Building a Ukulele: The Neck is Where the Feel of the Instrument Comes From

When building a ukulele, a neck’s size and shape—along with the setup of the strings—are vital to the tactile aspect of playing your instrument.

When building a ukulele, a neck’s size and shape—along with the setup of the strings—are vital to the tactile aspect of playing your instrument.

BY GREG OLWELL | FROM THE SPRING 2014 ISSUE OF UKULELE | PHOTOS COURTESY ERIC SCHOENBERGER Why Gibson chose to festoon a ukulele with poinsettias is anyone’s guess, but it’s hard to argue with the striking results of this rare…

Our ears perk up when hearing something outside of the seven major-scale chords

BY GREG OLWELL | FROM THE FALL 2018 ISSUE OF UKULELE Any ukulele this small is going to make you think it’s a toy, but the Ohana O’Nina is no disposable ukulele-shaped-object. Ohana pulled a fast one on everyone when, a…
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Tracing the history of electrified ukuleles

BY ADAM PERLMUTTER | FROM THE WINTER 2016 ISSUE OF UKULELE When Florenz Ziegfeld first produced a New York City theatrical review, in 1907, he just intended to give people some breezy and inexpensive summer entertainment. But the inaugural show…

FROM THE FALL 2018 ISSUE OF UKULELE TAIMANE Elemental [taimane.com] On her latest album, Honolulu native Taimane Gardner continues to expand upon the kinetic ukulele style she developed over the years. Over seven original tracks titled after the classical elements,…

"Avalon" became a jazz standard and favorite jamming vehicle for instrumentalists like Django Reinhardt, Benny Goodman, Red Nichols, and Coleman Hawkins.
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BY SANDOR NAGYZLANCZY | FROM THE WINTER 2017 ISSUE OF UKULELE Of all the hundreds of painted, stenciled, or otherwise decorated ukuleles made in America during the “uke craze” of the 1920s, few are as attractive and instantly recognizable the…

COMPILED BY AUDREY COLEMAN Submission Information Listings are free for ukulele events, though we may not have space to include every submission. Deadlines for the next four issues are: Winter 2018 issue August 1, 2018 Spring 2019 issue …