Beansprout Artists
Photo by Sanjay Suchak
Dave asked Aaron to build him two matching tenor ukuleles for his current tour, so of course he said yes! The instruments were handmade from salvaged/sustainable wood. Simple, beautiful and durable and ready for the road. One has maple trim, the other walnut, so the crew can tell them apart in a dark backstage area. He loved them so much, he asked for a third as well, but with a rustic feel so Aaron stained the top. We’re honored to have our instruments in Dave’s hands, and for them to be heard by thousands of people!
Kevin Carroll
Kevin is a fine musician and educator from Austin, TX. The first time we worked with him, we knew he was on the “home team.” He asked for a banjo uke appropriate for playing Celtic fiddle tunes and convinced Nicole to hand paint his family’s crest on the banjo head! He also has a fine book of fiddle tunes arranged for the uke, grab it here. if you are looking for ensemble arrangements for ukulele, he has you covered: https://www.edukecation.com
Steve Varney
I first met Steve when I still lived in Colorado and he bought a very early instrument from me. He used it in his band Glowing House and then as sideman for Gregory Alan Isakov. He recently commissioned a second banjo, and #340 was born. It took me a couple of tries to get it tweaked to fit his needs, but I am always happy to get input from a touring pro. His musical life and personal livelihood are at stake, so let’s get it right. He is a sensitive artist and a strong father and man, I am honored to join him on stage every night in a small way. By the way, his solo project Kid Reverie made a new record this year, buy it here.
I met Ryan even before I moved to Oregon as he played music with Char from Mya-Moe and other folks I knew. Our collaboration grew when he joined The Junebug Boys as bass player. He also is a talented recording engineer, recently making records for Matt Mesa and The Junebug Boys. He is well known as the bass player for The Greenneck Daredevils and for running wedding music and special events in the Gorge. I’m looking forward to seeing what Ryan comes up with on his Beansprout!
Craig and Sarah are fine musicians, teachers and artists. When we first re-launched Beansprout they helped us with a great deal of photo, video and design work. They asked for an instrument in payment and I was happy to make them a special mahogany and pistachio banjo uke. We are lucky to get to work with them a few times per year at ukulele festivals and consider them an important part of the Beansprout family!
LIL’ REV
I have known Lil Rev for many years and have built several instruments for him in the past. He is a hard working folk musician, a talented multi instrumentalist, a prolific author and an A+ human. He also is the first person I ever saw play an ukulele!
He has been playing baritone ukulele a lot lately and asked for a banjo with the same scale and strings. We chose an 11” walnut block rim and a walnut and pistachio neck with my custom string set. He also suggested darkening the brass hardware, which was a fun project that I hope to use again in the future. He asked for a wooden arm rest, just as one of our suppliers, Balsam Banjo Works, released their new model. I was happy to use hooks, nuts and rim bolts from my friend Brooks Masten, whose elegant hardware is always a joy to use. This instrument is dark and rich, but very loud and resonant. The walnut is from my friend Cath on Vashon island and the pistachio is from California orchards.
Photo by Fairweather Studio
Todd Fink
Todd is a truly unique artist: podcaster, musician, speaker and founder of The Giving Tree band. His interests in Wabi-Sabi, sustainability and living an artistic life make him a perfect Beansprout artist. Please watch his Ted talk about Wabi-Sabi and his original song “Limbo” played on his Beansprout Tenor Ukulele below.
DAnielle Ate the Sandwich
We’ve known Danielle for many years, both as an artist and a friend. She is an eloquent songwriter, an expressive musician, a thoughtful, empathetic soul and also absolutely hilarious! We truly admire her as a musician and a person, and were so honored to build her a new ukulele. Check out her website: https://danielleatethesandwich.com/
AVERY HIll
Avery is an amazing friend, musician, educator and a very talented songwriter. We first met her at Menucha Ukulele Band Camp several years ago and immediately knew she was on the home team!! She came to the shop earlier this year to pick out the wood for her new tenor ukulele, and has been using it to write songs and record an album this summer. Check out her website to hear her music and learn about all of the classes she’s teaching. https://averyhill.studio/
Photo by Michael Bialas
Zooey deschanel
Aaron has actually built two instruments for actress and musician Zooey Deschanel. She performs with M. Ward in a duo called She & Him. The first ukulele Aaron built for her (#400) was a tenor made from Port Orford Cedar and Curly Walnut. She performed with it last summer on their 2022 “Melt Away” Tour (see picture). Here’s what Zooey had to say about her uke:
"Hi Aaron,
Just wanted to drop a note and say that this uke is the best I have ever played and it has made playing such a joy. Thank you for that! It was well worth the long wait and I’m very pleased!
All the best
Zooey
Last fall Zooey reached out to us again to ask for a Baritone (#727) that looked fancy and had a deep rich sound. Aaron made a beautiful uke for her, complete with rope binding and her initials inlaid into the wooden pick guard, per her request. We haven’t had a chance to see She & Him play in person, but we hope to one day!