Calling all Tinguitar ukulele owners!

pix.fairydust

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 6, 2017
Messages
725
Reaction score
16
Location
Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
Hi all,

I've just sold a ukulele meaning I can put the money to buying local and commissioning a ukulele from a builder in the UK (shout out to Gotaukulele's Baz for his Facebook post that pointed me in the right direction!)

I've decided to comission a tinguitar tenor and was just looking for people to share their experiences with me, and hopefully help build up the excitement. I sure could use some. I work in the NHS (shout out to all health care and key workers!) and whilst I'm not front line there's stuff behind the scenes to ensure care for our usual caseload continues and it's been tricky to say the least.

So please share! And stay safe <3
x
 
I'd be interested to know why you chose Tinguitar (I've heard good things but I've never seen one in person). Also interested to know if the LFDM is coming back on the market or if the previous owner just really wanted it back?
 
I've got one of Rob's soprano ukes ... the basic, no frills model. I bought it second hand about three years ago (it was my second uke ever, I think.) It is very light and the projection is fantastic. I would definitely recommend his work.
 
I'd be interested to know why you chose Tinguitar (I've heard good things but I've never seen one in person). Also interested to know if the LFDM is coming back on the market or if the previous owner just really wanted it back?

That's exactly it. Heard good things about the builder - both his ukes and as a general person. Also I'm able to get something that's pretty much to my spec at what I think is a fabulous price.
PM'd you about the lfdm - no other plans to sell it at present
 
My soprano built by Rob is a wonderful little beast! As gentle as a summer breeze when tickled, but able to roar like a lion if needed. Perfect intonation and finish, it is simply a joy to play. I met Rob at a 'Ukulele Gathering' in Belper, a small town near my own, which was organised by Phil Doleman of the (then) Ukulele Duo The ReEntrants. I played a couple of Robs instruments that day, and decided that one day I would own one.
Fast forward a year or so, and many of us attended the 'Snowdonia Ukulele Gathering' organised by another player and all round good bloke, Sunny Jim.
I had contacted Rob by email and PM on another forum, and he brought along the little instrument that I desired. We met, I played it and instantly bought it. As I recall, Rob also supplied me with some finishing oil that I had asked about, for something I was working on at the time.
Rob Collins is a gentleman, and a maker of fine instruments. If you are seriously ordering one from him, (I.M.O.) you will never regret it!
 
My soprano built by Rob is a wonderful little beast! As gentle as a summer breeze when tickled, but able to roar like a lion if needed. Perfect intonation and finish, it is simply a joy to play. I met Rob at a 'Ukulele Gathering' in Belper, a small town near my own, which was organised by Phil Doleman of the (then) Ukulele Duo The ReEntrants. I played a couple of Robs instruments that day, and decided that one day I would own one.
Fast forward a year or so, and many of us attended the 'Snowdonia Ukulele Gathering' organised by another player and all round good bloke, Sunny Jim.
I had contacted Rob by email and PM on another forum, and he brought along the little instrument that I desired. We met, I played it and instantly bought it. As I recall, Rob also supplied me with some finishing oil that I had asked about, for something I was working on at the time.
Rob Collins is a gentleman, and a maker of fine instruments. If you are seriously ordering one from him, (I.M.O.) you will never regret it!

Took the plunge and paid my deposit to secure a build slot. Let the anticipation begin!
 
Rob's a great guy and a fine builder - you won't be disappointed.

John Colter

ps - the usual commission, Rob?:)
 
I have a soprano and a super tenor from him. I like both the instruments from him, his ukes ring up the neck really well and generally are great instruments for players. Not too heavy on eye candy but a robust, good sounding instrument.
I was very tempted to pick up the tenor he has listed on his site right now as available.
 
Just what you think of it. Anything you have to tell really...

Just what you think of it. Anything you have to tell really...

Hmmm...I think I am going to need to show some restraint lest this message turn into a sloppy panegyric because my Tinguitar ukulele, hereafter referred to as Yorkie, is the apple of my eye.

Yorkie cured my UAS. I sold all my ukes and other instruments except for one Kamaka to serve my re-entrant needs. Yorkie is my dedicated linear ukulele. With these two ukes, I have all the ukulele I need. I didn't even watch any NAMM videos this year because what do I care about what Kala is doing when I have Yorkie.

I don't know what to tell you about Yorkie. It is a custom uke and therefore everything about it is perfect. It even smells good.

