Lacewood, More SpongeBob Ukuleles and Ethel Formby

Some ukes made of unusual wood this week. Kala have a new range of ukuleles with lacewood bodies and spruce tops including this concert and an eight string baritone. Then there’s this bamboo ukulele.

But you really can’t beat koa for a handsome uke. Just check out the grain on this Peter Bermudez and on the back of this KoAloha tenor.

Another week, another shape of SpongeBob SquarePants ukulele. This time it’s a pinapple ukulele. If The Simpsons is more your thing, there’s a pink ukulele featuring Maggie and Lisa.

Ukulele Photo of the Week: George’s kid sister Ethel Formby.

For fans of ukulele kitsch, there’s a ukulele dish.

If this is your first visit here, you can find the chords/tab in those posts by clicking on the song title in red.

Swagerty Sum Fun and Akulele on eBay

Plenty of interesting and unusal ukuleles this week. And whenever the phrase ‘interesting and unusal ukuleles’ crops up, the word ‘Swagerty‘ isn’t going to be far behind. According to the description this Swagerty Sum Fun is a one of a kind made by and bought from Swagerty himself. That has to make it a serious collector’s item.

This Akulele was apparently made by Bolivian charango luthiers and it certainly looks like it. The uke back, sides and neck are all made out of one piece of wood like a charango (or at least those that aren’t made of armadillo shells).

Kala have added to their ‘arch tops with unusual sound holes’ range with this slotted sound hole design.

The electric Mahalo Les Pauls and Telecasters have arrived on eBay UK (I should probably call them electro-acoustic to be exact). You can find them, and their acoustic brethren, here.

My favourite ukulele photo of the week is astonishingly unusual in that it features a girl playing the ukulele whilst wearing a top.

Is there such a thing as a vintage fridge magnet?

Watermelons, Johnny Marvin Ukuleles and other eBay Totty

Pineapples and kiwis not to your taste? How’s about a watermelon ukulele from Kala?

Another seller thinning their collection, this time in the UK. Current picks include an adorable Gibson banjo-uke and a decorative Favilla with suspiciously blurry photos.

Plenty of stars put their name and face on a plastic ukulele, but Jimmy Durante? (Net research suggests Durante and Clark Gable were taught the uke by Bill Tapia).

A more understandable endorsement with this Johnny Marvin Professional. I think that bridge is supposed to be the shape of on aeroplane but it looks more like a goldfish playing the harmonica to me.

This week’s most staggeringly over priced ukes: Baritone Maccaferri Islander starting at $300, Swagerty Surf-a-lele for $400 and whatever this is supposed to be for $8,000.

Kala Pineapple Competition Results

And the winner is *Trumpets Blaze*:

Bill Weigel for his review of the Ohana CK-50G Concert Ukulele

It was a really tough decision. There were a load of great entires - I wanted at least six people to win the uke. I have to give special mention to Roberto Katigbak and Ken Middleton for their reviews.

I don’t think I can ever do another competition because I’m hopeless at deciding who wins - I can’t take the stress of all that responsibility. That’s why I’ve ended up with double the number of runners up that I’d intended.

Runners Up

Shelley Rickey, Mike Via, Todd Baio, David Massop, Ken Middleton, Jimmy McGee, Alan Brandt, Jimmy (dinoshaur), Garry Copeland, Cary Corse, Linda Wilson, Lonna Brockway, Emily Reeve, Martin Smith, Roberto Katigbak.

Additional Winners

There were a few videos that deserved a prize for bringing a huge grin to my face. Henceforth to be known as The Ventriclemouse Award for All Round Fantasticness in honour of Anne’s review of the Lanikai LU-21P which is about the only work of poetry I’ve ever enjoyed. Even the comments are good (plus she got a comment from Jacob Borshard which makes me insanely jealous).

Jack33’s guide to getting a good sound out of a Mahalo
Paulina Sinaga’s Ohana review (the only person to work out that ‘Waa-waa-wee-waa’ was the instant ‘win a prize’ code word).
Michelle Flaherty’s news report.
Lee Robertson’s Fluke review.

If your name is here and you haven’t seen an email from me, let me know in the comments and I’ll get it to you.

A big thanks to Jason of Ukewarehouse for providing the big prize. He’s still got a few ukes left in his closing down sale, so if you missed out on the Pineapple, you can still grab Kala Soprano or a Lanikai LU-21T

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.

Window Shopping eBay Ukuleles

If you find that the pink Mahalos just aren’t camp enough, you might treat yourself to a Tiki King designed Cowboy Fluke. Those with more refined tastes might prefer a Curly Mango Fluke (complete with pickup).

Oh Kala, how you tempt me with your good looks and affordable price tag.

eBay Ukulele Window Shopping

The eBay ukuleles I’m trying desperately hard not to buy.

I do like a good f-hole (and not just because I’m immaturely obsessed with double entendres). They’re also exceptionally sexy and look like they should be played by one of the characters in Heroes. So, I’m very impressed with Kala’s new electric archtop ukuleles available in black and sunburst and a dangerously affordable $225 price tag.

Martin stopped producing the 3K model in 1938. Is this a Martin 3k from the 1960’s? Apparently so.

For those of you that yearn for the heady days of 80’s hair metal, here’s a Les Reitfor double-neck ukulele.

The design on this 1920’s Lyon and Healy concert uke isn’t to my taste but it looks nicely done.

Finally, here’s the winner of the most endearingly ugly ukulele award.