Shima uke

I have heard great things about these. Clips I have heard online sound really nice. Looking forward to hearing some feedback.
 
They're pretty good. Here is my own video on it I made shortly after getting it.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXoCvUWtwzc

All laminate mahogany, but great quality.
Immaculate setup (comes with about 2mm action at the 12th fret from factory) and very well finished. Soprano sized body, concert length neck - neck is wide.

There are decent solid-top and all-solid ukes at similar price range, but this one has the cool Jake Shimabukuro branding on it.
 
kissing said:
All laminate mahogany, but great quality.
Immaculate setup (comes with about 2mm action at the 12th fret from factory) and very well finished. Soprano sized body, concert length neck - neck is wide.
There are decent solid-top and all-solid ukes at similar price range, but this one has the cool Jake Shimabukuro branding on it.
Click to expand...


I would think that if they have great quality control and design, they could be very worthwhile and better than some of the other choices at a similar or greater price. The Kiwaya KS series also falls into that category. They sound and play great and are better than many solid instruments.
 
What is the Shimabukuro style of playing? Do you just mean fingerstyle?
I'm curious in what way the ukulele is specific to a particular style.
 
I got one last Fall. It's my only laminate uke, so it's not as lively as I was accustomed to. The stock strings don't help in my opinion. But with flouros on it does pretty well. The fretboard is spacious. I like it and it goes places I'm not willing to take something more precious. Build quality is very good; intonation is accurate; action is high, but that's easy to adjust.

I think it's priced right and you get the Shimabukuru aura. Doesn't actually improve my playing, but a guy can dream.
 
If I didn't already have too many ukes, I'd buy one.

Something I noticed -

"Shima Ukulele consists of a soprano body, a concert-length neck with the thickness and width of Jake’s tenor ukulele." Does this remind you of anything? How about the new Romero ST Concert that includes sizing of soprano, concert, and tenor?

"The ST Concert combines the length of a soprano, the body of a tenor, and the scale of a concert ‘ukulele."

EDIT: There's one on Reverb that was signed by Jake.
https://reverb.com/item/18018558-ja...o6SbSsCgMCu5hoCGlEQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&pla=1
 
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Jerryc41 said:
"Shima Ukulele consists of a soprano body, a concert-length neck with the thickness and width of Jake’s tenor ukulele."
Click to expand...

Is it a concert-length neck? I had thought that it was a tenor neck?
The only thing I recall for sure is that it's a wide nut width.

From Got a Ukulele:
https://www.gotaukulele.com/2019/01/shima-js-jake-shimabukuro-wideneck.html

"So in short you are getting a soprano body with a longer neck, and a tenor quantity of frets and a tenor style nut width. No complaints from me here and how I wish this was more common! Jake's reasoning was that he wanted something as comfortable to play as his tenors but smaller in the body for portability. Yep. I get that and I like that! In fact that neck is modelled on his tenor I believe in width and profile."
 
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Joyful Uke said:
Is it a concert-length neck? I had thought that it was a tenor neck?
The only thing I recall for sure is that it's a wide nut width.

From Got a Ukulele:
https://www.gotaukulele.com/2019/01/shima-js-jake-shimabukuro-wideneck.html

"So in short you are getting a soprano body with a longer neck, and a tenor quantity of frets and a tenor style nut width. No complaints from me here and how I wish this was more common! Jake's reasoning was that he wanted something as comfortable to play as his tenors but smaller in the body for portability. Yep. I get that and I like that! In fact that neck is modelled on his tenor I believe in width and profile."
Click to expand...

Yes, it can be confusing. It seems that the "tenor" part comes from the neck being the same "thickness and width of Jake's tenor uke." I don't know what's meant by "tenor range."
http://shimaukulele.com/

Shima Specs.jpg
 
I believe the tenor part is because it has the extended fingerboard, giving the same number of frets one would have.
 
Kisssing, that was very nicely played!
 
Here’s the only video where Jake answered all the above questions and played some sound samples at the end.
I think he should do more videos like this to promote the ukulele. I was very interested at one point.
 
AustinHing said:
Here’s the only video where Jake answered all the above questions and played some sound samples at the end.
Click to expand...

I have to admit, I'll still totally confused about whether it's a tenor neck or not.
 
Joyful Uke said:
I have to admit, I'll still totally confused about whether it's a tenor neck or not.
Click to expand...

This is what I think he meant in the video:
1. Scale length is concert.
2. Number of frets is 18, which allows him to do the same chords as his kamaka tenor. Note that a kamaka concert is only 16 frets. I think the confusion is due to his reference of his kamaka tenor when he mentioned the Shima uke has the same range.
3. Nut width is like a Tenor Uke nut width.
 
AustinHing said:
This is what I think he meant in the video:
1. Scale length is concert.
2. Number of frets is 18, which allows him to do the same chords as his kamaka tenor. Note that a kamaka concert is only 16 frets. I think the confusion is due to his reference of his kamaka tenor when he mentioned the Shima uke has the same range.
3. Nut width is like a Tenor Uke nut width.
Click to expand...

Did he mention scale length = concert? If so, I missed it. (Quite likely true.)

I had emailed Bruce a while back about the Shima uke, but lost those emails with a computer reaching the end of its life span, and only remember that the nut width was 1 1/2". Or at least I think I remember that. LOL.

Ah, well, it sure sounds great when Jake plays it, but then what wouldn't? :)
 
I hesitate buying a uke manufactured in China, but times may have changed.
 
Wet-Skunk said:
I hesitate buying a uke manufactured in China, but times may have changed.
Click to expand...


Many of them are terrific instruments. If the company specs out a high quality instrument and has good quality control, that is what you get. If you want cheap junk that merely looks like an instrument you can get that too. Looking at the instruments you will see reviewed at Got a Ukulele and other sites, you can see a wide range. I would not be surprised if you have played or even own instruments that have come from China.
 
Ukecaster said:
Also just saw this offer from Aloha City Ukes of a Shima Jake model uke for the lower VIP price of $229.00, but it must be picked up at their 7/28 Meet & Greet with Jake, at their shop in IL, where he would also sign it for you. Not sure if there is a fee for that Jake event.

Or, buy one for $279.00, also signed by Jake, which they would ship to you.

View attachment 119792
Click to expand...

Someone please go and ask Jake if the neck is concert or tenor scale. LOL.

For anyone in the area, it sounds like a great opportunity to meet Jake.
 
Ukecaster said:
In case anyone missed Baz's review:

https://www.gotaukulele.com/2019/01/shima-js-jake-shimabukuro-wideneck.html
Click to expand...

And from that review, "Fitted to the JS is a long neck giving the instrument a 15 inch scale. So that is a concert scale on a soprano body." Also, " it is fitted with a more standard tenor number of frets (18 with 14 to the body) and also a wider nut."

So soprano body, concert scale, tenor number of frets, and wide nut. (37mm nut, with 30 mm G to A, again, from Baz's review.)
 
Ukecaster said:
Also just saw this offer from Aloha City Ukes of a Shima Jake model uke for the lower VIP price of $229.00, but it must be picked up at their 7/28 Meet & Greet with Jake, at their shop in IL, where he would also sign it for you. Not sure if there is a fee for that Jake event.

Or, buy one for $279.00, also signed by Jake, which they would ship to you.

View attachment 119792
Click to expand...

He's playing a concert in Milwaukee at the Pabst Theater on July 24th. Haven't seen anything about a concert in Illinois around the 28th.

His concerts are great.
 
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