RISA Uke-Solid Electric Tenor Ukulele Review
November 11, 2009
The RISA solid ukulele isn’t like any other ukulele out there: it’s shaped like a hollowed out cricket bat, the tuning pegs are at the wrong end, it doesn’t have a head, its bridge is aluminium. Obviously, I had to have one.
Stats
Construction: Solid walnut.
Fretboard: Walnut 17 frets.
Neck: Solid walnut.
Bridge: Aluminium.
Tuners: Friction
Pickups: Passive Piezo.
Sound
The sound of an electric ukulele is going to have more to do with what you run it through than the uke itself. But here are a few clips of it through a Boss GT-10 to give you an idea.
Clean Tone
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First time: as it comes out of the ukulele. Second time: through pre-amp. Third time: pre-amp, EQ and a bit of reverb. Fourth time: cheesed up (pre-amp, EQ, a bit of reverb, quite a lot of chorus).
Country Slapback
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Rocked Out Widdle-Fest
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Maximum Effects
Link
All sorts in there: looper, slicer, wah, delay.
The Good Stuff
- It’s very easy to play: The neck feels very slick. The action is low. It’s very light. Unlike a lot of ukuleles that pack on useless frets, all the frets are playable with any finger. Because the body and neck are all one piece you can also do a bit of fretless playing above the top fret.
- Design: It’s not just a ukulele with pickups on. RISA have obviously given a lot of thought to what is required of an electric ukulele and designed towards that. It’s also pleasing as an object – to look at and hold (it’s very light).
My only grumble is the big RISA logo slapped on it. There’s a reason you don’t see chairs with ‘THOMAS CHIPPENDALE’ scrawled across the front of them. The design of it says it’s a RISA more clearly than the logo.
- It’s well made: No flaws in mine. And the intonation is spot on.
- It’s solid: Not just in the sense that it’s not hollow. It’s also very sturdy. As the shape suggests, you could play cricket with it.
The Not So Good Stuff
- It takes a lot of getting used to: It’s very different from any ukulele you’re used to. I found myself falling off the end of the neck a few times. The tuning pegs are on the body and it took me a while to get used to which tuning peg goes with which string and which way to turn them. You need to buy a strap to play it comfortably.
- The tuning pegs: This is the main drawback of the ukulele as far as I’m concerned. Even after getting used to the system there are problems. Like a lot of friction tuners, it’s hard to tune them accurately and they’re placed too close together for comfortable tuning.
- Aaaargh, the string is jammed: During some over-enthusiastic widdling I broke the A string. I went to take it off to find that the string was jammed in the hole at the nut end. There’s no way of getting direct access to it either. I had to bash a pin through the hole to free it. Even after setting it free, the rest of the string changing experience was also a pain in the arse.
I haven’t heard about this happening to anyone else, but the fact it can happen seems like a pretty big design floor to me.
- Passive pickups: That means you don’t get the on-board kajiggers like tone and volume controls. Not necessarily a big disadvantage. But you don’t get a headphone socket like you do with the EleUke which comes in handy for quiet practice.
Overall
I enjoy playing the RISA. The string jamming incident has soured me against it a little, but it’s a way better ukulele than the EleUke.
RISA Uke-Solid on eBay UK and on UkeSurfer.
New Flea and Fluke Designs, Fender Ukuleles
February 27, 2009
MGM has the latest batch of Flea and Fluke ukuleles: Bamboo Fluke, Tie-Dye Fluke, Denim Flea, Camp Flea.
Fender Ukuleles turn up on eBay UK.
Some serious vintage charm to this Dobro Cyclops ukulele.
One of the Collings Guitars ukuleles from NAMM has cropped up on eBay.
Not often you see RISA ukuleles on eBay in the US but there are a few on there right now.
Ukulele Window Shopping: German Electric Ukuleles, Pete Waterman
February 20, 2009
The Germans seem to be heading the field when it comes to great looking electric ukes. As well as RISA, there are these Rocktile FRAME ukuleles. They obviously take a few design cues from Eleuke, but end up looking more stylish. And on the subject or RISA, if you’re a fan of the ‘melted telecaster’ shape there’s this acoustic version. Which utilizes the Fluke headstock shape to have geared tuners without the ears.
Out of season it may be, but it’s not often you get a chance to pick up a Black Bear Christmas Bell ukulele.
