Instead of opening a new thread, I think I'll just keep this one going. I'm back from the Uke in June event, and it was awesome. Where do I start? Juha of
Bastardos Sympaticos didn't even wait for me to get inside before informing me that
Pete Howlett had something there waiting for me.
I think I abandoned my husband at that point, and found Pete talking with Bosco and Honey. They were testing out some ukes, probably Honey's new da Silva, and when the conversation broke I said "What I really want to see are those uklectics!" - Which of course is the code phrase you need to get your uklectic.
Now the story takes some twists and turns. Because there was a raffle of a Bugsgear Eleuke to fund the event, Juha didn't want me flashing around the Uklectic, turning everyone off of the Eleuke. So I was sent into the bathroom to test the goods. Pete was concerned about the pickup since he hadn't gotten a chance to properly test it. He used it with a tuner and that's about it. So I plugged into my little Honeytone, and nothing. Nada. It felt lovellllllly to play, but was silent. My heart sank.
I then plugged into the Eleuke, and got sound..two...three....four.... silence. The amp seemed fine, it was the POS cable that was supposed to be so great! We found some more cable lying around, and yup, that was the problem! The Uklectic was in fine working order but that's all I could tell about it because I had to hide it away!
But that torture is nothing to what the Helsinki Soprano buyers had to go through. This was a one-off limited edition Howlett made just for 14 members of the Finnish Ukulele Network. Search to find the pics I posted, I need all of the picture quota for my own pics this time.
Pete unloaded the box and there were 12 (2 members would get them later) ukes wrapped in bubble wrap so that you couldn't see them. All grouped on the table like it was Christmas morning..... and they weren't allowed to be opened yet! In fact, as of when we headed out at midnight, they STILL weren't allowed to open them yet! Could any of yall have coped with that??
So, with the big unveiling still to come, it was time to do some socializing. I said Hi from Seeso to Bosco and Honey, and they so didn't see that coming. I think we should now all call Seeso the Human Jukebox. They told me what we all already know - how awesome Seeso is. But seriously, Bosco and Honey were great and they played a great set and even my anti-uke husband was so impressed. We're both musically inclined as well. We could both sit down and practice and come up with something.... if we had that discipline. And that's what was so impressive to him, that they had the strength to get out there and travel the world and make great music. It's impressive to me too, and it's romantic. And of course it's always great to see non-uke people there and totally won over and buying the cd's. I think they sold a fair few tonight.
Pete Howlett is an awesome guy, and if you're looking for a luthier, consider his work. He currently is researching a sustainable wood project since koa is insanely tough to get, and so he brought along a soprano made from London Plain. It was stunningly good. Easily the best acoustic most of us will ever play. At any rate, he played a great blues set, and is really underrated as a great performer besides being one of the top 5 (IMO) ukulele luthiers.
Another uke I got my hands on was the Boat Paddle Kiyak tenor. It's a really nifty little instrument, but it's not really my thing. I don't think it has a buzz problem, but it was buzzy the way I play, and it was tough to hold. It's possible to get a cool sound from though, and it's really kind of cool looking in person. The pics online make it look like Rosemary's Baby.
I forgot to mention Bastardos Sympaticos' set, and they were even more "on" than last time.
It was just a great night, and Helsinki has a kickin' ukulele scene. Now then, on to specs and pictures!
My Howlett concert Uklectic: Birdseye maple top and head with spanish cedar neck and body. Camel bone nut and saddle, gotoh gold tuners, ebony fretboard and binding to the top. MOP markers on the fretboard and side. Passive artec ukulele pickup. Gloss finish. I got all this for less than a standard model, so I don't think I'll advertise the price. Suffice to say it's the best ukulele I'll ever have for as little money that it would be possible to pay for such a beast. It's an absolute work of art.
I thought my next uke would be a Koaloha, but now? After this one, and having played the London Plane? I'm not so sure... But that's good because my UAS is absolutely saturated.
And finally, the pics: