Jake's new ukulele

15" concert scale with a wide nut seems very cool, but I was hoping for at least a solid top. That sound sample was pretty short, there are a few longer ones on YT, but it sounds good to me. $299.00 for an all laminated uke may seem steep to some, but Kiwaya gets $275.00 or so for their laminate KS-1, with standard soprano scale. I don't know of any other long neck sopranos with 1.5" nut out there.

There were a couple of threads on this uke a while back:

https://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?132017-Shima-Ukulele-anyone&highlight=shima

https://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?132634-Shima-Ukulele-finally-came!-(-Sound-sample-video)&highlight=shima
 
Last edited:
Looks good. Judging by the note at the bottom, it seems as if he is closely involved with the company. I had thought that he assisted with the design and then let a uke company do all the logistics. I like the idea of the wide neck, but some people I know prefer narrow. A soprano/tenor seems odd. I wonder if they would have had better luck with a straight tenor. I'm tempted, but it doesn't offer me anything that I need or don't have.
 
Jake seems to be a very likable person. As for the ukulele, I wonder what it sounds like played in person (and by a mere mortal). To me, the key phrase regarding the sound sample is "a splash of reverb." Is this another Kiwaya? Or an Islander? (I like Islanders, so it's not a knock on them. But a $300 laminate...?)
 
So basically here, Jake has commercialized his success by lending his name to a Chinese laminate ukulele that he and his brother have started pedaling. He doesn't play them himself, he still plays Kamakas, but these have his initials on the headstock, which gives the buyer a connection to Jake himself. Interesting. He'll sell out. Everyone wants a $300 laminate soprano that Jake might have touched.
 
If he were to sign each uke, that would certainly boost sales.

He was signing them as part of a Pledge Music campaign for his latest CD. I think that offer has expired now that the CD is out, though.
I thought about it, but then I found out that it's a 1 1/2 inch neck, which is a deal breaker for me.
I did get the CD, though, which is one size fits all. :)
 
So basically here, Jake has commercialized his success by lending his name to a Chinese laminate ukulele that he and his brother have started pedaling. He doesn't play them himself, he still plays Kamakas, but these have his initials on the headstock, which gives the buyer a connection to Jake himself. Interesting. He'll sell out. Everyone wants a $300 laminate soprano that Jake might have touched.

I mean... that's what pretty much anyone who has a signature guitar or bass does, only they make WAY less money off it because it goes through an established instrument company. Flea is Flea on any bass, but people shell out $1000 for the Mexican made Fender that's distressed like his 62 Jazz to feel that connection. It's not for everybody, but I don't see the harm in it, especially if it's doing more to support the artist. Not everyone can shell out $5k for his Blue Kamaka. I saw Jake a few weeks ago and the 1000 seat theater he played had plenty of empty seats. It's cool to be a solo ukulele act, but you still gotta eat.

Anyway, I played one of these Shimas last summer, and it was cool. I found the wider spacing to be really playable. Not better or worse than Kala or Ohana, but totally reasonable to pay $150 for the uke and $150 because you think the artist is rad.
 
Jerryc41;2102711 I wonder if they would have had better luck with a straight tenor. [/QUOTE said:
I wonder if that wasn't an option because of his tie-in with Kamaka. There is the new Jake model Kamaka that is a tenor, (and a previous one), and in a sense this would compete with it, (though totally different price ranges), if you want to buy a Jake model ukulele.
 
I'm sure I'll get one. I only play concerts, so the scale will work for me. And, my custom ukuleles have 1 1/2" nut width (my specs). Seems like a perfect soprano for my purposes.
 
I wonder if that wasn't an option because of his tie-in with Kamaka. There is the new Jake model Kamaka that is a tenor, (and a previous one), and in a sense this would compete with it, (though totally different price ranges), if you want to buy a Jake model ukulele.

I think you're right. It's a carefully worded site and the decision to keep it to soprano and to refer to exclusively playing Kamaka ukes on the home page is not an accident!
 
Top Bottom