My father came to Milwaukee to see me in a play last summer. It was the original play that one of his all-time favorite movies was based on, A Thousand Clowns, which if you know it, has a little ukulele number in it. I didn't play in the show, but I taught the actors who had to how to, and then for the curtain call we all played through the number, and I had a little spotlight moment where I played a big chord melody arrangement of the tune.
Anyway, my dad was so impressed that he decided to buy me a new uke as a gift -- it could be anything I wanted. I was ready for a custom!
I had been thinking about a Talsma for a while, I love the look of his ukes, I had heard Gerald Ross play his, and read amazing things about them, so I contacted Dave in October, and it finally came today:
This design is his own take on the old narrow-waisted Hollywood style. It's a concert-scale all mahogany with an ebony fretboard and bridge, and ivoroid bindings.
The inlay on the fretboard and headstock is MOP.
I love the old glamor of this style, so i didn't want to change it up much from his design, but I asked for a personalized inlay of my initials at the 14th fret.
And this thing sounds as good as it looks. Intonation is perfect all the way up the neck, no thuds playing way up there either, perfect, clear bell like tone. It's strung with Southcoast mediums now, but I wonder what Aquilas might do to give it that old-timey bark... I haven't had much time with yet, obviously, so, I'm keeping these on it for now.
Dave was great to work with... and he's a true craftsman. Fit and finish are as close to perfect as I can tell -- I literally cannot find a single flaw of any type.
I have a gig tomorrow, so I'm looking forward to christening it there. I hope to get a sound sample soon, maybe for the Seasons this week.
Anyway, this one is here to stay.
Anyway, my dad was so impressed that he decided to buy me a new uke as a gift -- it could be anything I wanted. I was ready for a custom!
I had been thinking about a Talsma for a while, I love the look of his ukes, I had heard Gerald Ross play his, and read amazing things about them, so I contacted Dave in October, and it finally came today:
This design is his own take on the old narrow-waisted Hollywood style. It's a concert-scale all mahogany with an ebony fretboard and bridge, and ivoroid bindings.
The inlay on the fretboard and headstock is MOP.
I love the old glamor of this style, so i didn't want to change it up much from his design, but I asked for a personalized inlay of my initials at the 14th fret.
And this thing sounds as good as it looks. Intonation is perfect all the way up the neck, no thuds playing way up there either, perfect, clear bell like tone. It's strung with Southcoast mediums now, but I wonder what Aquilas might do to give it that old-timey bark... I haven't had much time with yet, obviously, so, I'm keeping these on it for now.
Dave was great to work with... and he's a true craftsman. Fit and finish are as close to perfect as I can tell -- I literally cannot find a single flaw of any type.
I have a gig tomorrow, so I'm looking forward to christening it there. I hope to get a sound sample soon, maybe for the Seasons this week.
Anyway, this one is here to stay.
