Put A Sock In It

In anticipation of live performances, I recently purchased a new ukulele with an output jack. Aside from this practical feature, I also adore its black, shiny finish. In fact, I must admit that its appearance seduced me into buying it and I didn’t pay much attention to the bad reviews or the suspiciously low price. Almost immediately I started having trouble with mysterious buzzing, feedback, and general craptastic sound problems. My first reaction (as usual) was to pout and hastily start looking for other alternatives – all of which meant spending more money.

Once the disappointment fog lifted, I returned to the flawed uke determined to fix it. The unnerving sounds came from somewhere inside its tiny body. Unable to put my hand inside to investigate, I thought I’d tried to dampen the buzzing by stuffing the uke full of socks. It actually worked. Then I put some really nice strings on it and now it sounds great. I actually used it in Heart Lake Owl’s first performance (more about that later) and had no problems with the sound.