A banjolele, “that once belonged to The famouse Pete Waterman.” He took it in to be repaired and never bothered picking it up again. Apparently.
Another new wood for the uke with Kanile’a using macassar wood. Certainly looks great.
A Spanish ukulele with an Isle of Man inlay*. You’d have to cover this on it.
If you’re bored of the standard ukulele hangers, check out this Tiki uke hanger set.
Kitsch-tastic hula girl print on this ukulele.
* According to Wikipedia, the same symbol is used in Galicia. But that’s the opposite end of Spain to Valencia – where the uke was made – so the mystery remains.
Jupiter Creek, RISA, G-String
June 27, 2008
There have been three Jupiter Creek ukuleles crop up on eBay this week. The baritone has gone already, but you still have a shot at a concert and a tenor. There’s also a soprano for sale on eBay France.
It’s not often you see RISAs on eBay, but there’s a Meltocaster on there right now. It’s a guitarlele rather than a uke, though. And I still can’t quite come to terms with that shape.
The RISA isn’t the only strangely shaped ukulele on eBay at the moment. There are ukes shaped like a biscuit tin (strangely inelegant for a Lyon and Healy ukulele), a teardrop (I’m pretty sure that’s also a Lyon and Healy: a Venetian ukulele) and, best of all, an aeroplane.
It’s not often that there’s a ukulele I’m lusting after more than one shaped like an aeroplane, but this week that’s the case. MGM has a James Hill Signature JSM-2 ukulele up for sale right now (made by G String). I can always kid myself that if I had one, I’d play just like James Hill and no one can prove otherwise.
There’s a banjo ukulele collector who’s selling off his collection on eBay UK. There’s a Gibson UB3, a Maybell, a Bruno (made by Harmony ukuleles and an Avalon. All look very well cared for.
Most ridiculous ukulele/cavaquinho of the week: Del Vecchio Resonator. Even more strange than the uke itself is the video that’s presumably made to help sell it.
Christmas Gifts for Ukulele Players: Electric Ukuleles
December 15, 2007
If you can’t stand the sound of your loved one strumming incessantly, it might seem a little counter-intuitive to buy them an electric ukulele. Were it not for one word: headphones.
With their round backs and distinctive sound-holes, Ovation Applause tenor ukuleles are heavily based on their guitar big brother. In my opinion, they have a slightly dated look – there’s a definite whiff of Bon Jovi unplugged about them. But recently, Kaki King came along and rescued the Applause image.
Buy for: the hair-rocker in your life.
Bugsgear’s Eleuke has a much more modern look. They come in a sparkling blue or a more understated natural wood.
They now have one you can plug headphones straight into, so no excuse for waking up family members with midnight strummings.
Kala Archtop
The Kala Archtop Tenor has a more classic look with jazzy f-holes and an archtop.
Buy for: midnight jazzers, those who find the term ‘f-hole’ endlessly amusing.
What’s your electric uke recommendation?
More Christmas gifts for ukulele players
On The Blog
June 16, 2007
RISA have a spanking new site and a deal to distribute Ko’olau and Kolo ukes in Europe. To celebrate, they have launched a competition to win anything on the site. Anything, that is, except the Liberace of ukuleles and the combination surfboard-ukulele which I hope is in development.
There’s a dangerous shortage of ukuleles in the UK . So says The Times.
Metronomes are a very under-utilised device in the uke world – I know I could benefit from using one more regularly. Ukulele Tonya has added an interesting piece about using a metronome to her list of excellent articles.
Aldrine Guerrero has a series of ukulele instruction videos for you to watch for free on Iamhawaii TV.
Vote on whether this T-shirt gets made.
Obscene ukulele cartoon.
Rigk Sauer – Tequila
May 16, 2007
There are some occasions so dull that only a significant amount of alcohol can get you through: weddings, baseball games, a day at work. High on the list has to be spelling bees. A group of writers in San Fransisco came to the same conclusion and put together a drunken spelling bee. After successful spellings of words as complex as “verisimilitude” and “anamnesis”, one word felled three contestants in a row. That word: ‘ukulele’.
Another time drinking is necessary, is at karaoke. I always insist I will not do karaoke unless I can do the song Tequila – I am entirely unwilling to sing any more than three words. But give me a uke and I’ll play this tune all night. [Read more]
