Ukulele Related News from NAMM 2018

Looks like Kala now has super tenors.

Gosh I wish folks would tune before recording. Hard to tell much about their sound.

 
Gosh I wish folks would tune before recording.

I'm just getting ready to leave to the show thinking not to forget anything, you made me realize to bring a tuner.


8 tenor cutaway ukes, 3 acoustic bass ukes, 8 solid body bass ukes, 8 mini electric bass guitars

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children's hospital music therapy programs. http://.www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers: https://www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/videos
 
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I got a late start to the NAMM convention, but did meet Cali Rose at the Magic Fluke booth. She was anxious for me to see their bass uke, which I already knew about. As it happened, Bartt Warburton was there, who took a few minutes to play while I tested out the bass uke. How impressive is that, here I am, a lowly mediocre bass uke player jamming with the likes of Ukulele Bartt. Cali shot a video, but I don't know where she uploaded it. As soon as I find out, I'll post it.

Fluke bass.jpg


The Fluke bass uses round wound nylon core strings, don't know if they're from Pyramid, or from the manufacturer that makes the Kala round wound. In my past experience with them, I don't like the noise they make, from the round wound and from hitting the frets. I prefer the LaBella all metal flatwound they make for Gold Tone.

I just looked at the price of the Fluke bass, whew, $600 fretted, plus changing the strings, another $40. For that I can buy three of the Rondos I modify. To be perfectly honest, I don't see anything that makes the Fluke worth $600. I did see a new Kala acoustic U-bass, the Journeyman, for $300 that will be out later this quarter, which I actually like much better than the Fluke.

Kala Journeyman.png


BTW, I didn't take any photos, I was on my new electric scooter and wanted to cruise the entire show, which I was able to do from about 10:30 to about 4:30. Stopped a couple times to eat and a few booths other than ukulele.


8 tenor cutaway ukes, 3 acoustic bass ukes, 8 solid body bass ukes, 8 mini electric bass guitars

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children's hospital music therapy programs. http://.www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers: https://www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/videos
 
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Thanks for reporting, Mike.

Here is Joe from Blackbird talking about them completely switching to eKoa, discontinuing their Carbon fiber instruments for the moment:

 
I have a few video of some points of interest on my Instagram (@mimsukes) and my Facebook Mim's Ukes Page. But here are some general highlights from off the top of my head.

Yall know I am Ohana's largest dealer and I am a sucker for a small short scale uke. I just love them. So I was excited about this! Ohana has now come out with colored Onina models, and I think the blue will be on its way to me... I hope! Fingers crossed!
Also, they made Sopranino and Sopranisimo pineapples, in both all solid mahogany, and spruce/mahogany. They sounds super. I need to upload those videos. The pineapple body gives them a bigger sound. I will have a bunch in stock soon, which is nice. There will not be a huge wait for the initial run!

Gold Tone has a new plastic banjolele which will retail for $149 with a bag. When they mentioned it to me on the phone a few months ago asking about colors, I was wondering what exactly a plastic bajolele would be like. it is a not a lightweight brittle model. It is strong and substantial, and it sounds REALLY good.

Kanilea is beautiful as always and I was talking to Joe about my love for tone and tonewoods. He realized we share a mutual passion so he took me over to a table where he is sourcing some tonewoods and we tone tested some cuts and... I want to crow about what it is, but I don't want to jinx it. So this is a bit of a teaser, but when we tone tested this wood, it was like a bass drum. This tonewood sounds like a bass drum and I am excited to be part of the process. Once I was able to pick out my own tonewoods for some Breedlove ukes, and when they folded their ukulele program, those woods got reshelved. This experience scratched the itch I have had to be a little more involved in the process again, so I am glad I had that opportunity.

