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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
 Posted - 08/16/2002 : 12:21:53 AM
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I've been thinking of trying to record with my old Kamaka ukulele, and as much as I hate to do it, I may try and install an active internal pickup of some kind. Has anyone ever retrofitted an older uke and does anyone have any suggests on which model would work?
Jesse Tinsley
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edkalama
Akahai
USA
90 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2002 : 05:33:05 AM
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I did it on mine, a non-kamaka ukelele, and somehow it affected the original sound quality of my uke. If it's an old kamaka, I would leave it alone if I were you. It will also lose its value, I think. Better to just put a microphone very close to the uke while recording. You will get a more natural ukulele sound.
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ukejackson
Akahai
USA
93 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2002 : 9:32:33 PM
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jesse, you're not going to record direct from the pickup anyway. even when somebody play an electric guitar in a studio situation, it's palyed through an am and the am is mic'd. acoustic instruments are invariably played thru a condensor mic. better to spend your money on a good mic for recording.
uj
Uke Jackson, from farmers markets to festival mainstages, from crossroads cafes to cosmopolitan cabarets |
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ukejackson
Akahai
USA
93 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2002 : 9:33:21 PM
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amp
Uke Jackson, from farmers markets to festival mainstages, from crossroads cafes to cosmopolitan cabarets |
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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2002 : 12:31:13 AM
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Thanks for the comments. My friends and I have played a few gigs at parties and I think I still need some kind of pickup for that stuff. But my Kamaka is my mom's old 1959 tenor, which was played by many of my 'ohana kupuna over the years, so I would hate to do anything to make it unplayable. I was also looking at the Ovation-style electric/acoustic tenor ukes. Has anyone tried them? Sound? Playability?
Jesse Tinsley
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ukejackson
Akahai
USA
93 Posts |
Posted - 08/18/2002 : 1:58:41 PM
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i've played both the applause and the fluke tenor uks. there's nothing "wrong" with an applause. i found the fluke much more "player friedly". how can i describe? there's a feel of generosity to the fluke, where the applause feels kind of industrial. one man's opinion, that's all.
Uke Jackson, from farmers markets to festival mainstages, from crossroads cafes to cosmopolitan cabarets |
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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 08/19/2002 : 12:55:11 AM
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Any recommendations on where to buy a fluke?
I never liked playing round-back guitars either. My Kamaka tucks securely under my arm like Walter Payton running with a football. A round back instrument feels like holding a squirming baby, like it's gonna fall out of my hands any minute.
That said, some of the guitars sound great, real punchy and crisp.
Jesse Tinsley
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ukejackson
Akahai
USA
93 Posts |
Posted - 08/19/2002 : 09:48:00 AM
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jesse, jim beloff's web site -- www.fleamarketmusic.com is the home page for flukes. they give a 100% satisfaction guarantee. jim's brother in law desgined and developed the fluke. i met them both at the uke expo last year. really great people. tell 'em uke jackson sent ya!
peace,
Uke Jackson, from farmers markets to festival mainstages, from crossroads cafes to cosmopolitan cabarets |
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wcutler
Aloha
Canada
1 Posts |
Posted - 08/30/2002 : 8:28:40 PM
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Re: the Ovation-style electric/acoustic tenor ukes, I borrowed an Ovation tenor for a few weeks. It was far quieter than my (non-electric) Ovation soprano acoustic. It was also heavy. I get more sound from my soprano than I got from that tenor even when it was plugged in. I agree with the other comment to just mike your acoustic uke.
*+*+*
Wendy in Vancouver
Edited by - wcutler on 08/30/2002 20:34:17 |
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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 08/31/2002 : 12:10:06 AM
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Thanks for the review. It's the first indepth comment on them that I've heard. That, and the $400+ price tag makes me think a good koa or mahogany uke of traditional construction might make the best uke to put a pickup on. Jesse Tinsley
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ukejackson
Akahai
USA
93 Posts |
Posted - 09/01/2002 : 2:44:46 PM
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i played a gig last night with a rockabilly (them hillbillies is mountain williams now) band with my gibson soprano with a stick on piezo pick up. worked great, as always. i paid $5 for it on line. but i can't remember where.
again, though, a pick up is great forplugging in and rocking out. for recording, mic-ing your instrument acoustic style is best.
Uke Jackson, from farmers markets to festival mainstages, from crossroads cafes to cosmopolitan cabarets |
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