Last year’ s uke groups at the Brown County Inn’ s Town Hall and by the pool. photos provided by Jeffery Robert Smith.
not have considered more difficult instruments, and the little ukulele brings music into people’ s lives.
Mainland Ukes imports instruments, then does final work on them, including putting on high quality tuning pegs and strings, checking the intonation, action and frets, and making sure everything is in order. He says it’ s this last 20 percent of the work on the ukulele that improves the quality.
He and his wife Tookta started the shop in 2008. Instruments range from the 21-inch soprano to the 30-inch baritone ukulele, and he has sent instruments around the world, from Easter Island to Ireland.
Mainland Ukes has also donated instruments to Brown County schools for use in music programs.
Famous musicians from George Harrison to Cliff“ Ukulele Ike” Edwards( the voice of Jiminy Cricket) played the instrument. But most people only think of one song when they hear the word ukulele:“ Tiptoe Through the Tulips” by Tiny Tim( Herbert Khaury). Hater says the 1960s hit song was just a kind of joke by Tiny Tim, who was actually an incredibly skilled musician who recorded 1920s music, saving the songs from oblivion. Still, the onehit wonder is kind of a sore point among serious players, so Hater says it probably won’ t be played by many of the uke enthusiasts coming to town later this month.
For more information contact Mainland Ukes, 91 W. Washington St., Nashville, Indiana( 812) 988-6760, < browncountyukefest. com >, < mike @ mainlandukes. com >.•
Tookta and Mike Hater at Mainland Ukes. photo by Bob Gustin
Jan./ Feb. 2018 • Our Brown County 21