Why are you CURRENTLY playing a solid electric/chambered electric uke?

King David · Nov 27, 2013

So, please indulge us: which solid electric/chambered electric 'ukulele are you ACTUALLY playing and why(what is your story and how'd you arrive at this acquisition). Please limit this to actual experience owning a solid electric/chambered-body electric 'ukulele, the more current the better. Aloha

iamesperambient · Nov 27, 2013

King David said:
So, please indulge us: which solid electric/chambered electric 'ukulele are you ACTUALLY playing and why(what is your story and how'd you arrive at this acquisition). Please limit this to actual experience owning a solid electric/chambered-body electric 'ukulele, the more current the better. Aloha

I play a konablaster baritone solid body steel string electric uke I love the sound of it.
I make ambient music and needed something with more sustain which would work well with effects
it does exactly what I need for the music I make.

King David · Nov 27, 2013

iamesperambient said:
I play a konablaster baritone solid body steel string electric uke I love the sound of it.
I make ambient music and needed something with more sustain which would work well with effects
it does exactly what I need for the music I make.

Wow, that IS really cool and a PERFECT example of a response! You are the new poster child for this thread, keep em' coming everyone.

JupeyWoopey · Nov 28, 2013

I have a RISA LP Tenor (cherry sunburst).
I've wanted to play the electric guitar since school as nearly everyone of my friends played them. I could never quite manage it. ( I have some wonky fingers from a bicycle accident as a wee small kiddie - but that's a different story entirely.) I resigned myself to the fact that i would never shred. Sad times.
Fast forward 15 years and i discovered the uke. Fell in love with them straight away. After plucking away on my concert for quite a few months I saw a video on youtube of some guy playing AC/DC on an electric accoustic. Blown away wasn't the word. UAS kicked in and after a bit of searching i found out you could get solid body steel string ukes! My childhood dreams came flooding back with a vengeance. So i treated myself on my birthday to a RISA.
I'm sure it will be the most expensive uke I'll ever buy, but I love it. The sounds i can get out of it make me smile everyday. Plus the reactions i get from people down the pub while i'm jamming with friends are amazing. Since I got it I have been getting really into blues music. You cant beat a good bit of steel string bending while playing along to a jam track. BEST BUY EVER!

rem50 · Nov 28, 2013

I have a teton tenor. Have a 2 month old grandchild in the house and sometimes it needs to be extra quiet around here. Also fun to rock out on. It has opened the door to other music.

blue_knight_usa · Nov 28, 2013

JupeyWoopey said:
I have a RISA LP Tenor (cherry sunburst).
I've wanted to play the electric guitar since school as nearly everyone of my friends played them. I could never quite manage it. ( I have some wonky fingers from a bicycle accident as a wee small kiddie - but that's a different story entirely.) I resigned myself to the fact that i would never shred. Sad times.
Fast forward 15 years and i discovered the uke. Fell in love with them straight away. After plucking away on my concert for quite a few months I saw a video on youtube of some guy playing AC/DC on an electric accoustic. Blown away wasn't the word. UAS kicked in and after a bit of searching i found out you could get solid body steel string ukes! My childhood dreams came flooding back with a vengeance. So i treated myself on my birthday to a RISA.
I'm sure it will be the most expensive uke I'll ever buy, but I love it. The sounds i can get out of it make me smile everyday. Plus the reactions i get from people down the pub while i'm jamming with friends are amazing. Since I got it I have been getting really into blues music. You cant beat a good bit of steel string bending while playing along to a jam track. BEST BUY EVER!

I got a RISA LP and can play my AC/DC, Scorpions, Pink Floyd and KISS and get that rock sound from my AC30. Now if I can find all those power chords on the uke!

The end! ;-)

ukemunga · Nov 28, 2013

Epiphone Les Paul.

Sometimes you need an amp. Mostly I don't. Did my first open mic recently with a friend harp and guitar player. Plugged in.

I'll tell you what, just for plugged in gigs that $100 electric sounds and plays great!

