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Fermata posted:I don't have it yet. That's the picture from ebay. But I can't wait to have it in my hands. Dang, for a second I was hoping for a "it took me an hour, but I can play 3-chord songs now" motivational post. If any noob gets their uke soon, it'd be cool to hear how the learning process goes for you. I was pleasantly surprised to see how fast my da (who has no instrument background) learned three chord songs, not sure if that's common or anomalous.
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Dec 1, 2007 19:57
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This might have made my Christmas list. I went to guitar center today and they only had 2 (one of which was Koa and over $250). Quite a lot of fun to play. I think they were concert sized. Is that the default? If I wanted to, say, play along with Beirut songs is that the size I should get? Edit: doing some research on musicguymic's site, the Kala Mahogany Electric Tenor one looks nice. Is that a good beginner one? havelock fucked around with this message at 21:26 on Dec 1, 2007 |
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Dec 1, 2007 20:39
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:Dang, for a second I was hoping for a "it took me an hour, but I can play 3-chord songs now" motivational post. Well, I got a ukulele and have no string instrument experience. I had a difficult time tuning it but after I got it to where I thought (and the opera singer girlfriend believed) it to be in tune was able to learn "Popeye the sailor man" pretty quickly. Just bought a second ukulele as a gift to my dad for Christmas. I still have a slight fear of tuning mine wrong and getting used to playing it like that to where a properly tuned uke won't sound correct.
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Dec 1, 2007 22:59
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havelock posted:This might have made my Christmas list. I went to guitar center today and they only had 2 (one of which was Koa and over $250). Quite a lot of fun to play. I think they were concert sized. Is that the default? Any size Soprano/Concert/Tenor will play basically the same (same tuning too), it's just a matter of having more/less neck to work with, and more/less body (in an acoustic). Generally tenor is best for general musicianship, though soprano is more compact and cute. If you're looking at an electric, I'd definitely go do some forum research over at 4th Peg and/or Ukulele Cosmos. I've not tried many of the electrics, so know very little about them. I believe the Ovation acoustic/electric is pretty well regarded. Blue Star also makes some e-ukes, and there's a new/custom outfit in Australia called Jupiter Creek which has some very affordable ($270 and up) solidbody ukes made from quality woods:  https://www.jupitercreekmusic.com EDIT: Jupiter Creek often sells gear on eBay for even less than their website. Shipping is $60 from Australia, but one of their solid-body concert ukes is $165 BIN on eBay currently. Do note that they also sell "lapsteel" ukuleles: do not buy one of those thinking that it's a regular uke! The "lapsteel" means that it's played laying flat in the lap with a slide, so the neck is not made to wrap your hand around in the regular position, and the strings are raised up for a slide. Bear in mind that most electric ukes have steel strings (since most pickups are electromagnetic). I own one of the few models with nylon strings (Risa uke-stick). I got it mainly to use as a very quiet practice uke unplugged, and took mine to Iraq twice. It does amplify quite well, and can take pedals, etc. I haven't done a whole lot with mine, but if you look up "Risa" on YouTube there are various clips. 
TapTheForwardAssist fucked around with this message at 01:48 on Dec 2, 2007 |
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Dec 2, 2007 01:15
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:Dang, for a second I was hoping for a "it took me an hour, but I can play 3-chord songs now" motivational post. I got a tracking notification from USPS saying my uke had been delivered. I'm seriously impressed by how quickly the guy from eBay shipped it. I won it on the 28th and it was delivered today (December 1st) Unfortunately they left it at my apartment office and I can't get it until tomorrow or Monday  But I'll be sure to post some updates in this thread!
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Dec 2, 2007 03:04
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:Any size Soprano/Concert/Tenor will play basically the same (same tuning too), it's just a matter of having more/less neck to work with, and more/less body (in an acoustic). Generally tenor is best for general musicianship, though soprano is more compact and cute. I'm not specifically looking for an electric. $120ish is about the top of my price range, so I was looking at Kala ukes at that price point. There seem to be 2 tenors: that mahagony electric one (that seems like it has nylon strings), and one that's slightly more with a spruce top but not electric. Which of those would you recommend?
