Kala RES-BRS Resonator Ukulele

I had always wanted a resonator ukulele because it simply looks bloody good and I like its sound as well. It is fairly difficult to obtain one here, so I had a little help from abroad (thanks, Mike and Neil!). As soon as the instrument arrived after its long journey, I could hardly wait to open the hard case and play this beautiful tenor ukulele:

But what is a resonator? I say a few words about it in the video below, although people with more expertise could certainly explain what it is and how it works a thousand times better than I can. The basic idea is that the resonator system was developed in the 1920s, when guitars playing in ensembles were being drowned out by other instruments and somehow needed to become louder. That drive for amplification, together with developing technology, eventually led directly to the invention of the electric guitar. And since the idea works on guitars, naturally people began making resonator ukuleles too . The resonator is a clever arrangement of several metal components that vibrate when the strings are played. The vibration of the metal cone or cones inside produces both a distinctive tone and greater volume. Now for the video, in which I briefly introduce this wonderful ukulele and then play a little on it:

Please forgive my phrase “a loud sound comes out of the instrument” !