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Original Post By:
Bigbill
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Date: 3/3/2009 1:17:11 AM |
Hey guys, I thought now might be a good time to give a quick review of my Aaron Keim ukulele. There are two for sale now on ebay, and I already own one, and am the owner of the original Kumalae that Aaron used to measure and study for these recent models. In these times, it truly is a buyer's market, and I think you would be hard pressed to find a finer playing or sounding uke for the money than Aaron's.
Mine is a redwood topped soprano, made from the same redwood as the one currently for sale, and it is smokin'! It is punchy and stands out in the crowd, yet not brash--it has a lovely voice. I have played many fine ukuleles, and my Aaron Keim prototype hangs with the best of them. I sold off a lot of fine ukes last month, but never once thought of letting his go--it is definitely a keeper. Aaron is still learning his craft as a luthier, so some minor cosmetic blemishes are keeping him from asking what these are really worth. Good luck, get em while you can!
Has anyone else had the pleasure of playing one of Aaron's ukes? It is funny, I have heard so much about his Beansprouts, but I have never played one. I am sure they are the same though...player's instruments.
Peace,
Bill |
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Posted By:
John Kavanagh
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Date: 3/3/2009 8:17:53 AM |
| I've played a couple Beansprouts. Like any banjo instrument, they need the set up tweaked to get the best sound, but they're the only banjo uke that's ever really tempted me - they sound great and play great. Most banjo ukes are like little tenor banjos, very bright and brash - the Beansprout is more like a little clawhammer banjo - clear and clean, but with a kind of woody plunk to it. Real Formby-style players usually don't like the woodier tone or the wide, concert-scale neck, but I find them very nice. Good jamming instrument - it can be loud and clear without playing hard.
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Posted By:
Anthony29
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Date: 4/8/2018 1:49:45 AM |
| Historically interesting posts, now that Aaron is setting up his own Beansprout operation in his new workshop, and Mya Moe, across the river, are �retiring�.
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Posted By:
Ernie
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Date: 5/31/2018 8:24:04 PM |
| Aaron started Beansprout prior to his time at Mya Moe. It�ll be interesting to see how his new instruments differ from his early run and from his Mya Moe ukes.
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Posted By:
Ukulele Rob
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Date: 6/2/2018 6:46:54 PM |
| I own four Mya-Moes, each of which Aaron worked on. (Mahogany concert, walnut concert banjo, walnut concert resonator and spruce/cherry baritone - each has a different function, and each fulfills that function perfectly.) At the recent Reno Uke Fest I had the opportunity to test-drive some of Aaron's new Beansprout models. Each is just great. In particular, I think his "alto" size uke is going to be a huge hit (scale length just short of 15", a sort of between-soprano-and-concert size, scale and body-wise). With his years at Mya-Moe Aaron has really perfected the art. With Beansprout, there's going to be a ton of mojo, in part due to Aaron's use of western US woods, and in part due to his use of vintage hand tools and power tools. Finally, it will be interesting to see how well his 5-string banjo uke sells. It has a wonderful sound, either clawhammer or frailing style, and I can see a lot of 5-string banjo players picking up the instrument to either add a new sound to the band, or as a travel instrument. When it comes to ukuleles, whether independent luthiers or large onshore and offshore producers (e.g., Kala, Ohana, Martin), it's certainly different strokes for different folks, but one won't find a harder-working, more honest, more careful or more musical builder than Aaron. Wishing him tons of success.
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Posted By:
mikeu
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Date: 9/5/2018 5:51:33 AM |
| So glad to hear that you all love his ukuleles, I am on his list for a February delivery and haven't made a wood choice yet....thinking Myrtle with pistachio....any thoughts....
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