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Dec 2, 2007 03:18
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havelock posted:I'm not specifically looking for an electric. $120ish is about the top of my price range, so I was looking at Kala ukes at that price point. There seem to be 2 tenors: that mahagony electric one (that seems like it has nylon strings), and one that's slightly more with a spruce top but not electric. Okay, what we're looking at here is two possible $30 upgrades to the basic Kala tenor: a) gets you a case/book/pitchpipe and an internal passive pickup b) gets you case/book/pitchpipe and a spruce top Unless you have special reasons to be plugging this critter in right away, I'd say that b) is the better option. A spruce top will theoretically produce better sound than the mahogany ply on the cheaper uke. Further, a spruce top "matures" the more you play it, theoretically producing a richer and richer sound over the years. That said, the basic Kala sounds peachy keen, but the spruce is technically a nice option, and when you count in the value of the case and book, it's a pretty affordable upgrade. You can always add a passive pickup to an instrument, so it's easier to add that upgrade later than to try and change your top to spruce. So I vote for b).
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Dec 2, 2007 04:22
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Playing the theme song from "Arrested Development" is by far the best reason to acquire a ukelele.
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Dec 2, 2007 07:37
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Halloween Jack posted:Playing the theme song from "Arrested Development" is by far the best reason to acquire a ukelele. What are the chords for that? I've tried to figure it out a few times but never got it.
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Dec 2, 2007 07:58
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:Dang, for a second I was hoping for a "it took me an hour, but I can play 3-chord songs now" motivational post. That'll be far away for me (I live in Florida so it's going to take awhile for the Uke to get here) and I have no musical experience. But I'm sure I'll be able to get "kinda" good, which is my goal.
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Dec 2, 2007 08:42
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On ukulele "kinda" good is basically the same as "very" good.
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Dec 2, 2007 08:54
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withak posted:On ukulele "kinda" good is basically the same as "very" good. Well that's good. 
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Dec 2, 2007 11:49
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withak posted:On ukulele "kinda" good is basically the same as "very" good. That's funny, a buddy of mine was commeting on that just last night on the phone. He's an awesome classical guitarist, and does a lot of side work on open-tuned steel-string with lots of tapping/hammering and other such ornate stuff. I sold him my first Kala tenor (rather than have him pay shipping to Canada), and he says he's been playing it for hours a day since he quit his kitchen job. He commented: "I've been watching YouTube, and there's almost nobody who's really great on uke. There's Shimabukuro and a couple others, but almost everyone else is just going strummity-strummity." Not to say that those clips are bad, just that it's nothing terribly complex. I'm hoping that he'll post his own clips soon, as I'm sure that man can just tear it up on the tenor uke. In the meantime, most folks just do on uke what the average guitarist does. Works plenty fine for backing up songs, having fun, etc. It's a pretty short learning curve from "I've never touched a uke before" to "I can play some Radiohead and everyone recognizes the song".
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Dec 2, 2007 16:29
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:He commented: "I've been watching YouTube, and there's almost nobody who's really great on uke. There's Shimabukuro and a couple others, but almost everyone else is just going strummity-strummity." Not to say that those clips are bad, just that it's nothing terribly complex. I 100% agree with your friend. I'm not exactly a kickass guitarist myself, but I do a bit of fingerpicking. I'm really surprised by the fact that in about three months of uke playing I can whip out stuff that's more intricate than 99% of the uke stuff on youtube. Even that Mercedez chick isn't exactly a good player - if she was on guitar and not hot, most of those comments would be more like "lol girls can't play guitar nub". I'm not saying that things have to be intricate or difficult to be good (most people who know my music will know that that is FAR from my philosophy), I'm just surprised that there isn't more serious ukemanship out there. I'm kinda surprised by this, as it seems like such a versatile instrument and yet next to nobody seems to take the time to play it well.
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Dec 2, 2007 17:57
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:Okay, what we're looking at here is two possible $30 upgrades to the basic Kala tenor: Thanks for the justification. That sounds good to me. On to the Christmas list it goes.
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Dec 2, 2007 18:00
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mofolotopo posted:Even that Mercedez chick isn't exactly a good player - if she was on guitar and not hot, most of those comments would be more like "lol girls can't play guitar nub". No doubt. That said, I really like her cover. Part of it is that she's cute (especially in that stark background), part of it is that almost nobody in our generation plays banjo uke, and also it's just a fun choice of song. However, definitely agree that in terms of pure musicianship she's nothing amazing. Her other tracks are also pretty cool though, some samba pieces played on tenor banjo, etc. quote:ing. I'm really surprised by the fact that in about three months of uke playing I can whip out stuff that's more intricate than 99% of the uke stuff on youtube. Now you've just obligated yourself to pony up some clips for judgement.  I posted my lovely clawhammer-style uke playing, so it won't kill you to share some licks. Bonus points if your wife accompanies on bowed psaltery.
