CONSTRUCTION (Wikipedia)
Ukuleles are generally made of wood, though variants have been composed partially or entirely of plastic or other materials. Cheaper ukuleles are generally made from plywood or laminate woods, in some cases with a soundboard of a tonewoodsuch as spruce. More expensive ukuleles are made of solid hardwoods such as mahogany. The traditionally preferred wood for ukuleles is acacia koa.
Typically, ukuleles have a figure-eight body shape similar to that of a small acoustic guitar. They are also often seen in non-standard shapes, such as cutaway shape and an oval, usually called a "pineapple" ukulele, invented by the Kamaka Ukulele company, or a boat-paddle shape, and occasionally a square shape, often made out of an old wooden cigar box.
These instruments usually have four strings; some strings may be paired in courses, giving the instrument a total of six or eight strings (primarily for greater strumming volume.) The strings themselves were originally made of catgut. Modern ukuleles use nylon polymer strings, with many variations in the material, such as fluorocarbon, aluminium (as winding on lower pitched strings),[32] and Nylgut.[33]
Instruments with 6 or 8 strings in four courses are often called taropatches, or taropatch ukuleles. They were once common in a concert size, but now the tenor size is more common for six-string taropatch ukuleles. The six string, four course version, has two single and two double courses, and is sometimes called a Lili'u, though this name also applies to the eight-string version.[34] Eight-string baritone taropatches exist,[35] and, 5-string tenors have also been made.[36] A Javanese ukulele commonly has only three strings. It seems to be a modern innovation, as the first generation of three-stringed ukuleles were four stringed instruments with one string deliberately removed. They are now manufactured to have only three strings.
Should I wear a strap on my UKULELE?
At first we at Basso Straps were a little reluctant to develop a ukulele strap for thinking (unknowingly) that the instrument would not need a strap because of its size.
After many requests from customers we went to the development and what was our surprise to find that not only is an accessory aesthetically very suitable for this instrument but also greatly assists playability, especially in standing position.
We found with several prototypes that the best result was achieved by placing a pulley on the body of the ukulele and attaching the other end of the strap to the headstock of the instrument.
To give you the best possible result, we developed an accessory (Ref .: QR-V-2) that "ties" a strap to the strap with a button.
Check out the step-by-step how to put the Basso ukulele strap on your instrument by downloading our catalog here.
Watch the video on our YouTube channel with the various models by clicking HERE
Learn more about this incredible instrument at WIKIPEDIA clicking here!