KoAloha is making some changes to the headstocks and has added a gloss option to the KoAlana line. We discussed also something else that is in the works that will hit a different price point for KoAloha, but, it is still in the works and I am sworn to secrecy. Sorry for it sounding like a teaser, which I suppose it is, but it is an exciting development. I had some great talks with Alan about ukulele, tone, builds, passion, and life in general. The Opio line tonally is exceptional at that price point and I talked to them a long time about that and how well the sales are going on those.

Kamaka has a few more customization options open to me again now that the 100th anniversary models have all been made. I can get a soprano and a long neck soprano in a deluxe II. And I enjoyed catching up with them and interviewing Andrew Molina and The Side Order Band for NAMM 2018. Fred said I was not hanging out at the booth and talking as much as normal because I got too big for them. Which, is not true, I just had one less day this year, but it maybe made me feel good about myself. Haha. Fred it my buddy. And often am such a goofball I know he is rolling his eyes thinking, "Why did we ever make that crazy woman a dealer?"

Rick Turner is offering very few Compass Rose ukuleles this year, so I told him, I want one to offer my customers. He asked what kind, and I told him I would open it up to luthier discretion for what he thinks is going to be the best ukulele tonally. I am excited about that. I like to honor the great luthier's tastes but leaving options up to their tonal expertise. I told him looks were not as important as tone.

Mike Pereira is offering a California series acoustic uke made out of all solid California walnut. They have a wonderful hard sound and are going to be at a great price point, so I am getting 2 concerts and 2 tenors in. He said he would make them special for me with a lot of figuring, so be on the lookout for those in a couple months. He is a talented luthier who also has a passion for what he does. BUT... he is also a super good guy that I consider a good friend now. I laughed that every time we would pass each other we would get stuck talking in the middle of the isle.

Same for Mike DaSilva. I love Mike so much and he is a fountain of knowledge of ukulele building. Honestly, I do not have people to talk setup with and me and Mike talked about zero frets, nut cutting, 12th fret action, tonal ramifications of too low action, tools that we use... and it was just NICE! Because the only person I usually have to talk about these things with is my cat! I want him to build a uke for me to sell. Again, up to his discretion as a luthier. I would be honored as a dealer to offer one of his ukes.

I enjoyed hanging out with my friend Bob Bledsoe who I met through Ukulele Underground. He is involved in a camp in california and teaches ukulele to kids with heart disease. It is amazing how you can feel like such close friends with some who lives in California that you only see once a year. He drove me around in his Prius and had to call his agent at one point, so this country girl felt VERY California.

I got to see Mike Hind for the first time in a long time too and we went to dinner and had some laughs and stories.

I talked to one company that does not allow ukulele only dealers to offer their ukes. As I was looking at them, a guy who paints his old car and travels the country commented on how I was trying out he ukes. I explained I was a uke dealer but I cant offer the brand due to the requirements for dealers. I have asked before, and have gotten nowhere. He just simply said, "You should ask again. You have nothing to lose. They are a machine. Sometimes you have to interrupt the machine." So, I looked around and no one was around to help me. And so I found two salesmen eating lunch, plopped my butt down at their table and sold myself. I think I was just too tired to care what they thought of me. It was Sunday. And my filter was off. And... it went well. There still needs to be some meetings on the subject. But I was proud of the boldness I exhibited. "Sometimes you have to interrupt the machine." Life lesson learned.

Ok... I think that is what I have for now. I had 3 hours of sleep on the plane and this is quite disjointed, but it is just some general musings. I may be forgetting something. If I do I will add it later.
 
Same for Mike DaSilva. I love Mike so much and he is a fountain of knowledge of ukulele building. Honestly, I do not have people to talk setup with and me and Mike talked about zero frets, nut cutting, 12th fret action, tonal ramifications of too low action, tools that we use... and it was just NICE! Because the only person I usually have to talk about these things with is my cat! I want him to build a uke for me to sell. Again, up to his discretion as a luthier. I would be honored as a dealer to offer one of his ukes.

DaSilva makes great ukes. He is a really talented builder. I look forward to seeing what he does for you.
 
