This was a one off instrument, which has now been sold.

This is an exquiste tenor ukulele made by Josh Rieck in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. When I ordered it, there was a two year wait, and I dutifully waited. As it neared completion, that wait was over 3 years. As I write, Josh’s order book is closed as his skilled processes take a long time to complete, and he was finding it difficult to calculate just how many years customers would have to wait!

This tenor is made from solid Englemann spruce on the top, paired with solid black walnut on the back and sides. These have a nitrocellulose gloss finish, thin enough to still allow the wood to resonate (and oh boy, does it resonate). It has a 38mm nut and is fitted with a Fremont Soloist low G, and aNueNue Black Water strings. This was the combination I chose when it arrived, trying different types to get the best sound (to my ear). The low G gives a big, rich sound and the Black Waters seemed the best fit to really allow the spruce to sing. The result is incredible balance - with the sparkling highs matching the big, beefy bass.

I don’t often play low G and when playing up the neck, often use the G and C as a drone, open. With low G this tends to give too much dominance at the bass end of the spectrum. But not with this. Even with a strong thumb dragged across the strings, the volume and clarity of the E and A, even high up the neck, somehow stands up to the open G and C. In terms of volume from the upper reaches of the neck, I’m not sure I’ve ever played a finer instrument.

The mahogany neck has a satin finish, while fingerboard and bridge are West African ebony, with a bone nut and saddle. The same ebony is used for the headstock veneer, inlaid with Josh’s very stylish logo in mother of pearl. There’s a side soundport for a little more direct volume to the player and the soundhole features inlays in black walnut, koa and mother of pearl again.

The tuners fitted are Waverly geared machines, with ebony buttons. These have quite large gears, allowing for very precise tuning. They take a little getting used to as each turn doesn’t increase/decrease the tuning as rapidly as I am used to - but it does make the tuning very precise. (Just maybe have a peg winder on standby when you change strings!) I know this instrument is not cheap, so you’d not expect a cheap set of tuners - but a set of these costs over £100 alone.

This Josh Rieck tenor ukulele is supplied with an excellent Crossrock hard case, in gloss black. The case too would be about £150 new too. (I realise that it’s stretching things to say that this is any way negates the fact that this is a lot of money to pay… but still, at least it comes with the best gear!)

Everywhere you look too there are tiny little aesthetic features that are subtle enough not to be in your face, but executed well enough to give you a wry smile of admiration. Where the neck joins the body, there’s a delicate curve (which I’ve tried to photograph but perhaps haven’t done justice to), there’s a fine inlay around the fingerboard, and a tiny, dark sliver of an inlaid wood down the back of the neck. All brilliantly done.

Just before writing this, my bandmate Jerry popped in as I was playing this tenor uke. He’s quite difficult to please if I’m honest - but after a while of him telling me how big the sound was, how the sustain up the neck was incredible and how perfectly in balance everything was, I had to shoo him out of the door so I could get on and get the pictures on the website!

Examples like this are difficult to put a price on (well, not so much for me, as I’ve paid for it, so I know the price is correct), but in terms of value and what it means to you. Do you need this ukulele? Almost certainly not, unless you’re a professional performer and even then, it’s not strictly neccesary that your ukulele has to be this good. Is it a lot of money? Of course, yes. Is it worth it? To the right person, yes. It’s an elite level instrument, it’s superb. It’s been made by a fantastic luthier who has spent years perfecting his art, and months slaving away in a workshop to produce this wonderful, living, singing, musical artwork. Yes, it’s a luxury. But it’s not as much money as a luxury watch, or a 50 year old bottle of rare single malt whisky. But it will, I would think, give you more pleasure than those would. (Though in fairness, I’d give the whisky a go and probably have an extremely pleasureable time, at least until the next morning!). I’d say to forego a very expensive hangover and instead go for this Josh Rieck ukulele instead.

If you click additional info below, you’ll find a video demo of the Josh Rieck custom tenor ukulele.