Those of us willing to fork over a big bucks for a wonderful sounding ukulele sometimes forget that an instrument doesn’t need to cost a lot of money to sound great. This modified Leolani Tenor ukulele “fits that bill.”
I discovered this gem while watching the Hawaii Music Supply podcast on YouTube. The channel is produced by TheUkuleleSite.com to showcase the instruments they have for sale on their website.
This model features a pickup system over the sound hole that also has a built-in speaker and effects so you can add effects even when playing acoustically. In other words, no amplifier is required. But, it also includes a jack to plug into an amp as you normally would.
The effects include Reverb, Chorus and Delay and there is a 4th wheel to control volume.
All you do is charge it via USB and it’s ready to go.
The top is cedar with a striped laminate ebony back and sides. It’s a very warm sounding instrument especially with a Low G.
The sound hole rosette is just a sticker which I really don’t like. There is really no need for those things. A plain sound hole is fine if you want to keep the cost down and it looks better without it. But this uke really sounds great so I tolerate the fake rosette.
Here’s some noodling around to get a sense of the effects. I changed the strings to fishing wire and a High G. I actually think it sounds better with this set of strings.
I imagine this would be a good ukulele for busking.
Just the facts:
SIZE: Tenor
TOP: Solid Cedar
BACK & SIDES: Laminate Ebony
FINISH: Satin
TUNING: GCEA (High G)
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