Uke Yak Fans, Chuck "Frets" Fayne has been the resident expert for "Uke Yak" since 1998. Since that time he has answered almost 6,000 questions related to vintage ukuleles. Over many years, Chuck assembled his own world-class collection of vintage Hawaiian and Mainland ukes, including some amazing one-of-a-kind pieces. It was Chuck’s collection that made up the majority of the ukes in my book, "The Ukulele-A Visual History." Although Chuck has retired from the Uke Yak, his extensive knowledge and unique sense of humor live on in this searchable archive. Enjoy! Search the Uke Yak. Jumpin’ Jim 2015
Flea Market Music Uke Yak (271 of 296) (Chuck "Frets" Fayne has answered the following 5919 questions.)

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Question asked by: kieth block Subject: new martin o...old martin tuners Question: why does martin use friction tuners on their new mexican o martins. Better question, why do they make them at all, considering I have gotten so much negative response to their existence at all. Its going to be hard to take the other side kieth, since I prefer the friction tuners. I am assuming that by friction tuners you are talking about violin type tuners. I find them very easy to tune and once you get the hang of them, the uke will stay in tune much better than the modern tuners. So I am hardpressed to take the other side with you. So far, from what I have heard and my playing one of the new martin o's..I think it is the best thing they did. Sorry...chuck fayne Answer: see above for the question and the answer. got lazy again...chuck - Friday, October 6, 2000

Question asked by: LISA Subject: LITTLE DOTS Question: ARE 12 FRET UKES WITH LITTLE DOTS SPECIAL...?? Answer: oH....are they...what that means lisa, is that the size of the dots help determine the age. The little dots are older than the large dots. Seems wierd..Seems like the little dots should be younger, they are smaller. But, alas, that is not true.( suddenly I am a pirate)...What you have according to your second email, is an early martin O ukulele. I think they were better than the later ones, but it had nothing to do with the dots. It had to do with better workmanship...Do you have something special???YES..you have a ukulele...play it...chuuck - Friday, October 6, 2000

Question asked by: mario quiros Subject: stinkey sound hole Question: I will write mario's question word for word. "I find myself in possession of a nicely bound instrument. Well played, but not abused. With the exception of its STINK. Every prior owner must have sung directly into the soundhole while smoking cigar..Remedy??" Also, how many steps below a sporano do you tune a bari. Answer: YOU MADE ME LAUGH...FUNNIEST QUESTION I HAVE HAD YET. I LOVE THE PICTURE OF A MAN STRUMMING A UKULELE SINGING INTO THE SOUND HOLE WITH A CIGAR IN HIS MOUTH..MY SUGGESTION, IF YOU CAN BELIEVE ANYONE DID THIS, THEN I SUGGEST YOU TRY THE FOLLOWING...GET INTO THE UKE AND SING OUT THE SOUND HOLE WITH BINACA IN YOUR MOUTH...SORRY, BUT ITS THE ONLY REMEDY I CAN THINK OF. YOU STUMPED ME ON THIS ONE. AS FAR AS THE BARI TUNING. I TUNE A BARI EXACTLY LIKE THE LAST FOUR STRINGS ON A GUITAR. PLEASE WRITE AGAIN...STUMPED IN FRETLAND...FAYNE - Friday, October 6, 2000

Question asked by: CHUCK FAYNE Subject: NEW E MAIL ADDRESS ETC Question: NO QUESTION JUST TO LET YOU KNOW MY PERSONAL E MAIL HAS CHANGED. CFAYNE@BLUEP.COM.AU Answer: ALSO. SINCE THERE ARE SO MANY NEW MAKERS POPPING UP ALL THE TIME, WE NEED UPDATES AS YOU BUY THEIR UKES. ALOT OF THEM LOOK GOOD IN PICS BUT UNTIL THEY ARE PLAYED, NO ONE KNOWS. SO IF YOU HAVE ANY REPORTS, PLEASE SEND THEM IN TO US. THANKS...CHUCK FAYNE P.S. TO ALL OF YOU WHO KEEP WRITING IN AND TO ALL OF YOU NEWCOMERS, WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR QUESTIONS..THEY KEEP THE UKE WORLD ALIVE, AND I HAVE A GREAT TIME ANSWERING THEM. STRUM YOUR FINGERS TO THE BONES...FRETS FAYNE - Tuesday, September 19, 2000

Question asked by: david quinn Subject: St George "classique" Question: Could it be Canadian? Answer: It could...ask it to say about...I have seena few St Georges Ukes and I have never known where they are from...I assumed they were from the U.S. and I don't know why...All the ones I have seen have friction tuners and a very fancy label. If anyone out there has any idea where they are from, please write and let us know. David good to hear from you..Old friend. thanks for writing...chuck fayne - Tuesday, September 19, 2000

