Risa Tenor Bean Question

strumsilly · Mar 18, 2015

I am really enjoying my new [used] Risa bean, thanks WDS, but I;m finding the playing area a little crowded. the strumming sweet spot for me has me hitting the sliding switch that shifts between pickups. it sticks up quite high and is pointy. Looks like it could be shortened and still work, or possibly replaced with a low profile slider. I have been leaving it in the middle where both pickups are active as I like the tone there best. advice? has anyone else run into[pun intended] this?

manfrog · Mar 18, 2015

I have the same problem with my electric guitar. Other musicians have have just said things like "you get used to it" but I'm always knocking it out of position when I play. I like the idea of just swapping out the switch for something a little more low profile. How difficult would that be?

kissing · Mar 19, 2015

Probably need to change the setup (action, etc) and strings til you get it just right.

My Vorson took a lot of tweaking and string gauge change to get it exactly how I like it.

I have the action at about 2mm over the 12th fret, tuned GCEA with 9 gauge electric guitar set.

My Gibson Les Paul electric guitar went in and out of the luthier several times before he got it spot on for me. Slick action with 10 gauge strings.

igorthebarbarian · Mar 19, 2015

what sort of strings do these use? and are they easily purchased (ie, not from Germany all the time). And are they hard on your finger tips. Because I just got a solid stick and really like it. Not sure if I'd go soprano or tenor here on the kidney bean Risa, which looks awesome.

kissing · Mar 19, 2015

Its actually quite simple to restring a steel string electric uke.

It is simply the DGBE strings from an electric guitar set tuned up to GCEA. Use a 9 gauge set for light tension, 10 gauge for medium tension

igorthebarbarian · Mar 20, 2015

Thanks Kissing. What if you wanted to go DGBE and just leave it as is in linear low D? Would the strings just be floppy/loose? Or maybe buy thicker strings?

Now that I have a little Honeytone amp, and cable to plug in, I may get a Risa kidney-bean soprano. I really like the stick one and think that might be an interesting addition.

kissing said:
Its actually quite simple to restring a steel string electric uke.

It is simply the DGBE strings from an electric guitar set tuned up to GCEA. Use a 9 gauge set for light tension, 10 gauge for medium tension

kissing · Mar 20, 2015

igorthebarbarian said:
Thanks Kissing. What if you wanted to go DGBE and just leave it as is in linear low D? Would the strings just be floppy/loose? Or maybe buy thicker strings?

Now that I have a little Honeytone amp, and cable to plug in, I may get a Risa kidney-bean soprano. I really like the stick one and think that might be an interesting addition.

To tune a tenor steel-string electric uke to DGBE, use the ADGB strings from the electric guitar set. Works like a charm

However, with any change to string gauge, you will need to do a bit of setting up to get the action and intonation correct.

strumsilly · Mar 20, 2015

kissing , you have[orhad] a bean. did you find the slider switch annoying? I'd like to cut it down or replace it wirh something lower profile.

igorthebarbarian · Mar 20, 2015

Kissing, so if you used the normal DGBE strings from an electric guitar set, and tuned them to linear/low DGBE, it would be too floppy/too loose on the tenor bean because the scale length is too short? Which is why you need to tune them 'up' to GCEA - which is several steps up - to make them comfortable, right? I am just thinking out loud here but wanted to confirm.
I'm really digging the Risa solid stick concert and it sounds great through my $20 Honeytone amp. I'm sure I'll need to upgrade that at a later time, although living in an apartment now, I obviously can't get anything too big or powerful.

kissing said:
To tune a tenor steel-string electric uke to DGBE, use the ADGB strings from the electric guitar set. Works like a charm
However, with any change to string gauge, you will need to do a bit of setting up to get the action and intonation correct.

Risa Tenor Bean Question

strumsilly

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manfrog

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kissing

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igorthebarbarian

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kissing

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igorthebarbarian

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strumsilly

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