New Uke Day - Pepe Romero

Well, I've done it now...

Back in April, I put an order in for a Pepe Romero ukulele from Ukulele Source. They had ordered a few spruce top, rosewood back & sides, rosewood finger board and bridge. I asked if they could change the fingerboard to ebony since it hadn't been made yet. They checked & Pepe obliged. So I've been waiting for delivery...

In the meantime I saw syfc was selling his Pepe spruce/rosewood. I don't know what came over me, but I bought it. It came on Wednesday. My Pepe from Ukulele Source arrived on Friday.

I may be the only one outside of the Romero family to own two Pepes... who knows?

So I am now the caretaker of two awesome ukes! That's the good news. The bad news is I can't keep them both.

The Pepe from syfc is all he said it was. You've likely seen his review and his video. Don't have much more to add, other than it is a great playing uke. It sounds great and is a beautiful instrument. I think this is the one that I will sell, simply because I prefer the ebony fingerboard.

I know there are not many Pepe Ukuleles out there, but I can not rave enough about these ukes! I have played many ukes (now that I am near two stores that carry the good stuff- Ukulele Source and Gryphon Strings), but I can tell you these sound the best that I have ever played.

In other bad news, I have scientifically proved there is no cure for UAS. I know this because despite having in my possession two of the best sounding ukes I have ever heard, I still desire a Moore Bettah and the VanPelt custom I have on order. Oh, and now I desire the other Pepe models out there- Mahogany and Koa.

So while one Pepe is soon going off to the Marketplace, I am enjoying the fool out of the other.

Here are pics of them together and of the Rosewood fingerboard Pepe.

Here are pics of the Pepe with Ebony fretboard.

Those are some fine lookin' ukes!

Are there recordings of Pepe Romero playing a uke?

Congrats on the gorgeous ukes. What are the nut width?

Beautiful ukes, congrats! I just got to visit Pepe's shop this past weekend and he is making some incredible instruments these days. I played a new spruce/rosewood uke like yours with a new type of pickup in it, it was quite nice. I also agree with your assessment, he makes some of the best sounding ukes I've ever played (and I've played a lot as well). I highly recommend dropping Pepe a line if you haven't done so before, he has to be one of the nicest guys I've met and he would like to hear that you enjoy his ukes too.

Unfortunately, I don't have a cure for your UAS and I'm fairly sure it just doesn't exist

Congrats on the gorgeous ukes. What are the nut width?



They have a 38mm nut width but some older ones can be found with 36mm.

Oshwega said:

Are there recordings of Pepe Romero playing a uke?

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Pepe Jr. (the luthier making the instrument) can be seen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zKTWP-N1VY

I don't think Pepe Sr. (the world-renown guitar player) plays ukulele.

I will no longer sit near you during the next kanikapila in case you're contagious!

Congrats on two beauties!!! What happens to the pineapple Sunday?

gyosh said:

I will no longer sit near you during the next kanikapila in case you're contagious!

Congrats on two beauties!!! What happens to the pineapple Sunday?

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Aloha gyosh! With the volume of this uke, you will hear my mistakes across the street!

I have rationalizations for all of my other ukes... My PS and Sceptre I keep because of their unique design, my Martin because it's a classic and my only Mahogany uke, and my Kanile'a because it is my only 6 string...

It is amazing how powerful UAS can be. I always thought "If I only had a awesomely inlaid Moore Bettah, I wouldn't need another uke." Truth is, I wouldn't *need* another uke, but I sure would want one. In some ways there is something very sad about that...

Tigeralum2001 said:

Aloha gyosh! With the volume of this uke, you will hear my mistakes across the street!

I have rationalizations for all of my other ukes... My PS and Sceptre I keep because of their unique design, my Martin because it's a classic and my only Mahogany uke, and my Kanile'a because it is my only 6 string...

It is amazing how powerful UAS can be. I always thought "If I only had a awesomely inlaid Moore Bettah, I wouldn't need another uke." Truth is, I wouldn't *need* another uke, but I sure would want one. In some ways there is something very sad about that...

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And since you're getting into custom builders, here are some from the Islands. Then there's the mainland after that!

http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?16211-808-Builders

I'm getting my wish list together to start a custom Compass Rose sometime this week.

gyosh said:

And since you're getting into custom builders, here are some from the Islands. Then there's the mainland after that!

http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?16211-808-Builders

I'm getting my wish list together to start a custom Compass Rose sometime this week.

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That is an evil thing to do to someone with active UAS!

Seriously, though, I am done for the year after my VanPelt... Unless a tenor Moore Bettah comes up for sale. I have a trip to Hawaii planed for May 2013, so maybe by then I will be allowed to buy ukes again! I hope to visit Mr. Moore on that trip, so I really hope to come home with a MB then...

I can't wait to hear about your Compass Rose. I know you've been designing it for a while.

Tigeralum2001 said:

That is an evil thing to do to someone with active UAS!

Seriously, though, I am done for the year after my VanPelt... Unless a tenor Moore Bettah comes up for sale. I have a trip to Hawaii planed for May 2013, so maybe by then I will be allowed to buy ukes again! I hope to visit Mr. Moore on that trip, so I really hope to come home with a MB then...

I can't wait to hear about your Compass Rose. I know you've been designing it for a while.

