The necks are thicker giving a different feel and the look is more of a vintage replica. The Gretsch line was patterned after the original Gretsch ukes. They are now among my favorite affordable ukes and I give them my top recommendation.Īre they more like the Gretsch ukes now since Mike Lewis headed both projects? No they are both very unique. The tone is more articulate and they project much more. They have new bracing patterns, arched backs, thicker fingerboards, thinner headstocks, compensated saddles, and a thinner finish. We just received a shipment of these newly upgraded models and they sound and play significantly better. When people play them in the store they love the tone.” Considering the continuing popularity of the ukulele, Fender did the obvious and asked Mike Lewis to revamp their Fender ukulele lineup. My reply was something like, “The Gretsch ukes just sound so good. Last year our Fender rep asked me why the Gretsch ukes outsell the Fender ones. The Gretsch ukulele line has been a big seller for us. Mike then went to the guitar department at Fender, then Guild (when Fender bought them), and of course Gretsch. Richard McDonald, vide president of Fender said “Mike did an incredible job of getting us back on track by taking a step back with the historical element of our legacy and making it right, with the Vibro-King, Blues Deluxe, Blues Deville and so on”. In the early 90’s he revived their classic tube amps. Mike’s a musician, historian, engineer and one of the key visionaries at Fender for many years. The reason they were great right off the bat was because the Gretsch roots line was headed by Mike Lewis. There were dozens of new makers that year but these had great tone, even on the really affordable laminate models. If you follow our blog and website you also know that we have loved this new Gretsch line from the moment we played them at NAMM 2012 where we claimed them to be the best new ukulele line. Many of you know that Fender owns other brands, one of them being Gretsch, and that Gretsch released an ukulele line a few years ago as part of their “Roots Series” which models vintage Gretsch instruments along with a few new designs with a similar “vintage” style. That’s how I’m suddenly feeling about Fender ukes! Why? What changed? Ukes get featured here when I’m really excited about them, impressed by their quality or value. But until now I haven’t done an article here showcasing them. They definitely have a “cool factor” with their Tele headstock and Fender logo, and the tone has been on par with it’s price range. We have carried them from the time they were released. But Fender has only been making ukes for 5 years now. Leo Fender was an innovator that changed the music world forever. Period.There is no doubt that Fender has been inspiring guitarists for over 60 years. Each one was and still is a driving force behind the greatest moment in music-of every era, of every genre. As time went on, we created new instruments to cater to a new, evolving type of musician: the electric bassist. That instrument was the Precision Bass®, a name that would not only become synonymous with rock ‘n’ roll, but also shape its very being. And we did it by introducing a brand-new instrument with a bold, new sound. In 1951, we wanted to liberate musicians from the confines of the upright bass. Fender guitars were designed to be louder, and exciting tones they produced are still engrained into our cultural DNA. When someone asks, “Why Fender electrics?” the answer is clear. And with its revolutionary electrified tone, it would change the way music was made-forever. It was a primitive-looking object that was tough as nails, its powerful name inspired by another groundbreaking invention: the television. Leo Fender wanted to craft an instrument that was as functional as it was easy to use.
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