 It started a couple of years ago,I think when I won an Ohana uke that needed cracks repaired,which I did. The unexpected arose when one of the Gotoh tuners simply wouldn't hold the string to pitch. I tightened the screw,took the string off and put it back on,and nothing. Then my Dad's health started to really sink and the uke got put in it's case and stayed for another year,until I took it out a few weeks ago.
I contacted the Ohana people via Twitter asking if I could buy a replacement tuner,explaining what I was experiencing. And,much to my surprise,Steph,one of the PR folks,emailed me to let me know they were sending one and no worries. At the same time,I recently hired a neighborhood kid to mow and edge my front yard every two weeks. "Frank" (not his real name) is in his tweens,and he is needing some operations on one of his ears,which will begin this summer. He mows lawns and gives the money earned to his parents to help with expenses,as his Dad had a back injury that interferes with what sort of work he can do. Frank,knowing I'm a musician,stated he wanted a guitar or ukulele. I told him I felt uke was a better choice for now,as it's a lot easier to take with you and learn. Besides,he could take it to the hospital to help pass the time. Being on a budget myself since my Dad passed,I wrote Steph to see if they had some sort of ukulele kids program. Not really,I was told and I asked if they had any B rated soprano ukes they'd be willing to sell at a discounted price. Then the unexpected happened. Steph and company were generous enough to send a soprano uke and gigbag to me along with my replacement tuners. I was shocked. The uke arrived yesterday which also happened to be the day Frank does the gardening for me. I waited till he was finished,and then presented him with the ukulele and explained that the Ohana Uke Co was thoughtful and generous enough to give this uke to him,and that he was to take excellent care of it. He was beyond delighted. I'd include a photo,but I believe due to his age there's rules against that. I can't tell you how good it made me feel to be able to pass a nice quality ukulele to a kid who wouldn't have been able to got one otherwise. I promised Frank I'd help him learn to play after his bi weekly mowing of the lawn. Thank you,Ohana,for making sure that no one gets left behind!
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 My only 6 string uke up to a few days ago was my Yamaha GL-1. I spotted a fantastic deal on eBay for the Luna model pictured above,and I nabbed it.
First off,I want to tip my flapper/pirate wench hat to the Luna company for calling this what it actually is: a 6 string ukulele. Not a mini guitar,or guitalele as some uke purists would attempt to label it.....but a ukulele,plain & simple. My initial surprise was at the size of this thing. My Yamaha is much smaller-it falls somewhere in between a concert & tenor size uke. The Luna? It's a little over 31" in length....slightly bigger than the usual baritone. The scale length is 20" and it sports 19 frets on it's stunning walnut fingerboard with pearl dot inlays. Dots are also on the side of the neck,making navigation effortless. The mahogany body and neck are simply beautiful. The C shaped neck is nice and thin making more complicated chord forms & melodies easy to play- especially for those with petite hands. The action is low,making playing very comfortable indeed. This instrument packs a lovely rich tone and packs a lot of volume. The intonation is great. the tribal design is sooooo cool! It has open machine heads that are very smooth. The tuner buttons are a bit small,in my personal opinion,for this size uke,but they work,and that's what counts. I'd like to see folks start taking their 6 strings to workshops and uke jams. To bust another myth put forth by 4 string purists is you'd need to take both a 4 & 6 string to a uke fest to be able to participate. Not so. Take your 6 along and simply don't play the two lower strings in 4 string uke workshops. Easy as pie. Bear in mind this will be equivalent to playing a uke in G tuning with a low G. To hit the higher G as it's needed in melodies here & there,simply fret the 2nd string at the 3rd fret instead of hitting the 4th string open. For those with the misguided opinion that fingerboards on 6 string models are too dinky to play more complex stuff,this will blow that idea clear out the water. Fingerpicking blues as well as playing classical is a delight on this. Two friendly suggestions for the Luna company would be to put a strap button at the bottom of the instrument and to include a gig bag with it. Looks like I'll be shopping for a baritone gig bag for mine. I'd like to ask my 6 string playin' readers is to start requesting classes/workshops for the 6 string uke at fests and other gatherings. Email upcoming uke fests and ask for these classes! I get the feeling that those who run uke fests may be unaware of it's popularity,or possibly turning a blind eye to it altogether-although this is my personal opinion. ;-) |
 
AuthorSherrie Is a ukuele player who is also a member in good standing of The Sons Of The Desert Utopia tent. 
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