Oh Mr. Wu... what shall I do? I'm feeling kinda Limehouse early morning shower Blues... The advantages of the banjo for shower performance are many. Unlike, for example, the guitar, its neck is short enough to fit comfortably within the confines of a typical shower cubicle. Furthermore, since the banjo is completely sealed, there is no possibility of water collecting inside it. Would incorporate a hook for hanging next to the shower gel. Turned out nice again, i'n't it?-- macm, Feb 10 2001 Le Maître http://www.georgefo...uk/audio/sounds.htmI don't like tomatoes, and I don't like ice-cream cones, but I like bananas because they have no bones... [macm, Feb 10 2001, last modified Oct 04 2004] Short History of the Banjo-Uke http://freespace.vi...01_Introduction.htm [macm, Feb 10 2001, last modified Oct 04 2004] The Pignose Traveler. http://store.yahoo....hop/pigporguit.htmlBattery-powered electric guitar with built-in amplifier. [angel, Feb 10 2001, last modified Oct 04 2004] Wet Riffs http://wetriffs.com/Nudity + Guitars + Showers [spidermother, May 04 2011] Ukulele Weeps by Jake Shimabukuro http://www.youtube....watch?v=puSkP3uym5kThis one starts with fingerpicking.... [baconbrain, May 05 2011] Another solution. http://www.tiptopch...mg/HPS%20Brolly.jpg [spidermother, May 15 2011] <Banjo player arguing loudly with guitar player. Someone else comes up and asks what's going on.>
"That guy <indicates guitar player> went and detuned one of my strings!"
"So?"
"Now he won't tell me which one!"-- StarChaser, Feb 11 2001 What would be the disadvantages of playing a non-waterproof banjo in the shower? (Think before answering.)-- angel, Apr 24 2001 Well, I've had a long hard think about this (for about 10 seconds), and the only answer I can come up with is that the instrument (being made of porous materials) would absorb water at a colossal rate causing (a) the skin to warp and produce a bad tone, (b) the neck to warp, rendering the instrument completely unplayable, and (c) the whole instrument to rot, causing the shower to stink. I hope this answers your question. (Think before asking.)-- macm, May 02 2001 [macm]: Given that this would render the banjo unplayable, in what way is it a disadvantage?-- angel, May 02 2001 I said "think".-- macm, May 02 2001 macm, you and I know that outside of a few inspired players (ie Rods Tiger) most guitarists are saccharine chordaholics with no irony in their strings. The banjo, verily like unto the thing we call life, mocks itself as it is played. But be wary. We are in the presence of infidels, you and I.-- Dog Ed, May 02 2001 I have hidden my ancient "Roy Smeck" Signature Model uke made in Chicago from the lot of you. Ukes are not pansy instruments when in the hands of a competent player. Now, I'm incompetent - but that's beside the point. This sucker ROARS chords out - it is quite loud. I also have a Wes Montgomery Archtop guitar and a resonator guitar so I and my unfortunate neighbors can attest to the loudness of any of these stringed instruments.I can knock out some wicked Chuck Berry, Clash (The Clash sound highly resembles a chorded uke--Joe Strummer started out on Underground playing one-Most Clash songs are highly suited to uke) , Fleetwood Mac, Muddy Waters and Nazareth (You haven't lived until you've heard 'Hair Of The Dog' on a uke) on this baby...I plan on getting a banjo at some point in my life and look forward to assaulting your senses with it in the shower if and when we ever have a convention-- thumbwax, May 02 2001 I'm with you [waugs], only a 5-string will do. (A mate of mine sold his $12,000 Gibson and two of his Land-Rovers to buy a banjo. Had to sell it again to buy a house.) Hate the uke-type, though, probably as a result of hearing my father plinky-plink his way through the entire George Formby repertoire when I was a kid. Serious hardware, there, [RodsT]; makes my Casio MG510 look a bit silly.