Anyone have a Lotkey 26 Solid Body Uke?

[besley]

I've been hankering (yes, my folks talked like that.....) for a solid body uke for quiet practicing. I could just buy a RISA Stick tenor uke, but I came across this Lotkey 26 Tenor Solid Body uke available on Amazon for $150, and wondered if anyone here had any experience with it? I rather expect that the electronics leave much to be desired, but I was hoping it would be a suitable practice uke after I touch up the fret ends and adjust the nut and saddle. Anyone try one of these?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CG1MGKQB/?coliid=I2TY7YABB3PE8O&colid=1OLYXO7VMBU55&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it&th=1

 

[kissing]

Looks like a typical Eleuke clone that'll use the typical off-the-shelf parts.
For the price you don't have much to lose. It'll benefit from a setup as the action can be a bit high.
But sometimes you get lucky with ukuleles these days, I feel like manufacturers of inexpensive instruments are starting to realise players prefer moderately low action vs skyscraper action.

The weakest point on these generic inexpensive electric ukuleles in my experience are the undersaddle piezo unit that the factory installs.
Sometimes they're ok, while at other times they produce an unbalanced loudness per string.

Sometimes you can fix that by sanding the bottom of the saddle perfectly flat, but sometimes nothing you do will fix it.
If you replace the undersaddle piezo unit with a better quality one it often fixes the issue. Check out Artec undersaddle piezo pickups.
I often replace stock piezo units with them. The electronics is usually just plug and play (2.5mm plug).

That being said, I have a Risa tenor stick and they are fantastic!
You won't have to worry about any of those quality issues mentioned above, though they have other quirks (due to its design).

 

[Stoneyrun]

I had the concert version of this uke. It was cool. Very fun and playable. Sold it at a flea market within 5 minutes of setting it out. The only things I didn't like were the fretboard stylized decorative design and the older style 9v battery that didn't last very long. I prefer the new lithium CR2032s. Seem to last very long. Those 9v batteries have gotten crazy expensive in my US neck of the woods. Plus I always felt like I needed to carry an extra.

 

[kissing]

I had the concert version of this uke. It was cool. Very fun and playable. Sold it at a flea market within 5 minutes of setting it out. The only things I didn't like were the fretboard stylized decorative design and the older style 9v battery that didn't last very long. I prefer the new lithium CR2032s. Seem to last very long. Those 9v batteries have gotten crazy expensive in my US neck of the woods. Plus I always felt like I needed to carry an extra.

You raise an interesting point regarding batteries.
I never really compared how long pickup systems with 9v batteries last vs CR2032s, but for some reason kinda assumed the 9v's last longer because a bigger battery holds more charge.

That being said, I prefer passive pickups any day. Take the batteries out of the equation altogether.
They work well enough connected directly to instrument amplifiers. In performance settings, I have a bit of a pedal board going anyway, including a pedal that functions as a DI/Preamp.

 

[KohanMike]

I had the concert version of this uke. It was cool. Very fun and playable. Sold it at a flea market within 5 minutes of setting it out. The only things I didn't like were the fretboard stylized decorative design and the older style 9v battery that didn't last very long. I prefer the new lithium CR2032s. Seem to last very long. Those 9v batteries have gotten crazy expensive in my US neck of the woods. Plus I always felt like I needed to carry an extra.

If you kept the cable plugged into the jack, that's why the battery didn't last long. The preamp power goes on as soon as you plugin the cable.

You raise an interesting point regarding batteries. I never really compared how long pickup systems with 9v batteries last vs CR2032s, but for some reason kinda assumed the 9v's last longer because a bigger battery holds more charge. That being said, I prefer passive pickups any day. Take the batteries out of the equation altogether. They work well enough connected directly to instrument amplifiers. In performance settings, I have a bit of a pedal board going anyway, including a pedal that functions as a DI/Preamp.

I use rechargeable 9v, but only the kind that recharges in a cradle, the ones that have a USB recharge port has caused interference for me.

 

[besley]

Looks like a typical Eleuke clone that'll use the typical off-the-shelf parts.
For the price you don't have much to lose. It'll benefit from a setup as the action can be a bit high.
But sometimes you get lucky with ukuleles these days, I feel like manufacturers of inexpensive instruments are starting to realise players prefer moderately low action vs skyscraper action.

The weakest point on these generic inexpensive electric ukuleles in my experience are the undersaddle piezo unit that the factory installs.
Sometimes they're ok, while at other times they produce an unbalanced loudness per string.

Sometimes you can fix that by sanding the bottom of the saddle perfectly flat, but sometimes nothing you do will fix it.
If you replace the undersaddle piezo unit with a better quality one it often fixes the issue. Check out Artec undersaddle piezo pickups.
I often replace stock piezo units with them. The electronics is usually just plug and play (2.5mm plug).

That being said, I have a Risa tenor stick and they are fantastic!
You won't have to worry about any of those quality issues mentioned above, though they have other quirks (due to its design).

Well of course I've thought about the Risa stick too. What are the "quirks" you've found with your Risa stick? Is string wear and fraying still an issue where the strings wrap around that cam?

 

[kissing]

I've never had strings fray on a Risa stick, though Aquila reds won't work on them well (they snap).
If you want to go low-G, then one of the unwound fluorocarbon strings (Fremont, Worth) would work.

Oh, and forget about using wound strings. They'll chew up the proprietarily shaped plastic saddle.
Though you may sort of get away with it using a flatwound string coupled with a piece of rubber tubing like the ones they use to prevent strings cutting into violin bridges.

Tuning is a bit funky with them too - the strings tend to stick at parts of the bridge/saddle part.
The strings have a tendency to stick and then release when tuning up. Not a huge issue, but makes tuning a little bit more annoying.
Thank goodness they replaced friction tuners with geared years ago.

 

[besley]

I've never had strings fray on a Risa stick, though Aquila reds won't work on them well (they snap).
If you want to go low-G, then one of the unwound fluorocarbon strings (Fremont, Worth) would work.

Oh, and forget about using wound strings. They'll chew up the proprietarily shaped plastic saddle.
Though you may sort of get away with it using a flatwound string coupled with a piece of rubber tubing like the ones they use to prevent strings cutting into violin bridges.

Tuning is a bit funky with them too - the strings tend to stick at parts of the bridge/saddle part.
The strings have a tendency to stick and then release when tuning up. Not a huge issue, but makes tuning a little bit more annoying.
Thank goodness they replaced friction tuners with geared years ago.

I was wondering about that unusual saddle. Is it removable? If not, how does one adjust the action?

Thanks!

 

[kissing]

I was wondering about that unusual saddle. Is it removable? If not, how does one adjust the action?

Thanks!

It is removable. But they are an odd shape and are 3D printed by Risa themselves (see photo)

The factory action is sort of meant to be ideal and not require further adjustment.
Mine measures 1.5mm at 12th fret on 1st string and 1.75mm at 4th string.

You can lower the action if you want by sanding some material off the top. You can kinda replace the saddle with your own, but the saddle slot is very narrow and will require some difficult sanding of a blank saddle to be rather thin.

Notice how I have a flatwound 4th with some rubber tubing to protect the saddle. My Risa is tuned like Baritone ukulele (dgbe).

 

[kissing]

Action on my Risa tenor stick (1.5mm @ 12th fret)