THE BANJO UKULELE FORUM
A blog about the Banjo Uke. Information, questions and photos are welcome. Please email me: stevebobs@hotmail.com
boat paddle ukuleles
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Ub 4/5 Resonator Thumb Screw Replicas
I am offering these as a custom replica that I machine on my small metal lathe. They are $22 each or 2 for $40. Solid Steel with nickel plating. They are very time consuming to make and I make them to the exact dimensions of the original Gibson parts. I couldn't find an exact duplicate anywhere when looking for these.
The ones pictures have not been polished or plated yet. I can leave them unplated for UB5 owners.
I take paypal : stevebobs@hotmail.com please add $2 for shipping
John has a lot of videos playing and singing up on YouTube and his blog is very informative. Many great photos and in depth information about makers/distributors. Check it out!
By Request: Formby's "Alexander's Ragtime Band" a video . Chords are in the description (tuning to the video will be needed to strum along) Once again Mr. Formby takes a lovely solo break full of shakes, splits, syncopations and the usual effortless virtuosity.
I hope to be loading more videos of the more obscure songs with chords. I started with sharp photos of my Stromberg Voisinet but the windows movie maker pixelates them into a painful focus. Sorry!
Chords: Chords:
G|G|A7 D7| G G7| C x 4|G x 4| A7 x 2| D| D7| G x 2| A7 D7 |G G7|C x4| G|G7|C| C# o | G|D7|A7 D7| G
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Mya-Moe Beansprout Banjo ukulele released:
This new design sounds GREAT!! I like the colors offered and the new changes. Bravo! I can't wait to give one of these a try. Curved frets, various neck widths, Black, Reddish and Amber finishes, brass or plated tension rings. I love the sound on the video. Serious quality Aaron!!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Another Day, Another Brit!
Richard Stubbs:
What a man wears in the privacy of his youtube garden is his own business!! I hope his neighbors appreciate his "raw" talent though.......... A wonderful player, singer and he plays on great looking
Banjoleles: An Abbott, Keech and Dallas. I hope to post information on his CD soon.
This video contains the rarely played middle section which was originally the Verse in the sheet music.
I shot this with my old phone out in my garage with a great friend and Uke player David Barlia. David is one of those rare musicians that can most often just play and figure out an old song if you just hand him a ukulele and insist on it. If he was a pianist he would aptly be called a "piano man". If I had to consider anyone a teacher it would be David, who handed me a Red Maholo and taught me the chords to Five Foot Two. Check out his websites: http://barliesque.com/main.html & http://studio.barliesque.com/
David is a Flash developer, video game designer, learning slide Hawaiian guitar, chef and an active freelance ukulele/singer.
These are punchy little 7" head banjo ukes. Everything original but the tuners which were cracking and falling apart. The replacements hold tuning very well and are smooth for fine tuning. Some rust on the
hooks, all original hardware and skin, great finish solid maple, hefty neck. I used it tuned to high F and it sounds great at C,D or higher tunings. Minor dings or nicks, a great user.
some pics:
Monday, October 10, 2011
Sold
For Sale, I am thinning down the collection of wonderful banjo ukuleles. This is the 8" Maybell by Slingerland that is made of solid walnut. A very husky model with a clear tone and long sustain. Brand new Jeff Menzies skin, no rust, all original hardware and finish. These are quite heavy compared to many brands and the reason is that the hardware is a bit heavier duty than most banjo ukes, and the walnut is heavier than the selection of woods that various makers used. Lovely grain throughout, Ebony fret board and peghead, real mother of pearl diamond fret markers. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220872360610#ht_500wt_1202
Here is a short sound clip with pictures: sorry about the sound , it seems to get harsher when I compress the video through movie maker. Blogspot won't allow a simple sound file.
the auction is listed on Ebay and will include a nylon padded gig bag for the instrument along with another new set of my own strings. Here are the pictures:
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
Headless Wonders!
You have all seen them.
