Musical Instruments on a Sailboat

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by Squeaks

Tiny Tim already ruined the image of a ukulele...

Listen to some Brudder Iz (Israel Kamakawiwaole) to regain your appreciation of ukulele music.

[Canibul]

You could always try a Swinola.


Thats when you stretch a string across a pigs butt and pick it with your front teeth....

[syoder]

Originally Posted by Squeaks

Tiny Tim already ruined the image of a ukulele so I started learning the mandolin.

Don't let TT ruin it for you. Ukes are cool. Just the right size for a boat, easy to learn, and they almost always make people smile. I love my uke so much I quit playing guitar altogther. Don't think Tiny Tim, think George Harrison.



-Steve

[smackdaddy]

Originally Posted by Duckwheat

Hey thanks for all the feedback. Guess I can go ahead and see if I am cut out for learning the Mandolin.

Dw

Juice harp dude! Learn to seriously blow a harmonica and you'll be stylin' at all the anchorages. You can play everything from "Red River Valley" to "Run Around" (by Blues Traveler) AND it fits perfectly in the chest pocket of your foulies...useful if you go overboard as a location aid.

Try doing all that with a mandolin!

[syoder]

Sure. But try paddling a life raft with a harmonica.

[smackdaddy]

Touché, my friend. Touché.

[osirissail]

Now wait a minute, some good harmonica music will bring the dolphin circling and then with a short loop in your life raft painter - you will be towed to shore - so long as the music is good. . . .

[smackdaddy]

Aha! Take THAT syoder!

osiris - any idea the kind of groove dug by said dolphin?

[mikereed100]

Originally Posted by syoder

Don't let TT ruin it for you. Ukes are cool. Just the right size for a boat, easy to learn, and they almost always make people smile. I love my uke so much I quit playing guitar altogther. Don't think Tiny Tim, think George Harrison.



-Steve

Or better still, Jake Shimabukuro channeling George Harrison.

YouTube - Ukulele weeps by Jake Shimabukuro

[Boomp]

I am on my 4th yr w a Baby Taylor guitar. Its a small size body that sounds good [mahogoney] I use coated strings and they last pretty much quite a while. I also keep marachas, kazoo, rattles and a triangle etc. for when we want a band. Its a riot when you get a bunch of friends playing together!

[Roy M]

For any folks fortunate to be in Puerto Rico in the next week or so, the trimaran STRAVAIG will be arriving with its talented skipper, Jeff Allen, and delicious spouse, Jose, who will offer sweet things on strings, and also, traditional bagpipes. You will be lucky folks, indeed. I am jealous.

[Hiracer]

Originally Posted by mikereed100

Or better still, Jake Shimabukuro channeling George Harrison.

I almost have that song down on my classical guitar.

But I like this version, a duet, best.

YouTube - Tommy Emmanuel / J.Shimabukuro: While My Guitar Gently Weeps

SOBs rock.

[Hiracer]

FWIW, ukes come in four different sizes. Jake plays the largest size, which is two or three sizes larger than what you normally find in the stores.

My oldest son plays one, in addition to the piano. He's also co-leader of the high school barbershop.

The youngest boy plays the piano and cello, and is learning guitar on his own. Try getting all that on a 36' boat. LOL

[Hiracer]

Originally Posted by syoder

Don't let TT ruin it for you. Ukes are cool. Just the right size for a boat, easy to learn, and they almost always make people smile. I love my uke so much I quit playing guitar altogther. Don't think Tiny Tim, think George Harrison.

The local high school has a talent/gong show every year. A couple of years ago a kid with a uke won doing traditional Hawaiian music . Local stores tell me they can't hardly keep the things in stock around here.

They are much easier to play than guitars because of two less strings. And the strings are nylon so they don't rust. IMO, they are a really good instrument for the boat unless like me you can't sing. You can do instrumentals, witness Jake, but that takes real talent and dedication, not just strumming for background.

[hummingway]

I've had a couple of guitars onbaord the last couple of months - a classical and a 57 gretsch semi. No problems with either. However at my studio I have 40 guitars, including a few 30's era nationals - more then a 12 pre-CBS fender amps and enough recording gear to sink a fleet. I'm guessing I better sell most of it before leaving terra firma behind. I'm sure I'm still going to wind up with a storage issue since I'm not likely to want to leave it all behind! Gigging in Mexico I found sweating on the guitars to be an issue. The strings would disolve and metal on the bridges of electrics corrode. A keyboard player I knew who played there had some problems with his electronic keys and on opening the enclosure found green stuff growing (moss not corrosion). The places I was playing were on or near the beach so lots of humidity.