| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Fran Guidry |
Posted - 02/07/2013 : 08:25:22 AM
I stumbled over a bargain on a vintage Martin Tiple on Ebay a few weeks ago, one reason I bought it was knowing that Ledward would be visiting, he has mentioned in the past that one of his Aunties had a tiple that she featured at family parties. If Ledward didn't play guitar, he would be known as one of the world's premier uke players, so I figured he would be able to bring out the best in this little instrument.
The Martin Tiple is a 10 string, 4 course instrument with steel strings. It's tuned like a uke, although many seem happier in the D6 version of uke tuning (A D F# B) rather than the C6 (G C E A) that is more common today. The strings are arranged as an octave pair, octave triple, octave triple, and unison pair (low to high).
Ledward has been tweaking and tuning the tiple since he arrived, and he's found a number of different ways to address the instrument. It makes a supremely jangly Tahitian uke sound, it can be strummed with swing chords for rhythm, or fingerpicked Kalapana style. I set up some cameras and mics and we came up with a couple of video clips:
"Nanea Ko Maka I Ka Le`ale`a" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oXh9KgFeV8
"Lili`u E" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en-7Zu1Yaqw
Fran |
| 12 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| sirduke58 |
Posted - 02/09/2013 : 4:04:02 PM
Wow Fran, mahalo for that tidbit. I didn't know Aaron built a uke for Ledward. I love Ramon's main uke that Aaron built out of what he called "scraps" That uke has a nice warm sound & plays like butter. The tiple he built I'm less than impressed with it. To me it sounds a little "tight" It doesn't have very good projection in my opinion. Terry Brown an ukulele kumu in Honolulu that I play out a lot with owns a Kanilea Steel 8 string that I like much better.
Here's a sample;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMn_p_rpOko
When Ry Cooder recorded with the Gabby Pahinui Hawaiian Band on the "Moonlight Lady" album instead of Peter Moon I was pissed because I didn't know who Cooder was. Didn't know he was such a bad ass musician on practically anything with strings. This is not but Hawaiian but...........YIKES!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7qFIKcSPfk |
| Fran Guidry |
Posted - 02/09/2013 : 09:35:20 AM
quote:
Originally posted by sirduke58
Eh Kory
Ramon Camarillo was playing a tiple when we sat in with him at Nico's a little while ago. He plays it at all his performances now days. Aaron Oya who plays bass for Ramon & Ke Kani Nahe built the tiple & also Ramon's other uke too.
And one really beautiful one for Ledward, and the bass he plays too, eh? Plus speaker cabinets and who knows what else? That Aaron knows his way around wood.
Fran |
| Fran Guidry |
Posted - 02/09/2013 : 09:33:42 AM
quote:
Originally posted by thumbstruck
I had a 1928 Martin T-28 over 20 years ago. It needed a bunch of work, new frets and fingerboard and refinishing (someone had tried to "fix" it). I sold it to a Jazzoid who just loved it. It was gratifying to know that it went to a good home. Still, it had a great sound. Great for back-up. I remember hearing Peter Moon with The Sunday Manoa. Cool stuff.
My little T-18 has gone through quite a bit, with a side crack, one on the back, a couple of case bites, the strum wear, and lots of overspray that could be hiding stuff. And it could definitely benefit from a neck reset and maybe a new bridge/saddle with real compensation.
But who's complaining, as long as I have the right driver she go!
Fran |
| Fran Guidry |
Posted - 02/09/2013 : 09:30:08 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Peter Medeiros
Hi Fran,
Peter Moon played a couple of custom made Koa tiples. The fretboards were wider and had a longer scale length than the Martin. In the early seventies, there were less than a handful of luthiers in Hawaii -- fewer who knew how to make a tiple.
I do not recall if Peter's tiples were from Eric Kingsbery over at Kamaka or if another luthier at another shop made them. Kamaka Ukulele was the leading shop at that point in time, and Eric was the shop's primary luthier. I know it wasn't Douglas Ching another excellent luthier from Hawaii.
