Roosebeck hybrid ukes - Balalaika uke, lute-kulele, baroq-ulele

Just wondering who might have experience with any of the Roosebeck uke hybrids: the tenor balalaika uke, the lute-kulele, or the Baroq-ulele.

Interesting-looking axes! Available through Mid-East Music, http://www.mid-east.com/Strings/Roosebeck-Ukulele.

Quite a few threads about these already:

http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/search.php?searchid=8098670

IIRC, with the Baroq-ulele, the consensus was that they were quiet and one-dimensional in sound, and the wooden tuning pegs felt like a throw-back to the 15th century as per what folks had said. Also, due to the bowl-shaped back, near impossible to hold without a strap, even when sitting...

I've never played one, and thought they LOOKED cool, but after seeing the reviews, thought I'd be better off with a more traditional shaped instrument, especially at those prices from Mid-East, but this is just my IMHO and YMMV.

As a balalaika player I would offer just this, the balalaika shape does present problems in holding.It is traditionally played sitting because the neck is not "held" as the thumb frets the two EE strings and the four fingers fret the melody A string. This means that the balalaika is held in a strange way , with the base resting in the inside of the right hand thigh ,the neck is supported by the web of the thumb and palm but loosely and not gripped.

This would not be a huge problem for the uker because the fretting arrangement is different...but then as a ukulele player I feel that then you would need to strap it and would only really be able to play it stood up a la flying vee....You can't rest them on your knee as the point will dig in.

To hold it in the traditional Balalaika way you are advised to put some sort of grippy material ,like felt or a velcro on the base which will hold to your trouser material.....

i used to see those on eBay all the time, then about a year ago or more they were gone.

If I were ordering a baroque-ulele, I would want the wooden tuning pegs. A "throwback to the 15th century" is what these instruments are all about. I think it makes them look right. I've also read that they are quiet and difficult to hold. You might decide to simply hang it on your wall, so what they look like becomes more important. However, Matt Dahlberg doesn't seem to have any trouble getting one to project;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvP-8kO6okQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwM3IgtZVEM

I saw one at Summer NAMM last month. It was astonishingly light in weight. I liked the look, but didn't try to play it--too many competing instruments. It was on the row with horns and drums were nearby.

Mid-East Manufacturing/Roosebeck showed a new electric instrument based on the style of a Tahitian-style ukulele/banjo. The "body" was shaped like the hollow shell of a horseshoe crab. They fitted it with a guitar pickup. I don't see it on the Roosebeck Website yet, but it's supposed to be released soon, and will be called the Limulus (which is part of the Latin name for horseshoe crab). It is up on http://limulusinstruments.com so it looks like they are creating a specific brand presence. Here are a couple of videos. The flyer shows Guitar, Bass, Sitar, and Oud variants which they plan to price from $1300 to $2000.

Good feedback so far. I'll note in response to specific comments:

1. There are a BUNCH of these (all 3 variants) currently on eBay. Some regular new items, some discounted blems.

2. Tone: there are several interesting YT videos of the Lute-kulele by Stefan Dollak (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYRHTSoSMYTLJOajn8_uehA). To my ears, it sounds very lute-like. Which makes sense because, as Dollak mentions in one of the vids, it IS essentially a late Medieval / early Renaissance lute (or a modern instrument modeled after such historical examples). Similar dimensions and scale, can be tuned the same way as a historical lute, courses doubled in a way typical of the period. It seems to have a very appropriate sound when played in a historical fashion, with period music. Now, of course, how many uke players will be able to improvise fingerstyle accompaniment to Renaissance tunes? Not many, I'm sure.

Not sure about the balalaika/uke -- it certainly looks like it would be awkward to manage with the triangular body shape. But it seems that the Lute-kulele would be a good choice IF you are interested in historical music and you are really looking for an entry-level lute. Which is not most uke players.

Futurethink said:

However, Matt Dahlberg doesn't seem to have any trouble getting one to project;

Click to expand...

After hearing Stefan Dollak as well on a Lute-kulele (example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2m3TtXhhpQ), I'm drawing the same conclusion. I think it's more a matter of style and expectations. These are not going to ring like a koa tenor when you bang out "Five Foot Two." I think they are much more in their element when playing fingerstyle, and especially with early music / classical repertoire.

I have a Baroquelele it is tuned dGBEwith Aquila tenor strings. It has PEGHEDS which look like friction tuners, but are a 4 to 1 gear ratio. They are also lighter than any other geared tuner on the planet. It makes it stay in tune.It has a beautiful sound, and is beautiful with the contrast between the lacewood and the rosewood staves. It goes nicely in a padded tenor bag. The flat top goes against the human back, and the bowl back trails out behind. I have a balalaika with 4 PEGHEDS on an angle. They all turn clockwise to raise and counter to lower in pitch.

Wow, how anyone plays one of these things is beyond me, course, I can't even play a guitar. I met one oud player this year, and he played the darn thing sitting and walking around with no strap. Course, he wasn't from 'round these parts.....