[Dixielandjazz] Re: Dixielandjazz Digest, Vol 30, Issue 20

[Talegatorz at aol.com]

The Uke is a very useful item to have around. It has been a great substitute 
for us when the tenor banjo player can't make the gig. It also can be used to 
play chords under a tenor banjo one string solo. It was introduced to me by 
Russian banjo player, Vladimir Kvachev. He recommended the tenor uke because 
with it's G-C-E-A tuning, "It is voiced perfectly for this music."  What this 
seems to mean is that it not only sounds good, but also is nice to sing with and 
it is relatively easy to learn to play songs in all the usual jazz keys. I 
prefer the "low-G" type strings. They provide a bigger chord sound and a full 
scale for soloing. 
The biggest problem is lack of volume compared to the banjo and horns. I have 
tried a uke with an internal active pickup. It works OK, but I'm not crazy 
about the sound. I have an 
antique ukulele banjo that sounds good when in tune, which can be tricky with 
standard peg tuners. (There's nothing worse than a slightly out of tune uke.) 
I've set up an old banjo mandolin which looks great, but sounds a bit harsh 
with the steel strings.
Playable ukes are fairly inexpensive, but the really nice ones can set you 
back the price of a good horn. I've had good dealings with Roy Cone at 
Ukuleleworld.com.
The best thing about all this is that I've found that a uke is just about the 
most fun one can have with four strings.

Gus Bloch