What did you do today? Anything hobby-related.

[kkimura]

Wiped down my baritone with a damp rag to remove all the old dust and grime it had when I bought it. While doing that I wondered if by wiping it with a damp rag I was helping to humidify the wood. It has a satin finish all over except the fret board and bridge.

 

[ailevin]

Had a single strap button put on my Pop's Okami Wow soprano. I also bought a new soprano sized Kala Sonoma gig bag. I tried their transit model, but it was not deep enough for my ukulele. I also preferred the backpack straps and pockets on the Sonoma.

 

[ploverwing]

I also preferred the backpack straps and pockets on the Sonoma.

I won't buy a gig bag without backpack straps. It's the best from my perspective.

 

[Wiggy]

Filed and 600-grit polished off the sprouted fret ends on my Aklot Concert banjolele. They were sticking out like Honey Locust thorns! That's why I rarely picked it up to play.

Much better, now.

 

[Brian PacNW]

Playing my kid’s avocado uke. More protein than pineapple. Or is it more cholesterol? Hmm. Anyway, lots of fun.

 

[Nickie]

Last eve I taught another beginner workshop.

 

[ploverwing]

Last eve I taught another beginner workshop.

Yay! Uke proselytizing! Spread the love!

 

[Neil_O]

I played some tennis until I got tired, then I played pickleball.

 

[Voran]

I wrote a song about a malevolent spirit inviting people into a reservoir to drown.

I have a huge phobia about bell mouth spillways but at the same time a fascination with them, I think my brain is trying to do exposure therapy

 

[Jan D]

Hubby received an email this morning from a long time friend (”A”). She started off by wishing him Happy St. Patrick’s Day. (?? He’s of Italian/British/German heritage…go figure.) Anyway, she then went on to say that today marked the one year anniversary of the death of another friend’s (“B”) husband. ”A” wanted to acknowledge the event, and said that “B” likes Celtic music, so “A” was wondering if we had any recordings of me playing my harp that she could forward to “B.” Since I have never been comfortable with the idea of recording any of my at-home harp sessions, I obviously had nothing to offer. But hubby and I discussed “A’s” request, and eventually he talked me into recording a few Irish tunes that she could forward to her friend. After a few false starts, and with sweaty hands and stiff arthritic fingers, I managed to record three reasonably decent pieces, which hubby sent along to “A.”

I still haven’t decided whether I like having my harp playing recorded. But if the music helps to ease a total stranger’s memories of her loss, then it was worth the effort. Either way, it was a St. Patrick’s Day experience I’ll not soon forget.

 

[Nickie]

Yesterday we did a St Patty's Day show (duh). We didn't have our lead player, and we did very poorly. It was a near full house, too. I don't want to send the ALF an invoice. I did have fun singing All For Me Grog, and Brennan on the Moor.
After that, I had a much needed Irish Coffee to calm myself down. Ate some fish and chips, I don't like "corned beef". Everything I wore was green, panties too!

 

[Jerryc41]

Not today, but soon. I noticed that I have a Fluke without a case. I don't have enough wood on hand, so I'll have to go into town to get some. I came up with a Flukish design. I'll have to find some nice vinyl to cover it.

 

[Joyful Uke]

Hubby received an email this morning from a long time friend (”A”). She started off by wishing him Happy St. Patrick’s Day. (?? He’s of Italian/British/German heritage…go figure.) Anyway, she then went on to say that today marked the one year anniversary of the death of another friend’s (“B”) husband. ”A” wanted to acknowledge the event, and said that “B” likes Celtic music, so “A” was wondering if we had any recordings of me playing my harp that she could forward to “B.” Since I have never been comfortable with the idea of recording any of my at-home harp sessions, I obviously had nothing to offer. But hubby and I discussed “A’s” request, and eventually he talked me into recording a few Irish tunes that she could forward to her friend. After a few false starts, and with sweaty hands and stiff arthritic fingers, I managed to record three reasonably decent pieces, which hubby sent along to “A.”

