Hal Leonard showcases 'Strum-Box' ukulele alongside 'Blues Box' guitar at Toy Fair

Hal Leonard's Electric Strum-Box Ukulele Kit at Toy Fair

Last year at Toy Fair, music print publisher Hal Leonard, in its new distribution partnership with Hinkler Books, proudly displayed Hinkler’s Electric Blues Box Slide Guitar kit, which contained a cigar box-style guitar, instruction book on assembly and playing, and instructional CD.

At last month’s Toy Fair at New York’s Javits Center, Hal Leonard proudly displayed its Electric Strum-Box Ukulele kit, a natural progression from the Blues Box Slide Guitar.

“It’s actually a ‘cigar box’ uke—like the guitar,” said Hal Leonard’s senior key accounts manager David Cywinski, “but that term is no longer in favor due to the smoking connotation.”

Primitive “Cigar box guitars“ get their name from the empty cigar boxes used as resonators. Also like the Blues Box guitar, the Strum-Box uke comes in a “complete kit” including “everything you need to start playing—assembly and playing instructions, book and CD,” continued Cywinski. “And it’s a legitimate uke, but it’s electric--though it also sounds good acoustically. And most ukes cost over $100 and aren’t cool-looking!”

Pricepoint for the cool-looking Stum-Box is $49.99. Cywinski feels it will well serve a not insignificant cigar-box guitar market also represented by festivals and conventions.

And speaking of ukes, Hal Leonard is now distributing the Kahua ukulele line, made in Thailand out of exotic woods like okoume and zebrawood.