One side effect of my Myeloma or maybe the treatment program I'm in, not sure, is a constant howling in my left ear, like an extreme tinnitus which rises and falls in intensity while staying the same note (around about an Eb) along with other ticking, jangling and creaking noises, which the following day led to complete deafness in that ear, while still having the weird noises listed above. Great so can't hear TV properly, can't listen to music in headphones because it would be all monophonic.
But yesterday I picked up my concert uke, had a little play. Had to stop playing after a short while because the high g was irritating my right ear, which was accentuating the howling in my left. It was like a feedback howl.
So I picked up the baritone instead which is tuned GCEA low G. Much better. Finally an instrument I can play ! (Yet to try guitar. That's next. Had to stop playing guitar because of a fractured left clavicle- too painful!)
I got some Living Water GCEA baritone strings, in low G, unwound, and strung her up today. Took some turns for that high A, its very tight. And there was a spare A string in the set.
A little bit of McGuinness Flint on the baritone uke currently tuned CGDA, with capo on the 7th so it sounds more like a mandolin, which is what it was originally played on.
Following information provided by members of the mandolin cafe forum, I took the 5th 4th 2nd and 1st strings off my classical and strung up the baritone uke to CGDA-mandola tuning!
Ideally it wants new strings, they've been on the classical since 2015 but not played much. The 2nd string (D) sounds a bit dead. But its still very playable!
I ordered some ukulele picks from Southern Ukulele Store (SUS) and I thought I'd give them a little demo on my two ukes (Tanglewood concert and Brunswick baritone)
The picks are a Isuzi felt pick, quite thick, a Isuzi Custom which is triangular and transparent, and a SUS branded leather pick.
First of all, you're gonna have to careful if you put the custom pick down-its quite easy to lose! They should have made it tinted.
Now I've only ever used guitar picks of various sizes, but these are quite different. The felt one took a little getting used to because it is quite thick, but the sound on my concert uke is fantastic. Obviously the sound will be quieter than using fingers but it does create quite a nice tone on that uke, warm, muted, but strumming it fast I can hear all the strings and can still get a decent volume. It doesn't sound so good on the big baritone though.
Next the Isuzi Custom. Thinner than the felt but a bit thicker than a guitar pick, and quite grippy. Even if playing fast it won't slip out of the fingers. It sounds a bit harsh on the concert but sounds great on the baritone. It would also work well on a guitar I think.
Finally the leather. Now, right from the start I wanted a leather pick. Originally I planned to get a set of Jumping Cow picks which are the same shape as the Isuzi custom, but it was not to be. Instead I opted for SUS's own. And I'm pleasantly surprised. To start with there is a soft side, and a slightly harder side, and to my ears there was a difference in tone between the 2 sides! This pick sounded great on both ukes, being slightly quieter than the Isuzi custom. If I'm playing fast pieces on the concert I might use this one, it has just enough punch without being brash. But if I want to play slow and maybe I want to be quiet I would use the felt pick. It responds well when playing on different positions on the fingerboard. Played well forward of the soundhole it gives a soft almost flutey tone. It really brings out the tone of the little uke!
I had some Christmas money and I got myself a baritone ukulele with it. Its a Brunswick BU4B and is tuned DGBE, the same as the bottom 4 strings of a guitar. It's quite a bit bigger than a concert uke and is about the size of a mini guitar.
I called her Kalua which means Second Child in Hawaii...
