Electric Ukes
AS OF JUNE 2010, ALL OF OUR UKES WILL BE ELECTRIC....
NO EXTRA CHARGE
If you have the desire to crank it up, we have the means to get you there.
From the start, most everyone who has seen my ukes has asked about availability in Electric format, and I'm happy to say- yes, we make them, and our Electric ukes rock!... It takes a few extra steps, some good electronics, and a (more) special made custom bridge, but the results have been good and no complaints yet. We use LR Baggs "Ribbon Series" Pickups ( also Fishman, as pictured above, with a pre amp and small battery) for thier light weight (passive system), excellent response and, they come highly recommended by some of the best musicians in the world.
Two varieties of pickups are commonly used for accoustic sound reproduction... passive and pre-amped. A passive system will have a pickup built into the bridge assembly, then the signals go through the soundboard ( in the pickup wire) to the out put jack /endpin at the base of the uke. All signals are as pure as possible: pros will put them through a mixer, no doubt, and control them externally as neccesary. A pre-amped system takes those same pickup signals and rune them through a mini computer built into the endpin assembly. Both have thier advantages and advocates, but the passive system needs no batterries, while the pre-amped version does. Typically, a squarish 9 volt does the work, which also requires an access door so it can be changed from time to time.
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NEW FOR JUNE 2010 AND BEYOND! ALL NEW UKES WILL BE MADE PASSIVE ELECTRIC/ Accoustic. PRE- AMPED VARIETY WILL BE "CUSTOM ORDER".
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The prices for electrics have to be higher, as the expense of the pre - amp, the additional craftmanship and the time involved are all factors. The bridgework needs to be near perfect, and making a sleek, compact unit is quite a challenge. The pre-amp and battery also need to be accessable, through a carefully designed door usually cut into the side panel.
It's much easier for me to make an electric uke from scratch than it is to modify an existing accoustic, mostly because of the limted size of a tenor uke. In the past, I would only build electrics as special orders; the player won't likely be satisfied without a personal fitting to his / her unique style. Prospective clients in the Maui vacinity are certainly welcome to stop by and play, and together we'll find what's right for you.
All my electrics are hollow body and sound just as good as the accoustics, look the same, etc.. They're a bit heavier, and run on a 9 volt rectangular battery(the extra weight, if you insist on a pre-amped version ) that should endure nicely.Since special orders are quite personal, a variety of wood combinations are possible, and the client can choose from Koa, Maple, Zebrawood, Wenge, Mango, and more, then we'll get to talking about tone and action.
SPECIAL ORDERS FROM $2800 US