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Dec 2, 2007 19:58
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Bad news, my boyfriend's parents already happened to buy him a ukelele for christmas  Especially sucks as I was going to fork out for a nice one, and they got him a bargain bin version :P
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Dec 2, 2007 20:13
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Get him the nice one as a post-christmas gift and never tell his parents. He'll thank you after he gets a chance to compare. And if the parents ever happen to see it then they probably won't know the difference anyway.
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Dec 2, 2007 20:31
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withak posted:Get him the nice one as a post-christmas gift and never tell his parents. He'll thank you after he gets a chance to compare. And if the parents ever happen to see it then they probably won't know the difference anyway. Plus then you can steal his cheapie! Win-Win-Win
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Dec 2, 2007 21:17
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I bought a Fluke Ukulele after seeing "A Concert For George", and I've played "I'll See You In My Dreams" for girls before, it truly woos them, as cheesy as it is. http://youtube.com/watch?v=1Mu8D69uxA0
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Dec 2, 2007 21:39
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Cah
slow crow fucked around with this message at 12:39 on Oct 12, 2013 |
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Dec 2, 2007 22:44
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withak posted:Get him the nice one as a post-christmas gift and never tell his parents. He'll thank you after he gets a chance to compare. And if the parents ever happen to see it then they probably won't know the difference anyway. I think I'll just wait this one out.. if he shows interest in his first one, I'll "upgrade" it after a while.  Meanwhile, I've instead decided for now, to bring him back a Greek mandolin or bouzouki from Cyprus. To derail slightly, not only do these sound awesome, they instantly make you seem cultured and loved by all my greek relatives! Some bouzouki goodness: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIZMWb2NRnM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBUKZH3vXKM
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Dec 2, 2007 23:37
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aunaturale posted:I've been searching around for solid top Ukes that are under $200. The Flea ones for that price are laminate however. And the Ovation I assume would be too (as well as likely made in China?) One of the other goons pointed out the spruce-top Kalas for $130. Those are made in China though, if that's a problem for you. I believe (but not sure) that the larger Flukes have spruce tops. Confirm/deny? The Ovation/Applause probably has a laminate top. quote:Meanwhile, I've instead decided for now, to bring him back a Greek mandolin or bouzouki from Cyprus. Solid call. Sounds like you're a good girlfriend. Don't forget to keep an eye out for more unusual Cypriot instruments while you're there. Maybe something harder to find than a bozouki, like a baglama (the Greek kind) or a tsouras: http://www.atlasofpluckedinstruments.com/europe3.htm#greece TapTheForwardAssist fucked around with this message at 00:12 on Dec 3, 2007 |
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Dec 3, 2007 00:08
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:Now you've just obligated yourself to pony up some clips for judgement. I haven't really recorded anything since I got back from Panama, but this is a track I was working on before I left. It's not that showy, but I guess it's all right. There's a little solo bit after the second chorus that I like a lot. Probably going to retake it, though - this was a quick proof-of-concept take. The whole song was recorded in about two hours. Plus some more excuses that I'll think of later. As for uke and psaltery, all I've got is this one that you've already heard. Also a super-quick take, blah blah blah. My wife actually hasn't spent much time working on the psaltery lately - orals are swift approaching, and she's lucky to get thirty minutes to herself these days. I may try to record something else soon, I'll post it if I do.
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Dec 3, 2007 03:35
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Ah
slow crow fucked around with this message at 12:39 on Oct 12, 2013 |
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Dec 3, 2007 04:36
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:It's a pretty short learning curve from "I've never touched a uke before" to "I can play some Radiohead and everyone recognizes the song". That is amazing (I can't wait till my ukulele gets here.)
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Dec 3, 2007 05:00
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Thanks to the information in this thread, I finally managed to get a nice concert-sized ukelele lined up for Christmas! I've always wanted one, but now I have a chance to learn
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Dec 3, 2007 13:16
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aunaturale posted:http://beatlesite.info/ Came to post this. Beatles songs seem to translate really well on the ukulele.
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Dec 3, 2007 19:55
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shpladoinkle posted:Came to post this. Beatles songs seem to translate really well on the ukulele. Huh, funny how that works.   
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Dec 3, 2007 21:50
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I've decided to work up some courage and post a recording or two of a few songs I've learned to play, as soon as I get a new computer mic, as my old one is borked. I haven't decided if I'll sing along or not; I might just play the chords and save myself the possible embarrassment.
