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El Jefe
Aloha
14 Posts |
 Posted - 06/14/2002 : 01:56:24 AM
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History has it that when the Portuguese arrived in the islands with
the "uke" it was originally tuned DGBD....only later to be changed
unlike its cousin the "cavaquinho' used in Brazil and still tuned most commonly to DGBD..however steel strings and a 340mm or approximately 13 1/2 scale length
I am currently gearing up to build some ukes and cavaquinhos on the same body but with the bracing and scale lengths modified for either the steel string or nylon...
I am curious if anyone either tunes to the original DGBD or if any
one is also enamoured of the uke derivative..the cavaquinho..as am I
I still have all my "concert" sized uke moulds and workboards..last used to make some for unamed nationally known guitar shops...somewhere in the early 90's...I have never branded my instruments with my name...and no label...those were all mahogany with Brazilain rosewood binding, fingerboards and bridges..and modified Bouchet bracing..wish I had kept one.....kept some photos.. Oh well...on to the next project..
Hooked on the small cool instruments..
cavaquinhos, timples and hybrid tenor/concerts
El Jefe
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Pauline Leland
`Olu`olu
USA
783 Posts |
Posted - 06/14/2002 : 2:49:43 PM
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El Jefe,
The internet is really a small world! Welcome; Andy has a good forum here.
Thanks for explaining what a cavaquino is. I'd wondered. Are you thinking about building for sale or for personal use?
Pauline |
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El Jefe
Aloha
14 Posts |
Posted - 06/14/2002 : 8:33:32 PM
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Hi Pauline,
Excellent discussion board and because ukes are truly an instrument of passion...keeps the riff raff out : ) very focused and "unyuppie"
as it really is an instrument of substance and history and not another mechanism to promote your personal image..ie not yuppie
My fascination with the uke was not altogether straight forward..
When I was a wee tyke in Winnemucca Nevada (no thats not Hawaiian)
there was music teacher named Miss Gravelvitch...(true) and I had the hots for her..she taught uke..sooo... I bought a very cool all solid wood Mahogany uke from Sears and Roebuck...I believe it may have been a Favilla..so this dog got to itch his fleas..
I still have the concert size moulds but the instrument and fingerboard are simply too small for me... so I decided to either supersize the Concert or downsize the Tenor..that was the original plan,,now I am intent on making one body that can be used for either the cavaco or the uke..again only changing the bracing, bridge and neck so that the smae chassis can be used..
If they are good enough I'll make 4 at one time ..two steel. and two nylon and keep one of each of the first batch..
If it is economically viable I'll make more but this will be a paying hobby not a business..so in simple terms I may sell some...
I have some very good old wood I have been saving ..some for over 20 years just for this project...
As I am narrow minded I don't bend to the whims of potential buyers..
no neutered genies inlaid upa nd down the fingerboards..no "freedom" tree wood..no pretentious sunken log hype..
Just
A. A basic design
B. Best materials
C. Plainly and cleanly executed..
I leave the flamboyance and mythology to others...
As my motivation is not money but the project itself...there may be some singularly identifiable anomalies to these..good or bad..
Tone and playablility are paramount not the ego of the builder or player.. I believe instruments have their own character and soul..
not my right to mess with it...
I intend for this to be fun and a break even project...
I will hand bend the sides on my same hot pipe bender I made in 1965
Same old 40's vintage band saw..etc...low tech..slow tech..
(by necessity)
Listend to the Old Spice Boys this PM then the Joel Nascimiento
Sexteto Brasileiro with Henrique Cazes on Cavaquinho..hot stuff
fpr some great Brazilian Cavaquinho music visit Acari.com owned by
Luciana Rabello a cavaquniho player herself and they have her CD as well as Indio do Cavaquinho..and you will see what happened to the uke in Brazil ....also brazmus.com and there are some Cavaco cd's
there as well as a tutorial by Henrique Cazes...
Later
El Jefe
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Pauline Leland
`Olu`olu
USA
783 Posts |
Posted - 06/15/2002 : 10:31:06 AM
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Hi El Jefe,
Your links didn't work. 
In the spirit of this board, do you have any Hawaiian flavored links?
Pauline |
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El Jefe
Aloha
14 Posts |
Posted - 06/15/2002 : 12:18:31 PM
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Hi P,
Between Flea MArket Music links and the Yahoo Group UkuleleMadness
links ..its covered for Hawaian....
try Acari.com.br and brazmus.com works for me...
El Jefe
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