So... Let's talk eleukes.

UkuLeLesReggAe

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So, I noticed Aldrine has a jazz eleuke. I don't really like the look of them, but love the sound !

I like the other one's...

THIS ONE

http://www.eleuke.com/product/006.html

i WAnt it, and it isn't too expensive either. But , is there much difference?
 
Matt, I just wanted to put in another point for you to consider.

If you do join the navy, an eleuke (along with a mini amp) would be smaller, more durable, and quieter (without an amp) than a typical acoustic ukulele. Which would make it a great instrument for your travels.
 
So, I noticed Aldrine has a jazz eleuke. I don't really like the look of them, but love the sound ! I like the other one's... i WAnt it, and it isn't too expensive either. But , is there much difference?
The main difference between the 100 series and the Jazz series is the shape and size of the body. I'm going to link up to pages on the EleUkeUSA site throughout my reply with descriptions and pictures.

The Jazz Series are much larger (more wood, more cost) than most other EleUkes. The Koa will also be a larger size.
The 100 series has two cutouts or monkey grips in the body. Whereas the K series only has the top monkey grip. I only point this out here because I have a bad habit of strumming fairly low on the strings and I catch my finger in that bottom cutout. If your playing style lends itself to strumming higher up on the lower part of the fretboard, you won't have this issue.

Other than body style, shape and finish/color, the only major difference in the EleUke models is the wood. All "new model" EleUkes have similar electronics (pieso pickups [link goes to wiki]), hardware (geared tuners) and builds (all neck-through bodies, etc), but come in mahogany, koa, rosewood, etc. This is mainly aesthetic, unless you have an audiophile's super ear, then you'd hear variations in tone with different woods, just like you do in electric guitars. Sound is just vibration and different woods vibrate differently.

I'd also like to second the comment about the durability. Thick chunk o' wood.
 
From a design perspective I actually much prefer the above uke posted by Paul. I think it has a very Bauhaus/utilitarian look and is a rather clever piece of design. Then again, I have a bit of an issue with the way the elecukes look (not very keen on the sound either) but it's only my opinion.
 
I think that is protective peel-off paper. I see it a lot on shiny plastic parts & chrome for shipping.
I remember an Eleuke selling on eBay with the same stuff on it.
They all probably come from the same factory in China :)
 
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Eleuke changed factories, but this funny looking creature looks like it is coming out of the old factory the old Eleukes were made in. Once a Chinese factory makes something for one company they make it for everyone else.
 
This is the one made from EleUke's old factory. They copied EleUke's MHP model concept like putting stripe in the center line.
They gave us really hard time with big quality problem and delayed production lead time. Thanks god making us finish biz with
this factory. Never Never talk to this factory or you will go to bankrupt.
This factory name is "Jisheng" Some times they use "Gzjisheng" chinese charactor is "吉声" .
 
You can find a similar design (probably made in the same factory) for "travel" guitars on eBay, like this one:
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Basically a stick with wings on it. On some travel guitars, the wings remove or fold for easier transport.

I'd suggest 90% of the sound and tone of a solid-body electric comes from the pickups, but a percentage also comes from the resonance of the wood in the body. That's why electric guitar makers choose heavy woods like maple. The vibrations of the strings echo in the wood, which affects the way the pickup magnets dance, and this adds a complex harmonic to the final tone, as well as enhancing sustain.

A similar, but lesser, effect would happen with piezo pickups like most electric ukes have. With acoustics, the sound bouncing inside the body comes back to the piezos. With solid bodies, it's the wood resonating.

A solid body with such a very small amount of wood will have less of that resonance. I suggest the tone will be somewhat flat and thin. Of course you can post-process it through the amp and add a bit of tone to fatten it up. This would make an okay travel and practice uke, but for performance, look at something with more wood.
 
I have the entry level eleuke from the new range - (ie with MP3 input). I love mine to bits!

review and pics here - http://gotaukulele.blogspot.com/2009/12/another-new-toy-eleuke-sc100-php.html

If you are looking for a "travel uke" the sc100 php is great because it is small. I have the mahogany version of the same eleuke (bought it before I was selling them) and I even put it in a bag and brought it to the eye doctor and no one was the wiser. The bigger models (concert, tenor, and the jazz series) are great and small as well. But the soprano models make a great traveling companion!
 
I would second that - I love the scale of mine
 
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