Question asked by: jim eckman Subject: Martin Mele Uke Question: Is it worth what I paid for it ( 536 without a case,. It has a label that says Mele..Geniuine Hawaiian. It is an early style 1.... Answer: In today's market 536 without case is about right on the money for a style 1 and you have an early one at that. The maple nut and saddle date it early 20's...Its not from the teens. Depeding on the color of the wood is whether or not it is from the early 20's or later. Darker is later. The label is from the distributor and has nothing to do with the maker of the uke. I have not seen alot of martins with labels in them...martin discouraged this practice. If they were going to let another company sell their ukes, they tried to manufacture them for the company...Like weyman, wutlitzer, ditson, etc. All early style 1 martin ukes came with friction tuners. I prefer these to the mechanical ones. you have one of my favorite ukes...treat it well..it will serve you and your generations to come...thanks for writing in...chuck - Tuesday, September 19, 2000

Question asked by: mike frank Subject: Harold Teen Question: Mike has a green Harold Teen. Is it valuable and does he need to put it in a vault. Answer: The Harold Teen Ukes came in three colors. Red, Green and Yellow. No one is more valuable than the other. Don't retire just yet. Also don't put it on the wall. They were made by two companies for a cartoonist named Carl Ed. The two companies were Regal and Harmony...They, oddly enough, sound pretty good. The value of one in mint condition is upwards of 500 bucks depending on the hunger of the fish...Keep it. It can only go up in value and who knows, you might enjoy playing it. By the way, the only way to really enjoy playing a Harold Teen Uke is to dress like the characters on the face of the uke...chuck fayne.... - Tuesday, September 19, 2000

Question asked by: RICK WILLIA,MS Subject: Blue Bird Question: What is a blue bird. Answer: If it has four strings and looks like a ukulele, it is a ukulele. The man at the auction should not know this and its perfectly understandable that he would call it a childs guitar. Blue bird was nothing more than a cute name to put on a ukulele made by the regal company in the l940's...you have one. They are nifty and I have not seen one in a long time. They are collectible in the stencil market. Play it......frets - Tuesday, September 19, 2000

Question asked by: ROBERT PINKERTON Subject: KEY KORD BASS UKE Question: WHY CAN'T I GET IT TO PLAY? Answer: Robert, before we get to far into this...as far as I know there has never been a bass ukulele. What I believe you have is a Key Kord tenor Guitar with the Key Kord maker attached. The reason you are not getting the correct chords is because you have to tune it like a tenor banjo. I am not familiar with the tenor banjo tunings, however any good music store will be able to help you. Try this and see if it works..Let me know either way. You will find a picture of what you have on page 298 in the Gruhn Guitar Book. Go to you local music store, they will have a copy of this book...it is the Bible of Guitar books and look at it. If it is what you have, ask the luthier to tune yours for you. thanks...frets - Tuesday, September 19, 2000

Question asked by: Joseph Ho Subject: Martin wooden pegs Question: Did martin put wooden tuning pegs on their early tenor ukes. Answer: The answer is not usually. Martin used wooden pegs on style one and early concert ukes. I have never seen a factory set on a Tenor. The easiest way to tell is to look at the hole and the area just around the hole. If it looks like it is indented, both front and back, it is likely that the uke came with standard tuners. If there is no indentation, it is possible that the uke was origially fitted with wooden pegs. I would first look at the uke. Does it have 12 or 14 frets. The early models had 12 frets and very tiny dots on the fingerboard. Let us know...It is an interesting question. thanks...fayne - Saturday, September 9, 2000

Question asked by: mark di guiseppe Subject: i need a good bass d string Question: Mark is wondering about the tuning down of a ukulele and whats best to use as a low d string. Answer: Mark, I also tune down the low string on the ukulele. I find it gives me greater range to explore my mediocrity. I now sound fairly good in more than one register. As far as a wound string grinding away a plastic fret, I think you have a genuine concern. I use a classical low D string and find it works well. I tend to stay away from all wound strings..I hate the squeek. For those of you who are going to try the low 4th string, you will find that it is much different than the standard tuning. I find that after years of playing conventional tuning, the low 4th strings sounds a little strange at first. Keep you D string up and let us know how it works out. frets fayne - Saturday, September 9, 2000

Question asked by: sharon weitzell Subject: roses Question: Sharon bought a uke with roses on the front. It was manufactured by the Richter Mfg. Co. What about it? Answer: You have a Ukulele that ws distributed by the Richter Co. in about l940. He did alot of decorative work on the ukes. He purchased them from Regal and then either hand painted them or applied decals. His work is a little garish for my taste, but some of it was interesting. They are Regals middle line of quality ukulele. You say you are going to learn to play. You have come to the right site. Go to the on line store and purchase Jim Beloff's books on beginning uke. You will learn what you need to play. Thanks for writing in . Be very careful of your richter uke in an earthquake. They are very sensitive to earth movements. chuck faults fayane - Saturday, September 9, 2000

