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- Jul 16, 2014
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I stumbled onto the Alverez Grateful Dead ukes while surfing the net. http://www.gratefuldeadukuleles.com I had never heard of them before. They come with printed Grateful Dead artwork on the tops, and I was immediately struck by the seeming incongruity of the Grateful Dead rock'n roll image and that of the Ukulele. Then I read that Jerry Garcia occasionally played an Alverez acoustic guitar, and it made better sense to me. Sort of.
Anyway, they looked 'cute,' and only cost $100.00. So, I immediately thought; "Junk instrument, but nice wall decoration." I ordered one, without any musical expectations at all.
Boy was I surprised!
It's a Concert sized uke, with a 15" scale length. Fit and finish is very good, no rough edges or sloppy seams. It's light weight, 16 1/2 oz, which is 1/2 an oz less than my Kamaka Concert. The enclosed tuners are smooth and accurate, and the uke holds its tuning. It has a pleasant tone, which I would describe as mellow with a slightly 'woody' accent. And, best of all, it is a joy to play the way it is fretted and set up. It is very playable!
I have the Alverez sitting on a table stand in my music room. I have a nice collection of ukes, including several expensive ones. But I'm amazed at how often I reach for the Alverez instead of one of the "better" instruments. It is just so much fun to play!
Anyway, they looked 'cute,' and only cost $100.00. So, I immediately thought; "Junk instrument, but nice wall decoration." I ordered one, without any musical expectations at all.
Boy was I surprised!
It's a Concert sized uke, with a 15" scale length. Fit and finish is very good, no rough edges or sloppy seams. It's light weight, 16 1/2 oz, which is 1/2 an oz less than my Kamaka Concert. The enclosed tuners are smooth and accurate, and the uke holds its tuning. It has a pleasant tone, which I would describe as mellow with a slightly 'woody' accent. And, best of all, it is a joy to play the way it is fretted and set up. It is very playable!
I have the Alverez sitting on a table stand in my music room. I have a nice collection of ukes, including several expensive ones. But I'm amazed at how often I reach for the Alverez instead of one of the "better" instruments. It is just so much fun to play!