eBay Browsing: Black Bear, National, Blue Star

Duane Heilman of Black Bear has made some strange ukuleles in the past, but he’s completely lost his mind with his latest ukulele. Inspired by the equally nutty Novax guitars, it’s a tenor scale ukulele on the upper edge of the fretboard and concert scale ukulele on bottom. I hate to think of the maths involved in that.

Relatively tame by comparison are an electric Blue Star Konablaster, and a Flying V made by Bob Hurney. I’ve no idea who Bob Hurney is, but the turtle shaped hole makes guess he’s something to do with Kanilea (who use a very similar turtle design).

A couple of National Ukuleles: This rather lovely Koa National has already been sold, but there’s a banana hued National still up for grabs.

Sweetest ukulele this week is this Kamaka soprano.

Morelli, Santini, Expensive Tiples

Some dizzyingly expensive instruments from MGM this week: a pair of Lyon and Healy 5k ukuleles $22,000 the pair, and a John D’Angelico Tiple at $30,000.

On the subject of tiples, there’s a Kamaka Tiple up for sale.

The cavalcade of oddly shaped Lyon and Healy ukuleles continues this week with a Lyon and Healy bell shaped uke. As I write, bidding is lower than the price of one of Oscar Schmidt’s bell ukulele modern copies.

Six Reasons I Wouldn’t Buy a Santini/Morelli Ukulele

1) “Hand Built by a Master Luthier” - really?
3) What the hell happened at the bottom of the fretboard? That’s the picture they use to advertise it? This is the work of a ‘Master Luthier’?
3) I could only find them for sale via one distributor.
4) This looks very photoshopped to me.
5) ‘Teacher Approved’ Thank God for that.
6) They don’t seem to have any ideas of their own.

eBay: Ukulele Jones, Shrine, Kala Mango, Martin Taropatch

From what I can gather, eBay were giving away pins at their live event in Chicago this year. One of the pins featured a character called Ukulele Jones. They’re currently all over eBay.

After last week’s Camp uke and Venetian ukulele, there’s another one of Lyon and Healy’s oddly shaped ukuleles up for sale this week a Shrine. Unlike the one MGM has for sale at 26 grand, it’s mahogany and it’s been battered around a bit. Should still fetch a nice price.

Kala are coming up with some very nice looking ukuleles of late. There’s some seriously sexy grain happening on this Mango Concert and the Curly Mango Tenor ukulele.

Martin Taropatches turn up fairly regularly on eBay, but it’s not often you see a Martin Style 3 Taropatch. According to the blurb it’s, “only known 8-string Taro-Patch ukulele to have been crafted by C.F. Martin & Co. with the inlay & keys made of ivory.”

Chantus ukuleles are always worth a look and William King’s blog is packed with ukulele pr0n. At the moment MGM has one of his longscale concert ukuleles up for sale.

Jupiter Creek, RISA, G-String

There have been three Jupiter Creek ukuleles crop up on eBay this week. The baritone has gone already, but you still have a shot at a concert and a tenor. There’s also a soprano for sale on eBay France.

It’s not often you see RISAs on eBay, but there’s a Meltocaster on there right now. It’s a guitarlele rather than a uke, though. And I still can’t quite come to terms with that shape.

The RISA isn’t the only strangely shaped ukulele on eBay at the moment. There are ukes shaped like a biscuit tin (strangely inelegant for a Lyon and Healy ukulele), a teardrop (I’m pretty sure that’s also a Lyon and Healy: a Venetian ukulele) and, best of all, an aeroplane.

It’s not often that there’s a ukulele I’m lusting after more than one shaped like an aeroplane, but this week that’s the case. MGM has a James Hill Signature JSM-2 ukulele up for sale right now (made by G String). I can always kid myself that if I had one, I’d play just like James Hill and no one can prove otherwise.

There’s a banjo ukulele collector who’s selling off his collection on eBay UK. There’s a Gibson UB3, a Maybell, a Bruno (made by Harmony ukuleles and an Avalon. All look very well cared for.

Most ridiculous ukulele/cavaquinho of the week: Del Vecchio Resonator. Even more strange than the uke itself is the video that’s presumably made to help sell it.

Black Bear, Hudson, Ukulele Photos

A question to anyone who has ever played a harp ukulele, does that extra bit make any difference to the sound? I suspect the sound is rather besides the point since they look so great. Black Bear have come up with a great looking Concert Harp ukulele.

Another question: Does anyone know anything about Hudson ukuleles? They’ve been all over eBay UK. All being sold by the same seller (whose website you can visit here). They remind me of Kala ukuleles. Compare the Hudson HUK-SMC to the Kala KA-SC.

The Ukuleliana section of Buy a Ukulele has to be my favourite. There’s always some strange and wonderful junk in their (between the hula dolls and Lilo & Stitch stuff). Some of the photos are just great: chimp with uke, Oliver Hardy with uke, women with ukes, sailors with ukes. My favourite of them all, despite it being mislabeled ‘ukulele’, is this one. I’d love to know why the dapper gent on the left has a yo-yo.

Lyle Lite, KoAhola Scepter, Tangi and WaverlyStreet

There’s a new book in the Jumpin’ Jim/Lyle Ritz Ukulele Masters series just out: Lyle Lite. As the name suggests, it’s aimed a little lower than his other books at the beginner/intermediate level. You can pick one up from FMM for $25, on Amazon for $18.80 (but they’re currently out of stock), or there’s one on eBay with a Buy It Now of $17.70 (and a hefty delivery charge).

It’s not often you get a chance to pick up one of KoAloha’s Signature Series Tenor Sceptre. According to their blog, they’re back ordered up the wazoo. But MGM has one up for sale at the moment.

A couple of very interesting Tangi ukuleles: a playable, scale model ten and a half inch ukulele and a violin shaped uke.

Dave Gjessing of WaverlyStreet ukuleles has a painted pineapple uke with a nautical design by the Artful Dodger up for sale.

eBay Ukulele Window Shopping

First off: if you’re in the UK and looking to buy a Fluke, friend of the blog, Gary is selling his Mango Fluke (right).

These four Harmony Regency Hohner ukuleles might be a good deal for anyone willing to do a little repair work. There don’t seem to be any major problems. And if you screw up the repair, it doesn’t matter. They’re only Harmonies.

Another fixer uper is this Oscar Schmidt OU2 with a busted bridge. I mentioned another Oscar Schmidt with a broken bridge not long ago. It does make me wonder if this is a common problem with the Oscar Schmidts.

I’m not too interested in this Liberty ukulele (particularly not at $800). But what a fantastic box.

If the Formby/Harrison ukuleles are a bit out of your range, there’s an “Abbot” Monarch ukulele for sale on eBay UK for a measly £6,000 (for that price tag, you’d expect them to spell ‘Abbott’ correctly).

Gibson, Plastic Ukuleles and Koa Martin Ukuleles

I think working on Buy a Ukulele has started to drive me stir crazy. I set up a section on Ukuleliana and, gosh, there’s a lot of ukulele-shaped tat out there. A ukulele shaped sushi set? Lighter? Recipe holder? Or an inflatable ukulele?

Also, a lot of plastic ukuleles seem to turn up in the Collectibles section rather than the Musical Instruments section (which means there might be less competition for them). There’s this this Lisa ukulele (as used by Gus) with no bids, a few hours left and only $15 starting bid, a Carnival with its original packaging, and this Maccaferri currently at $10. Out-kitsching them all is this plastic uke which must be overpriced at $200. Back in the musical instruments section is a Baritone Maccaferri Islander. I love that the baritone has the same shape as the Maccaferri guitars (as made famous by Django Reinhardt).

For those of you who prefer the more refined tone of koa ukuleles, there’s a delicious Martin 3K currently attracting plenty of bids. If you’re on some sort of Brewster’s Millions type mission, you could always buy this Martin 5K and this 5K for firewood.

This Swagerty Trehopipee has got me wondering. How do you find strings for a Treholipee? The Worth double length strings might do the job.

I’m only guessing, but could the scratches on the back of this Gibson Uke-3 be caused by storing it in a pine tree?

eBay Ukulele Window Shopping

You can help the Ukulele Safari by bidding on a Mahalo signed by Bosko and Honey.

MGM has a new top-of-the-range Pono: the Pono PKC-500 ukulele. It’s decked out with all the trimmings and that’s reflected in the price tag of $1,119.96.

This Yamaha ukulele is advertised as having, “great and old YAMAHA’s sound.” What?

Another stunning cigar box ukulele from Black Bear.

Cordoba are mainly known for their classical and Spanish guitars, but this Cordoba 25CK looks like a very nice piece of work.

eBay Ukulele Window Shopping

The most interesting lot on eBay at the moment is this JF Stetson ukulele (almost certainly made by Martin). MGM currently has one for sale at $,1695 (although that one is in better condition and comes with pedigree).

Keykord Baritone. Unusual to say the least. It has a high-class version of those Maccaferri Islander lazy chord doodads.

Kala have added an unpainted mahogany model to their Archtop range. Very pretty.

And it’s not the only one, there are quite a few pretty ukes around this week: Dave Talsma concert, Island Traditions Curly Koa electric ukulele, 1930s Gibson and my personal favourite a Les Rietfors Concert (although they spell it “Rietforts”).

One uke I would class as pretty (even at the risk of being booted off the list) is this Boat Paddle uke. To me they look boxy and, well, like a boat paddle. Feel free to disagree with me.

Gosh, there are a lot of people searching online for Oscar Schmidt ukuleles at the moment. Probably due to the Jason Castro effect. You might be able to grab yourself a bargain with this Oscar Schmidt OU5LCE. It’s had the bridge ripped off it. But sticking a new one on isn’t a big job. Julia Nunes managed it.

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