They seem to be everywhere. Strumming away effortlessly, perhaps singing on or off key but never without spirit. Men and women, too shy to point the video camera a little bit higher and reveal the face behind the talent. I would bet these are the same sort of people who scoot the to back line in photo ops and obscure their faces or completely eclipse them if possible. I think it's probably a phenomenon that will be eternal to You Tube. Here's to all of you, keep it up! ( the playing, not the camera)
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Great U.K. players:
Peter Nixon!
Another great set of tutorial and performances from the U.K. , Peter Nixon's videos really got me going on many of the aspects of banjo ukulele playing. He has posted tutorials on the fan stroke, split stroke and break downs of many of George Formby's solo breaks. A very crucial one for me was his second fan stroke tutorial because it sorted me out on the best order to use the fingers in the fan stroke in relation to "tapping". It's very important to learn the fan stroke correctly from the very beginning because the timing of the tapping technique depends heavily on which strings are being strummed. For most cases of this technique, you stroke this order: thumb on high string down stroke, index finger on high string up stroke, followed by a down stroke with the back or side of the little finger across all of the strings. (as you get familiar this pattern you emphasize the outer strings for melodic clarity)
Peter's video explains this carefully and was a revelation for me when I first saw it because I could not seem to coordinate the ragtime rhythm with the fan stroke. (123,123,12)
I highly recommend having a look at Peter's Channel which includes tutorials, performances at the Formby Society and various other items of interest.
P.S. Peter is a lefty and is kind enough to aim his camera into a mirror so that the videos aren't completely confusing to observe. Thanks for the help Peter!
A fine example of the metal body Maxitone. These came in Nickel, Brass and Aluminum. This one is solid brass with a copper flange for the hooks and tension nuts. New skin, strings and has modified tuners that are smooth and easy to fine tune. Very rugged banjo ukes with the famous "Gumby" headstock. Decal is new and printed with lacquer coating to protect it after applying.
Please contact me for any other questions.
Monday, May 09, 2011
Hello Banjo Uke Players! I've been pretty busy doing what I do for a living which is play the clarinet here in Los Angeles. I'm going to be posting some new posts soon and putting up some fine instruments for auction including two restored and lovely Gibsons. A UB-1 and UB-3. These should go up for auction with in a day or two. Sorry about not posting much lately but I plan on getting back to this blog soon and have many topics to cover soon. Keep strumming!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Decal Transfers
I've been interested in this topic for quite a while now and the local model train store here in Pasadena Ca. helped me out. As it turns out, the decals are an accepted part of model train restoration. What this means to them is that if the decals are missing, or in such a bad condition as to be illegible then it is considered fair game to replace them with new ones. I think in terms of banjo ukuleles there is so little nomenclature on these instruments that any sort of indication would be acceptable. I set out to find as many sources as possible and luckily I have a different model banjo uke that happens to have a transfer on it and it was in good enough condition to reconstruct in photoshop and print out on Ink Jet transfer paper that has a clear base. This paper is also made with white background and is available for Laser or Ink Jet printers. I'm sure there are those collectors that would cringe at the thought of a new transfer on a vintage instrument and to a certain extent I would agree. I think honesty is the best policy here and I plan to include the before and after picture on the auction when I sell this fine little banjo ukulele. Also, if you wanted to remove it, be my guest, just remember how it looks underneath, where the previous restorer took sandpaper or coarse steel wool to the transfer when they were removing the original copper colored spray paint. For me, I really like how it came out. It has a logo now, a branding. If you are interested in having one for your Gumby style Bruno Maxitone banjo uke, send me an email. I made some spares. I have a few other ukes that are missing most or a good portion of the original decals, and I plan on restoring the decals on those too.
the process is fairly simple. You need a good source like a photo or jpeg of the object. When you have it sized you can print it out, coat it with lacquer , soak it and apply it. After applying coat it again with lacquer and it is protected.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Interview: Aaron Keim Beansprout Banjo Ukuleles
This is the first in a series of short interviews with current banjo ukulele Luthiers. I first noticed Aaron's fine instruments on You Tube when I was searching for a tutorial on the clawhammer or Frailing technique.
Below is one of his videos on the clawhammer style. This technique works very well on the banjo uke as well as the ukulele.
The photo gallery has pictures of his entire banjo uke line.
