Your NAMM Uke Wish List

pdxuke

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 3, 2009
Messages
2,648
Reaction score
6
Location
Portland OR, The Rose (and Uke) City
Last year during NAMM, I posted a "wish list" thread so that We, The Uke People could express our desires for Uke Products for the future. Our ramblings, I believe, are not in vain: in '10 many of us asked Kala for more novelty ukes and --presto!--'11 brings us a delicious assortment of novelty ukes! Coincidence? Maybe, but who cares? It's fun!

So all of you NAMM reps at the show who are members of this forum, here's this years' wish list, and I'll start:

I'd love to see Kamaka or Kiwaya, for that matter, offer an all wood pineapple with a traditional pineapple decal, or painted surface, like the original pineapple specials were back in the beginning.

Hardcase that fits any pineapple--geared tuners or friction--and reasonably priced.

Touch up paint for Dolphins.
 
Good call on the touch-up paint!

Wouldn't mind seeing some less-expensive ukes from the big K brands, made from common, sustainable woods in Hawaii. Maybe a line of mango ukes would be a little cheaper than koa?

A lot of uke makers really do make a huge effort to give the players what they want.
 
the thing I want the most is more ukulele dealers in europe xD

but I'd like more long neck concerts or long neck sopranos :p
 
I'd like to see more ukes from sustainable woods - I like the Paulele Bamboo uke, and would like to see more ukes along those lines.
 
I'd like to see better distribution in Europe too. If I hear "You should play them first and then decide" one more time... ;)

Some more options out there in the way of steel string electric ukes.

Strings that come with ball ends, suitable for standard bridges or pin bridges. In fact, there's only one bridge type that can't use them. Even pull-through bridges can benefit. No more knot-tying hell. This exists for guitars, why not ukes?

A line of small small small acoustic amps, voiced to ukulele.

The elusive Kiwaya kc-4 HPL koa concert uke. It exists, if you can find it.
 
I guess I'm a pretty simple guy - I can't really think of anything I want to see come out of NAMM except a 50% across-the-board price reduction. However, since we have to live in the real world I don't think that's going to happen... :)

John
 
I want a Kamaka cut away tenor, but I already know this didnt happen.
 
I want a Kamaka cut away tenor, but I already know this didnt happen.

Not sure if it's a tenor, but the Kamaka that Kalei Gamiao plays at the end of the Kamaka interview might be right up your alley. Beautiful cutaway, slotted head deasign to boot!!!
 
Oh yeah... I forgot why I was here. I thought the Pono Bamboo series that they are coming up with sounded really amazing. I don't think I have heard anything like that from a Uke yet.
 
I really, really like the sound of the spruce top Breedlove uke in their interview with Aldrine. I might have to save up for one of these.
 
A tenor style 3M from Kiwaya ;)
 
Top Bottom