Calton case for the win!

So I had been using Kamoa fiberglass cases for my ukes for some time now -- they are super lightweight, waterproof and have handy backpack straps.  But what they are not is protective.  Every time I would put it in the overhead compartment of a plane, I would nervously watch that compartment to make sure nobody slung their bag up there to crack it.

Sure enough, the case did crack at one point from an incident like that.  It is still totally usable, but may not be a waterproof as it once was.  I still plan on using it around town (for kanikapila or lessons) and on cruises (where I am driving to the pier, not flying) as it is still super light and I love the turquoise color.

But I needed to get something more sturdy for my new Moore Bettah uke.  So I splurged and ordered a custom made Calton case for it.  I have now completed my first trip with this case and I'm very happy with its performance.

When you order a Calton, you go through a dealer (mine was Acoustic Music Works) -- you send them a tracing of the instrument, as well as measurements of everything from the width of the headstock to the length of the neck.  All in all, there are fifteen separate things to measure.  http://static.squarespace.com/static/525d6385e4b0be2ae634fdc6/t/535fa621e4b032825e5682c6/1398777377823/Mandolin%20template%20-%20form.pdf

Since math is not my forte, I had my spouse double check all of my measurements and my tracing.  Then we sent it off and about a month later my case arrived.

I chose the black exterior with silver interior -- but to jazz it up a bit, I added a custom decal in turquoise and green of my tattoo (a honu with the Hawaiian island chain inside of it).

The case is heavy (at least compared to the Kamoa fiberglass ones), but very sturdy.  The padding is a super thick plush velvet.  The measurements were perfect and it fits like a glove.  It cradles the neck perfectly, and even takes into account leaving space for the input jack.

I also really like having the storage compartment -- something my Kamoa lacks.  It is quite roomy, with plenty of space for five sets of extra strings (three different brands), a tuner, a hygrometer, a string winder/cutter, extra batteries, a strap and a humidifier.

I could not be happier with this case, and plan to use it on every flight I take from now on.  I would never use it locally (as it is quite heavy in comparison to my Kamoa) but I now rest with ease knowing my beloved ukulele is well protected in the overhead compartment -- safe from errant wheelie bags.

I also got a Colorado Case Company cover for it -- in turquoise.  That arrived yesterday.  I tried taking a picture of it but it keeps photographing as baby blue, so I'm not bothering to upload it.  It is a very snug fit, made of canvas style material which zips around the entire case.  It supposedly provides some temperature regulation and also prevents scuffs.  To be honest, I really don't know it is worth it to me, and may try to sell that on a mandolin case website in case (no pun intended) someone there would want it.

But I can't speak highly enough about the Calton.  It is the best overall case I have ever owned -- custom made for the best ukulele I have ever owned.  It was expensive, and probably not "worth it" but it does provide peace of mind for a one of a kind instrument that is irreplaceable.

New Uke Day: It's even Moore Bettah than I dreamed it would be

To paraphrase Jon Snow, “all the best ukulele have names.” I’ve always named my ukulele. I know some people say that is crazy, why name something that won’t come when you call it? But I’ve always named my cats too, and they sure don’t come when I call them.  Warning the story to follow is long.  But to understand why this is more than just an ukulele to me, it needs to be told.

I longed for a Moore Bettah ukulele almost as soon as I first saw one, not long after I started playing the uke in December of 2008 - almost six years ago.  As soon as I was fortunate enough to place my order for a custom Moore Bettah ukulele, I began thinking about what I would name it. I had some beautiful looking and nice sounding ukes, and some nice looking and beautiful sounding ukes, but no uke had yet been that perfect combination for me of tone and beauty. From what I could see of Moore Bettah ukes, they seemed to be that rare union of both. Once I looked up “union” in the Hawaiian dictionary, and saw the word “hui,” I figured I would just add the word for beautiful “nani” and came up with the name “Hui Nani.” I had the name for my uke. No uke yet, but I had the name. 

As I was talking with Chuck over the course of the months before my uke was built, I was struck by something that he mentioned to me at one point: that his ukes (and I suppose most custom instruments by extension) are a union of the builder and the client — it would be a part of him and a part of me that would exist in this ukulele. I smiled to myself as he said it because I knew that my ukulele’s name now had a double meaning. It was not just a union of sound and visual beauty, but also of a piece of both the luthier and myself.

As we talked story, I told him of my deep love for the Hawaiian island of Kauai. I had been going there many times a year for almost 20 years with my family and it was a place that meant more to me than any other in the world. When my grandmother passed, we scattered her ashes in Kauai, so it always made me feel closer to her when I would return.

I showed him my tattoo of a polynesian honu turtle with the Hawaiian islands embedded in his shell — and mentioned that when I wanted to be particularly close to her, I would touch the island of Kauai. I had particularly chosen a honu tattoo because every time I returned to Kauai, I never failed to see a turtle at some point poking his head above the waves — I always felt it was my grandmother telling me hello.
 
When we discussed what the inlay would consist of, I was firm in my belief that Chuck should determine what he wished to build. I even told him, I would no sooner tell Picasso what to paint. I only had a wish for some of the curliest koa I could buy, I hoped for a Hawaiian theme, and I wanted some turquoise in the uke, as it is my favorite color.  We discussed the Na Pali coast, and I showed him a couple of photographs -- one of a turtle swimming under water and another of a Wyland scene.  But I told him he was free to do whatever he wished on this ukulele.

On that day my mom and I met Chuck and his wife at their home, I mentioned that my grandfather was very ill. It had originally been my grandfather’s desire to one day live in Hawaii but he had never made it, yet every time he journeyed back there (when he was still healthy enough to do so), he felt reunited in spirit with the love of his life: my grandmother. I also mentioned to Chuck that when my grandfather passed, we would be scattering his ashes in Kauai so they could be together again. 

On February 11th, 2014, I happened to be visiting Hawaii with my spouse and so I flew to Hilo to visit Chuck’s house again and chose my wood. We went through a number of sets, and I picked some koa with wild looking “crushed velvet” style curl. I then flew back to meet my spouse in Oahu. When I got back to the hotel in Oahu that night I received a phone call from my mom that my grandfather had passed away that day. I ended up leaving Hawaii early and flying home to be with my family. What had been one of the greatest days in my life turned into one of the saddest as my grandfather and I had been exceptionally close, and never ended a conversation without saying, "I love you more."

My mom and I returned to Kauai a couple of months later to scatter his ashes along the Na Pali coast. It was a particularly windy day, with incredibly large waves splashing up over the bow of the boat. Despite the rough weather and seas, we sailed out to the water opposite the Kalalau Trail lookout and scattered the ashes, reuniting him with my grandmother once again.  He was now part of the reason I love Kauai the way I do.

On a lighter note, the build process was a very fun one, with Chuck often sending me photos of the ukuele as it turned from koa boards into a wonderful musical instrument.  Some photos were very educational and others put a huge smile on my face, just for the wonderful personalization of the process...case in point, see the inside of my uke.

When I saw the inlay Chuck had created for the first time, it captured that Na Pali coast to me in one image. The green lush cliffs were there, with shimmering water as well. The honu — an image so important to me and symbolic of memories of Hawaii was present front and center, swimming amongst the fish and plants. The lush shades of green that are so present in that island — from Na Pali, to Waimea Canyon, to Mt. Waialeale, they are found on my ukulele. 

When I got the final images, I found I particularly loved a couple of the things that were added surprises -- the second little honu swimming by the soundhole, and the bottom of the sea extending onto the fretboard, including the starfish and the seashells.  It really feels like a Wyland style painting of the place I love most.  And the most striking thing is that instead of paint, Chuck has created this undersea world using cutouts of stone and shell and other materials.  He even managed to work my favorite color -- turquoise -- into the strap button!  Chuck truly is an artist beyond all compare. 

I know every time I look at that ukulele, I will be reminded of a place that I love.  And I will be forever indebted to Chuck for making such a beautiful, tangible reminder of memories I shared with two people that meant the world to me.

I named the ukulele “Hui Nani” — beautiful union. It is a union of beauty in both incredible tonal qualities and aesthetic imagery. It is a union of a bit of both luthier and customer — as all custom ukuleles carry a bit of the spirit of both parties. And it is a union between me and a place I love above all others — Kauai, the Garden Isle. 

It has only just arrived, so I have only played a couple of quick songs on it.  I already appreciate having the side soundport, as it helps to direct the sound upwards to the player.  I am about 50% deaf in my right ear and so it is a really nice addition.

I can't believe the finish on the uke.  I always liked the Kanile'a UV finish.  But this feels so incredibly smooth to the touch -- and it is impeccably applied.  Other touches, like the bound fretboard are a nice addition, and the action is at a perfect sweet spot for me in terms of height -- nice and low but no buzz.

I find I really appreciate the turquoise fret marker dots, as they pop on the black ebony wood -- it seems to be a much nicer gauge for me than the smaller, less brightly colored dots on some ukes.  

The tone is lovely.  It is strung with Southcoast HML-RW strings, which I had been using on my Kamaka for the past few months to get used to the wound string.  It has a sweet tone and is a joy to listen to -- well maybe if someone TALENTED was playing it!  I can't wait until it opens up, and I plan to play it a lot to get it to that point!

Specs:
Model: 4 string tenor, #1421
Body: 5A master grade koa
Binding: ebony
Purfling: B/Gr/B top and sides
Neck: Spanish cedar (carbon fiber reinforced)
Freboard: ebony, bound with turquoise recon stone markers
Inlay: "Kauai Dream" - recon stone, paua and green abalone shell, brown lip mussel shell, acrylic, Tahitian black pearl shell, corian and magic
Rosette: turquoise recon stone 
Tuners: Gotoh UPTL (4:1)
Pickup: LR Baggs 5-0 active

One last note: while Chuck was building my uke, he sent me a series of photographs.  I compiled all of them into a video slideshow to memorialize the build process.  I want to thank Andrew Kitakis for allowing me to use a couple of his photos with his permission, as I was a dork and did not get a picture of the exterior of Chuck's workshop or the beautiful tree tunnel route to his home myself.   I hope that it gives an example of the hard work and lovely output of Chuck Moore and Moore Bettah Ukulele.  I hope you enjoy "Making of a Moore Bettah."

One last shot of all my ukes in a row -- welcome to the family Hui Nani.

New Year, new ukes!

I know I have not written in a while.  A lot has happened on the uke front for me.  I got a special order new KoAloha tenor uke last year -- a curly koa version with the crown bridge.

It has a great tone, it is super loud and really fun to play.  I'm quite pleased with it and it is my go-to uke for now.

That may be changing soon though, because last year I placed a custom order for a new uke.  The luthier in question does not allow folks to discuss the build until it is complete, so just suffice to say that the first rule of their list is you don't talk about the list.  I should be getting the uke sometime this fall, and it is literally all I think about all day every day.  Like the song "Quando Quando Quando" says, "every moment's a day...every day seems like a lifetime."  So since I can't say any more about the uke until I get it, here is a photo of the wood I chose.

To tied me over until I get the uke ("the waiting is the hardest part"), I had my spouse make me a keychain with some of the koa scrap from my actual wood set.  That will have to do until the real thing comes along...

Koa buttons and koa bridge pins added on my dream uke.

I just added some new koa buttons onto my Kanilea's Grover tuners. I had previously swapped out the black stock buttons for some mother of pearl as a quick fix while I waited for some koa ones I had ordered.

These are the stock tuners that came with the ukulele.  And this is how the headstock looked with the white mother of pearl buttons on the tuners.

I am actually really happy with the results. I ordered two types of tuners from Taisamlu on eBay. The first were some gold ones with koa buttons, the others were a silver plate style with koa buttons.

The first set arrived yesterday (not too bad -- only about a week's shipping) and three of them were a chocolate brown color, with one more of a golden brown. Then today the plate style ones came and low and behold, they were three more golden ones and one darker brown.

I tried both the brown and the golden colored ones, and I think the lighter set are a better match for the coloring on my headstock. I didn't use the actual tuners he sent me, just the buttons, so I popped the pearl buttons onto the gold set, and used the four lighter koa buttons on the Grovers. The darker koa buttons I kept on the silver plate style in case I ever decide to sell them or change up the look of this, or another uke.

These are the silver plate style ones:

This is how the lighter koa ones look on my uke's headstock:

Finally, this is a portrait of my uke, with all her mods in place: koa buttons, and koa bridge pins (with abalone inlay dots).

I thought I couldn't love my Kanile'a Island Inlay tenor any more. But I am glad I got the koa buttons. The shipping was super fast and it was a cost effective way to make my uke the way I wanted it, since the buttons cost so much less money than the Waverly tuners did. In addition, I don't have to worry about whether it voids my uke's warranty as I didn't drill holes or replace the actual tuners, just the buttons.

I know a lot of people wouldn't care for the koa buttons, but now my dream ukulele is a dream come true for me. I would highly recommend the $20 expenditure if anyone is contemplating using wood buttons on their uke. Admittedly, I had to order two sets to get four that sort of matched though (even though the pictures don't really show that), as otherwise I would have had one much darker or lighter than the remaining tuners.

About four years ago when I started playing the ukulele, the first "real" uke I bought was my Kanilea K2 tenor.  I really wanted one of their island inlay tenors but couldn't afford it at the time.  Ever since then, I've been fortunate enough to have some great ukes, but I couldn't get that island inlay one out of my head.  Still, I just couldn't justify having two Kanilea tenors. 

So a couple of weeks ago I was browsing the Hawaii Music Supply website and happened to notice that they had a sale on one that they had in stock.  I mentioned it to my spouse as a joke, and asked for it as my anniversary present.  To my shock, I was told that if I sold my current Kanilea tenor (I have a one uke in, one uke out policy now), the balance owed would in fact be my anniversary present.

So I ended up selling my K2 tenor (thanks Mike I hope you like it!) and bought the new one from Music Guy Mike last Friday.  He ended up dropping it off at the Kanilea factory this week so that Joe could install a pickup in it, and yesterday I took a bus out to Kaneohe and got my new baby. 

I'm not going to lie, when Joe opened up the case to show it to me, I got incredibly choked up and almost started to cry.  This uke had been my dream for so long and I couldn't believe it was finally mine.

I am still in Hawaii so I don't have any photos taken of it yet, other than the one Kristen took yesterday (and put on Kanilea's twitter and Facebook), and the ones from the Hawaii Music Supply website.  I'll take more when I get home and put it in its humidified cabinet next to its sibling ukes.

I am naming her "Ailana" which means island in Hawaiian, due to the island inlay.  I know it is probably too much bling for some folks but I love the abalone.  I ended up replacing the stock plastic bridge pins with some koa ones that I bought years ago.  They are a little too loose in this uke so I just ordered some rosewood w/ abalone that I will use instead.

So far yesterday I tried four types of strings on it (I brought six types with me to try out).  First, I tried my fave PhD (that I use on my KoAloha and Kamoa) -- to my surprise, they seemed kind of muddy, while they are great on those other ukes.  I then tried my old standby Worth CHLGHD and both A strings I tried snapped on me when I was tuning it.  The Worth CMLG were not bad but they were a bit too tinny.  On a lark, I tried Worth BTLG strings.  I usually find them too warm, but I was pleasantly surprised to find they sounded good.  They were loud and had a nice clarity.  So for now, they are what I will use until try some Fremont Blacklines (that I forgot at home).

First impressions, the curly koa is nice eye candy.  The neck is super smooth and fast.  I haven't tried the pickup since I don't have an amp with me, but I will at home.  The tone is not quite as good as my KoAloha, but seems to rival my Kamaka and I much prefer the glassy UV finish to the Kamaka and KoAloha finish.  It isn't as loud as the KoAloha either but I don't mind that.

I just want to thank Music Guy Mike so much.  Not only did he get the uke to Kanilea but he delivered a hard case to my hotel in Waikiki last night since he forgot to bring it to Kaneohe.  He really went above and beyond and his customer service was amazing.

I also want to thank Joe for installing the pickup for me in such short order so I could pick up the uke before I leave Oahu tomorrow.  He and Kristen are such wonderful people and I can't thank them enough for letting me bug them with calls and emails.

Until I can take some photos at home, here are the ones from the factory and the HMS site.

Kahi Ko'ola Uhane

Ever since I was a kid, my family has taken vacations to the island of Kauai.  Over the course of those trips, I discovered I had a deep abiding love for this little rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.  Oh sure, I enjoy visiting Oahu, Maui and the Big Island but for me, there is no place on Earth like Kauai.

My family loves it so much that when my grandmother passed away, we had her ashes scattered off the shores of the island, and both my mother and I have it in our wills that we wish to have the same done for us.

I can't really explain it to someone else, why this place has such a hold on me.  But the best way I can describe it is that when I leave Kauai, I feel like someone is putting one of those heavy dentist xray shields on me.  And whenever my plane touches down at Lihue airport, or my ship sails into Nawiliwili Harbor, the weight is lifted and my soul feels complete.

I saw somewhere that the phrase "Kahi ko'olua uhane" means where the spirit resides.  For me, that place is Kauai.

So when I saw that Kamoa Ukulele was beginning to build Kauai built koa tenor ukuleles, I simply had to have one.  Well, unfortunately, I now have a one in, one out ukulele policy.  So that meant I had to sell one of my other ukes to finance (and make room) for the new one.

You can see a tiny bit of info and some photos on the Kauai Built model here.  http://kamoaukulelecompany.com/info.php?id=18

With a great deal of sadness, I decided to sell my KoAloha Pineapple Sunday.  It is a wonderful uke with a beautiful tone, but I just never played it, as the tenor style is more to my liking.  Fortunately, I was able to get a buyer, and so, this week, I went to Kamoa while I was staying in Kauai and played and looked at all nine KB-T tenors they had in stock (in the Kapa'a and Koloa stores).

I ended up choosing one, and have named it Kahi ko'olua uhane, or uhane ("spirit") for short.  First impressions are that I love the golden blonde curly koa, it really spoke to me amongst all the models there.

The tone is quite nice, though not as loud as my KoAloha tenor.  I would say sound wise, it is probably comparable to my Kamaka tenor, and sounds better than my Kanile'a (though not quite as good as my KoAloha).

These ukes come with Gotoh tuners in either a mother of pearl white or gold.  I chose the mother of pearl, and have already ordered a pearlized strap button to have installed on the uke.

So far, I have tried Worth CHLGHD, Phd and Worth CMLG strings on it.  I think I like the brightness of the Phd but the volume of the Worths, so for now anyway, I'm going to give the CMLG a go, as they seem to be a compromise between the other two.

One thing I like is that the label notes they are handmade in Kauai.  I know it is nuts, but I feel like I have a tangible piece of the island I love (though they are actually made from koa from the Big Island!)

The KB-T ukes have hand shaped Spanish cedar necks, but the remainder of the body and bridge are koa, with a rosewood fretboard.  Sam had one model with a gloss finish (which is generally my preference) but they are going to pretty much all satin finishes as he feels the sound resonates better with the satin.  The one I chose was the satin and I have to say, it has been so long since I played a satin finish uke that it feels really nice to me (see related story about changing my Kamaka from satin to gloss).

Here again is the video of Sam from Kamoa talking about these ukes.  They are not cheap, but they are beautiful, sound great, and I am thrilled to have one.  He also discusses their great new basses and electric models, but you can hear about the Kauai built at 7:25 - 8:21 on the video.

My final first impressions are that this is a very nicely made, beautiful ukulele, but probably a niche right now.  Kamoa is definitely an up and comer but for the moment, they certainly lack the name cache of Kamaka, KoAloha, Kanile'a and Ko'olau.  The price, however, is comparable to those brands.  For me, it has been a great purchase, but it probably is not for everyone.  That being said, if they end up being the 5th big K one of these days, then I'll be the even prouder owner of  KB-T #44. :)

Here is Uhane joining her fellow ukes Waimea (the Kanile'a K2 tenor), Pele (the Kamaka HF-3 tenor) and Lono (the KoAloha KTM-00 crown bridge tenor).

A new home for my ukes, and a new uke?

My family and friends know the saga I had with the seam separations on my Kamaka, and the recent crack that developed in my Kamoa soprano, so I had purchased a room humidifier and hygrometer for my office.  My ukes used to be displayed on my wall with these really cool Hawaiian themed uke wall hangers.

Once I set up the hygrometer, I was shocked to see that my office was getting humidity readings in the 30s.  I began using the humidifier and it worked pretty well, but I was dismayed to see that I had to keep my office door closed constantly in order to regulate the humidity better.  I tried putting all of the ukes back in their original cases but just didn't have the space in my office to store them properly that way, plus it was a pain when I wanted to play them to have to drag the cases out of the closet.

So I did some research online and came across a post on Ukulele Underground by a woodworker (and UU member) who made himself a cabinet for his ukes.  He placed a humidifier inside and it managed to keep the humidity regulated, while still maintaining ease of access.  I contacted him and commissioned him to build me a cabinet for my ukes, though since he had only natural or black stains available, I told him we would stain it ourselves (to match my office furniture in a darker brown).

He built me the cabinet, and my spouse spent the next few weeks (on days off) staining and lacquering the cabinet.  Eventually we plan to build a shelf system below it to house my cases, music books, and uke accessories.

But I couldn't be happier with the cabinet.  I have all four of my main ukes hanging inside -- resting on a foam pillow I made and covered with brown fleecy felt so that they don't rattle or touch one another.  The case has the humidifiers hidden in the back out of view, and I keep the hygrometer inside where I can easily see its readout.  I'm pleased to note that it is maintaining its humidity between 45-53% on a regular basis now.  I have solved my humidity issues but been able to keep the ukes readily accessible.

In other related news, I'm heading back to Hawaii again on April 10th and I have my eyes on getting an all koa Kauai built Kamoa uke.  If I end up liking it (as I'm sure I will), I will be posting my Pineapple Sunday up for sale in order to finance the purchase of the new ukulele.  I have found that I like the sound of my KoAloha tenor the best, and the looks of my Kamaka tenor the best.  I'm hoping that the Kamoa uke will combine looks/sound to be my new favorite.  And how can I lose if it is built in Kauai, my favorite place on Earth?  I feel guilty selling the Pineapple Sunday but I rarely play it, and I have no business buying a new uke without selling one of my current ones.  Check out the video below (at the 7:20 point) to see the one I'm currently dreaming of owning.