eBay Ukulele Window Shopping: Guitar-a-likes

What do you think of ukuleles that look like guitars? apeing

Obviously, most ukuleles look somewhat like guitars. But some ukuleles consciously ape the look of certain guitars. The most obvious example is Kiwaya‘s K-Wave series. The series includes the Kiwaya K-Wave Telecaster and the Kiwaya K-Wave Gibson Les Paul. I’m not sure why they didn’t go with the more sexy and more famous Fender Stratocaster rather than the more workaday Telecaster. If you want a strat style ukulele, you’ll have to get to work on a 1/2 size guitar to produce one of these as friend of Uke Hunt Todd did.

Gibson guitars are some of the sexiest around, so it’s no surprise they’re the most imitated.

The latest addition to the Kiwaya’s K-Wave series (and the one that me thinking about the subject) is the Kiwaya K-Wave Gibson Gold. RISA seem to be getting in on the action with their new electric ukes with the Gibson Les Paul shape. They’re not available yet but one did make an appearance at NAMM. Also imitating the Gibson is the Mahalo Flying V ukulele. It’s strange that no one has taken on the Gibson SG devil-horns style (most famously used by Angus Young).

I find the Kala Archtop’s take on the much less famous Gibson ES the most visually appealing. They feel more true to the original – made a great deal easier by the fact that it is reproducing a semi-acoustic guitar so the pickups are not missed.

Ovation’s Applause ukes are slightly different in that they imitate their own guitars. The small, oddly placed soundholes and the soundboard design make it instantly recognisable.

They’re also very popular with many ukers, but I can’t stand the way they look. No amount of Kaki King can undo the damage of 80s attrocities like Yngwie Malmsteen (possibly the worst guitar solo I’ve ever heard), Toto and Judas Priest. The Ovation artist page even boasts of the support of UB40 and Motley Crue. As far as I’m concerned, playing an Applause ukulele is like walking around with a Nikki Sixx haircut.

I have mixed feelings about guitar-a-like ukes. I must admit, the Gibson mini-mes make me grin and they’re obviously a bit of fun. But I wouldn’t actually buy one. They never really capture the impact of the real thing. Guitars are designed to work as guitars. They’ll never match a uke designed to work as a uke.

It makes me wonder whether any company will mass produce reproductions of some of the classic early uke designs. Mike Da Silva’s Santo and Dias reproduction ukes are gorgeous. I just love that body shape. If some enterprising company started making cheap reproductions in the Dias style (maybe they already are and I’ve missed it – let me know) it wouldn’t surprise me if they sold very well. Of course, they wouldn’t be as nice as the Da Silvas, but they’d pique my interest.

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15 Comments

  1. dave February 29th, 2008 7:13 pm

    I think you’re remiss in not mentioning Joel Eckhaus and his LaPaula and Tululele. As far as I know they predate the Kiwaya knock-offs.

    http://www.earnestinstruments.com

  2. Woodshed February 29th, 2008 7:21 pm

    Well, you’ve fixed that oversight. Thanks, Dave.

  3. Minamin March 1st, 2008 3:15 am

    I like Earnest’s Sputnik the best.

    http://www.earnestinstruments.com/sputnik.html

  4. thedanarchist March 1st, 2008 1:28 pm

    I was lucky enough to play one of Mike Da Silva’s Santo reproductions a couple of weeks ago, and I LOVED it. I’m obsessing over it. Not only was it physically beautiful and distinctive, the sound was beautiful and distinctive.
    I’m not a good enough uke player or experienced enough uke ear to be a great judge, but I’d say it had “clarity” above all else. Zero howl or mushiness. And amazing projection — the little gal is loud. Why did the uke world ever move away from that body style?

  5. thedanarchist March 1st, 2008 1:39 pm

    Oops. My comment about the Santa repro was supposed to be other another topic. Please excuse the non sequitur.

  6. Howlin' Hobbit March 1st, 2008 4:27 pm

    The Santo style ukes make my heart go all pit-a-pat too.

    I recently helped a friend replace a uke that was crushed by the airlines (NEVER check your ukulele!). We found a used one at the Trading Musician here in Seattle that had that slimmer body style, though it wasn’t of that great an age… somewhere in the 1930’s I believe. It was a no name uke.

    Only $300 and sounded fabulous. I still wish I could have afforded it.

  7. Woodshed March 2nd, 2008 7:57 pm

    Hobbit: I love when that sort of thing happens. Or I would if it ever happened to me. Hopefully, one day I’ll come across a gem in junk shop for £10.

    thedanarchist: I mentioned the Da Silvas in both threads. So it’s a sequitur.

  8. thedanarchist March 2nd, 2008 11:43 pm

    Ah, so you did. I’m not as dumb as I look, after all. Close, though.

  9. Alan March 5th, 2008 5:55 pm

    Some famous Telecaster players:

    Joe Strummer
    Bruce Springstein
    Pete Townsend
    George Harrison
    Bob Dylan
    Vince Gill
    Kieth Richards
    Muddy Waters
    Chrissie Hynde

    Sexy, indeed!

  10. danarchist March 5th, 2008 6:16 pm

    I’m not really into most guitar-alikes either. But, having said that, I’m working on one right now. It was a kid’s Spider-Man electric guitar, with built-in amp and speaker, about to be an electric uke. If I don’t accidently saw it in half, or something.

  11. Woodshed March 5th, 2008 9:31 pm

    Alan: Thanks for the list. I think a few people on that list picked the Tele precisely because it’s ‘workaday’. Joe Strummer and Springsteen in particular wouldn’t have played anything too showy.

    danarchist: Spider-Uke, Spider-Uke. Does whatever a Spider-Uke does. Sorry, just been watching the Simpsons Movie. I hope we’re going to get to look at and hear Spider-Uke when it’s finished.

  12. danarchist March 6th, 2008 11:52 pm

    Ha, ha! I hummed the same tune to myself many times, Woodshed. I’ll e-mail you some photos, but: All the Spideyness is gone, for better or for worse.

  13. HarrisonMarchant April 30th, 2010 10:30 pm

    Lets be fair people, guitar styled uke’s look and sound great, but you diddnt start learning the ukulele just so you can play a small les paul or telecaster. wheres the originality? i prefer my guitars to look like guitars and my uke’s to look like uke’s :D

  14. John January 13th, 2013 6:33 pm

    They actually do have a Gibson SG style ukulele commercially available. It’s made by Harley Benton and the only place that (I think!) they sell it is
    http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_sg_ukulele_ch.htm
    (This is where I bought mine).

  15. Woodshed January 14th, 2013 10:37 am

    John: Thanks for the link.

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