Power Ukes Update: Slack Key, Banjo and Blues Style on the Power Uke

Aloha,

I am still making and selling the Power Ukes. I've recently got great video of some amazing musicians jamming on the Power Uke. The first clip is of Moses Kahumoku, who happened to come into Just Ukes, where I work in downtown Kona. Moses is a legendary Hawaiian slack key guitar player, who doesn't really play ukulele, but he was kind enough to tune the Power Uke up slack key style, and give it a go. I was so honored and amazed to meet this legend, let alone having him try out my souped-up ukulele invention, which he really seemed to love.

Also in this video are two other clips, one of a wandering banjo player, and the other an awesome blues guitar player jamming on the Power Uke. The banjo player tuned it up specially for his banjo style, and the blues player left it tuned GCEA.

Happy full moon!

That's pretty awesome that you got Moses to play. The banjo player and blues player were great too. Just wanted to let you know that at least one person appreciated the video.

Wow! That looks like a cool uke. Mad props rar jungle!

Thanks for the positive feedback Aaron and Haolebrownie!

Yesterday a young local guy came into the uke shop and showed me his new Kamaka soprano he won in a raffle. It was gorgeous. He started jamming on the Power Uke I have on display, and after a while I asked him which ukulele he like more, the Power Uke or the Kamaka. He said he would trade me straight away the Kamaka for the Power Uke. I was sorely tempted, but couldn't decide cause it was the last one I have right now, so he said he'd come back tommorow. Now it's tomorrow and he just came back with the Kamaka, with warranty registration card, and the custom Kamaka case. I said, yeah maybe I'll trade you ukes, if you still want. This time he hesitated and instead asked if he could wander down the street with the Power Uke, to Sam's Hideaway, to play some music. At first I said no, but then told him if he leaves the Kamaka as collateral he can, so he did, and he also left his fancy watch. So now I am sitting here in the ukulele shop with the fancy Kamaka and some blingy watch from Ross, and the braddah and my Power Uke are wandering off into the distance. Lol.

Hey Rar
It's don from Oregon, been in the shop playing the power uke several times. You have a great thing going there in your Power Uke. Plays well, sounds amazing, might have to get one. Did that fellow ever come back? Bee in next week to say hello as then I will be staying in Kailua town and can walk to the shop. You fellows and gals out there with some money should help back Rar in his endeavor , this might just take off once he gets some exposure which he only has here but this is very limited. HAY OUT THERE, OPEN THEM EYES YOU HAVE. Good luck and fortune there Rar
Don
PEREPCHUK

Can I work there?

Wow-- your Power Uke is a blues machine! Just visited your website -- now I understand the origin of the "cord from nowhere". Great video -- thanks for sharing!

You can, but I am not sure how the commute from Florida to Hawaii would work out.

xjumper said:

Can I work there?

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Thanks BigMamaJ40!

BigMamaJ40 said:

Wow-- your Power Uke is a blues machine! Just visited your website -- now I understand the origin of the "cord from nowhere". Great video -- thanks for sharing!

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Thanks so much Don! Hope to see you in the shop again soon!
Yes, that guy did finally come back, about an hour later than he said he would though, so I was starting to think maybe he really wanted to trade. It turns out he did go to Sam's Hideaway Karaoke bar, and they offered him a microphone to sing into, and then a cord to plug the Power Uke into the sound system as well, but then he turned the internal amp on full blast, and didn't need to plug in.

perep said:

Hey Rar
It's don from Oregon, been in the shop playing the power uke several times. You have a great thing going there in your Power Uke. Plays well, sounds amazing, might have to get one. Did that fellow ever come back? Bee in next week to say hello as then I will be staying in Kailua town and can walk to the shop. You fellows and gals out there with some money should help back Rar in his endeavor , this might just take off once he gets some exposure which he only has here but this is very limited. HAY OUT THERE, OPEN THEM EYES YOU HAVE. Good luck and fortune there Rar
Don
PEREPCHUK

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Wow, some really skillful playing, any idea what the banjoist tuned it up to?

Hey Jungle Boy!

I know you probably have the best name for this: Power Ukulele. Still maybe you should consider Busker Ukulele. Seems like the perfect thing for that. How long can you play on a charge?

No, sorry, I wish I remembered how he tuned it. If I see him again I'll find out for sure, and write it down.

nighthunte29 said:

Wow, some really skillful playing, any idea what the banjoist tuned it up to?

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Hi Dirk!

I like your Busker Uke name, that makes sense.

I am still not sure of the battery life, cause I haven't done any formal tests, but the first guy I sold one to, about 6 months ago, said he still hasn't changed the 8 AA batteries yet, and he's put a lot of hours on it. From what I could gather that meant more than 20 hours without needing to change the batteries. I guess formal testing would be a good idea. I've been too busy, and also constantly making new ones, so I never have been able to just stick with one and play it for many hours.

By the way, to anybody reading who plays electric with undersaddle pickup: I think Dirk's Southcoast Soft Mediums are the best strings out there. The Power Ukulele's undersaddle pickup primarily responds to and reproduces the sounds of the string vibrating, with minimal influence from the body of the uke. In developing the Power Uke finding the perfect strings with the most beautiful sound was of utmost importance, after extensive testing the best strings were the Southcoast Soft Mediums. In my application they really minimized any harshness and offer the sweetest sound for playing electric. Also, without amplification they sound awesome too!

southcoastukes said:

Hey Jungle Boy!

I know you probably have the best name for this: Power Ukulele. Still maybe you should consider Busker Ukulele. Seems like the perfect thing for that. How long can you play on a charge?

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Hey Rar
Back in Oregon now, have you sold that Power Uke I saw & played while there. Wish you good fortune in that endeavor as you have a great product there. Hope Red China does not copy it before you get it off the ground, maybe a patent?
Don

Hi Don, no I didn't sell that one, I just show people that one and then take orders. Speaking of Red China, I met the CEO of Hohner/Lanikai last week. He's actually not from China, he's from Virginia, but of course as everyone knows all the Lanikai stuff is made in China. Anyways, he came into our shop with his son and wife. They were on vacation, just wandering around after dinner, and decided to check out our shop. He seemed like a pretty nice guy. I showed him the Power Uke and he seemed very intrigued. He told me that he doesn't think it can be made in China, and he went on to describe how difficult it was just to get the Chinese factories to install the simplest of electronics properly. He told me I should be charging a lot more for my ukes, and keep making them in the U.S.
Thank you Xjumper for your order, I started on it yesterday!

perep said:

Hey Rar
Back in Oregon now, have you sold that Power Uke I saw & played while there. Wish you good fortune in that endeavor as you have a great product there. Hope Red China does not copy it before you get it off the ground, maybe a patent?
Don

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