When most people think of a ukulele, they think of relaxing on a Hawaiian island with a tropical drink, sunshine, and maybe a cool ocean breeze. As for the instrument itself, it’s generally thought of as acoustic in nature–until now.
Ukelation is a modernized ukulele that adds some amplification and effects without the amps or even an external effects processor. It’s all built in to the instrument, which runs on two AA batteries. The user just switches on the built-in speaker and chooses the desired effects to enhance the mood of whatever song is being played. There are five effect choices available. The body is still made of natural wood, and there is an automatic shutoff that kicks in if the instrument has not been played for at least three minutes.
There is no clear indication as to whether or not that time can be adjusted so that it wouldn’t interfere with a live concert situation. Still, this a fun product great for the growing number of hipster ukelele players. This campaign seeks to raise $85,000 on Kickstarter. For $1,999 backers get one product with an expected delivery of August 2015.