I'm excited to hear that KoAloha may come out with a different headstock. I hope it applies to their opio line. In my price range, I think Pono and opio stand out above the pack. My main uke is a Pono that I've strung low g and I've been really wanting a quality uke I can string reentrant. I realize I'm probably in the minority, but I can't stand the headstocks. It screams island vibe, which is fine, just not me at all. I respect the product they put out and think it would fit my need and budget perfectly so if they make one I can be happy looking at then I'll be all over one.
 
As it happened, Bartt Warburton was there, who took a few minutes to play while I tested out the bass uke. How impressive is that, here I am, a lowly mediocre bass uke player jamming with the likes of Ukulele Bartt. Cali shot a video, but I don't know where she uploaded it. As soon as I find out, I'll post it.

Here's the video, but contrary to what Bartt joked about, this was very spontaneous. Sorry for the flubs, the fate of a mediocre bass player.




8 tenor cutaway ukes, 3 acoustic bass ukes, 8 solid body bass ukes, 8 mini electric bass guitars

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children's hospital music therapy programs. http://.www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers: https://www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/videos
 
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Mim, thanks for your detailed report, very interesting! Would love to hear more details about KoAloha's headstock and the new gloss finish on their import line. Is this only true for KoAlana, i.e. their laminated line, or for Opio as well? Also interested in the specs of Ohana's tenor guitar (scale length, nut width, etc.).
 
Another video from Blackbird that goes a bit more into the details about the different finish options. Don't worry about the German introduction, the conversation will switch to English after a few seconds:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1UeTFZNWns
 
In this video, Andreas David from Germany is presenting the new models from Romero Creations. Unfortunately, the video is in German, but you'll get an intensive look at the Replicas and the Concert version Tiny Tenor, and towards the end, he does a sound sample of each model (starting at 4:00). From what I understood, these models are made by Ayers in Vietnam and built exactly to the same specs as Pepe's customs: same bracing, same thickness, etc.:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36-eW6b2tCs
 
KoAloha talking about some of their new models and ideas, including their Opio Guitalele (did I understand that correctly that the D-VI will only be made in the Opio line, not in their Hawaiian line anymore?), their semi-custom Red-Label design, a new "Classic 2" model made of Acacia and then assembled in Hawaii, and that they've re-designed their laminate entry Level KoAlana line (no mention of a gloss finish nor of a changed headstock, though):

http://www.ukulelemag.com/stories/n...arlele-prototype-and-more-at-winter-namm-2018
 
(did I understand that correctly that the D-VI will only be made in the Opio line, not in their Hawaiian line anymore?)
Hmm, it did kinda sound that way, but I wouldn't take that as the final word. He was talking about the Opio and koa vs acacia and talking fast, so maybe it just came out wrong. Or maybe they are selling all they can in the high end 4 strings and there isn't much market for the D-VI so they are letting it go? I dunno.
 
With all due respect to the products quality, build and tone, except the headstock. I am with you Capsfans89. Only way I probably could acquire that headstock is if I personally went to the islands on a romantic binge, drank too much, forgot myself, and bought it. Then it would have to be ok! Just my way too conservative opinion.
 
I love the KoAloha product and headstock. I know there was some pushback over a year ago when it was revealed that the design had a spiritual connection for the company owners (not for the buyers, many who thought it was just a different crown or influenced by a pineapple), and a number of ukulele players sold their ukuleles in protest (I sort of wish that I had a lot of extra money at that point). While we’re generally a happy bunch, religion and politics tend to be boiling points in this community, too.

Perhaps the new headstock addresses that reaction point?

I’m very interested to see what KoAloha does with their laminate line.

And as I’ve said, Ohana’s continued work in making modern products with classic designs is a really excellent trend. The Martin 3 replica concert is on my wish list...but I think I might wait in hopes of a Koa model next year, like the new soprano Koa version.
 
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