Plastic Fantastic

Just ordered a brand new Korala Explore - my first plastic uke! I have been wanting to get something man-made and outdoorsy for a while now but really didn't fancy acquiring another soprano (although I dig the little bag that the Waterman comes with).

I went for the all-black model cos, y'know - s'cool.

It's sort of an experiment - if it turns out I'm really into plastic (ooh) I might later invest in an Outdoor tenor. We shall see.

Online retail therapy on a Monday morning sure feels good And Paypal makes it way too easy... didn't even have to register a new account with the retailer (Omega Music here in the UK - my first time dealing with them).

It occurs to me that I can abuse a plastic uke in so many ways that I never would a wooden one. First thing I intend to do is attach one of those straps that clips onto the sound hole... mwah ha ha ha!

Nice! I've had a plastic Uke for bathtub use for quite a while now. One piece of advice, protect your metal tuning machines from rust. I use plumbers silicone grease, applied with a small stiff brush to coat the metal parts. Once the metal is protected, you can leave the plastic Uke outside in the rain, or inside in the shower stall, without worry.

Yay it arrived this morning and I've been having plenty of fun with it already. Strings need to settle and action is a little high but otherwise it's all gravy It sounds way better than it feels like it ought to, if you know what I mean.

FYI all-black is definitely a cool look.

Thanks for the tip VegasGeorge - one of the machineheads is pretty stiff so I'm gonna have to grease them up with something I reckon.

Couldn't resist tinkering - swapped out the stock saddle for a bone one and did some 'surgery' on the nut slots with a craft knife. The action is now down way low at the top end, with no hint of buzzing and the uke is playing real nice. Had Omega put some Martin strings on for me and the tone is clear and sweet, just the way I like it

You sound like a happy camper, jollyboy. Good for you! In my little world, I just ordered a 2nd plastic Kealoha for my tub area. Partly for decoration, partly for playing. Aloha!

Playing in the bathtub sounds really fun, haha!
I'm glad you're getting on with your new Explore, jollyboy

my plastic uke stays in the car where it gets much too hot for a wood uke to withstand for long. I have the Mickey Mouse mini guitar uke and use it in some of my videos. It has more of a chime sound than the wooden uke that is quite pleasant.

I have been keeping my OU tenor in my travel trailer. The original strings are settling in nicely. Just got (yet) another Snark to keep the uke and the Mobius strap company. Taking it camping tomorrow in Kentucky and using the box it came in to keep the ukulele and all the accessories together. A Fusion F4 case is on order. I have been having a lot of fun with the whole purchase. I like a ukulele I can wipe clean with a wet washcloth and leave in a hot vehicle.

It's almost ridiculous how much I'm enjoying playing this thing...

Found a decent chord chart for Waterloo Sunset by The Kinks a couple of days ago and have been annoying my neighbours with my attempts to hit the high notes ever since. "Waterloo Sunset's Fiiii-IIIIINNNNNE!!!" ("Is that next door's bloody cat again?!?!" etc)

VegasGeorge said:

In my little world, I just ordered a 2nd plastic Kealoha for my tub area. Partly for decoration, partly for playing. Aloha!

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I am so tempted to buy another one. The two-tone model would be great for playing A Message To You Rudy on

ohmless said:

I have the Mickey Mouse mini guitar uke and use it in some of my videos. It has more of a chime sound than the wooden uke that is quite pleasant.

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Never seen one of these before and had to google it. Worth acquiring just for the tuner buttons alone

You modestly didn't include a link to you playing it. Rectified. (reminds me of Daniel Johnston - that's a big compliment believe me).

actadh said:

I have been keeping my OU tenor in my travel trailer. A Fusion F4 case is on order. I have been having a lot of fun with the whole purchase. I like a ukulele I can wipe clean with a wet washcloth and leave in a hot vehicle.

Click to expand...

Good to hear the Outdoor tenor getting some love. I'm sorely tempted to invest. Those Fusion bags look pretty sweet too - never seen them before - may have to try tracking one down here in the UK. Cheers for the tip

The "Korala" you have, and my "Kealoha" must be made by the same outfit. I say that because when I searched "Korala" on amazon, I found this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Korala-Poly...ie=UTF8&qid=1440247532&sr=1-8&keywords=Korala That's the exactly the same Uke as the first "Kealoha" I bought and play all the time in the tub!

VegasGeorge said:

The "Korala" you have, and my "Kealoha" must be made by the same outfit. I say that because when I searched "Korala" on amazon, I found this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Korala-Poly...ie=UTF8&qid=1440247532&sr=1-8&keywords=Korala That's the exactly the same Uke as the first "Kealoha" I bought and play all the time in the tub!

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Yeah it looks as though they are the same instruments rebranded for the US and European markets (for some esoteric 'business' reasons no doubt). A shame as I was initially imagining that there was a whole other range of plastic ukes for me to check out. Ah well.

Anyway, nice Hawaiian sunset