Oscar Schmidt 8-string - Opinions?

Does anyone have any experience with the Oscar Schmidt OU28T or OU28TE 8-string tenor? Have been looking at experimenting with an 8-string and the price for this one seems almost too good.

I have one. Frankly, I had a much more expensive Pono 8 string which I sold when I got this one - there did not seem to be a significant difference between the 2 in sound quality, although the Pono held tune better.

That being said, I find myself looking for a better 8 string, but as a starter experiment, the price makes this one a winner, IMHO. I think I paid about $100 for it new.

I tried one once, they look really nice and are relatively well priced. The tension and feel felt weird (I think its the 8 string aspect) have you played an 8 string before. It requires certian taste I think

I have had a Kamaka,a custom, and the Lanikai [LU-8]. I sold the others and kept the Lanikai. it has a surprisingly thin laminated top, and sounds and plays pretty good for the occasional times I play an 8. Unless it is going to be your main player, I'd just go for an inexpensive one, and those OS are inexpensive!

kwall said:

I tried one once, they look really nice and are relatively well priced. The tension and feel felt weird (I think its the 8 string aspect) have you played an 8 string before. It requires certian taste I think

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I play mandolin, which is why the 8-string ukulele intrigues me.l

Thanks, all! Guess I'll be ordering one tonight.

SteveZ said:

Does anyone have any experience with the Oscar Schmidt OU28T or OU28TE 8-string tenor? Have been looking at experimenting with an 8-string and the price for this one seems almost too good.

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My first 8 string was a pono. I traded it. I was looking at one of the lanikai ones but someone was selling one of these OU 8 stringers so I bought it. Not best sounding but not bad sounding for price.

IMHO, the value 8 string leader is the newish Ohana tenor 8 string with a solid mahogany body and solid spruce top. Chime is awesome. Not the prettiest uke on the block but they can be had for less than $300. I just played one at the Tampa Bay Ukulele Getaway this weekend that Mike at Uke Republic had brought.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhEotOwF7V8

Whenever I go to one of the stores nearby I always noodle the Kala 8 string a bit. I love the sound of it, and it looks great to me. So that's what I'll probably get when I decide to pull the trigger. I haven't tried the Lanikai much yet, and I agree that the Ohana is probably a good bet too.

I wonder if 8 string Ukes make twice as many mistakes as regular ones . . . ld:

PhilUSAFRet said:

IMHO, the value 8 string leader is the newish Ohana tenor 8 string with a solid mahogany body and solid spruce top. Chime is awesome. Not the prettiest uke on the block but they can be had for less than $300. I just played one at the Tampa Bay Ukulele Getaway this weekend that Mike at Uke Republic had brought.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhEotOwF7V8

Click to expand...

One of the few things I miss about GA...Family and UkeRepublic.

I have always been impressed by the Lanikai 8 strings. I am sure that Ohana would make a great one, b/c I think they make a better uke than Lanikai.

I've never played the OS or the "newish" Ohana 8-stringers. The Ohana one looks like is is made from the same mold as the new Lanikai SOT-8. The Lanikai has more bling, but instead of the solid mahogany back and sides, it uses laminated Okume. Don't know how much that affects the sound.

Playing the SOT-8 back-to-back with an older Lanikai O-8, I found the older uke to have a much fuller sound, though perhaps that's due to the top "opening up" over the course of eight years or so. The neck feels a little chunkier and heavier on the SOT-8. Both ukes are the versions with pickups, and on the new SOT-8 the battery is *much* easier to replace, and it has a built-in tuner. Unfortunately, the controls are a bit harder to see in dim light. Makes me think the best uke for me might be an old O-8 without a pickup, so I can get the pickup I want installed in it.

Oh, one other big difference: My old Lanikai fits in *some* tenor cases. The new one, (and I'm betting the newish Ohana) won't fit in any of my tenor cases due to the convex curve on the top of the headstock. I need to use a bari case.

- FiL

I used to have one of the 8 string Oscars. It had really skinny little frets, which together with the doubled strings made fretting notes cleanly a little on the difficult side. I think it was an OK value for the price, but I think it'd probably be better to save a little more to get a slightly better one.

Well, haven't ordered the OS yet. My idea was to experiment with it - retune it to fifths, put a pickup and preamp in it, etc. Basically, the plan was to have it as something to customize. Still thinking about it, but may add a second 8-string to go with it. May have to trade away one of my other ukes for a decent 8-string as well.

I only have played (and own) a Kamaka 8 string......love the sound. I think that the Ohana is a good start, especially if you wat to add stuff to it.