perep
Well-known member
Steel uke
Are you developing a LAP STEEL one also, my son wants one
Are you developing a LAP STEEL one also, my son wants one
Eleuke is Developing a Steel String Ukulele...What do you think?
- Thread starter eleukeusa
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thistle3585
Well-known member
I've been building short scale electric instruments for some time and just started building solid body ukes. They really create a new avenue for musicians. Obviously, you can sound like a guitar player without having to learn to play guitar but there are also a lot of of other benefits. There are a number of midi setups that can be installed so that you can record your music then convert the midi to to tab using programs like TABLEDIT or sound like another instrument. I had a customer who used his to do a full band arrangement that included a brass section. There are also a lot of options with effects pedals and such.
Personally, I'm glad to see an entry level solid body because it creates more awareness for that type of instrument as well as I can be the next upgrade level.
It wont be long before people will be asking for 5 and 6 string electrics.
Andrew
Personally, I'm glad to see an entry level solid body because it creates more awareness for that type of instrument as well as I can be the next upgrade level.
It wont be long before people will be asking for 5 and 6 string electrics.Andrew
RevWill
Well-known member
As a person who plays both guitar and uke, I have to say that the nylon strings are part of what makes my approach to uke different from guitar - so a steel-string electric uke is probably not for me. At the same time I think it's a cool innovation and I can see where some folks will probably dig it, so more power to ya.
HaileISela
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kissing
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I do see your angle on it, and agree. The uke has a strong sense of identity through its nylon strings and that unique sweet sound.
But then again, in another way, classical guitars are nylon strings too anyway, so it also makes sense that an Electric uke is steel string.
I see the steel string electric uke as the "true" electric uke.
Because the widespread identity of an "electric" string instrument comes from the steel strings and magnetic pickups.
A nylon-string electric uke is still really an "acoustic-electric" without a resonating body to me. The piezo pickups are what are used primarily to amplify and imitate acoustics.
While it does make a good sound through amps and effects, I think it limits the versatility of the ukulele as an electric instrument. I felt this a lot having gotten myself a steel-string electric uke fairly recently.
Don't get me wrong though - I love the uke as an acoustic instrument in its original form.
I have a new Flea on order from MGM that I am greatly looking forward to. But perhaps in the "electric" department, we can afford to promote steel strings a bit more than we already do for its advantages in electric amplification
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lochtessmonster
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*bump*
Are these strings going to be available soon? Or are they already?
Are these strings going to be available soon? Or are they already?
OP
OP
eleukeusa
Well-known member
We should be getting prototypes soon-ish... but we're expecting to reveal them at summer NAMM in June. Right now, they're still in development.
krabbers
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i did string my cheap uke with steel strings i used the top three from a set of 9's and then used the top E again for the bottom g string . it sounded quite good actualy . had a nice ring to it
ichadwick
Well-known member
Hmmm. Could be very interesting. Be REALLY keen on a resonator uke/steel strings for some slide playing. But even a basic electric/steel/soli body could be a fun instrument and would be okay for slide.
ichadwick
Well-known member
Well, there are nylon-stringed guitars, too, and both tenor (4-string) and short-scale/nylon guitars that are remarkably uke-like. I don;t think there's that much difference - more in tonal results and the enchanced slide playing ability with metal. Steel gives a much fuller sound when electrified and opens all sorts of tone doors.
lochtessmonster
Well-known member
that's what I'm looking for. I'm working on playing a more uke-a-billy sound on a semi-hollowbody electric. So steel strings are real interesting to me in that respect.
ichadwick
Well-known member
A couple of decades ago, I bought a short-necked electric guitar, something I had seen played in a ZZ Top music video. It was roughly tenor-uke sized, with six steel strings and billed itself as a 'travel' guitar. Very funky little instrument. You can see one here:
hubpages.com/hub/The-1983-Hondo-Chiquita-Travel-Guitar
That's the sort of thing I'd like in an electric uke.
lochtessmonster
Well-known member
Deke Dickerson and Crazy Joe Tritschler both own and gig with their small sized electrics. They're fun. But it's definately not the same thing has having strings in courses.
lochtessmonster
Well-known member
So... those of us losers who can't go to NAMM... any chance they will be available shortly after NAMM? I think I need them.
PhilipKwak
Well-known member
We made tenor sized steel string models. One is archtop and another is Tele type.
This tenor sized one's scale is 436mm-17.16inch which is same as guitar's 7th fret length.
Normally tuned guitar's 7th fret is B,F#,D,A and we drop it's tune to A,E,C,G like normal Ukulele with low G.
I think this drop tunning with normal Elec guitar string(We use Elixar) makes less tension and doesn't affect much to
the neck(we will use truss-rod anyway).
We also will use wider bridge to endure it's tension with some screws hold firm with the bodytop.
In sound wise, I played with amplifier and found that very clean and clear sometimes so much like Hawaiian lap steel guitars.
I am not sure if you like when you play rythm stroke but, I bet you will love it's melody or solo & adlib sound.
I can tell you that It's sound not like Electric Guitar and Acoustic-Electric guitar but, very special sound.
This tenor sized one's scale is 436mm-17.16inch which is same as guitar's 7th fret length.
Normally tuned guitar's 7th fret is B,F#,D,A and we drop it's tune to A,E,C,G like normal Ukulele with low G.
I think this drop tunning with normal Elec guitar string(We use Elixar) makes less tension and doesn't affect much to
the neck(we will use truss-rod anyway).
We also will use wider bridge to endure it's tension with some screws hold firm with the bodytop.
In sound wise, I played with amplifier and found that very clean and clear sometimes so much like Hawaiian lap steel guitars.
I am not sure if you like when you play rythm stroke but, I bet you will love it's melody or solo & adlib sound.
I can tell you that It's sound not like Electric Guitar and Acoustic-Electric guitar but, very special sound.
lochtessmonster
Well-known member
Thanks for that, Philip! will have my custom semi-hollow in about 3-4 weeks and will definately be giving the drop tuning a try. Btw. I <3 Elixars. Their mando strings are great too.
rock_and_roll_camera
Well-known member
It all sounds good to me! So any updates? My thoughts would be perhaps it could have a single coil and humbucking pick-up? Maybe thats too much? An interesting and inovating approach may be to have interchangable clip-in/clip-out P/Us? Y'know, you could buy them seperately as upgrades to keep the cost down. Have a look at this site I found earlier in the week, I thought it was a really good idea!:
http://www.gdk-usa.com/
Also, I like the sound of the trem system, that be interesting! Maybe that could be lockable though, as sometimes trems can be a pig! Or maybe again, it could be developed as an upgrade, where a trem could fit into the body without any modifications such as drilling holes. Again, look at this site I found:
http://www.zzguitarworks.com/servlet/the-Epiphone-EZ-dsh-Mounts/Categories
I think an option of b odies would be cool too, like full solid or hollow body. And somebody mentioned the headstock earlier. Yeah, I think a different font/graphic would be good, along with a more traditional style headstock shape. The price should also be low too, keep it open to alot more uke players. Myself, as with most uke players, can't afford huge amounts of money for one instrument. So maybe it could be aimed at the entry level electro-steel string uke market? Or maybe it could be sold as a standard model at a low price, with the extras mentioned above avaible as after market add-ons?
Either way, all sounds good!
http://www.gdk-usa.com/
Also, I like the sound of the trem system, that be interesting! Maybe that could be lockable though, as sometimes trems can be a pig! Or maybe again, it could be developed as an upgrade, where a trem could fit into the body without any modifications such as drilling holes. Again, look at this site I found:
http://www.zzguitarworks.com/servlet/the-Epiphone-EZ-dsh-Mounts/Categories
I think an option of b odies would be cool too, like full solid or hollow body. And somebody mentioned the headstock earlier. Yeah, I think a different font/graphic would be good, along with a more traditional style headstock shape. The price should also be low too, keep it open to alot more uke players. Myself, as with most uke players, can't afford huge amounts of money for one instrument. So maybe it could be aimed at the entry level electro-steel string uke market? Or maybe it could be sold as a standard model at a low price, with the extras mentioned above avaible as after market add-ons?
Either way, all sounds good!
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