{"id":5993,"date":"2012-04-04T21:50:06","date_gmt":"2012-04-05T01:50:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/?p=5993"},"modified":"2012-04-04T21:50:06","modified_gmt":"2012-04-05T01:50:06","slug":"chasing-the-elusive-ukuelele","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scottedelman.com\/wordpress\/2012\/04\/04\/chasing-the-elusive-ukuelele\/","title":{"rendered":"Chasing the elusive ukuelele"},"content":{"rendered":"

As those who heard me whining during last weekend’s World Horror Convention<\/a> know, it didn’t take long before I began showing symptoms of ukulele withdrawal, which amazed me, since I’d only taken up the instrument a little more than four months earlier. But after having practiced at least a little bit every day since Black Friday, my fingers were twitchy, and I could feel my muscle memory developing Alzheimer’s.<\/p>\n

I almost bought a cheap, bottom-of-the -line uke last Thursday so I could practice while in Salt Lake City, but I never could figure out the transit system enough to make it to the music store about four miles away from the con hotel. But while searching online, I found something even closer\u2014Intermountain Guitar and Banjo<\/a>, which specializes in vintage instruments. The shop is only open by appointment, so I reached out to the owners, explaining that though I was a newbie, all of my UK ukulele friends figured I needed to get a banjolele so I could better channel George Formby<\/a>, and that though I wasn’t likely to buy that day, I did plan to make a purchase sometime over the next year.<\/p>\n

Leo Coulson, the uke expert, said sure, drop on by. And so even though I didn’t get a uke during my trip, I did get in about an hour of practice, because he pulled out these beauties and let me strum away.<\/p>\n

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From left to right, we’ve got: a 1920s S. S. Stewart, ‘Majestic-Style’ Banjo-Uke, 8″ rim with full resonator ($1,200); a late 1920s Slingerland Maybell Banjo-Uke, natural curly maple neck & 8″ rim ($395 ); a 1920s Banner Blue Banjo-Uke, decorative 8″ rim, 14″ scale, walnut neck & back ($750 );\t a 1929 Gibson \tUB-1 Banjo-Uke; 6″ rim, Hunleth Music Co. tag, ($600)<\/p>\n

And what did I play in order to test the sound of these lovely instruments? Why, “When I’m Cleaning Windows,” of course!<\/p>\n