[Video] I Made a $4 Electric Ukulele
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
[..YouTube..] Wow!! Who want’s to start the McGuyver jokes?
[..YouTube..] Sweeeeeeeet.
Something from practically nothing…ultra fun!
Awesome job!
[..YouTube..] that’s really really awesome.
[..YouTube..] most excellent!!!!!
[..YouTube..] haha Mcguyver would be proud
[..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?
[..YouTube..] AWESOME!
[..YouTube..] I think it sounds pretty good for the price!!
Well done.
[..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.
[..YouTube..] well done!
[..YouTube..] Fucking neat
[..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!
[..YouTube..] 2 thumbs up!!
[..YouTube..] WOOOAH, awesome. :O
[..YouTube..] the uke is simple but i find it mother f’ing amazing that you are able to play tolerable chords without the frets.
[..YouTube..] sounds ok, but ill give it 5 stars just for the new concept.
[..YouTube..] Nice work! Fret it!!! I think it’s a killer concept….and the ultra small size is appealing, frets would do the trick….
[..YouTube..] what was the song that you played?
[..YouTube..] @rodjnemedez I was not playing any particular song, just playing some chords.
[..YouTube..] @jellisrellish Thanks!
[..YouTube..] @captbaritone oh haha, because it kinda sounded like “daydream” by: lovin’ spoonfuls
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.
[..YouTube..] I wish I was this cool. I spent $180 for my electric uke. Don’t regret it though.
[..YouTube..] @rodjnemedez This chord progression is the same as the song “5 foot two, eyes of blue.”
[..YouTube..] Genial!
[..YouTube..] dudee , can you put a tutorial up on how to make one off those , theyre awesome
[..YouTube..] How did you make the pre-amp wat kind of resistors
[..YouTube..] huh : ))))
[..YouTube..] wow youre my hero
thats awesome
[..YouTube..] Unique!
[..YouTube..] that is cool how long did it take u to make it
[..YouTube..] omg, i so wanna make one!! please make a tutorial!!!!!!
[..YouTube..] i would totaly like to know how you installed the electret microphone
[..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.
[..YouTube..] @IronicDonkey1 Thanks for your interest. I made this over a few days during Christmas break.
[..YouTube..] Fantabulous! Have seen a similar non-electric one, but great moments in musical history come in small-ish steps hehehe.
[..YouTube..] dude this is sick man thats awsome
[..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
[..YouTube..] DUDE! It really doesn’t sound terrible!!!
) I’m going to attempt this. haha
[..YouTube..] That tight
[..YouTube..] that actually sounds really good lol
well done!!!
[..YouTube..] That’s awesome!
How did the frets turn out?
[..YouTube..] Sounds good!
[..YouTube..] this is brilliant, you’ve inspired me to try & make one myself. Do you have any tips that could help me?
[..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.
[..YouTube..] cool dude!
[..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!
[..YouTube..] love it!