Alverez - Grateful Dead Uke

VegasGeorge

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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!
 
Just to show that I would put my money where my mouth is, I want you to know that I went ahead and ordered the other four Alvarez (notice that I've learned to spell "Alvarez" correctly now!) Grateful Dead Ukes. They come in five different cover art patterns. I understand that they are discontinued by Alvarez at this time. So, I will have a complete set of these collectable ukuleles. Pretty to look at, fun to play. Now, to find four young ladies who want to come over for some lessons!
:drool:
 
Before drifting into rock, Jerry Garcia was a hardcore folk musician in the late 50 and early 1960s. He played jug band and bluegrass as I recall so he probably would have approved of the 'ukulele if still in the world of the living. Jerry was also an accomplished artist so the artwork makes even more sense. I have one of the neckties he designed...
 
Before drifting into rock, Jerry Garcia was a hardcore folk musician in the late 50 and early 1960s. He played jug band and bluegrass as I recall so he probably would have approved of the 'ukulele if still in the world of the living. Jerry was also an accomplished artist so the artwork makes even more sense. I have one of the neckties he designed...

Indeed, Garcia was a very talented 5 string banjo player. And the Grateful Dead also had plenty of acoustic music in their repertoire.
 
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