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Kahalenahele
Lokahi
USA
102 Posts |
 Posted - 03/26/2003 : 2:03:32 PM
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I saw on a web message board (I can't remember which one) that a recent visitor to Hawaii thought the majority of ukes that he saw people playing were 6-string tenors.
What do you all play? In other words, what size, and how many strings, do your "main" ukes have? What type of music do you play?
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Pauline Leland
`Olu`olu
USA
783 Posts |
Posted - 03/26/2003 : 7:17:48 PM
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Hi John,
I'm on the mainland, but you know that. 
They are all 4-string. Main is a low G tenor. Pushing and crowding for second spot is a high G concert Fluke and a low G tenor scale length RISA electric (not a stick).
Type of music I play now is mainly strum & sing stuff - pop from all decades, a bit of hapa, and one or two all Hawaiian lyrics. I'm also trying to learn some finger-picking tunes - one Hawaiian, one from Mark Knopfler, one Flamenco.
Are you going to keep a tally? This could be interesting. |
Pauline |
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 03/26/2003 : 9:35:48 PM
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| Another mainlander here. I have a soprano and concert, both 4 stringers. Not sure what's selling in Hawai`i right now, but I think the four stringers are still going strong. The Art of Solo `Ukulele compilation that came out last year didn't have any six string tenors on it. |
Andy |
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aplenty
Akahai
62 Posts |
Posted - 03/26/2003 : 9:53:22 PM
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I play a variety... 1 tenor 6 string... often played with 5 strings for recording... Kamaka... 1 soprano Kamaka 4 string... 1 soprano Ovation 4 string... 1 tenor Ovation 4 string...
Sometimes my choice (we play A LOT) is just my mood... sometimes due to the sound system I'll be playing through or not... and when recording I have different technical issues to deal with.
I see people playing a whole variety here.
Aloha,
Sandy |
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marzullo
`Olu`olu
USA
923 Posts |
Posted - 03/26/2003 : 11:45:43 PM
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i'm in california. my favorite is a four string tenor, low G.
i've seen quite often performers in hawaii playing six or eight string ukuleles. it might be because they're a louder instrument? or, perhaps, because they sound a but different.
i have a six string that is a lot of fun to play...
aloha,
keith
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Keith |
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Julie H
Ha`aha`a
USA
1206 Posts |
Posted - 03/27/2003 : 01:38:17 AM
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| Aloha John, I'm in California also. Most of the folks in our ukulele class use 4 strings. One lady has a baritone, all others are sopranos, concerts or tenors. The fun thing about our class is that Tony Graziano (the luthier) is in it, and he always has some gorgeous uke he's made with him. I think we are spoiled. We have some beautiful instruments showing up for class. Our kumu (teacher)Michelle Kiba has a Graziano 8 string tenor. But the rest of us lowly pluckers have just the 4 strings. Personally, I have a Mele 6-string but am not playing it because I'm waiting to get some Aquila strings. My husband plays a tenor because he can't get his big fingers into those little tiny frets of the sops. Maybe that's the problem those big Hawaiians have as well. Bigga is beddah? Aloha, Julie |
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Pops
Lokahi
USA
387 Posts |
Posted - 03/27/2003 : 9:04:27 PM
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I'm in Ohio. My main 'ukulele is a concert Kamaka but I also have a Fluke concert scale. I almost always finger pick.
Peace |
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Jake Provonsha
Aloha
USA
11 Posts |
Posted - 03/31/2003 : 11:03:54 PM
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| It's a Mele 6 string tuned to low G. I like the tone and the volume it produces. Just recently got to play a 50's Martin tenor (my idea of a dream machine)and I must say it didn't seem much better but it was a 50's Martin. |
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wdf
Ha`aha`a
USA
1153 Posts |
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wdf
Ha`aha`a
USA
1153 Posts |
Posted - 04/01/2003 : 2:26:07 PM
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aplenty says:
quote:
I play a variety... 1 tenor 6 string... often played with 5 strings for recording... Kamaka... 1 soprano Kamaka 4 string... 1 soprano Ovation 4 string... 1 tenor Ovation 4 string...
Sandy has been known to play other ukuleles too!
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Dusty |
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catheglass
Lokahi
USA
312 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2003 : 01:19:30 AM
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Oh boy, I'm feeling pretty lonely here. . . . . I play an old Harmony 4 string baritone, at least for the next month. Any other baritone players? Dennis Lake is building me a wonderful curly koa and ebony baritone, so things are looking up and up... I'm a committed baritone player, except when I steal my sistah's old Kamaka 6 string tenor.....
<ahem> |
cathe |
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Mainkaukau
Lokahi
USA
245 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2003 : 11:33:15 AM
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| Greetings all, while playing 6-string ukulele at travel convention in China, a lady said to me, "What a beautiul sound that little guitar makes". I told her it was not a guitar but a Ukulele and she replied, "Ukulele? I thought a ukulele only had 4 strings". To make a boring story short, she said she was even more impressed to find out that a 4 stringed instrument could produce such rich tones. Therefore, for psychological effects I always play my 4 string in public now. |
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Ipu
Aloha
USA
25 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2003 : 11:01:52 PM
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| I want to buy a koa tenor. What do people know about Mele? How do they compare with Kamaka? |
Buddy Dubay |
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wdf
Ha`aha`a
USA
1153 Posts |
Posted - 04/19/2003 : 01:49:43 AM
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Ipu says:
quote:
What do people know about Mele? How do they compare with Kamaka?
IMHO, they don't. I've played a number of Meles. None of them have had proper intonation. You can check intonation by playing twelfth string harmonics and fretted notes (on the 12th fret). They should sound the same. Every Kamaka I've tried has had proper intonation.
If intonation is not correct, chords and noted will not sound true as you play up the neck. |
Dusty |
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Ipu
Aloha
USA
25 Posts |
Posted - 04/19/2003 : 6:54:01 PM
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| Mahalo Lokahi. I own two Meles. A koa concert and a Koa concert pineapple. I bought both on impulse. The Concert has seperated in the back. They say it's dry heat here in the cold norht east. I say maybe it was made with (at least slightly) green wood. Luckily it's an easy fix, but... I think I will steer clear of them when buyinig my tenor. So...Kamaka is great. yes? Any other ideas. I'm so glad I found this sight this week! I wish I had found it before I spent all that money on second rate instruments. |
Buddy Dubay |
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Ipu
Aloha
USA
25 Posts |
Posted - 04/20/2003 : 10:46:13 AM
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Aloha. Can anyone tell me what I can do about poor intonation on my pieapple concert and concert Mele koa ukes? (see other posts by myself and wdf) Can that be remedied?
Mahalo plenty. |
Buddy Dubay |
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