Uke is Uks biggest seller

This was an article in last weeks Sunday Times
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article1940449.ece
Could a new generation of Ukelele players on their way?

You bet Cheeky. We are currently in the third wave of ukulele popularity. The first got going in 1915 and ran through the '20's, the second in the '50's with George Formby in the UK and Arthur Godfrey on TV in the states, and, of course, the tourist industry developed in Hawaii.

Tiki culture is helping this third wave, certainly, but there's a whole lot of music being played on ukes that is not island related. Jake Shimabukuro's version of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", which has been all over the internet, is an example.

[ Edited by: Bongo Bungalow 2007-08-31 03:59 ]

ukulele is huge in France, very big, even on tv, and every player don't know anythng about tiki...

I've been told it's big in Japan, also.

There are many manufacturers this time around. While the Chinese are producing low-end ukes, there are quite a few craftsmen in the states turning from guitars to ukuleles.

A plastic backed uke, The Flea, and it's bigger sibling, The Fluke, are good quality ukes and quite popular. They are sold through http://www.fleamarketmusic.com (No connection to yours truly.)

[ Edited by: Bongo Bungalow 2007-08-31 04:09 ]

Spongebob.
No kidding.

Uke will be huge when the Spongebob generation hits the buying age for instruments.

That's why I'm writing uke music as fast as I can so I can take all of their money and spend it on my life long ambition... a uke made out of diamonds and gold that never goes out of tune. Yeahhh. That'd be awesome.

Yeah, baby, the Liberace of Uke! How do you play those little frets with those huge rocks on your fingers? Then, there's the cape. How do you keep it from hiding the uke altogether?

If there's anyone who has a solution to these issues, it would be you, my friend!

Teeth! I play with my teeth! With only four strings, four good teeth is all you need and I've got five!