Mainland banjo uke fun fun fun

pdxuke

pdxuke

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As John told me recently, "welcome to the dark side!".
Congrats and enjoy!
 
Just when I thought my UAS was curbed...
 
OK, you really made me laugh, you sound so giddily pleased! (I love that frog that won't sing in public song from Looney Tunes, what is that called?). I am waiting patiently for the flea banjolele that is was supposed to come out in March, but there's only one day left in the month and still no word......
 
pepamahina said:
OK, you really made me laugh, you sound so giddily pleased! (I love that frog that won't sing in public song from Looney Tunes, what is that called?). I am waiting patiently for the flea banjolele that is was supposed to come out in March, but there's only one day left in the month and still no word......
Click to expand...
Michigan Rag by Michigan J Frog

but I like this :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HAjhtPZGDY
 
pepamahina said:
OK, you really made me laugh, you sound so giddily pleased! (I love that frog that won't sing in public song from Looney Tunes, what is that called?). I am waiting patiently for the flea banjolele that is was supposed to come out in March, but there's only one day left in the month and still no word......
Click to expand...

I've got the Fluke FireFly banjo uke on order - when i visited the factory a few weeks ago, they were planning on fulfilling the existing orders, then starting of the new ones. I was told that they should start shipping on or around April 5.

I got to play two of the prototypes while I was there, and Dale showed me the new neck and tailpiece going in the production model. i can't wait!

I will say that the Firefly has a different sound that the Mainland sample pdxuke posted - not better, not worse, but definitely different. I think that a lot of the difference is based on what the pot is made from. I believe that the mainland has a wooden pot, while the Fluke pot is made from a composite material made by REMO, the folks who make the drum heads. The Fluke synthetic head is pre-tuned, and I don't think it adjustable - no j-hooks. The mainland I thought had an adjustable head.

Between these two differences, you also get a substantial difference in weight. The Fluke banjo uke weighs between 1/2 and 2/3 of the weight of a standard Flea
ukulele.

And the Loony Tune was called "One Froggy Evening". Michigan J. Frog is one of my favorites.

-Kurt
 
pdxuke said:
Oh Gawd, Cletus, it is FUN. And a triple sounds better on a banjo uke! :)
Click to expand...

:D Wow. You got it, Thom. That WAS fast, and it sounds absolutely great!

totally agree - triples, split strokes, fan strokes - all sound better on a banjo uke. Finger rolls and other strums seem to sound better to me on a wooden uke.
 
pepamahina said:
OK, you really made me laugh, you sound so giddily pleased! (I love that frog that won't sing in public song from Looney Tunes, what is that called?).
Click to expand...

The original, "One Froggy Evening"


... and the sequel, "Another Froggy Evening"
 
Last edited:
I been eyeballin that banjo lately.

I love playing them too, but the higher action I am not crazy about on banjoles. It was REALLY bad on my vintage banjoe until I did some mod to bring it down, but in doing so I lost some of the sustain. I am about to do a major rebuild of the neck and fretboard to raise it, so I can get some height on the strings to gain back the sustain I lost lowering the nut and bridge before, so that way, I can get even a better action than I have now, and keep the strings the right distance from the skin to get some volume and the sustain back. Can't wait to get started on the mods on my vintage one. I am in hopes with the modification, it will play as nice as any of the new models out there not.

Well, if not, I can always start eyeballing that mainland again.. hehheh
 
I have absolutely no use for a banjo uke. I don't like them at all. I think they look funny, are difficult to hold, and sound terrible. And I'll keep saying that right up until I break down and click a link to a video in a banjo uke related thread, at which time I will probably be calling Mike with credit card in hand again! LOL

John
 
OldePhart said:
I have absolutely no use for a banjo uke. I don't like them at all. I think they look funny, are difficult to hold, and sound terrible. And I'll keep saying that right up until I break down and click a link to a video in a banjo uke related thread, at which time I will probably be calling Mike with credit card in hand again! LOL

John
Click to expand...

Come to the dark side Luke. You are already there, ya just don't know it yet.. Show us pictures when it arrives... But that said, don't try to cut the skin to put in a coffee can resonator. Don't work like that.. ;)
 
@mds724 - I think I would have prefered to see the frog go in the pot as the end of the second video. LOL

John
 
That sounds awesome! You're right about triples!
 
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