I was fortunate at that time to buy a custom tiple from Eric. He made my tiple out of a beautiful cut of curly koa with a redwood top. Instead of ten strings, mine was made with eight using mandolin tuners. He explained to me that there were a number of tiples being repaired with warped necks and pulled bridges because the ten strings were putting too much stress on the small instrument. It was a good decision. My instrument is in excellent condition forty years later, I still use it to record, and play -- it still sounds sweet and cherry.
Say howzit to Led folks for me.
Laters PM
Aloha from Led and Sharon, Peter, and thanks for the detailed info.
Fran |
| sirduke58 |
Posted - 02/08/2013 : 11:39:28 PM
Eh Kory
Ramon Camarillo was playing a tiple when we sat in with him at Nico's a little while ago. He plays it at all his performances now days. Aaron Oya who plays bass for Ramon & Ke Kani Nahe built the tiple & also Ramon's other uke too. |
| thumbstruck |
Posted - 02/08/2013 : 6:49:40 PM
I had a 1928 Martin T-28 over 20 years ago. It needed a bunch of work, new frets and fingerboard and refinishing (someone had tried to "fix" it). I sold it to a Jazzoid who just loved it. It was gratifying to know that it went to a good home. Still, it had a great sound. Great for back-up. I remember hearing Peter Moon with The Sunday Manoa. Cool stuff. |
| Peter Medeiros |
Posted - 02/08/2013 : 10:22:18 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Fran Guidry
Ledward tells me that Peter Moon played some hot tiple during Sunday Manoa days. And Sheldon Brown played one as part of Wai`ehu Sons. The Hawaiian side of things is notably missing from the Martin Tiple site.
Fran
Hi Fran,
Peter Moon played a couple of custom made Koa tiples. The fretboards were wider and had a longer scale length than the Martin. In the early seventies, there were less than a handful of luthiers in Hawaii -- fewer who knew how to make a tiple.
I do not recall if Peter's tiples were from Eric Kingsbery over at Kamaka or if another luthier at another shop made them. Kamaka Ukulele was the leading shop at that point in time, and Eric was the shop's primary luthier. I know it wasn't Douglas Ching another excellent luthier from Hawaii.
I was fortunate at that time to buy a custom tiple from Eric. He made my tiple out of a beautiful cut of curly koa with a redwood top. Instead of ten strings, mine was made with eight using mandolin tuners. He explained to me that there were a number of tiples being repaired with warped necks and pulled bridges because the ten strings were putting too much stress on the small instrument. It was a good decision. My instrument is in excellent condition forty years later, I still use it to record, and play -- it still sounds sweet and cherry.
Say howzit to Led folks for me.
Laters PM
|
| slipry1 |
Posted - 02/08/2013 : 09:18:41 AM
Ry Cooder is/was a great fan of the tipple. He can be heard playing it on the Gabby Pahinui Hawaiian Band album. He played it much like a mandolin, with a flat pick. |
| Fran Guidry |
Posted - 02/08/2013 : 08:24:28 AM
Ledward tells me that Peter Moon played some hot tiple during Sunday Manoa days. And Sheldon Brown played one as part of Wai`ehu Sons. The Hawaiian side of things is notably missing from the Martin Tiple site.
Fran |
| Russell Letson |
Posted - 02/08/2013 : 06:05:02 AM
The tiple was also featured in black and country string/vocal music in the '30s--especially in the hotter-than-the-Mills-Brothers Cats & The Fiddle. There's a nifty blog dedicated to the instrument and the music--
http://martintiple.blogspot.com/
Here's the post on the Cats--
http://martintiple.blogspot.com/2011/10/blog-post_06.html
|
| RWD |
Posted - 02/07/2013 : 12:26:25 PM
Very nice duet Fran and Led. Sounds great! |
| ArtSap |
Posted - 02/07/2013 : 10:02:24 AM
Led never ceases to amaze! |
