Risa CWS - A Walnut Ukulele

We ended the old year by presenting a banjolele, and we begin the new one with a ukulele review. I can wholeheartedly recommend Risa's concert-size ukulele to anyone: both to someone who does not yet own a uke and wants an instrument that is beautiful in both appearance and sound, and to someone who already owns a ukulele but would like to add a high-quality concert-size instrument to the collection.

The Risa CWS is made with German precision and delights its new owner with what looks - and genuinely is - like a flawless ukulele. The walnut body combined with its spruce top also gives it an unusual appearance compared with the colours we normally associate with ukuleles. The quality of the wood and the Aquila strings give this feather-light little instrument a very clear, strong sound. The first time I held it, I immediately noticed how good it felt to hold it, hug it close, and play it. It can be tuned quickly and easily, the strings are easy to press against the fretboard, and strumming chords feels relaxed and pleasant.

As I also say in the video, this is not an entry-level instrument, and its price reflects that. But if you are not buying on a sudden impulse for a few weeks or months of use, and instead deliberately intend to play the ukulele for years, I can confidently recommend this model. Being concert size, it is a thoroughly unisex uke: men and women will agree with unusual unanimity that its size is just right.

Although I am emotionally committed to a certain brand, that obviously does not mean other manufacturers cannot make excellent ukuleles. That is how I feel about this Risa too. If I happened to be looking for a concert-size ukulele, I would happily choose this one.