Butterfly’s original ukulele utilizing blade material is born. Unveiled at the Butterfly New Products Exhibition
Press Release
Butterfly collaborated with Mitsuba Gakki Co., Ltd to produce original ukuleles made from the wood used for table tennis blades. At the Butterfly New Products Exhibition (Butterfly Brand Fair 2024 Spring) held in Japan from March 12th to 13th, Butterfly’s original ukuleles were on display alongside other new products such as blades and apparel. Visitors at this event commented, “I’m curious to hear what it sounds like” and “It’s amazing that musical instrument can be made from the same material of blades”. We plan to donate the ukuleles later to visitors who wish to have them.
The unique feature of the Butterfly Original Ukulele is that its surface and sides are made from the same material as the surface wood of table tennis blades. The ukuleles were made from materials that could have been discarded during the blade manufacturing process because they did not meet the size and appearance standards. The body of the ukulele is oval shaped, identical to the Butterfly logo, the sound hole is circular with a diameter of 40 mm, same as the table tennis ball, and the original sticker is inside the sound hole.
(Left) Also appeared in the Butterfly booth at the WTTC 2024 in Busan last month (Right) Brian Afanador from Puerto Rico visiting the booth
This project started when Butterfly staff visited the factory of Mitsuba Gakki Co., Ltd. Butterfly Original Ukulele was completed in 2023 after the collaboration between Butterfly, who wants to make good use of blade scraps, and Mitsuba Gakki Co., Ltd, who is particular about the tone of musical instruments.
Although we do not plan to sell these ukuleles, we are planning to organize events such as concerts so that people can connect through them and the sound of the ukulele can be a source of relaxation, just like table tennis equipment.
Butterfly collaborated with Mitsuba Gakki Co., Ltd to produce original ukuleles made from the wood used for table tennis blades. At the Butterfly New Products Exhibition (Butterfly Brand Fair 2024 Spring) held in Japan from March 12th to 13th, Butterfly’s original ukuleles were on display alongside other new products such as blades and apparel. Visitors at this event commented, “I’m curious to hear what it sounds like” and “It’s amazing that musical instrument can be made from the same material of blades”. We plan to donate the ukuleles later to visitors who wish to have them.