Question asked by: Mary A Temple Subject: Maxitone Question: What about it....?? Answer: Mary..You have a Uke manufactured by the Maxitone Ukulele co. They made banjo ukes, ukes, and an instrument I dare not mention. The Maxitone Violin Uke. I hope you don't have one of those. They were also made by maxitone and alot of other names...Useless. However, you have a pretty well made uke that is not very valuable. But in terms of playing, it is a fine uke for that. The keys are like bakelite, but they are made out of a substance called katlin. The same kind of stuff used to make poker chips. At 20 inches, it is well within the range of a soprano Uke. They were well made and should give you years of good plunkin. I wish I could tell you more...I have one myself and find I play it often. Hope you do the same. Not play mine often...yours. You would have to travel to Australia to play my Maxitone. However, if you show up on my doorstep, I will let you play it. thanks for your question and best from us at the uak...chuck fayne - Saturday, September 9, 2000

Question asked by: Melinda Subject: I got passed a Regal Question: What is it. Answer: Well Melinda, the fact that it has a Regal decal on the back of the Uke helps alot. It is a Regal. See how easy this job really is. The fact that is says made of genuine Mahogany, makes it a cut above most regal Ukes. Regal was the uke maker for everyone. It is trimmed in white...that makes it even better. You have one of Regal's better ukes. The value depends a great deal on the condition. If it is in great condition( no cracks, chips, dings, dongs, etc.) it is probably worth in the 200.00 range. Play it, that is its real worth. Thanks for the question...chuck - Saturday, September 9, 2000

Question asked by: sharon weitzell Subject: roses Question: Sharon bought a uke with roses on the front. It was manufactured by the Richter Mfg. Co. What about it? Answer: You have a Ukulele that ws distributed by the Richter Co. in about l940. He did alot of decorative work on the ukes. He purchased them from Regal and then either hand painted them or applied decals. His work is a little garish for my taste, but some of it was interesting. They are Regals middle line of quality ukulele. You say you are going to learn to play. You have come to the right site. Go to the on line store and purchase Jim Beloff's books on beginning uke. You will learn what you need to play. Thanks for writing in . Be very careful of your richter uke in an earthquake. They are very sensitive to earth movements. chuck faults fayane - Saturday, September 9, 2000

Question asked by: H.C, Subject: maui vs kamaka and kawika Question: How does Maui Music compare with Kamaka and Kawika? Answer: I'm going to have to let you answer that for yourself. I love Kamaka and Kawika and do not know as much about Maui Music. I think the sound is in the ear of the bestrummer. Play them and you will answer your own question..Let me know what you come up with...I'll be waiting with baited breath..( anyone know what that means?) I can't imagine trying to bait my breath...frets fayne - Thursday, August 24, 2000

Question asked by: lisa Subject: under 2000 buck tenor Question: Lisa want to spend less than 2000 for a tenor uke... Answer: First choice. Martin tenor Second Kamaka Tenor Third Kawika Tenor Fourth Gibson Tenor Fifth Pavoratti I would watch the bidding networks for the used instruments...Kawika has a web site in Hawaii..just type in his name..Another choice might be Harry Eibert in Syracuse NewYork...cburton@future.dreamscape .com If this doesn't work..look up Harry Eibert he is a Luthier. He makes one hell of an instrument. Those are my choices and I'll stick with them..I'm sure you will get lots of answers from the people out there. Look for them...thanks for the question. You can trust all the recommendations I gave without having to play them..Their track records are real good...chuck fayne - Thursday, August 24, 2000

Question asked by: lisa Subject: under 2000 buck tenor Question: Lisa want to spend less than 2000 for a tenor uke... Answer: First choice. Martin tenor Second Kamaka Tenor Third Kawika Tenor Fourth Gibson Tenor Fifth Pavoratti I would watch the bidding networks for the used instruments...Kawika has a web site in Hawaii..just type in his name..Another choice might be Harry Eibert in Syracuse NewYork...cburton@future.dreamscape .com If this doesn't work..look up Harry Eibert he is a Luthier. He makes one hell of an instrument. Those are my choices and I'll stick with them..I'm sure you will get lots of answers from the people out there. Look for them...thanks for the question. You can trust all the recommendations I gave without having to play them..Their track records are real good...chuck fayne - Thursday, August 24, 2000

Question asked by: tricia Subject: on line songs Question: How can tricia find them Answer: anybody out there know of a site for uke tunes?..if so..please let us know..I get alot ot questions about on line uke music and don't know where ....please write in and let us know...thanks all..frets - Thursday, August 24, 2000

Question asked by: david reminger Subject: waikiki uke Question: what can I tell him about it? Answer: David...waikiki was name used on hundreds of different ukes. The ukes were made for the tourist trade. There is a chance it was made by one of the better makers, however, I would need a picture to be able to tell you...Hope the repairs go well and let us know what it sounds like. Sorry I can't be more helpful...frets - Thursday, August 24, 2000

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