So what is out? your my – your dog – your has – or your fleas? Probably all of them but here we will show you three different magical little devices that will keep you sounding good. Working at a music store, I can’t imagine life without them. Aaron gives his best “Shoot Out” as he calls it, comparing features and opinions on these 3 Tuners from Ukulele companies. Which one do I like? Which ever one is closest! Enjoy the Video info and review~
Mailani and Dr. Trey – Original music with Rippin’ Ukulele! – Video & Tabs!!
I had not seen Treacy Terada in a few years so I took a drive down to the windward side to see what this old friend is up to. About a stones throw from the Kanilea factory is Four Strings Studio. This haven of musical aspiration has been Dr. Trey’s work station for as long as I have known him. He recorded and produced Jake Shimabukuro’s first four albums here along with many other diverse projects.
The Kanilea’s K1 Premium Koa Tenor – 2 Ukes reviewed (or should I say drooled over)
Kanilea’s models like these K1-TP’s are just ridiculous. I say that in the most positive way. I mean, look at these tenors. The best from god’s gift of Hawaiian Koa wood along with the special talent of a few master ukulele makers from our island creates a very desirable little instrument. These two were especially eye-popping. I think even wild …
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What is an Ukulele “Setup”?
Your goals with music on the ukulele are best pursued the easiest way possible. It is easier to learn songs and get better faster on a quality instrument with a good setup. And the biggest factor in our setup is the string action. On a Pono ukulele their is a truss rod to adjust, but on most ukes you are only dealing with an adjustment from the two points the string rests on. The nut (at the beginning of the fretboard- it has slots that the strings sit in and go through) and the saddle (on the top of the body is the bridge and inside that sits a saddle – the string rests on saddle and is locked at the bridge). The lower you go on those two points, the lower your action is, and the easier it becomes to play.
Troy Fernandez- Original Ukulele Styles & Local Inspiration~
This video is an overview from Aaron on one of the most influential uke players to come out of Hawaii- Troy Fernandez. Troy has his own unique style that has inspired many players. He was a big part of the “ukulele renaissance of the early 90’s”, giving us an ukulele sound that was exciting, versatile, and totally his own.
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The Baritone Ukulele – Review & Chord Chart
The Baritone ukulele is the same tuning as the high four strings on a guitar. A 4th lower than a regular ukulele, but the shapes are all the same. The main reason you would want a baritone ukulele is because it sounds so dang good. It is significantly smaller than a guitar but still gives you a similar depth and color. The standard G C E A just does not do this, and vise versa. Both G C E A and D G B E are the same intervals but with a different key and tension the same shapes inspire different styles. It is fun to have both to choose and both are equally, and uniquely ukulele.~
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What’s Up With Music Guy Mic?
Everyone knows Michael Aratani, right? aka Music Guy Mic aka MGM ? For those of you who don’t already know Music Guy Mic is a well known Ebay Ukulele seller. He goes to the festivals and is very loved in the uke community.
I became concerned a while ago when his posts started to getting a little crazy. Then I heard he was shutting down his store because of health problems.? We were just hangin’ out at the NAMM. He took me and Noa, my brother, out for dinner, talked about buying every single model from every builder. He was totally fine. And now he can’t even type?
As I step into Mike’s house (parent’s house) it reminds me of the old days when Mike ran his store out of here. There is a young boy setting up ukes on his “house work bench”, aka washing machine padded with towels. His poor mother, lol. Mike is still Mike, but just more sick. He isn’t as cuckoo as his typing makes him seem. He is just his regular crazy self, which is good to see. He says to me, ” You were the one that helped me get started.” That makes me feel good because Mike has really helped a lot of people. And he had come far from when we first met. He first came to our Kaneohe store with yellow eyes and horrible breathing. He had just gotten out of the hospital and nearly died. A problem with his liver. He had overcome that though for years now. His health stabilized and his ukulele business went through the roof. He also managed to help me build a third level storage and remodel the bottom level of our old store in Kaneohe. I would give him cost on things he needed , and in the past few years he’s returned the favors many times.
Collings Ukuleles!
If you are not already familiar with Collings, they are a high end guitar maker located in Austin Texas. A few years ago, founder, Bill Collings started building ukuleles. Just like when he started building mandolins, or archtop guitars, or electric guitars, he built an ukulele as well as you could imagine possible. Everyone has been amazed at the tone and quality of these ukes. Much like his acoustic guitars, they sound “broken in”. The UC1 concert mahogany model from them sounds just like Martins that are 50 or 60 years old! With time these ukes will sound better? Inconceivable! Bill Collings is a genius. And these ukuleles that just came into the store are amazing. The sound is so nice Corey could hardly contain his excitement. Check it out…
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Kamaka Ukuleles in 4 sizes- Corey Jams the “Crazy G”
Kamaka has been giving the world great ukes for almost 100 yearsnow. The most popular models are the ones in this video, the HF-1 Standard (soprano), the HF-2 Concert, the HF-3 tenor, and the original Kamaka designed HP-1 Pineapple. Many people have inquired about the sound difference between these models so we have recorded them next to each other for your comparison.