Seeking Unique ukes... any ideas?

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Total Ukphoria

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Okay, I have gotten to the point where I really don't need yet ANOTHER uke unless it is somehow unique:eek:. I have several that are made well and sound nice- but I'm looking for that Unique factor.

Now I know "Unique" can mean a lot of things. I like ukes that are somehow different- quirkey- funny/cool looking- fun- unique sounding- or just plain ol' interestring.

Here Are the ukes I own already that I would consider unique...
Kala Kiwi (fun and colorful- sounds great too)
Recording King resonator (metal meets wood)
Several Plastic Ukes from the 50s (retro fun with amazing sound)
The Paradise Orange and white Kazuo Sekiguchi Plastic uke (the most cheesy fun plastic uke I own)
Ohana longneck tenor/soprano (the "giraffe"- looks funny- sounds great)
Banjo Uke (Goldtone- it's a banjo uke- what more do you want?)
Kala Tenor Travel uke (very thin!)

Here are a couple I've considered that I do not own...
Appause uke (different look and sound?)
flea/fluke (oh so freaky cool!)
Cigar box uke (perhaps making my own?)


Any other suggestions? (I prefer to keep things under, say, $400)
 
How about a lego ukulele? Never heard one but they look really cool.
 
How about a Favilla Teardop? I have one and not only is it a great player but they are unique looking.
 
I don't personally recommend Applause ukes.

If you want a really unique ukulele, just buy a cheap base model and find a professional artist to paint it.
 
You didn't mention any price range, so I would recommend looking for a Keith Ogata custom uke. Keith is in Salt Lake, Hawaii (Oahu) and makes uniquely shaped ukes that have a wonderful tone. Here's a link to Shawn Yacavone's (Ukulele Friend) website and specifically a whole bunch of Keith Ogata's ukes that he had in his possession and sold. Shawn specializes in obtaining and selling custom ukes from many different luthiers. I don't know where Shawn gets his money from, but he has/had many, many very pricey ukes! He has a rare 1947 Martin "Employee" tenor uke that has a price tag of $16,500 among many other ukes that are priced well above $3000.


http://web.me.com/syacavone/Site/Keith_Ogata_Ukulele_(オガタ・ウクレレ）.html

Also, here's a link of a video that Shawn made of one of the Keith Ogata ukes that he sold:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy3aUDmWyuI&feature=related

Fellow UU Member "deach" owns 2 Keith Ogata tenor ukes ... so, they must be pretty darn good! Get in touch with deach and ask for some links to some of his videos on youtube. I know for sure that he has at least one video in which he is playing one of his Keith Ogata ukes.
 
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You'll occasionally find gourd banjo ukes floating around in the marketplace. Some are way +$400, but I think I've also seen some for $200-$350. It's also sometimes possible to find ukes made from tin cans. There are oddly shaped ukes such as the Boat Paddle (however, that one's outside your price range). There's the Eleuke, and there are other electronic ukuleles. There's the Northern ukulele and its clone, the Triumph (Northerns tend to be pretty cheap, but they're not made any more, so you would have to find a used one). There are sopraninos, pocket ukes, and those teeny weeny little ukes made by Tudorp. There may be the occasional bamboo uke knocking around. There's the Kala Ubass (again, maybe just barely outside your price range, though I believe there are hard-to-find cheaper alternatives, such as the Beaver Creek acoustic travel bass). There are Mainland's cheaper ukes, which sport gecko decorations. There's lots and lots and lots of stuff out there; you just have to poke around a bit.
 
If you're interested in Fleas and Flukes, I think you will be very pleased with either. Yes, their appearance is unique, but I've had a Flea for about a month and the sound is really full and resonant. I like the action better on it than on my Mainland tenor which I had a setup done on. I was really very pleasantly surprised at the quality and sound of the Flea.
 
I really like my 5 string Ohana TK-35-G-5 which gives you both high and low g strings paired. Sounds great! For other sound variations you might consider a 6 string or 8 string uke. Then, there is the new Ohana Tiple (10 string) Ukulele Player magazine (online) did a review of that.

I really like my concert neck Flea "Camp". I like dramatic wood grain and Kala has had several nice entries in that area (spalted maple, mango).

–Lori
 
I've just started trading ukuleles to experience unique uke types. My friend mentioned she wanted a concert Flea. I had two. She owned a Concert Krab and a saprano Krab. So, in trade, I gave her the Flea and she gave me the Krabs.
 
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