[Video] I Made a $4 Electric Ukulele

49 Comments

While I was home for Christmas, I was watching lots of ukulele videos on Youtube. Somewhere in my wanderings I came across the Risa Uke Solid and my mind was blown. It’s a small electric ukulele made out of a single solid piece of wood and some hardware. The simplicity of the design made me think: “Hey, I could do that” and so I began thinking about how I could make a simple electric ukulele myself. Two days later, with lots of help from my dad and his tools, I have a working electric ukulele made from stuff I found around my parent’s house and a set of $4 ukulele strings. It’s currently fret-less and the pickup leaves a lot to be desired but my goal was really to create a mock-up so that I would know what I was doing when I built the actual thing.

Epilogue:

Possible improvements on this model:

  • Frets
  • Deepen groove on back

Things to learn before building next model:

  • Are there shorter tuning pegs so that I can avoid drilling the extra hole?
  • Are there better pickup solutions for my price range?

Improvements for next model:

  • Less space between tuning pegs
  • Harder wood
  • No taper
  • Strings further apart at nut
  • Narrower holes for strings at nut
  • Standard G-C-E-A strings

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49 Comments

  1. irvingjohn
    Dec 30, 2009 @ 21:00:53

    [..YouTube..] Wow!! Who want’s to start the McGuyver jokes?

    Reply

  2. ArmyOfCuteness
    Dec 31, 2009 @ 06:38:01

    [..YouTube..] Sweeeeeeeet.

    Reply

  3. Lisa
    Dec 31, 2009 @ 13:08:27

    Something from practically nothing…ultra fun!

    Reply

  4. DeG
    Dec 31, 2009 @ 16:50:02

    Awesome job!

    Reply

  5. TheEveningtime
    Jan 02, 2010 @ 10:41:10

    [..YouTube..] that’s really really awesome.

    Reply

  6. doogey9
    Jan 02, 2010 @ 13:49:23

    [..YouTube..] most excellent!!!!!

    Reply

  7. kissing88
    Jan 03, 2010 @ 16:02:15

    [..YouTube..] haha Mcguyver would be proud

    Reply

  8. d5ive
    Jan 04, 2010 @ 05:54:27

    [..YouTube..] Haha. Great stuff, man. I’m curious how you got the electret microphone in there and have the jack installed at the same time. Did you just drill deep? How did you get the jack to stick?

    Reply

  9. HarryRobinsonMusic
    Jan 04, 2010 @ 09:18:04

    [..YouTube..] AWESOME!

    Reply

  10. ninjakyle
    Jan 05, 2010 @ 05:42:39

    [..YouTube..] I think it sounds pretty good for the price!!
    Well done.

    Reply

  11. 0SkippyTheClown0
    Jan 18, 2010 @ 18:52:27

    [..YouTube..] Look out RISA. This is really cool. You’ve inspired me to build something like this myself. I’m really impressed by your pre-amp. Good stuff.

    Reply

  12. LStrachey
    Jan 23, 2010 @ 12:07:31

    [..YouTube..] well done!

    Reply

  13. JamesManes
    Jan 23, 2010 @ 17:53:08

    [..YouTube..] Fucking neat

    Reply

  14. redfury19922
    Feb 21, 2010 @ 11:26:48

    [..YouTube..] Random question…, I’m new to playing ukuleles and I’m trying to get a nice base on some good chords, which ones are you playing here? Thanks a ton!
    And great job with the uke it looks awesome! Much respect!

    Reply

  15. canarycreek
    Feb 22, 2010 @ 10:57:31

    [..YouTube..] 2 thumbs up!!

    Reply

  16. alyssacreencia
    Mar 04, 2010 @ 09:44:33

    [..YouTube..] WOOOAH, awesome. :O

    Reply

  17. betacrash
    Mar 14, 2010 @ 10:01:15

    [..YouTube..] the uke is simple but i find it mother f’ing amazing that you are able to play tolerable chords without the frets.

    Reply

  18. jellisrellish
    Mar 30, 2010 @ 15:19:12

    [..YouTube..] sounds ok, but ill give it 5 stars just for the new concept.

    Reply

  19. theukerofoz
    Apr 16, 2010 @ 06:32:17

    [..YouTube..] Nice work! Fret it!!! I think it’s a killer concept….and the ultra small size is appealing, frets would do the trick….

    Reply

  20. rodjnemedez
    May 02, 2010 @ 03:56:18

    [..YouTube..] what was the song that you played?

    Reply

  21. captbaritone
    May 02, 2010 @ 12:47:27

    [..YouTube..] @rodjnemedez I was not playing any particular song, just playing some chords.

    Reply

  22. captbaritone
    May 02, 2010 @ 12:47:38

    [..YouTube..] @jellisrellish Thanks!

