Tony Blews

Ukulele or Cavaquinho?

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 01:36:01 +0100

Possibly you may recall that back in June 2007 I got hold of what I assumed to be a Ukulele. I bragged about it here.

Recently, however, I've become convinced that it is, actually, an antique Jose Alvarez Cavaquinho. This suits me fine, as a cavaquino is tuned to DGBD (or DGBE), whilst a ukulele is tuned to GCEA. Being an approximate guitar player, anything that makes life easier for me is good.

But, which of them is it?

Lets have some pictures.... of my little instrument (oh behave).....

.....and in comparison take a look at these pictures.

Could they be the same thing? I don't really care about the antiqueness... I just want the thing done right.

Now I'm led to believe by the internet that I should steel string this little beauty, but i'm too chicken to try it. It doesn't seem to be braced enough to handle the stress, and I don't want to wreck it.

So, after much pissing about and nicking strings from my various other guitars, I've strung it with nylon.

And it sounds like this: (listen)

Note please that i'm shitfaced, I've lost my tuner somewhere, and I haven't quite sorted out the right strings... still, I like it!

(Oh, and it was Am and G).

Facebook is now as bad as MySpace

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 02:22:17 +0000

I did like Facebook for a while. It seemed like a more sober and sensible version of MySpace. Now look at it.

I do not want to be a vampire. My skin is pasty enough as it is, and I shun sunlight anyway.

I do not want to be a Werewolf. I'm hairy enough right now.

I do not want to have a Poo Fight with you. That is just disgusting.

Why the hell would I want to join a group called "Make Brian Get His Hair Cut"? Maybe I should start a group called "Balding Longhaired Ukulele Playing Ex-Goths With Shite Cameras". No doubt I'd get 732 members within a week.

Ok, so I would like to be a pirate, because I look good in a pirate shirt. But i'm always going to be more Barbossa than Sparrow, so I'll decline that invitation too. Actually, i'm not even cool enough to be Barbossa. I'm not even the fat idiot who hangs about with the bloke from The Office. I'm not even as cool as the monkey.

I'm bored with your likeness quizzes, fed up with that world travelling bear, utterly tits-off with whatever you've written on my wall today, and not only cheesed off, but utterly fondued off with the whole bloody thing.

I'm about 3 microns (because saying "this far" won't work in a typed rant) away from deleting my facebook account. If you want to contact me, use email. Or the phone. Don't frig about using a crappy social networking site that annoys the teeth out of me so much that I will never need to see a dentist ever again.

Oh, by the way... Buy my book... but don't complain if its crap.

The Window Cleaner

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:48:22 +0000

Another pointless animation

With my little Ukulele in my hand

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 01:46:18 +0100

Hurrah! I've just acquired a ukulele! Thanks to the nice people on Stafford-Freecycle, particularly Nick Corder.

To celebrate this earth-shattering news, along with me finally deciding to learn a bit of flash, I give you this...

Click for the really annoying thing!

Conclusive proof that I crap at both playing the ukulele and making Flash animations. But, its early days yet. As D:Ream were once so kind to point out, things can only get better.