Universe of available steel-string electric ukuleles

[SlingshotCannon]

I'm trying to figure out the universe of available steel-string electric ukuleles. I already have a Risa, which I quite like, but am in the mood to maybe get another and just want to make sure I know everything that's out there.

Right now I'm aware of:

1. Risa (which, as mentioned above, is the manufacturer of the tenor model I own)
2. Sparrow (my most likely purchase as I'm thinking to get a baritone and I've heard good things about them, but still considering)
3. Flight (looks very similar to RISA, albeit cheaper, but seemingly out of stock most everywhere)
4. Fanner Guitar Works
5. Honni Music (cheap, but hard to find much information on quality)

Any other "mass market" options I should be aware of? I'm sure many guitar and ukulele luthiers could make me an absolutely gorgeous custom model, but I don't know if I'm ready for quite that level of investment yet!

 

[mjh42]

Looks like you have much of the steel string electric uke market covered there, don't overlook Seagull. If in production or used.

Uke Steel SG Burst EQ | Seagull Guitars

At the intersection of original design and quality materials, you will find the Seagull Uke Steel SG Burst EQ. This fun-to-play steel Uke is made of a solid maple body with a solid spruce top; a wood combination that, along with liveliness of the steel strings, creates a boisterous sound with...

seagullguitars.com

I don't think Pono or Ko'olau have steel string models but you could check with The Ukulele Site. Perhaps other small makers here and there.

 

[Futurethink]

There is also Mahalo, and Harley Benton.
https://www.gotaukulele.com/2022/05/harley-benton-solid-uke-natural-review.html

For a brief while, Eleuke made an electric baritone with bluetooth for silent practice. I haven’t seen it recently.

I have a Vorson, which I’ve had a good experience with. Others here have provided mixed reviews. The components can be replaced with better ones, which is common in the electric guitar world. Brian Burnett has one he fitted Seymour Duncan pickups to (can be found on YouTube).

i believe they are sold in the UK under the Clearwater name.

Mine is a tenor scale, but I currently have it tuned as a baritone.

These are all on the cheaper end. If I had a larger chunk of cash, I’d go for a Mann Raptor.

 

[Neil_O]

Eastwood makes or made one, and they sometimes make electric tenor guitars: https://reverb.com/item/7116-eastwood-airline-electric-ukulele-red

 

[SlingshotCannon]

Thanks for the responses and additions so far. Those Mann electric ukuleles are especially stunning, and I'm sure they play terrifically. But I also know they would be wasted on me; maybe in a few years, when my playing has (hopefully) significantly progressed from where it is now, I'll be able to maybe justify spending the money on such a beautiful instrument!

 

[Brad Bordessa]

FWIW, I've played a few electric ukes over the years and the RISA Les Paul I tried was significantly heads and tails above the others. Seems like you'd be going from a Ferrari to a Ford with anything but the Mann.

 

[SlingshotCannon]

FWIW, I've played a few electric ukes over the years and the RISA Les Paul I tried was significantly heads and tails above the others. Seems like you'd be going from a Ferrari to a Ford with anything but the Mann.

I suspect that may be true about many of the alternatives I listed, but wonder if maybe the Sparrow is of at least comparable quality. I've never played one, so I can't say from first hand experience, but I've heard uniformly good things about their quality and they look very nice. But of course, that's always the risk of buying an instrument one hasn't played oneself: you don't really know what you're getting until you put your own hands on it.

 

[Futurethink]

FWIW, I've played a few electric ukes over the years and the RISA Les Paul I tried was significantly heads and tails above the others. Seems like you'd be going from a Ferrari to a Ford with anything but the Mann.

Agreed, but I thought the thread was about listing everything available.

 

[SlingshotCannon]

Agreed, but I thought the thread was about listing everything available.

Yes, that was my intention in starting this thread. After all, the perfect instrument for one person (or circumstance) may not be right for another, for any number of reasons, and vice-versa!

 

[manfrog]

I picked up a Sparrow baritone a few months ago and I love it. I have an older Risa (the bean shaped one) but I find the string spacing is too narrow. The Sparrow has a nice wide fretboard and the string spacing is much more ukulele-like. Try one if you can, I think you'll like it

 

[konut]

Discontinued - Epiphone 4 string Mandobird can be tuned to gcea.

 

[ukudancer]

I have the RISA LP tenor and a custom Sparrow Flying V. I love them both for different reasons.

The neck and the string spacing is wider on the Sparrow vs the RISA. String tension is also higher in terms of feel, so bends on the LP are much easier. Although, it's easier to bend, it's also easier to go off pitch.

The Sparrow has a split coil pickups vs dual humbuckers on the RISA. The latter is brighter and louder to my ears. [Note - I don't crank my amp up. It stays in the .5w setting and well below 5 on the master volume]

Of course, the Sparrow can be 100% tailored to your specs.

I have an internet friend who owns a baritone Honni. He seems happy with his. Although, I prefer my tone to his. Note that our pedals and amps are wildly different, so that is another variable to consider.

I'm having a Fanner built next year, so I'll be able to compare it directly in the near future against the other two.

I would try a Mann, but the wait time had me going with the others. The cost also means I could have multiple custom electric for the cost of one Mann, so those are two factors that removed them from being considered. I'm sure they play great, I just don't think I could justify it.

Especially when Fanner and Sparrow can get them built in a much shorter timeframe.

TLDR I love both the RISA and my Sparrow and would not be opposed to making another custom electric. The Thunderbird series from Sparrow has me tempted recently even though I've been eying a new synth / piano.

 

[actadh]

My son gave me a Vorson.

 

[Futurethink]

i just came across these from HI Guitars in the UK;
https://higuitarsuk.com/shop?category=Ukulele
I don’t know anything about them, but think they look nice.
Just adding them to the list.

 

[Futurethink]

I just remembered these oil can ukuleles from Bohemian;
https://www.bohemianguitars.com/collections/ukuleles

 

[ukudancer]

i just came across these from HI Guitars in the UK;
https://higuitarsuk.com/shop?category=Ukulele
I don’t know anything about them, but think they look nice.
Just adding them to the list.

Those are gorgeous!

 

[Futurethink]

In the same spirit as the Eastwood tenor guitars, Fender offered a limited number of “alternate reality” tenor telecasters. Baz published a review,

as did Trogley.

I’m including these here because they can handle ’ukulele tunings.

 

[mjh42]

Aw heck......I had some gift money from the holidays and I went and purchased a Risa Tele in Butterscotch. I can borrow my son's Vox mini5 for a while but I see a tube amp in my future. Nothing too big, 15 watts max I'm sure. Maybe a Fender or a Supro??? I've already got pedals to play with and two boards. I'll have to make up a board now for my magneto electric and my piezo electric.

Sonic fun to ensue shortly.........

 

[ukulelekarcsi]

Blue Star (the Konablaster)

 

[ukudancer]

Aw heck......I had some gift money from the holidays and I went and purchased a Risa Tele in Butterscotch. I can borrow my son's Vox mini5 for a while but I see a tube amp in my future. Nothing too big, 15 watts max I'm sure. Maybe a Fender or a Supro??? I've already got pedals to play with and two boards. I'll have to make up a board now for my magneto electric and my piezo electric.

Sonic fun to ensue shortly.........

Can't wait to hear it! Butterscotch is a great choice.