Another Uke Convert?

[8Muddypaws]

Well Tom, it’s finally happened. I’ve been bitten by the ukulele bug and will probably be buying one of my own soon. I’ve always liked the Kala ones and am thinking of a baritone or tenor. I will be seeking guidance soon.

How did this unspeakable event happen? A new couple is visiting our RV club. They lead a rather large uke group in the Santa Cruz area. We spent a couple of hours jamming yesterday and performed together in the evening. Even though I didn’t know many of their songs it was fun just noodling around the melodies. My style of fingerpicking seemed to blend pretty well too. Hopefully they will be joining the club soon.

After that I did a few of my songs for fellow club members, many of whom apparently didn’t know I’ve been writing music and songs for a long time.

 

[Tom]

Well Tom, it’s finally happened. I’ve been bitten by the ukulele bug and will probably be buying one of my own soon.

Good to hear Russ!

I’ve always liked the Kala ones and am thinking of a baritone or tenor.

Of course, a baritone wouldn't need any re-learning of fingering, since it's tuned DGBE, whereas a tenor will be tuned GCEA like other ukes.

 

[Tom]

I’ve always liked the Kala ones ...

I'm also a fan of Kala, or 'Kala Brand' as they call themselves, and have a couple of their baritones, an 8-string concert, and a couple of their 4-string concerts.

Several years ago our uke band had a tour of the Kala factory in Petaluma. A little crude & low tech, given the industry you and I came from. A small wood shop building their "high end" ukes, and the remainder are built in China.

The instrument I couldn't get along with was their U-bass, with rubber strings.

 

[Tom]

They lead a rather large uke group in the Santa Cruz area.\

That must be 'Sons Of The Beach' (?) Well known in the local uke community, although I've never seen/heard them. I've heard that a smaller group meets at a bar/restaurant in Santa Cruz.

 

[Tom]

My favorite uke store is Lamorinda Music in Lafayette. Owners Colleen and John are always helpful, they'll get something if it's not in stock, and they have good prices.

Their techs are good, although I also use a luthier in Concord.

 

[UTTransplant]

Uke Fever is moderately contagious. After I started having so much fun with mine, Kevin got one too. Mine is a Kala spruce top travel baritone, his is a Makala tenor, both the Kala brand. I chose the baritone because I frankly prefer the more guitar-like sound. The range fits my voice well, and I was surprised how quickly 45 year old guitar muscle memory came back! I got my uke on 29 October, and I am pretty comfortable with most chords and simple strumming. That’s pretty much all I am interested in - no picking, no lead, just accompanying people singing. I did buy an online course to improve my strumming though. Maybe I will advance farther in the future, but right now I just enjoy being in groups playing and singing together. I have a preference for ensemble work over solo in both vocal and instrumental music. We have gone so far as to sign up for a ukulele festival this summer!

 

[Tom]

Turning this discussion upside down ...

I've historically closed out our concerts with a vocal solo of the first verse of God Bless America. Accompaniment for the first verse was our Music Director who would play some C chords for a vamp, then I'd come in vocally. The band would play and sing the 2nd verse, and the audience was encouraged to join in for a repeat of the 2nd verse.

Sadly, we recently lost our MD. Meanwhile, I was asked if I'd sing the song for our upcoming concerts. Last week I was wondering how I'd be accompanied on that 1st verse, given that our stand-in Director doesn't play while leading the band.

I figured I'd accompany myself, then realized I didn't have a uke that could be amp'd. I ordered a piezo pickup with a cable going to a 1/4" plug, so it could be plugged into our mixer, but Amazon let me down. In desperation, I grabbed my Taylor GS Mini 7/8 size guitar, plugged it into my home Fender amp, put a capo on the 5th fret, and mutued the Low E and A strings. Voila - an amp'd GCEA tuned uke. It worked, but not very comfortable playing chords requiring fingers adjacent to the capo.

 

[8Muddypaws]

It would be nice if Taylor made a 7/8 size classical with a price similar to the GS-Mini.

The Kala E-Bass is probably the best sounding mini bass ever but they go out of tune in a matter of seconds. I had some friends that used one and their bassist was constantly tuning.

I definitely want one I can plug in to an amp. I wonder if anyone has ever put a Tonewood Amp on one.

Someone gave me a banjo recently. My fingers are really taking a beating.

 

[Tom]

I definitely want one I can plug in to an amp. I wonder if anyone has ever put a Tonewood Amp on one.

Just curious, any reason you want a specific amp? I suspect there are some custom uke manufacturers who might do that (for a price). Is it possible you could change out an amp yourself?

