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| James Hill Signature Series Tenor Ukulele
With a design based on James' custom GString tenor ukulele (below), this beautiful instrument has a spruce top; curly maple back and sides; a fast, hand-shaped neck; koa wood pick guards and rosette; a radiused ebony fretboard; a slotted head with top-of-the-line geared tuners; and a pickup system with onboard preamp and EQ. Simply put, it's a stunning piece of work that sounds as good as it looks! Click here for more photos, specs and and ordering info. |
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| Custom G String Tenor by Derek Shimizu This well-traveled uke is a spectacular one-of-a-kind custom built by Derek Shimizu of GString Ukuleles. Played by James at every one of his performances since late 2002, this tenor beauty has a cutaway body made entirely from (very) curly Oahu Koa and a hand-shaped mahogany neck; the fretboard, headstock and pick guards are made of ebony. The abalone "flame" inlay in the fretboard is a beautiful touch. This uke is equally at home both on stage and in the studio - it conceals a versatile Fishman Prefix ProBlend mic/pickup system. The superb intonation, buttery tone and warm resonance speak volumes about the kind of care and artistry go into Derek's ukuleles. GString Ukuleles has a reputation for producing some of the very finest ukuleles in the world and the proof is most certainly in the playing. |
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The experiment worked beautifully and James spent the next year learning to play the new uke, trying different tunings and techniques, and arranging repertoire for the instrument. The sustained, lyrical sound of the Beltona is a wonderful complement to the conventional ukulele sound. |
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The Mya-Moe slide ukulele is beautifully crafted and has a lyrical, melancholy sound that's perfect for tunes like Oh! Susanna and Obedience Blues. Check out other Mya Moe ukuleles at www.myamoeukuleles.com. |
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James' DaSilva ukulele has a spruce top with koa back and sides (James' favourite combination) and a very unconventional beveled cutaway. The bevel cutaway has all the advantages of a typical cutaway but preserves the full resonance of the body. The instrument is surprisingly lightweight: the Peghedz planetary geared tuners and battery-free Mi-Si active pickup mean very little extra weight. All this and more gives the instrument a a big, big acoustic sound and an elegant, unencumbered feel. Visit www.ukemaker.com for more. Top ▲ |
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| Beansprout Banjo Ukulele
I've been playing mine a lot lately. When I head out the door to a jam session I grab my beansprout and my fiddle and I'm set for the evening. It's small, loud and fun to play." James plays the 'sprout on a few tunes from True Love Don't Weep. Listen to Travelin' On or New York Strum. Visit www.thebeansprout.com for more. Top ▲ |
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Where it all started. This Canadian-made concert size ukulele was designed by pioneering ukulele educator J. Chalmers Doane. James' parents gave him this Doane III (serial no. 49025) when he was accepted into the Langley Ukulele Ensemble in 1991. It continued to be his principal instrument for recording and performance for 12 years and is now deservedly retired. This is, for the most part, the instrument heard on James' CD Playing it like it isn't... although the hand-painted flame job shown here is James' second attempt! The original flames can be seen on the cover of his debut album. |
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This is James' Martin Tenor ukulele. Martin ukes often have a story behind them and this one is no exception. This near-mint condition instrument (likely a post-1975 custom) was discovered by James' dad Barry at a pawn shop near Langley, B.C. while James was away on tour. Barry knew he had found something good but wasn't sure if it was a wise investment. After much deliberation he decided to buy the uke. When James returned home, Barry showed him the Martin hesitantly and promised that he could return it if it turned out to be a bad buy. Needless to say, it wasn't. |
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