Ukulele Related News from NAMM 2020

Many thanks to everyone who shared so generously about the latest happenings at the winter NAMM Show. I'm curious about what you think of the new Blackstar acoustic amp featured at the end of this article?

https://www.musicradar.com/news/hear-our-four-favourite-new-guitar-amps-of-namm-2020

Dunno about the Blackstar, but I would definitely skip the #1 (spark 40). PG's customer service told me the USB in it isn't good enough to use as a usb interface unless you have no other options, and the app that sells the whole thing, the one that plays along with you and detects your chords, is subscription-based. And finally, it doesn't play nicely with PC/Mac Bias FX from the same company. It's standalone, and only what you can use in the mobile app will work.
 
The NAMM show has ended a while ago, but there are still more bits and pieces being released, some of which were already discussed, others seem to be new. Here is a look at a "Naturel Ukulele" in all solid Ziricote which Southern Ukulele bought from Takumi (it is now available from the store):


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N7E7FTUQzY
 
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The guys from Southern Ukulele Store giving a roundup of what they liked at the show, including the new Romero Creations models, the Lanikai Uke Basses (which they compare to the Cordoba Mini II Bass), HUG, Flight, Lava, Takumi/Kiwaya and Da Silva, pink solid Mango Big Island Ukulele with flower inlay, the Bamboo brand, Alvarez, Kanilea, etc.:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20uhamp8Nq8
 
Does anyone know if the surfboard inspired, painted Kala ukes are solid spruce or some kind of spruce laminate. I assume the sides and back are mahogany laminate but not sure. All the video presentations from NAMM go into the colours, sparkles and Elvis like decoration but nobody mentions wood and no one plays them so you can hear the sound. Still, the most important thing to me is sound.

Also, wish the fender ukes, particularly the Jassmaster Uke, had been played by someone.

Thanks
 
Does anyone know if the surfboard inspired, painted Kala ukes are solid spruce or some kind of spruce laminate. I assume the sides and back are mahogany laminate but not sure. All the video presentations from NAMM go into the colours, sparkles and Elvis like decoration but nobody mentions wood and no one plays them so you can hear the sound. Still, the most important thing to me is sound.

Also, wish the fender ukes, particularly the Jassmaster Uke, had been played by someone.

Thanks

I couldn't find anything about the wood but I did find the surfboard ukuleles will be available in March, start at $79 and are concert size.
 
I really appreciated the videos from Uke Republic and Southern Ukulele Store and now Ukulele Magazine. Thanks to everyone for sharing the videos.
 
Excited most this year by the Kala Surf line and the Fender Jazzmaster uke in white. The glittery uke is so cool but I don't think it is for me. I would be interested in some of the ukadelic ones if they didn't have plastic frets.
 
I kinda like that Kala bamboo. Unfortunately, bridges with screw caps are a deal killer for me, visually speaking. Quite a few on that video. Don't recall seeing that feature on Kala's in the past. Trying to stay cost competitive, I guess.
 
“Screw caps”....... Is that the black dots on the bridge on the bamboo Uke by Kaka. A cover for hole drilled to screw on the bridge?
 
“Screw caps”....... Is that the black dots on the bridge on the bamboo Uke by Kaka. A cover for hole drilled to screw on the bridge?

I don't know what the technical term is, but yes. Someone feel free to correct me on the terminology ... or that there aren't actually screws under there!
 
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