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You're going to the Big Island? There's a class you can take there and build your own uke by hand. You do the whole thing including bending the sides. I think you have to be there for two weeks though. I met someone in Rick's class that made one over there. It was beautiful!! He learned to do binding, inlay and it also had a slotted headstock. It was a very cool uke.

Hey Tigeralum2001 I sat behind you at Jason Arimoto's workshop on Saturday. Thanks again for letting me play your Pepe Romero uke. It is indeed a beautiful sounding uke and it is so light. Almost afraid that it may float away . Magnitudes better then my Pono MPTSHC as far as spruce tops go. As a fellow UAS sufferer I am so tempted to make you an offer for it. But the price is in the same range as a custom. Still trying to decide what my next purchase will be. I'll be in Hawaii in Dec so it's almost guaranteed that I'll be coming back with another uke. When will the madness end?!?! Ahhhhh it is so tempting!

uke42 said:

Hey Tigeralum2001 I sat behind you at Jason Arimoto's workshop on Saturday. Thanks again for letting me play your Pepe Romero uke. It is indeed a beautiful sounding uke and it is so light. Almost afraid that it may float away . Magnitudes better then my Pono MPTSHC as far as spruce tops go. As a fellow UAS sufferer I am so tempted to make you an offer for it. But the price is in the same range as a custom. Still trying to decide what my next purchase will be. I'll be in Hawaii in Dec so it's almost guaranteed that I'll be coming back with another uke. When will the madness end?!?! Ahhhhh it is so tempting!

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Not to hijack the thread, but I guess I'm going to hijack the thread. How was the Arimoto workshop? I missed the first one, but I should be there for the rest of them. Can I follow along by just looking at the materials he emailed me? I haven't looked yet, but I'm going to try to see if I can do it by myself. If I get stuck or need clarification, can I bug you two?

Thanks,

-Gary

Hey Gary,

It was an excellent workshop. First and definitely not the last I'll be taking from Jason. He crammed a lot of content into one session. He's a very good instructor. I like how he didn't rush everything as the workshop was about 2.5 hrs long. You should be able to follow along if you look at his slides. He made corrections to the music so that it is now matches the tabs. Next workshops will just be in different keys. First one was in the key of C. Next G and I think the next will be in D or is it F? Feel free to ask me any questions and I'll try to answer them as best as I can.

Renato

I will unhijack the thread. The Pepe is really awesome. Someone should take advantage of the chance to own this. It has a sound that is just so satisfying. If you even have a chance to try one, you should

Tigeralum2001 said:

Aloha gyosh! With the volume of this uke, you will hear my mistakes across the street!

I have rationalizations for all of my other ukes... My PS and Sceptre I keep because of their unique design, my Martin because it's a classic and my only Mahogany uke, and my Kanile'a because it is my only 6 string...

It is amazing how powerful UAS can be. I always thought "If I only had a awesomely inlaid Moore Bettah, I wouldn't need another uke." Truth is, I wouldn't *need* another uke, but I sure would want one. In some ways there is something very sad about that...

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Funny that you say this. I have three Kamakas, two Mya-Moes, a KoAloha and a seft-assembled Rick Turner pineapple and I'm on the Van Pelt waiting list, but this thread has me jonesing for a Pepe Romero. Good God, does it never end?

uke42 said:

Hey Gary,

It was an excellent workshop. First and definitely not the last I'll be taking from Jason. He crammed a lot of content into one session. He's a very good instructor. I like how he didn't rush everything as the workshop was about 2.5 hrs long. You should be able to follow along if you look at his slides. He made corrections to the music so that it is now matches the tabs. Next workshops will just be in different keys. First one was in the key of C. Next G and I think the next will be in D or is it F? Feel free to ask me any questions and I'll try to answer them as best as I can.

Renato

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Renato, thanks for the offer to help. I won't be able to get to the materials for a few days but if I get stuck, I'll definitely message you. Where do you live in SJ? I'm about 1/2 mile from Ukulele Source.

syfc said:

I will unhijack the thread. The Pepe is really awesome. Someone should take advantage of the chance to own this. It has a sound that is just so satisfying. If you even have a chance to try one, you should

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Smiley emailed me to come down and try the Pepe when he got it in his store. It does have a very nice, punchy sound to it, and the craftmanship was amazing.

mds725 said:

Funny that you say this. I have three Kamakas, two Mya-Moes, a KoAloha and a seft-assembled Rick Turner pineapple and I'm on the Van Pelt waiting list, but this thread has me jonesing for a Pepe Romero. Good God, does it never end?

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Hey Mark,

Let me know if you're 8-string needs a new home I'm slowly amassing the hand tools I'll need to build my own. That was the goal of taking Rick's class in the first place. Eventually I'd like to build my own 8 string after I practice making a dozen or so tenors for kicks. My first ukes will probably end up as classroom loaners for kids interested in learning to play. When I feel like I can make a uke I can be proud of, I'll start researching bracing patterns for the 8-string.

You and tigeralum need to get together and swap UAS stories. He lives in Mt. View I believe . . . probably a little too close to Gryphon for his own safety

gyosh said:

Renato, thanks for the offer to help. I won't be able to get to the materials for a few days but if I get stuck, I'll definitely message you. Where do you live in SJ? I'm about 1/2 mile from Ukulele Source.

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Hey Gary, I'm about 4 miles from the Ukulele Source. Close enough to do some real damage to my wallet Luckily I'm not in the market for another uke...who am I kidding I'm always in the market for a new uke Must resist...