I still haven’t decided whether I like having my harp playing recorded. But if the music helps to ease a total stranger’s memories of her loss, then it was worth the effort. Either way, it was a St. Patrick’s Day experience I’ll not soon forget.

I hope that "B" knows that you recorded the music especially for her. Knowing that someone did that would add to the gift of the music. But either way, the music itself is likely very healing in a difficult time for "B", and I hope that this kind gesture helped her. Thank you for doing it.

 

[boisedave]

I wrote a song about a malevolent spirit inviting people into a reservoir to drown.

I have a huge phobia about bell mouth spillways but at the same time a fascination with them, I think my brain is trying to do exposure therapy

Woh! I had to look it up: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spillway#Bell-mouth_spillways and I can totally imagine paddling rowing kicking-stroking, tacking, trying-to-start-the-outboard, as that lip sucks at my feet, all stoking the nightmare..
How'd the song turn out?

 

[Voran]

Woh! I had to look it up: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spillway#Bell-mouth_spillways and I can totally imagine paddling rowing kicking-stroking, tacking, trying-to-start-the-outboard, as that lip sucks at my feet, all stoking the nightmare..
How'd the song turn out?

I'll do a Youtube tomorrow. Right now it's 11pm at night so...

Lyrics:

High up on the mountain range
The grey-green expanse looms and yawns
She seems to call to me
She invites me down to the reservoir

And she says welcome down into my core
Hear my lullaby, be troubled no more
Hush my dear, you know I understand you
Sleep softly in the deep cold black of my womb

Wild foaming water rushes in
Down in the bell mouth, soft white noise beckons me to sleep
Come to me, she says, give in to this
Follow me down into the deep

And she says welcome down into my core
Hear my lullaby, be troubled no more
Hush my dear, you know I understand you
Sleep softly in the deep cold black of my womb

Song is basically about the creepy sense of vertinope (like vertigo with added nope) when something is horrifying but you can't resist looking at it lol

 

[mjh42]

Dang---dealing with string breakage.

I have a nice resonator uke. The tailpiece broke and while the maker is working on a replacement I was sent a temporary/prototype tailpiece.

Also while having to deal with the repairs I decided to put on a low g string set. The g and C strings are wound. The E and A strings are nylon.

Great sound really happy. Then one day I open the case and the g string is broken at the tailpiece. I change that out. Play for a while. Next time I go to the instrument the C string is broken at the tailpiece. Change out the C string. Yesterday I go to play it and g string broken again. So I go through my tin of strings. Find a Aquila Red in low g a friend had sent me a long while ago. I change strings. Tune....Play....Tune...Play...Tune Play....

As I wrap up the session I decide it's time to fill the humidifiers in my cases. As I'm at the table in the other room filling the humidifier I hear a "ping" Dang....broken C string.

Well, I suppose the tailpiece does not like wound strings. I think the winding is binding in the whole of the tailpiece and under friction and pressure the string is being cut through. I'll have to look for a nylon, fluorocarbon, other kind of string set. I've got a couple on order and some more in my tin. I've got both standard and low g sets. I hate to break up a set that may work on another uke I have but I need a C string.

I'll work it out. I'll find a combination that works.

By the way I had a great conversation with the uke maker about some of the issues with the temporary tailpiece and the making of the replacement. Looking forward to the replacement tailpiece and finding string that best work with the uke.

 

[Wiggy]

Took my Kamehameha SP-10 set up as a "bari-nino" (one octave higher than baritone) to our local strum-a-long. It held its own... kinda fun.

 

[TerryM]

Restrung a baritone from all-wound GCEA an octave below standard tenor back to standard tenor GCEA with a wound low G and the rest nylgut. Broke the A string in my haste to tune it up and had to redo it. It's up to tune now and sounding good. The low octave experiment was fun but a little dull and twangy.

 

[RafterGirl]

Bought some ukulele stuff on Amazon....... a tray to trick out my iPad stand, and a Cocobolo ukulele T-shirt.

 

[UkeOkay]

Purchased my first foot pedal, a tuner.