Harp Ukulele News

Pete Howlett

Pete Howlett

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I went into my YouTube account today and noticed there was a suggested video of a harpuke being played. Thinking that aNueNue had issued a 'custom' model I wrote to them only to recieve this reply:

Looks like a copies.
I will try to check where this guy got the copies from.

Our regular production models are copies by 2 factories in China now.
Its been a really big headache.
Click to expand...

Unbelieveable - we haven't yet launched the model, due in December BTW and already its being copied! I'm glad I don't have a factory chuncking ukes out - I'd be paranoid about design infringement.
 
I'm happy tobe in that company Ken - my pseudo harp guitar is also featured there.
 
Yeah, copies. In fact, some Chinese maker had the balls to post on the forum to solicit customers using an image of a blatant ripoff of the aNueNue U900 pineapple -- complete with rabbit head sound hole and distinct aNuueNue headstock shape.

I guess success (at least in Asia where aNueNue seems to be doing well) breeds imitators, huh?
 
That's just the way things are over there. I don't even think they try and hide it. I was a shoe designer, and when visiting the sample makers in Taiwan, we could see in the next room, knock-offs of our styles being developed just feet away from where our samples were being made. They didn't even bother to hide it during our short visit. They weren't using our logo, but the style was the same, with maybe a few tweaks to the graphics. That was 14 years ago.

–Lori
 
Just received my harp uke from the US distributor. Woohoo! Thanks to Mike at Uke Republic for staying on this and getting shipped to me as soon as they were in stock.

Seems well made though the finish isn't smooth. No flaws though. Playing it is fun and interesting. I recently got Jumpin' Jim's From Lute to uke and I'm going to try playing some of this renaissance music on it. In any case - what fun!

Thanks for the cool design Pete - it really has the renaissance vibe.
 
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Yay - did you get a hard case with it? That finish is a nod to the 'Hawaiian' ethic in their instruments. No gloss there I'm afraid. It's taken me a whole 3 months to get confident with mine. I tune the bass diatonically and use a wound 4th low G. I find it's great for those bass notes you just want to be there on a uke tho if I was making for myself I would reduce it to just 3 diapason strings which would be tuned to the root notesd of the 3 chord trick blues songs I most frequently play. Somehow that e very rarely gets played...

Be greatful of you could write a further review here and do a video :)
 
Yes - got a nice hard case. Good thing too - fedex put a nice fat puncture in the shipping box. Marred the case a bit but the case did its job and the uke is unharmed.

Diapason - great term to know! I would definitely like to change out the G string on the bass side so that both sides have a low GCEA, just different octaves. What string did you use to do that (brand/diameter)? Also, I'm not sure what you mean about tuning the bass strings diatonically. What notes did you tune those bass strings to?

I'm not a video reviewer unfortunately but I'll do some photos.
 
Well that is interesting... my prototype was sent to me with aecG on the melodic side and FEDC on the diapason. With it tuned re-entrant I would have GFDC in the bass. The 4th string on the melodic side can be substituted for a wound 3rd classical G string or you could simple put a new low G set on the instrument. becaiuse of my preference, I'm going to change the strings there on the UK models to Aquila anyway....
 
Pete Howlett said:
Well that is interesting... my prototype was sent to me with aecG on the melodic side and FEDC on the diapason. With it tuned re-entrant I would have GFDC in the bass. The 4th string on the melodic side can be substituted for a wound 3rd classical G string or you could simple put a new low G set on the instrument. becaiuse of my preference, I'm going to change the strings there on the UK models to Aquila anyway....
Click to expand...

Someone pointed out to me (kindly, in a private message) that it should have been tuned FEDC and I had just tuned it wrong. Oops!
 
You haven't tuned it wrong! This is a 'new' instrument for which there are no rules. When i play in A I tune the 8th string down to A - it flops about and gives the uke an uncharacteristic growl but hey, it's my uke and I'll do what I like with it. Please don't be bound what other people 'tell you' how ever kind and well intentioned. As one of the first owners of one of these it is up to you to make the rules.... and as one of the inventors of this little thing (quite a few of us have tried it inspired by the arch wierd maker Knutson) I give you full permission to tune it how you like. In fact I might experiment with all rentrant strings in the 'bass' to create a more harp like sound :)
 
Pete Howlett said:
You haven't tuned it wrong! This is a 'new' instrument for which there are no rules. When i play in A I tune the 8th string down to A - it flops about and gives the uke an uncharacteristic growl but hey, it's my uke and I'll do what I like with it. Please don't be bound what other people 'tell you' how ever kind and well intentioned. As one of the first owners of one of these it is up to you to make the rules.... and as one of the inventors of this little thing (quite a few of us have tried it inspired by the arch wierd maker Knutson) I give you full permission to tune it how you like. In fact I might experiment with all rentrant strings in the 'bass' to create a more harp like sound :)
Click to expand...

Hahaha! Thanks Pete. I actually like it better tuned aecG FEDC. I'll do some experimenting though :)
 
Pete - do you know what strings I'll need for the diapason side when these are ready to be changed? I can use any low G set for the melodic side but the ones on the diapason are all wound.
 
When Kathy Matsushita made here little beauty aNueNue sent her some sets. I guess that is a question I need to ask head honcho Johnson :)
 
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