The Eleuke!

I've tried a couple of solid body ukuleles before and have been completely turned off by them. Usual bad tone, uncomfortably heavy, and not too much of a practical element to it. I mean if you got a ukulele with great tone then just mic it or get a pick up installed. How could a solid body ukulele ever match one with both electric and acoustic elements?
The Eleuke changed my mind. Though I would still recommend using a strap for the weight, it has a couple of real neat elements to it. To start it has a nice feel. It's usually fitted with a cut-away which is nice since it makes a great lead instrument. With Aquila strings it has a nice solid semi-bright tone. So far I have tried just a basic overdrive with the Eleuke and it sounds pretty sweet. It eliminates a lot of the feedback problems you'd get with just an acoustic pick up. Also the designs are sick! To the left are two of the more common designs (One of the concerts has some Koa too!)
The icing on the cake is the mp3 feature. For those of us who have want to practice without disturbing anyone, whether it be at home late at night, on the bus, or even in a room full of people, the Eleuke has three jacks. One is for you quarter inch cable and two are eighth inch jacks for your headphones and your Mp3 player! Since it's powered with a 9volt, you can plug your headphones directly into the ukulele and jam away with minimal sound. And for those of us who like to practice with the music, you can put the current song you are working on on your mp3 player and hook it straight into the ukulele. That way coming out of your headphones is: 1: Whatever your are playing and 2: Whatever your mp3 is playing as well!
So if you are interested in a solid body ukulele, I think Eleuke makes a couple of great models (not to mention they are cheap!). Of course your best bet is to plug it in and get a feel for it. You can order them by sending an email to .

Art at PuaPua

Local artist have a tough time surviving and making a living anywhere. Waikiki is no exception with the cost of living higher than most pays. Though some artist find a way to work within the system and promote their craft. Eli Larkin has had is art posted up in various art galleries in Waikiki but now finds a place to sit at Ukulele PuaPua. At the Moana Surfrider, Eli has his art on display as well as some from his brothers who also paint. With an animated flair, he has a variety of classic island images such as Diamond Head, turtles, and surfers as well as a small section of the wall dedicated to some notorious pirate images. Giving a lot of life and character to PuaPua, Eli also does custom paint jobs on some of the ukulele per customers request. With easel and palette always set up, he comes and goes between his painting and hitting up the skate park to refresh. So come down to PuaPua to check out the latest and maybe even get a chance to see Eli at work!

A Recap on June 4th

So a little late but fashionable, the Goddess Alchemy Project show carried an eerie scent by the end of the night. After a couple of delays the show started a little late (yet still in fashion) with Taimane Gardner on Ukulele. Fortunately I got a quick snapshot of Kings of Spade sound checking as well as Taimane shredding her ukulele standards.

Kings of Spade killed it as usual. Despite the recent trouble with the stolen car, they really came through and showed downtown and even more so Hawaii, that good music is always right around the corner. They set a great example for the scene here in Hawaii and hope their Maui tour is just as killer as it was that night.

So though their equipment kept them at bay, the Goddess Alchemy Project had a great vibe and kept patient with all the tech problems. Keeping charismatic and poise, the held the stage and fell right in their groove when the sound came on. It's nice to hear some flair from the west coast and hope they come back to gel once again.

Debuting our new song, Wanting in Mute, we carried a comfortable set with a killer crowd. As much work and time invested in our part, it really is the crowd that kills it. We jive when the crowd jives, and let me thank every single one of you folks for coming out that night. You folks kept the light on strong and we know that without you we'd be nothing. We had a killer time and look forward to doing it again.

Despite the shaky nature and questionable tech things cured with good time and hard work.So keep posted for the latest updates and I hope to see you at the next show. We got some new projects in store and look forward to what the world has waiting for us next.

So tonight is the night!

For all you folks in town tonight looking for some good music and a good time we got a line up for you folks. Goddess Alchemy from San Francisco will be playing at NextDoor in ChinaTown. Opening acts include Kings of Spade, Taimane Gardner, and of course US! Sex Puppet has been working on hard on our latest material and will be showcasing Mr. Taisuke Tanaka on the bass guitar! Got some great licks for you folks and some fat lines. So if you feel like grabbing a drink and seeing some SanFran and Oahu flair, come check it out at NextDoor on Hotel street.

Here is the Facebook page for the event:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=154936384572508

Divine

So here it is: I am a purist when it comes to instruments and believe that is the player that plays the ukulele and must adjust to each "animal." Though when I pick up this little fellow today, I swear on my fat cat that my fingers just wanted to move on their own. Not only is it complete with some of the nicest wood I have ever seen and tasteful design but, it has feather light action and the sound of a thousand violins. My god what beautiful instrument from Divine Ukuleles. And it just a concert!