-up by a uke luthier. Settup isn't really hard to do, but most shops don't bother, and most noobs don't know how to do it.
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Nov 30, 2007 03:13
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:With the current deals Mic has, the Kala is only slightly pricier than the Makala, and is probably a better deal unless you're really scrimping. This is what I was looking for. Thank you for the advice Tap.
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Nov 30, 2007 03:22
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:We might end up having a pass-around of an Appalachian dulcimer in the NMD:ML subforum early next year, you might want to check that out if we do. Speaking of, I can't seem to get said dulcimer tuned. The pegs are just rotating freely with no resistance, so when I tune it up it just snaps right back the second I let go. Am I doing something wrong? There are little screws thru the pegs - should I tighten them?
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Nov 30, 2007 06:02
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Say hello to my new Ukulele: Thank you for the thread Tap.
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Nov 30, 2007 09:08
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mofolotopo posted:Speaking of, I can't seem to get said dulcimer tuned. The pegs are just rotating freely with no resistance, so when I tune it up it just snaps right back the second I let go. Am I doing something wrong? There are little screws thru the pegs - should I tighten them? Ah, mos def. Those are adjustable friction tuners, so you simply tighten the little screws until it holds but is still turnable. Let me know how it works after that. Did you get the pack of strings too? Not sure if I sent the playing/tuning info, but if not just google "In Search of the Wild Dulcimer", a free online tutor. Or you can just tune it up and play it, you seem to know your stuff. Common tunings are Daa (scale starts on third fret of string closest to you) and Dac (scale starts on 1st fret of string closest to you). Just finger the melody on the high string, and let the others sound as a constant drone as you strum across them all. Fermata posted:Say hello to my new Ukulele: Got it tuned up yet? How does it play?
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Nov 30, 2007 16:18
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:Ah, mos def. Those are adjustable friction tuners, so you simply tighten the little screws until it holds but is still turnable. Let me know how it works after that. Did you get the pack of strings too? Not sure if I sent the playing/tuning info, but if not just google "In Search of the Wild Dulcimer", a free online tutor. Or you can just tune it up and play it, you seem to know your stuff. Common tunings are Daa (scale starts on third fret of string closest to you) and Dac (scale starts on 1st fret of string closest to you). Just finger the melody on the high string, and let the others sound as a constant drone as you strum across them all. Good to know about the tuners, this is the first instrument I've had that had those. My cello has adjustable friction tuners I guess, but with those you just shove the peg deeper into the hole to tighten it. Anyway, I got the strings, and I will string it up this afternoon or tomorrow and give it a whirl. I'd do it tonight but I'm going to Oakland to see Iron and Wine and Califone.  Thanks a zillion, I'm going to see if I can't maybe use it on my new Rockstar submission.
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Nov 30, 2007 16:35
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:Got it tuned up yet? How does it play? I don't have it yet. That's the picture from ebay. But I can't wait to have it in my hands.
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Dec 1, 2007 00:29
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