Here is the interview:
1. Did you start right out on the Banjo Ukulele or was there a period of design and experimentation?
I made two prototypes that had laminated cherry rims and mahogany necks. then i made two more with the maple block rims and maple necks. after that I got started with a batch of 10, just how I wanted them.
2. Did you make other instruments before the banjo uke , and if so in any numbers?
I have made one mandolin, two guitars, 5 five string banjos, 90 banjo ukes and 75 or so regular ukes.
3. What convinced you that you could produce a superior banjo ukulele?
well, even the good vintage ones were missing the mark on major modern design issues such as geared tuners, comfortable sized necks, good setups, correct intonation, careful fretwork, etc...all I did was bring the banjo uke up to proper luthiery standards! there were a couple of other luthiers doing the same thing around the same time as me, but I seemed to beat them to the punch as far as marketing and sales go.
4. How long have you been using reclaimed wood and is it more stable than kiln dried stock? Does Myrtle provide a unique sound quality?
-I have been using reclaimed wood for about 3 years. almost all of it is so old that is has dried out long ago! I think myrtle is halfway between koa and mahogany and I really like how it sounds.
6. Are any new models in the works?
-I am working on a new five string banjo and focusing on my collaboration with Gordon and Char of Mya-Moehttp://www.myamoeukuleles.com/black%20stripe%20series.html I would like to get a soprano banjo uke with a 7 inch pot going, but I haven't found the time yet!
7. Do you make custom or special order instruments?
Not really. I am willing to alter some basic things about my designs, but I am not a true custom builder like Mike DaSilva. I am a simple luthier and I stick to what I am good at.
8. Can you tell me a little about the Renaissance heads that you include with your instruments?
They sound like skin heads but are louder, warmer and more consistent. Also, they are not affected by climate changes.
9. I understand that your method of frailing (drop thumb) has reached a lot of players in the EU. Are you excited to have been so influential abroad?
Yeah, that is pretty cool! I wish I could tour over there, I haven't had the chance yet! (except for a festival in Italy)
10. Are you still active with your music ensemble and do you tour?
I have made a couple of banjo ukes with 5 strings tuned cgceg. I guess that counts as a piccolo banjo!
Thanks Aaron! I am looking forward to that 7" rim.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
The readers are sending me catalog pages and here is a brochure listing the basic Gibson models. There is no date on the brochure but it must be a later publication since it lists the UB-5 and UB-4 separately. Click to enlarge.
I would guess that it must have been published after the 1934 catalog which describes the UB-4 as having Gold plated hardware. This image can be seen on this website: http://ukulele.org/?Mystery
Monday, March 21, 2011
The seller of the Gibson UB-5 was kind enough to send me the catalog page on the UB-4 that mentions the UB-5 in the text. I hope this helps with the designation issue that seems like it might outlast the actual instruments at this point. Gibson states it pretty clearly in the text beneath the pictures.
If you click on the picture it will expand and be readable.
Gibson Flat Resonator assembly
A friend and reader, Clive Stanton, had a brilliant suggestion for keeping the spacers in place when you put the flat resonator back on the Gibson ub1 , ub2 and ub3 models. First put a toothpick in the four holes, then put the spacer over the toothpick. Fit the resonator over the toothpicks and remove each one before putting the screw back in place. Works like a charm! Thanks Clive!
British Flat sided Cases
A reader asked this: "Did american makers supply their banjo ukuleles with flat sided cases like the majority of British made cases?"
Answer: To be honest I have never seen this type of case included with ukes made in the U.S. unless they were for sale in the U.K.. I can't say for sure but to my knowledge the flat sided cases were not sold here. Also, I have seen Gibson's sold in the U.K. as having the "original" case that are the flat sided style you find there. It's possible that Gibson might have outfitted the export ukes with those cases, or had the distributors include them. I really have no idea. This is a difficult question to answer and perhaps the elders in the GFS might shed some light on it.
P.S. I've always wondered why they put the flat side upward? Seems like it would sit more firmly flat on the ground.
The ones pictures have not been polished or plated yet. I can leave them unplated for UB5 owners.