Coincidentally, just a couple of days ago I was wondering if the luthier I mentioned in Concord could/would install an amp and a plug into my 8-string Kala or one of my baritone ukes. Seeing this guy's shop (aka his garage) and the stuff he does, it wouldn't surprise me if he did. His prices on stuff he's done for me and others I've talked with are insanely low.

Someone gave me a banjo recently. My fingers are really taking a beating.

Aye the metal strings on my plectrum banio really beat up my fingers, especially when I've only been playing my uke for a long time. The metal strings on my banjo uke are more forgiving.

 

[Tom]

After I started having so much fun with mine, Kevin got one too.

Wish I could get Chris interested, but she has no interest. She's happy to listen to me &/or the band and to help out with things like video'ing our concerts.

 

[UTTransplant]

Just curious, any reason you want a specific amp? I suspect there are some custom uke manufacturers who might do that (for a price). Is it possible you could change out an amp yourself?

Coincidentally, just a couple of days ago I was wondering if the luthier I mentioned in Concord could/would install an amp and a plug into my 8-string Kala or one of my baritone ukes. Seeing this guy's shop (aka his garage) and the stuff he does, it wouldn't surprise me if he did. His prices on stuff he's done for me and others I've talked with are insanely low.

Aye the metal strings on my plectrum banio really beat up my fingers, especially when I've only been playing my uke for a long time. The metal strings on my banjo uke are more forgiving.

I have never played an amplified instrument; I will have to give it a try some time. From watching various ukulele-related Reddit and FB posts, I understand the nylon strings have an impact as to what amp to pick. And luthiers seem to do the conversion pretty regularly. As for metal strings, they are the main reason I gave up guitar when I picked it back up a few years ago. After 3 months, my fingers still hurt! Hey, if Willie Nelson can use nylon strings, so can I LOL!

 

[8Muddypaws]

This is a Tonewood Amp: www.tonewoodamp.com.

In a nutshell it is a battery operated amp that uses the guitars back as the cone of a speaker. It sticks to the guitar with 8 very strong neodymium magnets, 4 inside the guitar and 4 in the amp. It can also be used in DI mode for getting the mixed signals directly into a real amp. The effects are way better than my Peavy Vyper amp. I’m really enjoying it.

 

[Tom]

I predict we'll soon see/hear some of Russ' compositions for ukulele.

 

[Tom]

This is a Tonewood Amp: www.tonewoodamp.com.

In a nutshell it is a battery operated amp that uses the guitars back as the cone of a speaker.

I misunderstood what it was. Just looked at their web site - very interesting..

 

[Tom]

I have never played an amplified instrument; I will have to give it a try some time.

IIRC your baritone uke is Kala's travel version. I previously mentioned that folks in our uke band playing Kala's travel concert ukes (sans amplifier) really produce a lot of sound. I predicted (hoped) your baritone travel uke would similarly produce a lot of sound; Is that how it turned out?

Kala explains that, although their travel ukes are "thinner", they produce the increased sound due to the shape of the back.

 

[8Muddypaws]

I’m thinking I would have to create a custom brace for the internal magnets of find some other way to place them. Now that I’ve said it I think I have a simple design that solves the issue of the brace bring too big and the sound hole being too small for my fat hands.

Maybe I can get Tonewood to build a short and somewhat flexible brace for Ukuleles? They incorporated my scheme for mounting the amp to curved back guitars. I donated it to them years ago.

 

[UTTransplant]

IIRC your baritone uke is Kala's travel version. I previously mentioned that folks in our uke band playing Kala's travel concert ukes (sans amplifier) really produce a lot of sound. I predicted (hoped) your baritone travel uke would similarly produce a lot of sound; Is that how it turned out?

Kala explains that, although their travel ukes are "thinner", they produce the increased sound due to the shape of the back.

I don’t have anything to compare it too, but I am very happy with the sound. It has more sound/projection than the other baritone in the Quartzsite group, but that is the only one I have ever heard in person. It is also easier to hold since it is thinner, and I like that too. I am actually putting new strings on tomorrow. It came with the D’Addario Super Nylgut, and I am trying some D’Addario Titanium. They are supposed to be brighter with better projection. I can always go back to the Nylgut if I want to - string are cheap! Wish me luck with tying them on.

 

[Tom]

I am actually putting new strings on tomorrow. ... Wish me luck with tying them on.

Fingers crossed. My Kala baritones were easy to re-string.

 

[Tom]

This discussion has me looking at the Kala travel baritone again. I missed the earlier sale price.

 

[Seilerbird]

The Kala E-Bass is probably the best sounding mini bass ever but they go out of tune in a matter of seconds. I had some friends that used one and their bassist was constantly tuning.

I have had two different bass ukes and rarely had to tune them.

BTW mud, there are utube videos on learning Stairway To Heaven It is very easy to learn and very impressive sounding,