-- angel, May 02 2001 OK- but I'm still holding on to the threat of shower banjo-- thumbwax, May 03 2001 Being from Hawaii, I grew up around ukuleles. I love banjo-ukes too and I own a bunch of em. Great idea. I think carbon-fiber construction would be the way to go (ever hear of Rainsong Guitars). Forget the shower, I'd take mine surfing! Now on a side note, I have a friend who has been talking about a combination ukulele-canoe paddle for a long time. He's even drawn up plans for this thing to be made out of carbon fiber. I think the idea is cool, but here's the halfbaked part - he wants this to be an electric ukulele. Sounds like either a long patch cord, or a short canoe trip.-- kamalu, Jul 18 2001 [kamalu]: Your friend might like something along the lines of the Pignose Traveler (see link). I have one, and it *rocks*.-- angel, Jul 18 2001 kamalu, glad to meet you. As you pointed out, and I only seem to remember when away from here... Rainsong is a Hawaiian maker of fine carbon - fiber guitars. I really look forward to seeing what they could do with the uke. Never played a uke - not even plastic - while surfing (can't hear a thing without hearing aid), though I did manage to get a cigar (kept cigar in pyrex tube) lit on a fine day on an ancient 10' 3" Surfboards Hawaii log at Old Mans in San Onofre. My only claim to surfing fame was winning a Surfer magazine contest maaaaaany years ago - I identified a Herbie Fletcher photo down at Trestles as being closest in resemblance to a 'slightly modified picture' of David 'surfing' on Sistine Chapel ceiling. Got a t-shirt and a laugh out of it, that's about it. Now if we could just get Wilbur Kookmeyer to test the electric uke...-- thumbwax, Jul 18 2001 Pansy uke deals? What the hell? It's the ideal large man's instrument! The irony is crushing! And you know any guy whos' got the balls to play a uke has got nothing to hide.
It's jokers who can't play well but buy a 2500 dollar guitar anyway who are the _real_ pansies.-- mazo, Jul 20 2001 Once again searching the net for something brings me back here. It is good to see old names that are new to me. And old names that I miss.
By the way, I got a lot of Google hits for waterproof ukulele. It looks like this was a good idea.
My uke is wood laminate with an electric pickup inside. I'd like a ukelele to take canoeing, on bicycle trips and even in the shower, so bun. [+]-- baconbrain, May 04 2011 [baconbrain] may qualify for the timewarp award - decision pending my sober assessment.-- normzone, May 04 2011 A damp banjo will not catch fire so easily, so [+]..-- 8th of 7, May 04 2011 This really is the bitter end. I've mentioned it before, but now I'm beginning to lose my rag.
When, I ask myself, will the necessary steps be taken to ensure that I am informed of ideas of this calibre in a timely manner? For Pete's sake.-- MaxwellBuchanan, May 04 2011 Are you trying to get someone to steal a ladder for you?-- 8th of 7, May 04 2011 [spidermother], thanks for the WetRiffs link. I remember that comic, but never knew ....-- baconbrain, May 04 2011 I read somewhere recently that a Gentleman is one who has the ability to play a ukulele, but also has the good taste not to do so.-- Twizz, May 05 2011 It's chiseled into the plinth of the special gibbet outside the International Court for Crimes against Music, for a start.-- 8th of 7, May 05 2011 Good ones, [Twizz] and [8th].
Well, I'm no gentleman. I scarcely have the ability to play, yet I keep at it. In private, mostly. And I do finger-picking, instead of strumming, and I never sing. On a uke, not a banjolele.-- baconbrain, May 05 2011 That may well be enough to get you off with a lighter sentence, like maybe shooting, instead of the hanging' drawing and quartering and then having your entrails made into violin strings which are then issued free to internationally reknowned symphony orchestras.
So maybe you do have some music in you after all …-- 8th of 7, May 05 2011 I think it was probably the idea of an electric syamisen that lost me a friendship..words have power...-- not_morrison_rm, May 07 2011 random, halfbakery