NAMM PART 3 (UKULELES)

Breedlove basic tenor.

Breedlove Myrtle Tenor

Blackbird Carbon Fiber Tenor

Collings Spruce Top Tenor

Road Toad Curly Koa Concert U-BASS

KALA MINI MAHOGANY UKE

COLLINGS ARCHTOP TENOR

ARCHTOP COLLINGS BACK (GOLD PORE FILLER)

ARCHTOP COLLINGS TENOR TOP

NATIONAL RESONATOR CHROME CONCERT

NATIONAL RESONATOR SUNBURST CONCERT

SANTA CRUZ GUITAR UKULELES

ROAD TOAD U-BASS INVENTOR MR. OWEN HOLT

W/ 5 STRING JAZZ U-BASS TENOR

MARTIN UKULELES

COLLINGS SUNBURST TENOR

COLLINGS SUNBURST TENOR BACK

KIWAYA USA MASTER MODEL 3K

KALA MINI KOA UKE

NUNES STYLE ANUENUE

This is the third installment in the NAMM report for 2010. Today I will cover the ukuleles that were new for NAMM. There was much more attention being payed to ukulele this year, and many new models to try out. A wide variety of new ukuleles were produced this year from entry level beginner models, to very high end custom pieces. I hope that you enjoy the ukuleles!

Mahalo

Jake Shimabukuro's 95 Custom Kamaka

Aloha,

A few days ago at Ukulele Puapua in the Sheraton Waikiki, we had a special visitor stop by the store. Jake Shimabukuro came in to say hello and go to lunch with Bruce! He was carrying a vintage looking case with him, and everyone wanted to know what was in the case. It was a ukulele that he had comissioned from Kamaka Hawaii in 94 and received in 95. Built under the Samuel Kamaka Luthier custom label, it was actually fabricated by Casey Kamaka. This rare instrument is in between the sizes of a soprano and a concert. Sort of a long necked standard that was ahead of it's time. It is built in the classic Sam Kamaka custom style. Bell shaped body with flat bottom, flared lower bouts, and squared narrow shoulders on the upper bouts. This ukulele boasts curly koa back and sides, with a finely graduated spruce top. Rosewood binding on the front and the back of the body. B/W/B wood purfling on the soundboard, and on either side of the rosewood rosette. Rosewood bottom strip and heel cap. Ebony fingerboard and bridge. Solid 5A koa neck with dark koa stringer. Schaller sidegear tuners. M.O.P. front and side position markers. This ukulele appears to have been originally set up for an active pickup with a metal 9V battery housing built into the neck block, but at some point was retrofitted with a passive or hybrid pickup. This ukulele is in excellent condition for being 15 years old.

Thank you to Jake for allowing me to post his ukulele on this blog, and for coming to visit us at the store! Mahalo.

NAMM PART 2 (BOOTHS)

Santa Cruz ukulele corner

Kala Ukulele Booth/ Ukulele Underground viedo shoot

Bootsie Collins

Balalaika and lute style ukuleles

Rickenbacker booth

PRS Electric Guitar Booth

Martin Ukulele corner

MISI pickup booth

Breedlove

Santa Cruz guitar booth

Flea and Fluke booth

Kiwaya/LoPrinzi booth

Collings guitar/ukulele/mandolin

Kamaka Ukulele Booth

Nalu Ukulele Booth

Ko'olau Guitar and Ukulele Booth

Blackbird carbon fiber ukulele and guitars.

Taylor Electric Room

R. Taylor section. Beautiful instruments.

Gretch room/ Rockabilly stage

Fender Room

Fender Telecaster booth

Fender Ukuleles

Eastman Guitars. Great archtops.

Gibson room/booth was much smaller this year than in the past.

Gotoh tuners.

Ibanez electric guitars

Gretch drums.

Oscar Schmidt ukulele wall.

MacPherson Guitars. Phenomenal instruments.

Let's continue with the NAMM tour. This entry will be focused on the various stringed instrument and related booths that were attending NAMM. These booths allow us to see what products the manufacturer is going to introduce this year, and also gives us a chance to try them out, and see what the quality is like. Instruments can look great, but if they don't play well, then there's really no point in persuing them. Here are some of what I consider to be the highlights of the show, as far as booths go. Some of these are not ukulele related, but should be fun for all fans of stringed instruments. Mahalo,

Tyler