My Bushman Ukulele
Many, many years ago, about 14 or so, YouTube recommended a video of a cute blonde playing the ukulele and having a lot of fun with her friends. I completely blame my ukulele addiction on Julia Nunes. That video triggered something in my creative side and I was off to find myself an ukulele and learn how to play. Julia had won the first Bushman ukulele contest and I watched the excitement in her unboxing video. And then I saw a couple of the members of the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain were playing Bushman ukuleles. Within a few months I had seen both Julia and the UOGB live in concert. And set my heart on getting my own Bushman ukulele. I entered the Bushman contest, hoping to win a gift certificate toward one of these beauties. And did okay with my original song, I Learned to Play…
UKEtopia! Adventures in the Ukulele World
There are many, myself included, that put a great deal of the credit on Jim and Liz Beloff for the current wave of ukulele popularity in the United States and the rest of the world. Chances are pretty high that if you play ukulele you have a number of Jumpin’ Jim’s song books in your collection. Many uke clubs use the big yellow The Daily Ukulele for their jam sessions. Regulars at ukulele festivals and workshops all over the world; Jim and Liz add a touch of familiarity and family to the gathering. Their welcoming personalities are a big part of their success! Flea Market Music has been teasing a new Beloff book for several months. I was tempted to pre-order on Amazon, but The Magic Fluke Company sent out a message a few weeks back that they had autographed copies available, so I sent my order off to Phyllis and…
Murder Plays a Ukulele
At some point or another, most of us in the ukulele community have seen this picture: It is the illustration that accompanied the article Murder Plays A Ukulele by M.K. Arnold, published in the July 1941 issue of Master Detective Magazine. Subtitled, “A ukulele – an abandoned car – and a bicycle on the beach . . . smart detective work linked them together and nabbed the killer.” The picture itself is more than a bit off, as the two main characters were only a couple years different in age, both in their early 20’s, and both played the ukulele. This isn’t a work of fiction, it is a true story! But it took my librarian sister, Sarah Howard, almost a year to unearth a copy of the article in the Library of Congress and get it to me. Frederick David Galloway was born in New York in 1902 and lived…
A Visit in the Berkshires – The Magic Fluke Company
Driving through the Berkshires on Highway 7, you will encounter beautiful scenery and picturesque views. And if you know what you are looking for you may spot a small building as you enter Sheffield, Massachusetts, just north of the Connecticut border. Nestled in the shrubbery is a colorful sign for The Magic Fluke Company. This is the home of the company where all the Flukes and Fleas are assembled, where customization is done and the final inspections are completed. I had mentioned in a Facebook ukulele group that I was taking my Fluke with me to avoid any issues regarding the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) as my wife and I crossed the Canadian border on our ten-day road trip through Canada and New England. Another member suggested we stop by The Magic Fluke Company. Dale and Phyllis Webb started in the company in 1999, with encouragement…
My New Talsma Pineapple!
A bit more than a week ago, my favorite ukulele luthier put a post on Facebook: Soprano Pineapple Ukulele, 13.625″ scale. I built this for fun and to sell during my lock down. Quilt Mahogany top, back and sides. African Mahogany 5 piece neck with koa center. Curly koa bindings. Emerald green tint head plate, fretboard and bridge. Grover Champion tuning pegs. This is built nice and light with a very thin satin lacquer finish, sounds great. It could be yours – PM me if interested. Well, I was interested, so I sent the PM. I had been thinking about another Talsma for about a year. And I was debating about size and shape and how much I wanted to spend and what features. Another friend was considering selling one of his and was giving me first refusal. I was thinking hard about it and he decided to keep it…
What Year Was My Martin Made?
So, you looked at my article Identify Your Vintage Martin and determined what Style your Martin is. And now, like the dozens of people who send me emails, you want to figure out what year that ukulele was manufactured. While each of the specific styles have their own characteristics that can help identify their age, this article describes some of the common factors across the styles that can narrow down the time frames. And, as always, there are exceptions to the general rules. Specifics by style will be found in future articles. Fret marker location. When they began making ukuleles, Martin marked the frets at 3, 5 and 9. In 1920, they moved the fret marker at 9 to the 10th fret. The inside stamp. The inside stamp ran parallel to the strings until mid-1916, at which point they turned it to run parallel to the interior brace. If the…
The UKUL3L3 Dude!
After several years of being totally jealous of the individuals that had acquired Michigan’s UKULELE license plate and then the GCEA plate, (Yes, I know who has them both!) I finally went my own route. After consulting with a number of individuals and test marketing, I made a decision. You have to apply in person, so I made an online appointment at the Secretary of State office one Monday morning for the following Thursday. I walked in and out in less than ten minutes with my receipt and new registration. It arrived about two weeks later, and I was out of town. After another week, I finally put it on the car! I have also registered the domain name, so it will lead anyone that happens to look for it to The Ukulele Dude!
Midwest Uke Camp 2018 – Workshops
One of the big draws of Midwest Uke Camp is the opportunity to learn from some of the best instructors available! The organizers spend a lot of time lining up top talent and then trying to fit it all into a coherent schedule. And Ben Hassenger and company do a great job. Everyone has to choose eight workshops from a selection of over 60! When selecting workshops, I consider a number of factors. I usually start with the track aimed at my playing level, looking down the list of classes. Typically, I will eliminate any class I’ve already taken, but you’ll see below where I actually repeated myself! The other big consideration is to try and take a course from as many different instructors as I can. Not only does it expose me to new instruction, but helps me learn effective teaching techniques to use in both my ukulele workshops…
Midwest Uke & Harmonica Camp 2018 – Overview
The 3rd Midwest Uke & Harmonica Camp (MUC) has entered the history books. And it was as epic as the previous two years and getting larger! So let me start with the general and move to the specific items to share with you. I’ll share my workshop and instructor info in a separate post. Attendance has grown, there were 100 more people than there were at the first camp, getting close to 200! Which means more people to jam with, more folks to share with and more opportunities to learn! Olivet College is simply beautiful this time of year! The campus is green and lush and there are well kept beds full of flowers and perennials. The classrooms and most areas are air conditioned to help with comfort. Workshops are diverse and full of choices! This year featured six ukulele tracks, Beginner, Confident Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Intermediate were joined…
Should I Put a Strap on My Ukulele? FAQ
To strap, or not to strap? That is the question! Whether ’tis nobler to suffer the slings and tie downs in outrageous colors, or to run free, perhaps to fall. Most professionals use a strap or leash when they are performing. The use of the device allows them to move their fingers up and down the fret board more quickly, without worrying about the possibility of the instrument falling. It is also more difficult to hold the ukulele securely when you are plugged in. The amp cord changes the weight of the instrument and pulls down on it. I prefer the use of a leash. It provides me some additional safety when playing and will prevent the instrument from crashing to the floor inadvertently. And it does not change the instrument with any holes or drilling. Jake Shimabakuro uses a leash. I got a chance to talk to him about…