UKE Republic Ukuleles

I was intrigued when I first heard about these ukulele strings, especially when I understood they were being produced by a friend Ken Middleton.  You may already be familiar with Ken Middleton from YouTube , or perhaps you have seen or met him at a ukulele festival somewhere around the world. Ken is a fantastic player and instructor giving workshops and explaining songs online. Ken is also one of those persons with high standards for musical instruments and their complements, such as strings, so when Living Water Strings were made available, I knew it would be something wonderful. I quickly popped an email over to Ken in England asking if we might be able to carry the strings at UKE Republic, and the next day I received a phone call. Ken and I have known each other for a while, and he told me that if he did decide to have dealers carry, I would be the first to have the option of stocking them. Fast forward to May 2014, and I'm honored to say UKE Republic is currently the...

What on earth am I speaking of? Super soprano ukuleles of course! You may ask what is a super soprano ukulele? Well, basically it is a concert scale married to a soprano body. Some also put tenor necks with soprano bodies as well. Oh and then there is a tenor neck on a concert body but that's for another post. Kala Spruce Mahogany Long Neck Soprano Okay, so what might be the advantage of the super soprano ukulele? For one, you get to keep the soprano sound but have the room and additional frets of a concert. The feel and balance on many of the brands feel quite nice too. The portability of a soprano is still there. Now anyone who loves the tonal characteristics of the soprano ukulele but felt the fingerboard a little cramped can get on playing one. If you already play a super soprano or if perhaps it may be your first, you will be happy to know that there are plenty of combinations to choose from! There are more and more ukulele makers doing this combination. To na...

Variety in strings is a wonderful thing. Often times a fresh set of strings helps a ukulele come to life, especially when they are quality strings. LaBella has been making ukulele strings for a while but has honed their skill improving and making some wonderful sets. Their Uke Pro Series line is a notable offering. They tend to add warmth and clarity to many ukuleles. The strings are rectified nylon giving consistent quality and tonal clarity. This isn't an inexpensive process as the strings are ground to give a precise diameter. The process also gives a little texture to the strings and a cloudy appearance. The texture gives your fingers a little grip when playing and reminds us of real gut string texture. This process is done on LaBella's well-respected Argento classical strings as well. LaBella has quite a pedigree. The company has roots that date back to Italy in the 17th century. Established in the 1640s in Salle, the Mari family became the suppliers of violin strings to...