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Dec 3, 2007 22:16
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Ah
slow crow fucked around with this message at 12:40 on Oct 12, 2013 |
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Dec 3, 2007 23:54
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aunaturale posted:How about this plan: That's pretty much my plan. Although the cheapie I bought actually sounds pretty great. $55 for a Lanikai. When I get back to the US I'm definitely buying a more expensive one, but I'm still trying to figure out what to get. Do the Fluke/Flea ukes actually sound good or are they just spiffy-looking?
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Dec 4, 2007 00:51
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Mizkif posted:That's pretty much my plan. Although the cheapie I bought actually sounds pretty great. $55 for a Lanikai. When I get back to the US I'm definitely buying a more expensive one, but I'm still trying to figure out what to get. Do the Fluke/Flea ukes actually sound good or are they just spiffy-looking? Good question. In the past, when I didn't have much uke experience, I played Flukes against a variety of hardwood $400-600 ukes, and came away pretty pleased with the Fluke. One of my goals for the Christmas break (visiting family in Seattle) is to go to Dusty Strings and spend hours playing every uke in the place, to figure out what I like in various higher-end models. I've been coming to DS since I was 14, so they know me pretty well there, should leave me be for a few hours to dig the gear. If at all possible, when you're ready to upgrade simply try as many ukes as possible. Either go to an actual real music store (hint: not Guitar Center) and try different models, or check and see if there's a uke club or group in your town where you can meet folks and try gear out. quote:How about this plan: I'd say a little overkill on both ends. Cheap is fine, cheapest is maybe excessive. Since the margin between Mizkif's satisfactory Lanikai and an unplayable (not properly set-up) Hilo is maybe $20, I'd say the difference is worth paying. It's not like a choice between "barely playable" and "decent" is $100 or anything, and even the pretty okay starter ukes are still cheaper than any non-crap guitar you'll ever buy. Economy is good, but let's not be pound-foolish here. On the opposite end (upgrading to a Martin S-O): if you're about to drop that kind of cash, I'd definitely play as many ukes as possible. There's a lot of cool stuff out there for $400-800, so trying out a wide variety of wood/build/soundhole options would be most wise. EDIT: Oh, the S-O model is the Mexican-made $300-400 one. For a second I thought your meant a $1000+ Martin. I haven't played a S-O, but off the top of my head I'd ask how it compares to a $175 Bushman Jenny, which is also made overseas from solid mahogany. EDIT2: Hot drat, Mizkif, I just now remembered which goon you are. I was thinking "I should go bring that one guy over to this thread", and then I realize it's you. Did you get that batch of cheap ukes shipped to your buddies? Care to share your uke pics from an exotic locale? TapTheForwardAssist fucked around with this message at 02:24 on Dec 4, 2007 |
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Dec 4, 2007 02:07
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I just bought a cheap ukulele and have a couple of questions. I used my guitar as reference to tune it to GCEA, as it is a soprano uke, but I just noticed that the extra pack of strings I bought says DGBE on the package, which is the baritone tuning. Are there special strings for baritone ukuleles or can I use these on mine too and just tune them accordingly? Also my G string is buzzing like hell, and in general seems to lack the same fullness of sound that the other three have. Any way to fix this? As I said, it's a cheapass uke so maybe that just comes with the territory, but if I can improve its sound it'd be nice.
