Lanikai Tenor Ukulele Oak, incl. Bag

Product information "Lanikai Tenor Ukulele Oak, incl. Bag"

Lanikai Tenor Ukulele

Scale: 432 mm

Frets: 17

Neck width at nut: 37.4 mm

Top, back and sides: oak

Neck: okoume

Fretboard and Bridge: Laurel

Mechanics: Chrome, open

Saddle: Graph Tech NuBone XB

Strings: D'Addario EJ88

Binding and rosette: poplar, colored

Finish: natural, semi-gloss

with a bag

Back and sides: Eiche
Colour: Braun
Design: Tenor
Fingerboard: Lorbeer
Frets: 17
Incl. case / gigbag / flightcase: Ja
Pickup: Nein
Saddle width (mm): 37.4
Scale length (mm): 432
Top: Eiche
Manufacturer "Lanikai"
The History of the Ukulele
Actually, the ukulele is the successor of a four-string musical instrument called "machête" or, to be more precise, a successor to the "braguinha" from the Portuguese island of Madeira, which is a local form of the plucked instrument cavaquinho. The origin of the ukulele, which was created by a meeting of different cultures, can be precisely dated back to August 23, 1879. On this day, a British ship named Ravescraag docked in Honolulu with 423 men, women and children from Madeira on board , Hawaii, at. After four months at sea, the passengers, exhausted from the arduous journey, were visibly relieved to have finally reached their destination. It is said that upon arriving at the port of Honolulu, musician João Fernandes joyfully jumped ashore and, grateful to have reached his destination unharmed, began singing Portuguese folk songs. Although his performance was mainly intended for the other passengers, the Hawaiians who witnessed the spectacle were very moved. They also noticed the strange instrument on which he accompanied his songs - a machete.
As fate sometimes plays out, aboard the Ravenscraag were three talented craftsmen named Augusto Dias, Manuel Nunes and Jose De Espirito Santo. All three were cabinet makers and Santos and Dias were also talented musicians. These three men would soon play a part in the genesis and popularization of the modern ukulele.
The jumping flea
King Kalakaua
King Kalakaua
There are numerous theories as to how the ukulele got its name. One of the two most popular stories is that of Edward Purvis, an English military officer, who came to Hawaii in 1879. Purvis was a gifted musician who mastered himself as a virtuoso of the machete and, after being appointed assistant to the steward of King David Kalakauas, often entertained the court with his expert playing. Because he was small and alert (the opposite of the very large Hawaiians), he was nicknamed "Ukulele", which means "hopping flea" (or "jumping flea") in Hawaiian. It is likely that Purvi's nickname was simply applied to the instrument he loved to play.
A literal theory associates the fingers flying nimbly across the machete's fretboard in a skilled player with the motion of "jumping fleas". However, Queen Lili'uokalani was not interested in this interpretation. She favored a more poetic translation of the Hawaiian word "uku" for "gift" and "lele" for "to come," pointing to the journey the now beloved instrument had made from Portugal to Hawaii (apparently the Hawaiian word " Uku" multiple meanings). While there are numerous possible explanations for the origin of the name ukulele, it is important to note that in Hawaii there is only one correct pronunciation: "uu-kuu-le-le" which differs from the predominant mainland American pronunciation "juu- kuu-le-le" .
The ukulele is growing up
Queen Lili'uokalani
Queen Lili'uokalani
Although Augusto Dias was recruited by a Hawaiian sugar plantation, he hoped to find employment in the woodworking industry. Like Fernandes, Dias was also a gifted musician and whiled his time on the Ravenscraag playing guitar and singing.
When Dias arrived in Honolulu in August 1879, he was devastated to find that most of the ship's men were working in the fields. Earning $10 a month, Dias worked so hard he was able to pay off his annual contract three months early.
Eventually, due to increasing public interest in the machete, Dias, Nunes and Santo opened their own music store in Honolulu. There is an entry by Dias in the town register of 1884, and in 1885 an advertisement by Dias and Nunes appeared in the edition of the Portuguese-language newspaper "O Luso Hawaiiano", in which both introduced themselves as machete makers. In 1886, Santo's business was reported in the same newspaper.
A long-lasting friendship developed between the musician Dias and the king Kalakaua. Dias, a regular performer at public events at the Ionani Palace, played his instrument in that particular Spanish way, plucking the melody rather than simply strumming the strings.
The king also hosted weekly poker nights where such well-known musicians as Robert Louis Stevenson played his flageolet (a type of recorder) and Dias his "uke"...
From Hawaii to the whole world
Ukulele cowboys
Around 1915 the ukulele came backs mainland. At that time, a Hawaiian music wave swept over Americans, starting in San Francisco (where the Panama Pacific International Exposition took place), and led to increasing sales of ukuleles. The enthusiasm also reached across the Atlantic to Great Britain.

The great demand for ukuleles also meant a great demand for ukulele builders. Of the three original Portuguese ukulele manufacturers, only Manuel Nunes remained and by 1910 orders were increasing so much that he could not keep up with production. New competitors entered the market, differentiated by their own design, different tones and other innovations. Despite all the competition, the business continued to thrive thanks to increasing demand from all over the world.

The competition took on a new face when mainland guitar makers entered the ukulele market around 1915. In the 1920's manufacturers such as Gibson, Harmony, Regal, National, Dobro and Martin began mass producing thousands of ukuleles. Martin produced his first ukulele in 1916, modeled on Nunes. Many Hawaiians swear by their Martin ukuleles and still rave about their special sound quality.

In the 1940s and 1950s, British music hall musician George Formby and American Arthur Godfrey brought the small instrument into the mainstream. It was such great musicians as Roy Smeck and Eddie Karnae who produced wonderful music with the ukulele. Tiny Tim helped the instrument to an enormous market presence.

Uke Players - Hawaiian ukulele players
Today, Hawaiian music and the wonderful ukulele are enjoying a comeback, and LANIKAI is at the forefront. There are still many guitar makers in Hawaii who have specialized in building ukuleles and who help the small instrument to become more popular alongside LANIKAI and other brand manufacturers.

"My Dog Has Fleas" is being heard by a new generation worldwide. There are numerous ukulele festivals around the world, including a dozen on the mainland and many around Hawaii, not to mention the numerous ukulele clubs.

LANIKAI is proud to be a part of this traditional history.

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