I have a 15W Behringer acoutic amp that I bought on sale for less than $60. Works great. Sounds great.

ricdoug · Nov 28, 2013

Solidbody stringed instruments have more sustain, King David. You can also play them louder electrically, as they have more gain before feedback than hollow body acoustic electric instruments. For acoustic sound, I use an LR Baggs Para Acoustic DI or a Behringer ADI21. For an electric sound I use a Behringer V-Amp 2. Here's my collection. The Epiphone Les Paul concert is a chambered acoustic electric that can still be heard when played acoustically. The Eleuke Les Paul soprano is a solid body with a bright timbre. The Stag Strat Tenor has a deeper timbre and plays more like a guitar. I included my Traveler Acoustic Electric Ultralight (under 3 pounds) 6 steel string guitar to show the comparison in size. The solidbodies are more durable for travel and less likely to be damaged on the trips. These are some of mine I just took a photo of:

iamesperambient · Nov 28, 2013

ukemunga said:
Epiphone Les Paul.

Sometimes you need an amp. Mostly I don't. Did my first open mic recently with a friend harp and guitar player. Plugged in.

I'll tell you what, just for plugged in gigs that $100 electric sounds and plays great!

I have a 15W Behringer acoutic amp that I bought on sale for less than $60. Works great. Sounds great.

les paul isn't really a true electric it's an acoustic electric.
anyway I love mine mostly for its acoustic sound
I think it's the best affordable uke you can buy with a decent
pick up for added volume sucks it has no volume control but for the
price the look and sound is great. it's my go to acoustic uke.

iamesperambient · Nov 28, 2013

ricdoug said:
Solidbody stringed instruments have more sustain, King David. You can also play them louder electrically, as they have more gain before feedback than hollow body acoustic electric instruments. For acoustic sound, I use an LR Baggs Para Acoustic DI or a Behringer ADI21. For an electric sound I use a Behringer V-Amp 2. Here's my collection. The Epiphone Les Paul concert is a chambered acoustic electric that can still be heard when played acoustically. The Eleuke Les Paul soprano is a solid body with a bright timbre. The Stag Strat Tenor has a deeper timbre and plays more like a guitar. I included my Traveler Acoustic Electric Ultralight (under 3 pounds) 6 steel string guitar to show the comparison in size. The solidbodies are more durable for travel and less likely to be damaged on the trips. These are some of mine I just took a photo of:

as far as I knew the stagg electrics were concert size not tenor anyway nice collection.

ricdoug · Nov 28, 2013

Reach inside the soundhole of your Epiphone Les Paul and you'll feel the walls of your boxed in chamber. When the Stagg electric solid bodies first came out, they were tenors. Mine's definitely a tenor scale. Ric

ricdoug · Nov 28, 2013

The OP asked "Why are you CURRENTLY playing a solid electric/chambered electric uke?". Stick your pinky finger in the sound hole and point towards the neck. You will feel a wall of the chamber. Move your pinky finger around the top and bottom inside and you will feel the walls and contour of the chamber. This will help you understand the weight and heft of the Epiphone Les Paul and also understand why it does not have a lot of acoustic volume. Ric

iamesperambient · Nov 28, 2013

ricdoug said:
The OP asked "Why are you CURRENTLY playing a solid electric/chambered electric uke?". Stick your pinky finger in the sound hole and point towards the neck. You will feel a wall of the chamber. Move your pinky finger around the top and bottom inside and you will feel the walls and contour of the chamber. This will help you understand the weight and heft of the Epiphone Les Paul and also understand why it does not have a lot of acoustic volume. Ric

I changed my strings to Aquila red series on my les paul
and it's just as loud as my other ukes with better sustain and clear tone
I think it's a great acoustic uke. plugged in it sounds ok still
think it's better as an acoustic.

ricdoug · Nov 28, 2013

Aquila strings help boost the acoustic output of the ukulele. The amplified sound of passive piezoelectric pickup is improved by using an active DI box like an LR Baggs Para Acoustic DI or a Behringer ADI21. There are other active DI boxes that will work, but I only have personal experience with the PADI and ADI21. These boxes take the high impedance output of a piezoelectric pickup and actively convert it to
A low impedance, balanced output. This results in a stronger and more natural amplified sound.

I enjoy my Epiphone Les Paul. It's a well built instrument, despite it's low price. Ric

greenie44 · Nov 28, 2013

I have a few reasons -

- It's nice to be able to play softly. And, by pairing it with my Line6 PocketPod, I can get screaming sound just for me.
- Also nice to have separation when making 'live' recordings. With an acoustic-electric, the acoustic sound comes in on my vocal mike, and the solid body allows me to isolate the uke sound for further treatment
- I got it in China and it's just cool
- Very easy to travel with. I can throw it in my suitcase, along with earbuds and the PocketPod, and can play any time of day or night at my hotel. Great when jet lag hits, although it's hard not to sing along unconciously.