I think it would be more informative to talk about working with Rob. I went to Rob with an idea: I wanted to make an island ukulele but instead of referencing the Sandwich isalnds as most people do, I meant the Yorkshire pudding islands or Great Britain. I wanted all the materials to come from the British Isles. Rob vetoed one wood I had in mind because it was too soft for its purpose but he otherwise codified my idea by suggesting Plane wood salvaged from a park in London, viburnum and English walnut.

I was concerned about how Yorkie would look (I assumed that Rob would take care of the playability and tonality) so I had a laundry list to necessities that I gave to Rob. They were things such as 185mm scale, 19 frets, Florentine cutaway, no fret markers, side markers on the pentatonic frets: 3, 5 7, 10, 12, etc, planetary tuners.

I didn't really care about what most other people grouse over--things like nut width, zero fret, radiused fret board, neck profile. I figured I would be spending the rest of my life with Yorkie and would according adapt to whatever qualities it had. However I will mention that Yorkie came with a flattened D neck shape. I never would have thought to specify that but now I cannot see how I lived without it. Having a flat surface for your thumb makes so much more sense.

And Yorkie was cheap. I honestly cannot remember how much I paid for Yorkie. I have an impression that it cost around 1600 pounds (because of all the special requests I made)...and that is super cheap for what I received. I remember even feeling guilty about it at the time!

I think I am starting to run on a bit too long now. I'll just say that every day I smell Yorkie and play the entire fretboard (I can only form chords until about the 15th fret). Yorkie's long neck gives me room for seven shapes per key whether we're talking about pentatonics or modes. Yorkie opened up a new regions of the fretboard for me. My favorite place to play is the 11th fret with the Dominant shape of E minor pentatonic located there as well as B Phrygian dominant and A Dorian #11.

I'm very happy with my ukulele. I don't have a cell phone or anything, but here is a grainy picture of Yorkie and its permanently affixed leather strap
yorkie.jpg
 
Hmmm...I think I am going to need to show some restraint lest this message turn into a sloppy panegyric because my Tinguitar ukulele, hereafter referred to as Yorkie, is the apple of my eye.

Yorkie cured my UAS. I sold all my ukes and other instruments except for one Kamaka to serve my re-entrant needs. Yorkie is my dedicated linear ukulele. With these two ukes, I have all the ukulele I need. I didn't even watch any NAMM videos this year because what do I care about what Kala is doing when I have Yorkie.

I don't know what to tell you about Yorkie. It is a custom uke and therefore everything about it is perfect. It even smells good.

I think it would be more informative to talk about working with Rob. I went to Rob with an idea: I wanted to make an island ukulele but instead of referencing the Sandwich isalnds as most people do, I meant the Yorkshire pudding islands or Great Britain. I wanted all the materials to come from the British Isles. Rob vetoed one wood I had in mind because it was too soft for its purpose but he otherwise codified my idea by suggesting Plane wood salvaged from a park in London, viburnum and English walnut.

I was concerned about how Yorkie would look (I assumed that Rob would take care of the playability and tonality) so I had a laundry list to necessities that I gave to Rob. They were things such as 185mm scale, 19 frets, Florentine cutaway, no fret markers, side markers on the pentatonic frets: 3, 5 7, 10, 12, etc, planetary tuners.

I didn't really care about what most other people grouse over--things like nut width, zero fret, radiused fret board, neck profile. I figured I would be spending the rest of my life with Yorkie and would according adapt to whatever qualities it had. However I will mention that Yorkie came with a flattened D neck shape. I never would have thought to specify that but now I cannot see how I lived without it. Having a flat surface for your thumb makes so much more sense.

And Yorkie was cheap. I honestly cannot remember how much I paid for Yorkie. I have an impression that it cost around 1600 pounds (because of all the special requests I made)...and that is super cheap for what I received. I remember even feeling guilty about it at the time!

I think I am starting to run on a bit too long now. I'll just say that every day I smell Yorkie and play the entire fretboard (I can only form chords until about the 15th fret). Yorkie's long neck gives me room for seven shapes per key whether we're talking about pentatonics or modes. Yorkie opened up a new regions of the fretboard for me. My favorite place to play is the 11th fret with the Dominant shape of E minor pentatonic located there as well as B Phrygian dominant and A Dorian #11.

I'm very happy with my ukulele. I don't have a cell phone or anything, but here is a grainy picture of Yorkie and its permanently affixed leather strap
View attachment 126265

This is exactly what I was hoping! Thank you for taking the time to write all of that, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Yorkie!
 
Top Bottom