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The Portuguese cavaquinho is small 4-stringed instrument in the guitar family. A version of the cavaquinho, the machete, is considered the direct precursor to the modern Ukulele. (As a side note, the braguinha, another version of the cavaquinho, is considered the precursor to the machete.) Are you trying to decide between buying a Cavaquinho or …
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Here’s an image of the ukulele offerings from the 1928 Clifford Essex and Sons musical instrument catalog: The text reads: “BANJUKE” (BANJO-UKULELE) The Ukulele provided a particularly appropriate background to the soft, rippling music of Hawaii. It is from this delightful instrument that the “BANJUKE” has been evolved. For accompanying modern rhythmic dance music it …
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Here’s an image of an old catalog offering “Camp Line” brand ukuleles and Banjo ukuleles (along with mandolins and guitars): The text reads: Camp Line of Ukuleles, Mandolins, and Guitars Nothing similar is offered elsewhere, as they are exclusive patented products. Read the descriptions. Great care has been given to the manufacture of all instruments; …
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Here’s an interesting image of an old advertisement for ukulele lessons from The Hawaiian Institute of Music: The text reads: BE POPULAR! ALWAYS the life of the party, the center of attraction, is the girl with the Ukulele. Whether you choose the native melodies of the “Paradise of the Pacific” or the latest songs from …
Thinking about buying a ukulele but can’t decide if you want to go with the standard, traditional, “figure eight” regular body shape or the more quirky pineapple shape? Or maybe you’re just curious about the differences between these two styles and how they came about? Either way, buckle up and prepare for The Ultimate Ukulele …
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Here are a couple of catalog images, dating from the pre-1930’s, advertising the popular Gibson UB series of Banjo Ukuleles: Image 1: This first advertisement announced the release of the “new” model UB-4 Banjo-Ukulele. The text reads: You’ll Enjoy Playing A Gibson Ukulele or Ukulele-Banjo Just what you have been looking for– Something New for …
I stumbled across these old plans for making a ukulele from a cigar box. Someone may want to actually try this out. If not, it’s still very interesting to read. Check it out (I chopped it up into smaller paragraphs to make it easier to read): How To Make a Cigar Box Ukulele The one-string …
The following was written by a sixth-grade student in Hawaii. He researched his family’s involvement/experience with the Ukulele coming to Hawaii from Portugal for a school project. First, to give some background, there’s a brief history of the Ukulele in Hawaii titled “The Jumping Flea”, followed by the student’s project titled “The Taro Patch Fiddle”: …
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This is a reprint from a rare, hand-typed fanzine titled: “TINY GRAM” Issue #3: TINY-GRAM Issue # 3 November/December 1969 the world is wide with many things within but few so rare as he God Bless TINY TIM “WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW IS LOVE” Dear Friends; Wedding Bells are ringing! This time it is …
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For historical interest, here’s a collection of eulogies and obituaries for Tiny Tim. They were published from various sources after his death in 1996: Tiny Tim Eulogies Tiny Tim (1932-1996) It is with great sadness that I report that Tiny Tim – The Eternal Troubadour – died last evening in a hospital, victim of an …
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