HBolte · Nov 28, 2013

I play a RISA Stick Concert. I travel a lot, the Risa is pretty much indestructible so no worries in the suitcase. I have not played it plugged in, I like that it is quiet enough for hotel rooms. It lives in my suitcase so have not played it at home either. Highly recommended for travelers.

kissing · Nov 29, 2013

I've had a very long history of buying/selling electric ukuleles...

My first solid body electric uke was a Risa Soprano Solid....

Then I got a concert Eleuke..
Then I got another concert Eleuke with improved electronics (mp3)
Then I got a Risa Les Paul Tenor (I was one of the first owners of one)
Then I got a Risa single-coil Tenor
Then I got a Stagg electric concert
Then I got a Risa Concert solid
Then I got a Risa Les Paul soprano
Then I got an Eleuke tenor
Then I got a Risa Soprano solid again, but with geared tuners.
Then I got an Eleuke baritone
Then I got an Epiphone "Mandobird IV" electric
Then I got an Epiphone Les Paul uke (if it counts)
Then I got an Eastwood electric "baritone ukulele"
Then I got a Jupiter Creek concert electric ukulele

Now the only solid-body electric I have is a Gibson Les Paul electric guitar

Sorry folks, I went over to the dark side..

Amplifier: VOX AC4TV tube amp.
I use a Pogo Mooer effects pedal if I want a range of tones.

iamesperambient · Nov 30, 2013

kissing said:
I've had a very long history of buying/selling electric ukuleles...

My first solid body electric uke was a Risa Soprano Solid....

Then I got a concert Eleuke..
Then I got another concert Eleuke with improved electronics (mp3)
Then I got a Risa Les Paul Tenor (I was one of the first owners of one)
Then I got a Risa single-coil Tenor
Then I got a Stagg electric concert
Then I got a Risa Concert solid
Then I got a Risa Les Paul soprano
Then I got an Eleuke tenor
Then I got a Risa Soprano solid again, but with geared tuners.
Then I got an Eleuke baritone
Then I got an Epiphone "Mandobird IV" electric
Then I got an Epiphone Les Paul uke (if it counts)
Then I got an Eastwood electric "baritone ukulele"
Then I got a Jupiter Creek concert electric ukulele

Now the only solid-body electric I have is a Gibson Les Paul electric guitar

Sorry folks, I went over to the dark side..

Amplifier: VOX AC4TV tube amp.
I use a Pogo Mooer effects pedal if I want a range of tones.

I started on the dark side and converted to the 'happy side" just don't forget where you came from first

iamesperambient · Nov 30, 2013

ricdoug said:
Aquila strings help boost the acoustic output of the ukulele. The amplified sound of passive piezoelectric pickup is improved by using an active DI box like an LR Baggs Para Acoustic DI or a Behringer ADI21. There are other active DI boxes that will work, but I only have personal experience with the PADI and ADI21. These boxes take the high impedance output of a piezoelectric pickup and actively convert it to
A low impedance, balanced output. This results in a stronger and more natural amplified sound.

I enjoy my Epiphone Les Paul. It's a well built instrument, despite it's low price. Ric

Ya the aquila reds really brought its acoustic sound to life i love it as an acoustic uke.
I guess cos i have a full solid body steel string electric i dont find myself plugging in the les paul
too much. Its nice played clean though an amp but it tends to feedback because its not solid body
and i dont mean with distortion i mean even with reverb. But i would say for the price its the best
100 dollar ukulele money can buy. Its beautiful looking, the finish is so pretty especially in the cherry red.
The body/neck is so sturdy and strong just like the bigger les paul guitar. It has a pick up (something no other 100 dollar ukes have)
also the wow factor its a real les paul, its a concert so its the perfect size i think if you want that true uke sound but it also has more
fretboard room. I really do love it, one of the best instruments i bought in the last few years. I know everyone says the lanikai lu 21 is great
for a cheap uke (and i agree and own one) but i would still have to say the epiphone les paul is the best affordable ukulele you will find (in my opinion).

wearymicrobe · Dec 1, 2013

Ko'olau CE-2 its quiet, easy to travel with and if anybody starts trouble in a dark alley I could more then likely kill them with it and it would stay in tune.

I rarely take it out of the closet though as it does not record very well and when I use it though the POD I don't get anything that sounds soothing. All the distortion of a electric guitar non of the sustain.

Why are you CURRENTLY playing a solid electric/chambered electric uke?

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