It's official.. I've got UAS...

tjomball

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Gotta say I didn't really expect it. But Already having a cheapo Reno soprano(worked to get near perfect intonation) and having ordered a Eleuke Tenor jazz I find myself looking at a Lanikai LU-6. Having played around with a couple of Lanikais and Yamaha Guitalele I'd have to say the LU-6 now finds itself at the top of my wishlist. Those two extra drone strings really make a difference. The guitalele on the other hand was a totally different beast. Not quite as bright soundwise as the Lanikai. Also walking past another music store I saw a Washburn Rover. Which happens to be on my wishlist. Going to have stop by tomorrow and check it out..
Danged UAS.

On a different note. I saw an amzing thing today. An elderly gentleman hauling around an upright bass sans case with the biggest grin I've seen in a long time. :D
 
Those Washburn Rovers are really nice. I got the black steel strung one, and its great to have a uke sized body with a full size guitar neck. Its got a really bright sound, way louder than you would expect from such a mini-beast. I say get one.... way way better than the Yamaha Guitalele, and it tunes as a proper guitar.
 
Thanks for the input. One bonus feature is the padded case. For me that provides some measure of insurance. I've seen one blue and one red. Gonna have to check it out at a later time. I've fancied one of those guitars since they first came out. Although I'd more than likely install a pickup in it. How's the action on it?
 
I played around with a Washburn rover at a local shop (Daddy's Junky Music) before I got my first Ukulele (It was in the same acoustic room with their ukes), and I liked the case, the size, the feel... I wasn't impressed with the instrument as a whole - wouldn't tune. I mean, really - the intonation was among the worst I've ever experienced on a travel guitar.

[But then, I've been spoiled by my Vagabond Travel Guitar that I bought around 20 years ago.. Just can't play it anymore until I get it fixed. (A Physicians' Desk Reference fell off of a bookshelf, and landed squarely on the top. It is cracked fully from bridge to sound hole, in line with the pick guard.)]

I've missed playing that instrument since it happened, about 8 years ago, just haven't been able to afford to have it fixed.

However, since I've started playing my ukuleles, I don't miss the 6 strings nearly as much.

-Kurt
 
The action on my Washburn is fine, it perhaps could be lowered a touch, but I'm not too bothered as the strings are very light, which seem to suit it. The intonation is fine too. The only thing I really don't like is the 'smell'. When I opened the padded case, the whiff of some kind of 'creosote' like substance hits you and seems to emanate from the supplied guitar and case straps. I ended up leaving them in my garden shed, as they were stinking the house out (there that bad), and even months after removing them, the smell in the case lingers. I have read that a lot of Washburn Rover purchasers have had this problem, so it might be worth 'sniffing' the case before you buy.
 
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