Vorson FSUK-1 Tenor

Jerryc41

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There is a thread about playing rock and roll on a ukulele. If you're going to play rock, you should use an appropriate instrument. This looks appropriate, and the price is right. The Vorson FSUK-1. They could have put more thought into naming that model, though. :D

Vorson.jpg
 
I'll just add that it's called a Clearwater this side of the pond. :)

I've got one, I use it occasionally, with a Roland Micro Cube amp, which has a quite a number of built in effects.
 
I have the black LP version (~$80 when I got it) and love it. I don't think there's any significant difference from the Strat version other than the shape.

I did have to do some setup work: more than most other ukuleles I have, but not as much as others have reported needing. I didn't need to fiddle with the pickups, and I'd have needed to adjust the intonation when switching to low-G even if it was correct for the high-G set it came with. Everything I needed to do was straightforward and adjustable. The bridge screws were soft enough I was scared I'd strip 'em, but no sanding involved!

Baz reviewed it positively at https://www.gotaukulele.com/2019/06/vorson-flpuk-2-lp-clearwater-ucwlvs.html . As a caveat: there are versions with different fingerboards (mine doesn't have the gloss he didn't like) and the quality control is reportedly inconsistent so how much setup work you need is somewhat of a crapshoot.

I run it through my guitar pedals. Electro-harmonix Mel-9 plus GarageBand distortion & chorus for extreme silliness here:
 
I had a black LP one too.
Definitely needed significant setting up out of box to get it playing decently.
But with that out of the way, it played well and the pickups actually sounded rather nice.

They certainly do feel a bit cheaply assembled, but then so do most electric guitars at that price range.
 
What is wrong with the name

Vorson Fender Stratocaster UKulele mark 1.
 
I had a Vorson that I got from Amazon. I thought that it FSUK'd, it is in a landfill now.
 
I can't imagine why anyone would put one of these in a landfill. The intonation is easily adjustable. You can swap strings to tune it like a baritone if you wish (I have). You could swap the pickups for some of superior quality without much trouble, and still have an instrument that costs less than the Risa. The neck is removable, so you could build an entirely different body for it if you wanted to.
 
The neck is removable, so you could build an entirely different body for it if you wanted to.

Been thinking about that, was wondering if the body is really solid, or if it is partially hollow(?).
Edit: Thinking on the lines of a strum stick.

To get DGBE, what strings would you use?
 
I can't imagine why anyone would put one of these in a landfill. The intonation is easily adjustable. You can swap strings to tune it like a baritone if you wish (I have). You could swap the pickups for some of superior quality without much trouble, and still have an instrument that costs less than the Risa. The neck is removable, so you could build an entirely different body for it if you wanted to.

There was a terrible hum in the electronics. I tried grounding, etc but it did not help. Time is sometimes worth more than money. "Life is too short to dance with ugly women".
 
There was a terrible hum in the electronics. I tried grounding, etc but it did not help. Time is sometimes worth more than money. "Life is too short to dance with ugly women".

The only humming I hear is when I hum along, rather than sing. That doesn't sound very good, either. :(
 
I think manufacturing would be easier if it were solid. Just take a piece of wood and shape it. Then router a hole for the pickup.

Actually, I was thinking about re shaping the present body into a strum stick style - I guess it wouldn't harm to just saw some off it.

I don't use mine much at all, preferring acoustic these days, but it's good to plug in & go electric now & again. ;)

(And, maybe, tune it down with those EADG strings, thanks.)
 
Actually, I was thinking about re shaping the present body into a strum stick style - I guess it wouldn't harm to just saw some off it.

I don't use mine much at all, preferring acoustic these days, but it's good to plug in & go electric now & again. ;)

(And, maybe, tune it down with those EADG strings, thanks.)

Alternatively, you could sell it and purchase this soprano-sized solid body electric ukulele;
https://www.amazon.com/ammoon-Soprano-Electric-Creative-Carrying/dp/B0753BBSGB/ref=sr_1_14?keywords=electric%2Bukulele&qid=1561338433&s=gateway&sr=8-14&th=1

If you do decide to saw on your tenor you'll want to remove all of the electronics and wiring first. Then you'll have to figure out where to re-position the knobs and toggle switch. Start by removing the plastic plate on the back to see what's inside there, and remove the pickguard to see how much of the face is routed out. Of course, you knew that already.
 
Yes, it's knowing what's connected where basically, would be wanting to keep it steel strung, but if I mess up, I could convert to under saddle pick up, no doubt. :)

(I have some RISA ukes, a tenor Uke Ellie, tenor & concert solids/sticks, & they are all strung low G with fluorocarbons, so it would go well as an alternative to them, I'm thinking.)
 
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