milled/cnc + effects = future, or novelty?

We are seeing more ukes now being milled from a solid piece rather than bent/glued from Tyde, and Enya, and probably others. They don't seem to be on par with hand built yet, but they are already surprising decent.

On top of that, the enya milled is adding effects to acoustic, like the lava, and others.

Do you think this is the future, or a gimmick?

I admit Ive been tempted by the novelty aspect, but I cant decide if it's the gimmicky tech that is interesting, if I'd get bored with it, and just go back to acoustics, or if it's a real future for instruments. I've not pulled the trigger because... Im paranoid the electronics would fail and be left with a mediocre instrument that doesn't do it's magic trick.

I kinda wish they sold the effects stuff separately like the Tonewood stuff, so you could do the magic independently, and take it off if you don't want it any more.

What do you all think?

Bonanza Ukuleles makes the Oreo by routing the body sides & back out of a solid block of layered of wood. With excellent results.

To me, it seems that it must be an inordinate waste of wood. The spoilage amount must be huge.

Many necks have a contrasting center strengthening piece of wood sandwiched by the mahogany (or other wood). That is then cut down and shaped. Having a stacked heel cuts down (no pun intended) on the waste.

I don't think there is any real sound advantage, but I could be wrong. I would think there is a weight disadvantage to it.
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I haven't heard any of the effects devices in-person yet. I can't help but think it's a gimmick that will run it's course. Mostly because the battery-powered speaker in the device will have limitations in volume and timbre. And they must affect the acoustic sound by blocking a substantial portion of the sound hole.

Will you use it much after the novelty wears off? Do you gig using an amp?

In case you havent seen what im talking about:

spookelele said:

In case you havent seen what im talking about:

Click to expand...

Ah, no I hadn't seen that. The only effects one I had seen was a plastic piece on the sound hole with a speaker mounted on the inside back(?). Don't remember who makes it.

Maybe it's me, but the solid mahogany Enya still came across as having a plastic-y sound to me. Weird.

I just don't dig the effects. I have to wonder how they sound amplified.

Other than fooling around by yourself or with a small group of friends, what's the point? But that's just me.

Thanks for posting this. Enya is really trying to push the envelope.

Others do it too.



It seems to be going into more and more stuff.

I think it's just another way of building a ukulele. It will never become mainstream for major builders because of the large amount of wood required. As for milled or lasered decorations on the top, that doesn't appeal to me at all. The KoAloha Pineapple is an exception, though.

Kenn2018 said:

To me, it seems that it must be an inordinate waste of wood. The spoilage amount must be huge.

Click to expand...

I've wondered about that myself. Maybe the builder will reply.

As for the ukes with battery-powered effects, I can see the appeal. The latest is the Enya Nova U Electric. The built-in electronics add to the sound, and it can also be plugged into an amp.

This particular construction technique is straight from the electric guitar World. It's called semi-solidbody and its all about the amplified sound.

Closer to home in the ukulele World there have been carved back ukuleles for many years that were designed/built to replicate the form and sound of various ukuleles that were once constructed from various natural shells.

anthonyg said:

This particular construction technique is straight from the electric guitar World. It's called semi-solidbody and its all about the amplified sound.

Closer to home in the ukulele World there have been carved back ukuleles for many years that were designed/built to replicate the form and sound of various ukuleles that were once constructed from various natural shells.

Click to expand...

Thanks for posting this. I did not know about the electric semi-solidbody guitars, nor the natural shell ukes.

Love this Forum.

Here's a coconut shell ukulele,



Turtle shell ukulele,

I wondered if the amount of wood used would not be cost effective but these milled or routed models arent coming in at a high cost so it cant be that expensive compared to slicing up the wood.

As for the effects you can buy this for guitar which just clamps on with magnets. I am a bit confused about whether the xbrace has to be glued in first or if that is just held in place by magnets too
https://www.tonewoodamp.com/

I am sure you can do something similar with the iRig and your iPhone and have the effects coming from your phone or amp

This can probably do the same
https://www.musicradar.com/news/gui...itar-into-a-wireless-bluetooth-speaker-629417

Milling out a solid piece of wood is cheap because you do it with a CNC machine (vastly less labour and less skilled labour as well) and the wood quality/cost doesn't have to be as high either. Doesn't have to be crap wood but not the highest grade wood either.

Davoravo said:

I
As for the effects you can buy this for guitar which just clamps on with magnets. I am a bit confused about whether the xbrace has to be glued in first or if that is just held in place by magnets too
https://www.tonewoodamp.com/

Click to expand...

The brace has an adhesive to keep it in place. It’s too big to fit in a normal tenor sound hole but should work on a baritone. I have a tenor StewMac kit nearly done (waiting on one good weather weekend) which will attach a tone wood with embedded magnets in the back instead of the x-brace. I haven’t figured out why yet, beyond that I can.