Results 1 to 2 of 2

Thread: Fanner baritone uke

  1. #1
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Acton, Massachusetts
    Posts
    339

    Default Fanner baritone uke

    I had been evaluating purchasing an electric tenor or baritone uke. That’s a pretty fringe market niche, and there’s not that much information available, but after sorting through websites, videos and reviews for tone, quality issues and cost, I had narrowed the options down to a Fanner baritone uke (19 or 20 inch scale) if I wanted to pay for a quality instrument (start at $585), or a Cozart tenor if I wanted to cheap out ($160-$170). Finally deciding, as Benjamin Franklin allegedly said, that the bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten, I had come to the conclusion that Fanner was the way to go and was corresponding with Fanner regarding options and selections (Fanner builds to order). I was settling on a thinline model with P90 pickups when lo and behold a used Fanner Wisp showed up on Craigslist in my area for an attractive price. The Wisp is a solid body and has two single-coil pickups. It’s more of a rocker model than I would have wanted, but it gave me a middle ground in the problem of quality vs price so I took the plunge. [It also solved the problem of wait time on a Fanner order, which seems to be 3-6 months].

    So, here’s my report on the Fanner Wisp, which came to me in pretty much mint condition out of an estate sale: I like it a lot! Scale is 19 inches. It has bridge and neck pickups and a 3-way switch, a tone control with a wide range, and volume control. Fanner makes their own pickups. The guy I bought it from had a big Marshall amp, and it sounded kinda quacky through that. I play through a small Bugera tube amp, which gives it a much rounder and more pleasant sound. The action is nice and low and the intonation is spot on. I can just feel the frets at the edge of the fretboard, but that is probably a New England winter/low humidity/wood shrinkage thing rather than a manufacturing flaw. The balance of volume across the strings is even. The Wisp has a pretty basic slab body and this one has a satin finish over bare wood, so not much complication to it but no also no problems with it. (Fanner offers a lot of finish options, but this is one is about as simple as it could be). I have no complaints about any aspect of it, and find it to be a really nice instrument, although I’m no expert in electric solid bodies.

    Fanner builds at tenor uke, baritone uke and tenor guitar scales, and will string to suit your preferred tuning. I did not get very far into the build/order process with them, but received several timely responses to my initial questions.

    Disclaimer: I have NFI in or connection with Fanner. Posted because I thoughtClick image for larger version. 

Name:	Fanner.jpg 
Views:	54 
Size:	119.5 KB 
ID:	206163 a review might be useful/helpful to others going through the process.

  2. #2

    Default Re: Fanner baritone uke

    That's s great scale length if you want to ecperiment with GDAE tuning. I hope you feel inspired. Looks pretty!
    ----

    Playing a funky oval-hole scroll-body mandolin, several mandolins retuned to CGDA, three CGDA-tuned Flatiron mandolas, two Flatiron mandolas tuned as octave mandolins,and a six-course 25.5" scale CGDAEB-tuned Ovation Mandophone.

    Love mandola?
    Join the Mandola Social Group!

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •