The Ukulele Trading Co Australia

Saturday, 1 February 2014

How did a simple song on a ukulele top the Hottest 100 over monster singles from Lorde and Daft Punk?

Just as Nirvana going Number 1 signalled the "Year that Punk Broke" maybe Riptide by Vance Joy heralds the "Year that Ukulele Broke" into the mainstream. Of course this isn't the first time that Ukulele has broken through into the mainstream, but that was last century.

Well that's it then, it's official the Ukulele is the Comeback Kid, James Keogh aka Melbourne singer-songwriter Vance Joy is the latest Triple J Hottest 100 No 1 song. A Ukulele player at Number 1 on the Charts, worldwide fame and a 5 Record deal with Atlantic Records in the USA. Not bad for a Melbourne boy and his Ukulele.

Darren Levin from Faster Louder finds out more

"James Keogh aka Melbourne singer – and his management team gathered together in a small room at Auckland radio station Kiwi FM. The triple J Hottest 100 was getting down to the pointy end, and when Breakfast hosts Matt and Alex back-announced Daft Punk’s ‘Get Lucky’ at #3, things got real. “We huddled around headphones and it was pretty tense,” recalls Keogh. “We were really just celebrating being in the top two, because it was such an achievement, such a special moment.”

His manager Jaddan Comerford was also in the room. “Each time it went down a number, it was like, ‘Oh cool, we got Top 5. Oh cool, we got Top 4. Oh cool, we got Top 3’ – and when the inevitable happened it was just a magical human experience,” he says.

Comerford – who also looks after Illy, Violent Soho and Amity Affliction under his We Are Unified banner – was elated when ‘Riptide’ came in at #1, but not surprised. He first heard the track via Soundcloud back in May 2012 – and was instantly smitten. “I’ve been managing bands for a long time, all sorts of bands – whether it’s the Amity Affliction going #1 [on the ARIA chart] or Illy doing what he’s doing – so I’ve got a pretty broad experience. But when you hear a song like this, you just think that anything is possible.

“Maybe you’re blinded by your own faith,” he continues, “but I can’t picture someone listening to a song like that and not thinking, ‘Wow, that’s an amazing song’. It’s just undeniable.”

“He seems to come up with clever ways of making the ordinary sound quite magical.”

It was ‘Riptide’ that convinced Comerford to track Keogh down"
By Darren Levin Faster Louder

Read More about how Vance Joy and his Ukulele broke through at Faster Louder, DARREN LEVIN spoke to the people behind it to find out. How Vance and Ukulele broke into the mainstream

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MANY MORE Ukuleles, Strings, Tuners, Cases, Capos & Accessories in-stock.

I Carry a Huge Range of Kala & Ohana Ukuleles, Aquila & Worth Ukulele Strings.

Fancy Something Else?
Please Contact me and I can arrange to make it happen.
Call 0432 306 920 9am to 5pm
Or Email ChrisFromUkuleleTrading@gmail.com

Most of my Products are FREE Postage Australia Wide!

I also Sell on eBay Australia
http://www.ebay.com.au/usr/chris-from-ukulele-trading#
Cheers C.C. from http://theukuleletradingcoaustralia.blogspot.com.au/

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Thursday, 23 January 2014

The Northern Ukuleles have Aussie-fied our set for Australia Day Celebrations

The Northern Ukuleles are Performing at Salisbury's Australia Day Celebrations on Sunday 26th January, Carisbrook Park, 10 am on the main Stage.

We have slightly Aussie-fied our set for the day.

Home Amongst The Gum Trees,
8 Days a Week,
I Still Call Australia Home,
I want to be like you,
To Her Door,
Folsom Prison Blues,
Bring Me Sunshine,
Waltzing Matilda.

NUkers be there by 9:45 AT THE LATEST ready to rock at 10am.
Cheers CC

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MANY MORE Ukuleles, Strings, Tuners, Cases, Capos & Accessories in-stock.

I Carry a Huge Range of Kala & Ohana Ukuleles, Aquila & Worth Ukulele Strings.

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Friday, 17 January 2014

Guitar Makers Jumping on The Ukulele Bandwagon (Gravy Train)

Ukuleles are not just little guitars.
Some Guitar makers get it right, many don't.

My advice is generally to Stick with a specialist ukulele maker that loves what they do and you rarely go wrong. Their whole business depends on their ukuleles reputation, to them a ukulele is not an after thought, a 'tacked on extra' to the guitar line.

Some Ukuleles just sound "Dead and Box-like"
Some Instruments just do not encourage you to play as they just feel stiff and hard to play. Even worse some actively discourage you from playing because as well as being hard to play they sound just awful with all the tone of a cardboard box.

You can fit a set of Italian Aquila strings to liven them up, and a proper set-up always helps. This will almost certainly improve volume and playability. But alas as they say "You can't polish a Turd, but you can spray paint them gold". Cheap or expensive, if your ukulele suffers from Dead Boxy Syndrome its probably the basic design that's the cause.

Yeah but my favourite Fancy Guitar Makers just released a Mega-Expensive Ukulele, So it must be good, Right?
You would hope so, but it is no guarantee. These days it seems that just about every Guitar brand has tacked a ukulele or two onto their model range. And people assume that if they make good guitars then they must make a good ukulele too. Plausible but sadly flawed logic.

It's not just the cheap end of town that suffer this Dead Boxy Syndrome. Even expensive ukuleles by well know guitar makers can be lack-lustre and "boxy" sounding even when you have paid $600 plus Aussie Dollars.

Constructions Methods
Just because you are a big Guitar maker does not mean that you know how to make a great ukulele. Ukuleles and Guitars are very very different beasts, with very different design considerations.

A steel String guitar is literally trying to pull itself apart with string tension as those six tightly stretched steel strings have a lot of energy in them. A thick solid top, back n sides and ultra stiff bracing works well on steel stringed guitars to keep it from breaking under the strain.

But big thick and heavy just what you Do Not Want in a ukulele. With a steel string Guitar you need strong bracing and a strong top to stand up to high string tensions without deforming. Little short scale ukuleles with their nylon (or new modern Gut like Aquila strings) have no where as much tension being exerted on the neck and top.

People rave over the "olden days" ukuleles. When you get a chance to play a vintage ukulele you generally find that they are light, very light in fact, with minimal bracing, and the tops sides and backs are Ultra thin by today's modern standards. They really are very delicate animals the old ukes. Some 'Johnny Come Lately' modern ukuleles weigh a lot more by comparison. The wood seems too thick and they are over braced IMHO.

Some Guitar brands do make pretty good ukuleles. But generally I find they are the brands that in their past made ukuleles. Often they are resurrecting models and adapting the old designs to modern manufacturing methods. You are getting their vintage designs made in modern factories. Look into their History and Ukuleles have been major parts of their business in the 1920's/30's.

Traditional Ukulele manufacturers simply know how to make ukuleles, obvious really, it is all they do. If they were to turn their hand to guitar making it might not turn out too well, similarly why assume big guitar maker can stamp out a ukulele.

I'll say it again, Stick with a specialist ukulele maker that loves what they do and you rarely go wrong.

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MANY MORE Ukuleles, Strings, Tuners, Cases, Capos & Accessories in-stock.

I Carry a Huge Range of Kala & Ohana Ukuleles, Aquila & Worth Ukulele Strings.

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Monday, 6 January 2014

NUkes kicks off its 2014 Tuesday 7th Jan

Happy 2014 new year NUkes.

We kick off 2014 Tonight, Tuesday 7th, 7pm Dining room of The Old Spot Hotel. Salisbury SA.

Tonight a refresher in beginner basics, some Australian songs and a Special Guest Teacher Chris Bodey of NSW' Denni Ukes.

Cheers CC

Friday, 3 January 2014

UKULELE REVIEW SK-350G Ohana Soprano Solid Hawaiian Koa Wood Uke

OHANA SK-350G SOPRANO UKULELE LIMITED EDITION.

Sadly the Ship Has Sailed on this Limited Edition Ohana .. no more are left in Australia.

The top of the range Ohana SK-350G is from Ohana Ukuleles 'Limited Edition' range of ukuleles, and what a truly awesome instrument it is.

SPECIFICATIONS
Solid koa top, back & sides
Abalone inlay, top, rosette & head
Rosewood fingerboard & bridge
Mahogany binding / headstock overlay
Premium geared tuners
Aquila strings
Bone nut & saddle
Gloss finish

Construction.
Beautiful hand-detailing makes it a knock-out looker, and as with all Ohana ukuleles they are hand-crafted. All solid Top, back and sides of select Hawaiian Islands Koa wood with a 15 fret rosewood fingerboard and rosewood bridge. Mahogany neck with koa headstock overlay. Abalone inlay, bound body, glossy finish, deluxetuners and Aquila strings.

The Abalone Inlays and Rosette wont improve the sound, but it does give it that 'Wow Factor' when you take the ukulele out of its case. It looks the business and a bit of bling never fails to impress your friends.

The Clear gloss finish has that "dipped in glass' quality, very shiny and quite hard to photograph. Obviously lots of sanding and spraying involved to get such a high gloss finish.

This Ukulele looks so good with its wonderful honey hued figured Hawaiian koa wood that you could hang it on the wall as a piece of art. Too good looking to hide in a case.

Woods.
Hawaiian Koa Back Sides and Top
This very beautiful wood comes exclusively from The Big Island of Hawaii, making supply very limited. Its weight varies somewhat from medium to heavy. A tropical hardwood, koa's tone blends the midrange of mahogany with the top end of maple. Due to its density, a new koa instrument tends to start out sounding a little bright and tight, somewhat like maple. But the more a koa ukulele is played, the more the sound opens up, expanding the midrange and rewarding the player with a richer, sweeter, more resonant tone.

Anyone who has ever seen a nice piece of koa would be hard-pressed to deny its' stunning good-looks. Highly sought after because of its' beauty and tonal characteristics.

Rosewood Fingerboard
The most popular fingerboard wood! Rosewood has the warm "rock-n-roll" tonality. The warm tone is also a favourite amongst blues players. The feel is smooth and fast.

Neck Wood.
Mahogany is the neck wood most associated with Gibson guitars. Mahogany is known to provide the warmest, fattest tones. An open grain wood requiring more work in finishing to fill the open pores. The neck is very nicely shaped and fits in the left hand well.

Fretwork and Fingerboard feel.
Fretwork and fingerboard workmanship is immaculate and it plays smooth as butter. The dark coloured rosewood board is smooth and tight grained and coupled with the smooth highly polished frets, make bending notes a breeze. This Ukulele is as good for finger-style picking and lead work as it is for comping rhythm chords.

This one goes to 15 (frets)
Most Soprano ukuleles are fitted with just 12 frets (a one octave neck) or you can get 'long neck" Sopranos, but the long neck means larger fret spacing and the body to neck weight balance is drastically altered. Long neck sopranos are an acquired taste.

This ukulele falls in-between these two types. The OhanaSK-350G is fitted with an extended fretboard with 15 frets. Not a 'long neck" soprano as such, so the feel and balance of the instrument is still that 'small familiar soprano'. Its great to have the extra frets, when you are playing lead you need those extra frets!

Nut / Saddle material and workmanship.
The Nut and Bridge Saddle are of very traditional material, bone. Bone is a hard material to work with, but it has that funky vintage look. But bone must be cut cleanly to keep strings from binding in slots. Bone gives a sound that is bright, clear, and detailed. Not an easy material to work with, but well worth the effort, 'props' to the person who shaped and cut the nut.

Intonation.
I checked the intonation at the 12th fret and it is spot on. A pleasant surprise as proper intonation on the short scale soprano ukuleles can be problematic. Being such a small scale instrument any misplacement of nut/bridge/fret by even fractions of a millimetre can have a large effect on intonation. Lets imagine the worker has a bad day and the bridge is glued on with a half a millimetre misplacement fault, this will have much less of an effect on a larger scale length tenor or Baritone Ukulele. On a soprano the results are disastrous. The nut, bridge and frets are obviously all exactly in proper position.

A small detail to specify good quality tuners but very welcome.
Tuners are of a ratio that tuning is fast when restringing, but still smooth and accurate in fine tuning. Often a penny or two is saved in specifying cheaper tuners that are either too stiff or too slack. Poor tuners are frustrating as they seem to jump from being either too flat or sharp. The tuners fitted to the Ohana glide up to proper tune well, no fiddling back and forth. They are also of an interesting shape, very oval in length but not very wide, with gold coloured screws and metal enclosed body. From the rear they look modern, from the front the black buttons and gold grub screw look proper vintage.

Summary The SK-350G Soprano Ukulele:
A well-appointed 15 Fret Koa Soprano, nice sounding uke of fine craftsmanship, one to play, enjoy, and show off. Plays as nice as it looks, sure to have the "Ahh and Drool" factor at your local Ukulele Club or on-stage at a gig.

ABOUT OHANA UKULELES
"Ohana translated from Hawaiian means "Family" and their ukuleles do embody that comfortable homely feel. Ohana Ukuleles offer many models - from soprano to baritone, mahogany to selected koa from the islands of Hawaii, conventional to vintage models, plus unique ones for those who are looking for something different.

At Ohana Ukuleles their goal is to provide the highest quality hand-crafted ukulele at a reasonable price. Every ukulele that leaves the Ohana warehouse is carefully inspected and set up for maximum playability.

Yes that's right — EVERY UKULELE, regardless of model and price. Should musicians compromise on quality just because they need an entry-level ukulele? Ohana don't think they should.

Ohana Ukuleles believe in the basic concepts of QUALITY, PLAYABILITY, and VALUE. As a player you deserve each of these when you purchase a musical instrument.

Meanwhile, have fun, share the Aloha spirit with your loved ones, and Happy Strumming!"

Cheers CC.

Christopher Carr

The Ukulele Trading Co Australia

Purveyors of Ukulele Workshops & Private Lessons + Fine New and Used Ukuleles.

Want the Mobile "Popup" Music Store at your Business, Corporate or Community Event?

EMAIL chrisfromukuleletrading AT gmail.com

BLOG http://theukuleletradingcoaustralia.blogspot.com.au/
FACEBOOK http://www.facebook.com/TheUkuleleTradingCoAustralia
EBAY http://myworld.ebay.com.au/chris-from-ukulele-trading

Phone 0432 306 920

Kala Banjoleles Available In Australia KA-BNJ-BK-C Concert Banjo Uke & KA-BNJ-BK-S Soprano Banjolele

Kala Concert Banjolele KA-BNJ-BK-C
$585 rrp in Australia.
BUY NOW WITH PAYPAL

Includes;
FREE Set-Up,
FREE Tuner
FREE Gig Bag,
FREE Postage within Australia

COMES WITH A COMPLIMENTARY SETUP.
All my Banjoleles come ready to play! Bridge in place, action set, skin tightened, neck at the right angle. Basically all you need to do is tune up with the FREE complimentary tuner I include and off you go.

Most times when you get your mail order Banjolele the neck will be attached to the body, but that's about it. The skin will not be tightened and usually the bridge will be in a plastic bag with the hoop adjustment tool. If you can do your own banjo setup that's cool. If not its a trip to your local repair shop to get your banjolele setup before you can even play a song, that sucks!

LEFTHANDED?
No Problem I can set your banjolele up for you southpaw players, no extra charge.

BANJOLELE
The banjo ukulele is recognised for its distinctive tone and ability to project sound in solo and ensemble settings. The banjo ukulele was originally designed by Alvin Keech in 1917 and was popularised by musicians such as George Formby and Roy Smeck. George Harrison favoured the instrument in later years and recorded his song “Any Road” on banjo uke.

Banjoleles or Banjo Ukuleles are they are sometimes called are fast becoming my favourite type of Ukulele to play. They are loud and proud! But being so loud you have nowhere to hide if you hit any bum notes.

WHEN QUALITY MATTERS.
Kala has a commitment to quality that I respect. They are easy to setup, the fret placement and intonation is top notch and the neck angle and bridge height is well sorted so they are easy to play right up and down the fretboard with really nice actions.

Bottom line, Kala banoleles save me time in setup, the Kala banjos don't get returned with faults and best of all ... my customers are very happy.

There are plenty of banjoleles out there in the market place but not all banjoleles are equal.

Especially in the Banjolele field the saying "You get what you pay for" holds true. Cheap banjoleles often have very high Actions, action is the height of the strings over the fretboard.

The high Action of cheapie banjoleles makes playing beyond the 4th fret near impossible on some banjoleles. And the non precise fret placement often makes them sound really sour and out of tune.

SPECS KA-BNJ-BK-C Conert Banjolele
o Remo Weather King banjo head
o 8" hoop diameter
o Shell is Hard Maple Ply
o Neck & Fingerboard Hard Maple and Rosewood
o Hardward & Hoop Antique Bronze
o Strings Kala Fluorocarbon
o Classic stain black finish
o Concert scale length (14-3/4")
o Antique brass hardware throughout
o Warm, vintage tone
o Maple bridge with ebony cap
o Deluxe geared tuners with black buttons
o Beautiful binding on the neck
o Padded Gig Bag included
o One Year Warranty

OPEN vs CLOSED BACK BANJOLELES
A customer wrote to me asking to explain the main differences in the two Kala Banjoleles, specifically what difference having a Closed Vs open Back makes.

"Hi Gillian, Thanks for visiting my site and for the email
The KA-BNJ-BK-S smaller size, the Soprano, with the open back you can vary the tone by how much/hard you press it again your body. If you tilt it away from your body the sound is louder and more trebley ,.. much like the way a Horn Player waggles a mute in front of their trumpet horn to alter the tone.