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Dec 4, 2007 15:38
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Glare Seethe posted:I just bought a cheap ukulele and have a couple of questions. I used my guitar as reference to tune it to GCEA, as it is a soprano uke, but I just noticed that the extra pack of strings I bought says DGBE on the package, which is the baritone tuning. Are there special strings for baritone ukuleles or can I use these on mine too and just tune them accordingly? Those should be baritone strings you've got there. I do not believe they'd be compatible with a soprano uke, especially since the low string would be non-re-entrant, thus probably putting more tension on the body. You might just want to sell those to a bari-owning goon (if they're a decent brand) or just give them away if they're $2 cheapies. quote:Also my G string is buzzing like hell, and in general seems to lack the same fullness of sound that the other three have. Any way to fix this? As I said, it's a cheapass uke so maybe that just comes with the territory, but if I can improve its sound it'd be nice. Main question: is your G-string re-entrant (pitched higher than your C, an octave above where a low G would be)? If not, then for some reason you has a low G on a soprano, meaning that the nut probably isn't set up for that diameter, and the body isn't big enough to give response for a low G. If that's the case, you need to go re-entrant by buying another high A string and just tuning it a step lower to G. If you're currently using the cheapie strings it came with, just buy a $2-3 pack of decent strings online (making sure they're re-entrant soprano strings) and go with the new pack. If your G is re-entrant, it's a bid odd that it's not getting "fullness of sound". If it's buzzing, it might be because the action is too low on that string (probably someone cut the slot in the nut too deep). Using small coins (dime, penny), measure the gap between your G string and the fretboard, and do the same for the other strings. Is your G string noticeably lower? If so, try a temporary shim of a bit of torn paper and see if that raises it up and stops the buzzing. It's also help to try and figure out whether the buzzing originates at the nut, the bridge, or against an individual fret. Too technical, or do these two possibilites make sense? What particular brand of cheapie did you get? TapTheForwardAssist fucked around with this message at 18:00 on Dec 4, 2007 |
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Dec 4, 2007 17:58
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:Main question: is your G-string re-entrant (pitched higher than your C, an octave above where a low G would be)? Ahh, thanks for this post, I think I figured it out. When I bought it it was completely out of tune and somehow I missed the bit in this thread about the re-entrant G string, so when I tuned it I set it to a lower octave than my C. Now I tuned it to a higher G and the buzzing stopped. That should explain why it was slightly lower than the others when I measured it, I think. And now it's sounding all full and nice. Just to make sure I got this correctly, an open G should be the same pitch as the G on the third fret of the E string? The brand is... Richwood Instruments. Says it was made in China. :\ It was the only ukulele they had at the shop and was only 22 euros, but I like the way it sounds. And it's fun as hell to play. Thanks for the help, I appreciate it.
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Dec 4, 2007 19:12
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Glare Seethe posted:Ahh, thanks for this post, I think I figured it out. When I bought it it was completely out of tune and somehow I missed the bit in this thread about the re-entrant G string, so when I tuned it I set it to a lower octave than my C. Now I tuned it to a higher G and the buzzing stopped. You are correct. With re-entrant tuning fretting the second fret on your G should match your A. If you had it tuned all the way down to low G, your string would be flapping like Paris Hilton's nether-lips. Does it play well now that you've got it tuned up? Not familiar with Richwood, but there are dozens of brand-names of Chinese ukes. Probably four brand names for each actual factory producing them. With standard cheapies it's really a matter of luck: some play just great, others play great with some tweaking, others are kindling. I heard good thing about the "Nenes" brand on UkuleleCosmos though. I've heard good things about the Mahalo brand sold in the UK, but the ones I tried in Canada were utter rubbish (different factory?). Not sure what uke options you had available where you're at, but paying the extra few bucks for a set-up cheapie, or upgrading to a Lanikai or Kala, is usually a good investment for a noob. Will go check out a bunch of higher-end ukes next week, will post a report. Am also considering getting a Bushman Jenny tenor uke: solid mahogany, made in China, about $220 for cutaway tenor. This thread is actually turning out to be a lot of fun. Needs more YouTube clips though.
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Dec 4, 2007 21:16
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:Does it play well now that you've got it tuned up? Yeah, definitely. It sounds so much better, and I'm already having more fun with it than I've had with my acoustic guitar in the last three months. So far I've been teaching myself some chords and trying to transpose some of my guitar songs to ukulele, just to hear what they sound like. quote:Not sure what uke options you had available where you're at, but paying the extra few bucks for a set-up cheapie, or upgrading to a Lanikai or Kala, is usually a good investment for a noob. Yeah, I'll keep checking up in various stores to see what they have in the near future, but I think this one'll do nicely for at least a while.
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Dec 4, 2007 21:35
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I have an electric guitar tuner here. It's perfect for tuning the E and A strings, but I can't get the C and G strings to tune properly. It says the G is in tune but it sounds really out of whack, like it's way too low (maybe a lower G?) and the string feels very loose. And the C string sounds in tune but is reading as a out of tune B. What am I doing wrong? If I hold the electric tuner up to the speakers and play the notes from a ukulele tuning site, it picks them up perfectly. Ehud fucked around with this message at 03:01 on Dec 5, 2007 |
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Dec 5, 2007 02:59
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Ehud posted:I have an electric guitar tuner here. It's perfect for tuning the E and A strings, but I can't get the C and G strings to tune properly. Are you sure you have it set for the right key? You should set it for the key of C.
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Dec 5, 2007 03:01
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