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Pops
Lokahi
USA
387 Posts |
 Posted - 06/09/2002 : 9:17:53 PM
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Uke Jackson,
Thanks for the review of the Uke Expo. Sounds like it's worth the drive. Thanks, again,
Pops
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 06/09/2002 : 10:59:56 PM
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quote:
In regard to the Uke Expo, how fun is it? I could drive there in about 10 hours. Does the fun factor exceed the drive to New Jersey?
I guess it depends how much you like/love the `uke. There were `uke vendors there, some display `ukes from the Hall Fame's collection, workshops, a long open mic, and concert.
Not sure if I'd drive 10 hours, but fortunately I don't have to answer that question since I only need to drive about 30 minutes. Let me know if you're heading down, and you can hang out and have a place to stay.
Aloha,
Andy |
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Pauline Leland
`Olu`olu
USA
783 Posts |
Posted - 06/16/2002 : 9:16:35 PM
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I did it! Thanks for your suggestions Pops.
Last week or so, I saw some used ukes for about $30 with a nasty tone.
Today I went to a nearby multi-instruments-for-rent music store where they had 2 styles of ukes, one at $49, the other at $29. The tone was sort of OK, but one of the tuners was loose, geared tuners BTW. Then I checked intonation with the 12th fret harmonic. Yeowch! And that was the more expensive model.
So, I broke down and trekked to Dusty Strings, lovely store but parking is horrid so I avoid it. I'm strictly a suburban gal, drive a pick up, and park nose-in in mall lots. I finally found a pay lot with an empty nose-in slot not too many blocks away. With a bit of luck, one can parallel park 3/4 mile away, assuming one is capable of parallel parking.
Dusty Strings had a large number of lovely ukes, lovely to look at, and lovely to hear, all for far more than I wanted to pay for a secondary instrument that I might soon grow tired of. Nice woods, nice marquetry. One had a back stripe, just for looks I assume. As I recall, they started at $300 plus and went into 4 figures. Sorry, I don't know what makes or models I was looking at. One had a shell inlay "K" on the headstock and a flamed koa soundboard. There was a banjo/uke with bits of trim so it looked like a fish, tastefully cute, and the banjo sound tempted me. The uke that looks like a harp uke but has no extra strings was there, but I didn't try it.
And they had Flukes, the tone is nice, intonation seemed on, great! The frets are molded into the plastic fingerboard, novel idea! I hope it's a hard, durable material. I remembered a much lower price at Elderly, bad memory, so I just bought a ukulele song book and left.
I've ordered a Fluke from Elderly. The sales gal at Dusty Strings said something about a price increase, and Elderly has a variety of prices that vary by $20 for what seems to be the same model; I haven't checked closely. Dusty Strings prices were comparable to Elderly's, maybe just a bit higher, and I would have had to pay sales tax, too, but no shipping. All in all, I probably saved $5 - $10 dollars ordering over the internet, and I have to wait for it to be shipped to me. Serves me right for not checking first. But I just don't want to go back and fight the parking again.
Oh, I ordered the leopard print for tacky fun.
Sorry for the lengthy post, but surely there are others who are as ignorant as me who may be wondering about ukuleles.
Pauline |
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Turtle Song
Aloha
47 Posts |
Posted - 06/17/2002 : 01:40:42 AM
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Next time, call ahead for directions to pay lots, there are a couple within easy walking distance.
One of the parking areas is listed on the map on their site. For the one I like to use, just go to the north end of the block (your back will be to the Freemont Bridge) and turn right and it is almost immediately on your left.
Don’t tell ‘em I said so, but sometimes you can dicker on instrument prices, hee hee.
aka Deborah |
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ukejackson
Akahai
USA
93 Posts |
Posted - 06/17/2002 : 12:49:41 PM
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bravo, pauline! once your fluke arrives, no strumming while driving that pick up truck ;-) 4 strings rule!
Uke Jackson, from farmers markets to festival mainstages, from crossroads cafes to cosmopolitan cabarets |
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jcfergus
Aloha
USA
30 Posts |
Posted - 06/19/2002 : 7:11:37 PM
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Since Pauline has already made her purchase, this is for those who haven't decided yet.
I recently purchased a Lanikai concert-sized uke in a local (Sacramento area) guitar store. It has laminated mahogany back, top and sides and neck and fretboard of an undetermined wood. The body is bound in ivory-color, top and bottom. It sold for $120 with setup and a really nice case. I have been quite happy with it. It sounds pretty good, and is well made (I don't know where). It has geared tuners, which make tuning much easier than the traditional violin-style peg tuners. You can also find these on the net at Bounty Music (www.ukes.com).
Jim
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