How many here own solid body, nylon string ukes?

bborzell

bborzell

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It took me several years to add solid body electric mandolins to the acoustic stable. Now that I am moving past my first month of uke ownership with two tenors, I have been thinking about maybe getting a solid body uke.

Not interested in steel string versions and the number of non steel versions seems to be limited. The Ko'olau CE-1 and 2 look appealing but their cost is beyond my level of interest at the moment. On a side note, I understand that here will be a Pono solid body electric available in the coming months.

Anyhoo, just wondering how much interest there is in solid body, nylon electrics among acoustic uke players.
 
I have one of those Eleuke before they sold the company........but i just never play with it........i just find it easier to pick m'y acoustic uke and play with it than having to plug my Eleuke into an amp.......

https://soundcloud.com/baouke
 
I share your interest, and, I, too, wouldn't want want steel string versions.

I wish more builders simply offered shallow body acoustic designs without soundholes.
That could be their easy way to offer some of what a solidbody offers.
 
I have a Stagg EUK L-SB "LP" Style Electric Ukulele - Sunburst in my Amazon wish list. I have a number of amps and effects, and amps with effects. Might be fun.

51L5ty-JUaL._SL1280_.jpg
 
I have a Kala prototype. Like and Eleuke without the mp3 input. I actually like it a lot, although lately I've been preferring to use an electric guitar for electric blues, and using my acoustic ukes for all my uke playing and acoustic string sounds.

kala-eleuke3.jpg
 
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I have one of Pete Howletts soild bodies. I got a deal on ebay, didnt expect to win with a low bid, and wanted it to play while my young ones napped and what not. It is a fine uke but I dont play it as much these days. I dont even own an amp, but have it set up for headphones.
 
I bought a pineapple elueke about 2 years ago and have played it about a total 10 minutes maybe. I just can't get used to it so it sits.
 
The UPS man actually just dropped my solid body electric off!!i was playing the back in black intro on my lanikai then heard the door! must have heard my need for distortion :D i just purchased a sojing tenor electric off of a guy on ebay and it turned out really well. I understand that a lot ukers(ukists?) dont have the need or urge for a solid body and it makes sense why buy something almost as a novelty especially if you play an electric guitar as well. Honestly ive played mine for the last hour and i love it. Is it a kamaka or a high end pete howlett or monkey wrench? No and it never will be. But for the price i got it for it was worth it. Just make sure if you decide to get one you make sure you can actually can speak with a person about the setup and/or if its used what theyve run it through etc. because in the lower price range proper installing of the pickup and the setup is everything. Sry if ive rambled! last time i checked MIM had some peanuts left and you cant go wrong with her, even if you just have some questions.
 
Me too, I got a Concert Pineapple Eleuke when they first came out a few years back, and I love this little 'ukulele, sounds great. I like to play it with my headphones on so it doesn't bother anyone else after midnight. I also play it with my portable Danelectro Honeytone amp a nice combo I highly recommend.
pine1__26215.1282627440.1280.1280.jpg
p4852.jpg
 
I have a tenor eleuke (purchased from Mim), and it serves its limited purpose very well--I can play it in the house without making my wife crazy. I actually hardly ever plug it in, though I have traveled with it to conferences a few times and played through a Honeytone in my hotel room. When I'm neither traveling nor trying to be quiet, I don't play it at all. Oh, also, since I got it from Mim, it's set up very well and plays like a dream.
 
Risa solid soprano here. great for late night quiet practice especially through a korg pandora mini and headphones
 
I have an eleuke concert I bought for one reason - last year I had to go into the office two or three days a week for a few months on a big project (usually I work from home). I got the eleuke so I could practice quietly in the odd free moment while waiting for server transfers to complete and what have you. I haven't used it since.

John
 
One of the reasons I like to play plugged in, from time to time, is that I can get a better sense of how I am playing new stuff. Might be an after effect of decades of motorcycle racing, but with an amp, I can really pick up nuances from fret finger placement as well as finger picking that I don't always hear when playing unplugged. Since I am a new uke player, I can use all the feedback I can get as I learn the instrument.

I mounted a Kremona bridge pickup on my Pono ATDC last night and played it through several amps. Finally settled on a 30 year old Polytone bass amp (they make for very good acoustic amps). Still playing with tone settings but, so far, I am very pleased with the reproduction. I also have a Turner D-Tar Solstice preamp that I will stick in the chain when I get some free time. For $70, the Kremona pickup is a good option for folks who don't want to do surgery to their instruments.
 
Just building one...
 
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