SteveZ
Well-known member
Effin UkeStart
About a week ago, a post appeared which mentioned the Effin line of guitars,ukuleles and other stuff. After seeing that Butler Music was handling this line, how interesting the instruments sounded and the attractive pricing, I took the plunge. A review of the offerings led me to the black "UkeStart" model. The instrument arrived today and the fun has started.
Appearance: The instrument is sharp and is of concert ukulele scale, even though it's only 23 inches long. It has that "Fender Strato" type of brashness as a solid body, and it fits well. I checked the instrument stem-to-stern and could not find any faults in form, fit or finish. It come stock with black strings, and Butler threw in a set of low-G Aquila Nylguts as part of the deal. Am not a fan of black strings on a black instrument, so am experimenting with strings and looks. Right now have three white Nylguts and one Aquila Red on the UkeStart, and just have to make up my mind what I prefer (am leaning to the reds, but have to order more). Opted for the optional strap (strap buttons are factory installed). A padded gig bag and cable also comes with it.
Playability: The strings are still settling in place, and experience tells me that at about 48 hours the strings will stabilize. I did an intonation check (very good). The frets are the correct height and the action is comfortable. There did not appear to be any "set-up touch-ups" needed. I did have to tighten the nuts on the tuners (a couple were a little loose). Overall, very smooth and comfortable.
The instrument comes with a cable, and I jacked it into a Honeytone amp to make sure everything works (everything did!). I didn't hear any buzzing or other problems. I did experiment with mixing some wound and unwound strings. The wound strings tended to sustain a lot longer through the amp, so I plan to keep unwound strings on the UkeStart for better balance. I have been going through the "play-a-minute then retune" and probably will for the next couple days. Once the strings stabilize I'll cut a sound sample going from no amp to Homeytone amp to a ten-watter on the same tune. For now, the ear is satisfied with what it hears.
Sound: This is a solid body instrument, so when not amped all you get is the basic string sounds. When amped, it was all right and I did not hear any distortion or buzzing. Again, balancing the strings so they sustain relatively equally is important on an electric, as the pickup and amp are not forgiving. The instrument has a 9-volt battery powered preamp to go with the pickup, and it functions well enough.
There is a plug for earphones. One can crank up the preamp and let the instrument rock without disturbing the rest of the household. Also, there is a plug to connect an MP3 player, so you can "play along" with your favorite tunes. I checked the plugs on this new instrument and everything worked well.
Uniqueness: This is a very interesting instrument. Solid body ukuleles are a different experience, and this one rocks well. This instrument will probably become my "airline traveler" concert uke amongst other things. As a solid body, am not too concerned about the "overhead bin" fragile-item problems that occur with most acoustics. Also, it's quiet enough without an amp to allow playing in hotel rooms without management being called, as well as play at home when others don't want to hear you (love those earphones!)
Bottom line: Am very glad I bought the Effin UkeStart. I used to have a solid body RISA Stick soprano as a traveler, but never really warmed to it because if its unconventional shape. Warmed up quickly to the UkeStart , as it is is a fun solid body instrument with considerable versatility. It's well-made, sized right and priced great. The name notwithstanding (marketeers sure can be creative), it adds a new dimension to the ukulele experience.
About a week ago, a post appeared which mentioned the Effin line of guitars,ukuleles and other stuff. After seeing that Butler Music was handling this line, how interesting the instruments sounded and the attractive pricing, I took the plunge. A review of the offerings led me to the black "UkeStart" model. The instrument arrived today and the fun has started.
Appearance: The instrument is sharp and is of concert ukulele scale, even though it's only 23 inches long. It has that "Fender Strato" type of brashness as a solid body, and it fits well. I checked the instrument stem-to-stern and could not find any faults in form, fit or finish. It come stock with black strings, and Butler threw in a set of low-G Aquila Nylguts as part of the deal. Am not a fan of black strings on a black instrument, so am experimenting with strings and looks. Right now have three white Nylguts and one Aquila Red on the UkeStart, and just have to make up my mind what I prefer (am leaning to the reds, but have to order more). Opted for the optional strap (strap buttons are factory installed). A padded gig bag and cable also comes with it.
Playability: The strings are still settling in place, and experience tells me that at about 48 hours the strings will stabilize. I did an intonation check (very good). The frets are the correct height and the action is comfortable. There did not appear to be any "set-up touch-ups" needed. I did have to tighten the nuts on the tuners (a couple were a little loose). Overall, very smooth and comfortable.
The instrument comes with a cable, and I jacked it into a Honeytone amp to make sure everything works (everything did!). I didn't hear any buzzing or other problems. I did experiment with mixing some wound and unwound strings. The wound strings tended to sustain a lot longer through the amp, so I plan to keep unwound strings on the UkeStart for better balance. I have been going through the "play-a-minute then retune" and probably will for the next couple days. Once the strings stabilize I'll cut a sound sample going from no amp to Homeytone amp to a ten-watter on the same tune. For now, the ear is satisfied with what it hears.
Sound: This is a solid body instrument, so when not amped all you get is the basic string sounds. When amped, it was all right and I did not hear any distortion or buzzing. Again, balancing the strings so they sustain relatively equally is important on an electric, as the pickup and amp are not forgiving. The instrument has a 9-volt battery powered preamp to go with the pickup, and it functions well enough.
There is a plug for earphones. One can crank up the preamp and let the instrument rock without disturbing the rest of the household. Also, there is a plug to connect an MP3 player, so you can "play along" with your favorite tunes. I checked the plugs on this new instrument and everything worked well.
Uniqueness: This is a very interesting instrument. Solid body ukuleles are a different experience, and this one rocks well. This instrument will probably become my "airline traveler" concert uke amongst other things. As a solid body, am not too concerned about the "overhead bin" fragile-item problems that occur with most acoustics. Also, it's quiet enough without an amp to allow playing in hotel rooms without management being called, as well as play at home when others don't want to hear you (love those earphones!)
Bottom line: Am very glad I bought the Effin UkeStart. I used to have a solid body RISA Stick soprano as a traveler, but never really warmed to it because if its unconventional shape. Warmed up quickly to the UkeStart , as it is is a fun solid body instrument with considerable versatility. It's well-made, sized right and priced great. The name notwithstanding (marketeers sure can be creative), it adds a new dimension to the ukulele experience.
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