lancemanion
Well-known member
I bought this electric uke a while back. Was never really happy with the piezo pickup. The A string is barely audible. I have since bought an Eleuke that I love and this uke has been sitting untouched. My purchase of a Roland GR-20 guitar synth of Ebay has necessitated the need for me getting a steel string uke, and since I can't afford the new Risa I have decided to convert this one. Since it is essentially one solid piece of wood I think it should handle the increased string tension. I will have to replace the bridge and saddle (I think a mandolin saddle will work?). My biggest concern is what kind of pickup to use. I have seen Almuse mandolin pickups recommended but do not know which model would work best and have never heard one played on a uke. Rob at Jupiter Ukulele recommends either GFS PB Pro P Bass style pickups or the Lil Puncher XL- Neck Pickup. Finally, I really like the humbuckers that Risa use but I have been told these are hand made by Risa and not for sale. The more research I do the more confusing options I find. Is there anyone out there with actual experience in chooseing a pickup for a solid body steel string uke? Any help would be greatly apprieciated. Also, I see that Risa uses four pickups, with such a small area to work with, it is worth while to install multiple pickups and the switches necessary to choose between them? I am off to the book store to find some information on wiring up electric guitars. I have absolutly no luthier or electric guitar experience so any help would be appreciated. Thanks