The Kala KA-BNJ-BK-C with the Closed Back is the larger Concert Size of the two and its tone is pretty much fixed and not dependent on how you hold it against your body,

The Larger Concert is my preferred instrument more because I like the longer neck giving me more room for my fingers. The smaller scale length and hence shorter neck of the Soprano means the frets are closer together, great if you have small hands and small fingers

Also Available the smaller open back Soprano Banjolele KA-BNJ-BK-S, it is super cute but still super loud. And at $425 a fantastic option for those wanting to get into Banjolele.

Also Available the smaller open back Soprano Banjolele KA-BNJ-BK-S, it is super cute but still super loud.

Thursday, 2 January 2014

Is a Factory Ukulele Set-up Good enough? WHAT... Don't you want an easy playing Ukulele?

People buy ukuleles and often don't realise that their ukulele could be so much easier and more enjoyable to play.

Mass produced ukuleles come with "factory settings".
Factory built Ukuleles (all instruments really) are set-up to get out the factory door quickly. Time is money in production and they just don't have the time to invest in making every ukulele play to its best, or set it up to suit each player individual buyer.

So Factories err on the side of high-action (strings are high over the fretboard) to get as many units out the door as possible.

Good Brand Vs Poor Brand

Some factories do take more care and attention to developing a good set of factory settings, instating several Quality Checking stages along the process. This is what separates the Good Brands from the Poor Brands. To me a Good Brand takes pride in its reputation, and strives to produce the best product it can.

Factory Set-up Vs Final Set-up.
General rule of thumb for the Musical Instruments Industry is that it's expected that the final check, and if required, set-up will be performed by the shop that sells the instrument.

This actually makes sense, the ukulele has to travel internationally long distances and humidity, temperature changes and shipping handling takes its toll. Plus it is the retailer who is dealing with the customer and they get the final say. Some players like low actions for easy play and can put up with a little rattle and buzz, some want higher actions for maximum volume, some players like low G strings, some are left-handed. So yes it makes sense that the retailer does the final set-up.

Time is Money for the Retailer too, and profit margins are Thin.
The problem for the retailer is that Time is Money too! Sometimes they sell a ukulele straight out of the box with no set-up, other retailers will do a personalised set-up if you ask them politely (don't be a demanding dick, retailers have feelings too OK), some will charge you for the set-up, especially for the cheaper end ukuleles.

All Ukuleles can benefit, but you must understand the retailers position, they just cannot afford to spend an hour of set-up time on a $40 ukulele.

Play Testing and Checking Before Sale.

Pre Sale at minimum all Ukuleles should be tuned up and checked for playability, intonation, buzz and rattles. If the ukulele is found to be substandard and fails this basic test, then the unit should go back to the wholesaler for a replacement.

No Check = Problems
Problems occur where this checking/rectification step is skipped and a box is simply plucked off a shelf and sold, who would like to open a box to find a lemon? Not me and Not you!

The Set-Up Process.
You can feel the difference between a non-set up uke and a uke that has been through a Set -Up Process. Tuners are checked and adjusted, the Nut and Bridge is checked and adjusted if required. Neck, Fingerboard and Frets are checked with a straight edge and play tested for low / high frets that give 'Buzz".

Where required frets are levelled, re-crowned and polished. The fingerboard is given a protective conditioning with lemon oil. You ukulele is strung up the way you want it and play checked again.

If you need a uke set-up Low G, or Lefty, let me know.
Cheers CC

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MANY MORE Ukuleles, Strings, Tuners, Cases, Capos & Accessories in-stock.

I Carry a Huge Range of Kala & Ohana Ukuleles, Aquila & Worth Ukulele Strings.

Fancy Something Else?

Please Contact me and I can arrange to make it happen.
Please Call 0432 306 920 9am to 5pm

Email ChrisFromUkuleleTrading@gmail.com

Most of my Products are FREE Postage Australia Wide!

eBay www.ebay.com.au/usr/chris-from-ukulele-trading#

Facebook www.facebook.com/TheUkuleleTradingCoAustralia

Blogger http://theukuleletradingcoaustralia.blogspot.com.au/
Pinterest www.pinterest.com/ukuleletrading/
Instagram http://instagram.com/chrisfromukuleletrading

Ukulele Workshops & Private Tuition: Corporate Training Days, Community Centres, Local Councils, Schools... please contact me to arrange a program tailored for you.

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