I wouldn't call this a review, but I figured this was the best place for it anyway. I don't want to call it a review because this is technically a second hand instrument, but it still had the Aquila tag dangling from the tuner so it's pretty close to new. 


I was recently gifted a Fishuku FZB1 by a generous UU member, and since there is nothing out there about them...I figured I would share some of my opinions on it. 

The Fishuku is made by Goldfish Guitars. They specialize in budget friendly kid's instruments, and apparently hold the patent on fish shaped instruments. 

The tuners are acceptable. They hold a tune well, but I find them a bit stiff. The action is nice and low, the gloss finish is nice.  No excess glue that I could spot anywhere on the thing. 

The neck is really chunky. It's the fattest neck I've ever seen on a soprano. It reminds me of the neck on the Fleas, but without the pronounced flat spot. The string spacing is also a bit wider then you'd typically see on Kalas and Lanikais. I like my necks to have a bit of chunk to them, so I really enjoy it. Even with the chunky neck, it's a bit body heavy. The fish shape tucks nicely in my arm though, so it doesn't try to float away when I'm playing it. 

For a laminate, it's pretty loud and clear. It's still a laminate, but I have heard a lot worse. 

All in all, I think this uke does exactly what it's supposed to do. It makes you say, OMG a fish uke!  It's eye catching and amusing. I would say, it is a perfectly acceptable novelty ukulele. 

The original owner said he got it for $100 and wanted to sell it for $100. I would quite happily buy this for $100. The Kala ukadelics and watermelon/kiwi/pineapples now retail for around the $80-$90 mark, and in my opinion the Fishuku has a much better build quality and sound. 

In short, if you see a Fishuku swimming around your neighborhood...give it a quick strum. I was pleasantly surprised.