    Reply

  23. rodjnemedez
    May 02, 2010 @ 14:05:37

    [..YouTube..] @captbaritone oh haha, because it kinda sounded like “daydream” by: lovin’ spoonfuls

    Reply

  24. gym.hodgson
    May 02, 2010 @ 11:32:26

    Jordan,
    great take on the ol’ Risa. I’ve just bought a cheapo Uke to see if I’d like to take it up; y’know invest time in learning it etc. Having come from a Steinberger/Hohner G2 ‘plank’ guitar – this really appeals to my homemade ethos!
    I guess the advantage of making your own Uke is that the fret board can be made a bit wider than the std Soprano (’tis a bit tight at the nut!) – have you some dimensions as a starter, also I guess you used steel strings; what gauges were they?
    …and last but not least what was the pick-up you used?

    Goodluck with MkII and be sure to keep us posted!

    Pat.

    Reply

  25. trihunter00
    May 11, 2010 @ 02:59:21

    [..YouTube..] I wish I was this cool. I spent $180 for my electric uke. Don’t regret it though.

    Reply

  26. hooooopty
    May 14, 2010 @ 19:47:03

    [..YouTube..] @rodjnemedez This chord progression is the same as the song “5 foot two, eyes of blue.”

    Reply

  27. glus
    May 16, 2010 @ 12:24:55

    [..YouTube..] Genial!

    Reply

  28. tongoose
    May 20, 2010 @ 11:00:42

    [..YouTube..] dudee , can you put a tutorial up on how to make one off those , theyre awesome :)

    Reply

  29. RLBonUtube
    May 22, 2010 @ 16:01:40

    [..YouTube..] How did you make the pre-amp wat kind of resistors

    Reply

  30. guram8
    May 23, 2010 @ 19:20:25

    [..YouTube..] huh : ))))

    Reply

  31. 00zukka00
    Jun 13, 2010 @ 11:09:08

    [..YouTube..] wow youre my hero
    thats awesome

    Reply

  32. cariboubill
    Jul 06, 2010 @ 11:15:09

    [..YouTube..] Unique!

    Reply

  33. IronicDonkey1
    Jul 06, 2010 @ 15:25:12

    [..YouTube..] that is cool how long did it take u to make it

    Reply

  34. thebigbadwolf96
    Jul 11, 2010 @ 02:41:33

    [..YouTube..] omg, i so wanna make one!! please make a tutorial!!!!!!

    Reply

  35. MrRoostercolorado
    Jul 12, 2010 @ 15:58:56

    [..YouTube..] i would totaly like to know how you installed the electret microphone

    Reply

  36. captbaritone
    Jul 13, 2010 @ 17:31:56

    [..YouTube..] @MrRoostercolorado I simply soldered the tiny microphone directly to the end of the headphone jack, drilled a hole in the bottom of the ukulele and hot melt glued the whole thing into that hole so that the headphone jack was flush with the body.

    Reply

  37. captbaritone
    Jul 13, 2010 @ 17:32:28

    [..YouTube..] @IronicDonkey1 Thanks for your interest. I made this over a few days during Christmas break.

    Reply

  38. theropodia
    Jul 13, 2010 @ 22:18:06

    [..YouTube..] Fantabulous! Have seen a similar non-electric one, but great moments in musical history come in small-ish steps hehehe.

    Reply

  39. rockstar3224
    Jul 15, 2010 @ 10:32:32

    [..YouTube..] dude this is sick man thats awsome

    Reply

  40. awhboysh
    Jul 17, 2010 @ 08:50:11

    [..YouTube..] that’s pretty damn impressive!! well done sir! could you make a how to?…or even just write up one for your blog? that would be groovy! i got no summer job!! need something to do! ha :)

    Reply

  41. JordanneRene
    Jul 21, 2010 @ 15:05:10

    [..YouTube..] DUDE! It really doesn’t sound terrible!!! :) ) I’m going to attempt this. haha

    Reply

  42. KUYA2diether
    Jul 23, 2010 @ 09:54:27

    [..YouTube..] That tight

    Reply

  43. MrShezzer
    Jul 29, 2010 @ 08:06:31

    [..YouTube..] that actually sounds really good lol :) well done!!!

    Reply

  44. zagreen
    Jul 30, 2010 @ 18:44:16

    [..YouTube..] That’s awesome!
    How did the frets turn out?

    Reply

  45. isthisthingontest123
    Aug 01, 2010 @ 21:53:28

    [..YouTube..] Sounds good!

    Reply

  46. supermax125
    Aug 05, 2010 @ 17:24:49

    [..YouTube..] this is brilliant, you’ve inspired me to try & make one myself. Do you have any tips that could help me?

    Reply

  47. ukulelebeatsguitar
    Aug 12, 2010 @ 11:37:02

    [..YouTube..] Would you mind if I tried to make one modeled after your’s? I saw the Risa one too and loved it, but I didn’t want to spend all the money.

    Reply

  48. fireblade95
    Aug 19, 2010 @ 15:20:14

    [..YouTube..] cool dude!

    Reply

  49. billhochhaus
    Aug 21, 2010 @ 10:18:02

    [..YouTube..] One day the nerds will take over the earth, and everyone will have a pocket ukulele that will also shoot lasers out the top to destroy the infidels!
    Good thing you copied Risa, and not Apple, otherwise the men in black would already be at your door to take back their intellectual property.
    Really cool!

    Reply

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