Pono UL4

bonesoup said:
Instead of Pono UL it should be Pono RD (RakeDave) haha! Very cool guys. Looking forward to your NUDs to see your reactions to having one in your hands. Cheers to John at Pono too.
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Thanks Dan but John and Pono deserve all the credit. John had the same idea that we did. We just bugged him mercilessly while he was working hard to make it happen.

You know boys and their toys..........is it ready yet, is it ready yet. :drool:
 
So will any set of medium or lighter guitar strings work? Is there less variance in steel strings or do people over on the guitar forum have the same impassioned debates on their strings too?
 
MARKbOC said:
So will any set of medium or lighter guitar strings work? Is there less variance in steel strings or do people over on the guitar forum have the same impassioned debates on their strings too?
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I know Andrew said the videos were made with the instrument strung with light gauge strings. He is going to swap them out with medium gauge which should give it a warmer, bassier, more powerful sound. As with ukes a smaller gauge string usually gives less volume and a brighter sound.

Guitar players can be just as impassioned as uke players about strings, string types, gauges, materials etc etc. I think it is common opinion around here you do get a bigger difference in sound between the different ukulele strings vs steel strings.
 
Awesome thx Dave. Should be fun experimenting with steel strings which I know nothing about. looks like I have lots of new knowledge to acquire between now and July! :)
 
Of course, John Kitakis deserves all the credit for designing and producing this new instrument. Nevertheless, our thoughts and comments seem to have had an impact, as it says on the Pono Guitar website:

We are continually trying to experiment with new designs. Sometimes simply because we like to, and sometimes because we receive unusual requests. The new UL 4 string is one that falls into both catagories.
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I can't say enough about how great I think it is that a company like Pono is open for such unusual ideas and striving for new designs that go far beyond tradition.
 
I've been wanting an instrument like this for the longest time. It is great the Pono will have one in the near future, and so will I. :iwant:
 
iDavid said:
I've been wanting an instrument like this for the longest time. It is great the Pono will have one in the near future, and so will I.
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David, I think you may have been the first person to publicly mention the idea of a steel string Nui, about a year ago, when Andrew introduced the new Pono models on his review page. As a matter of fact, your remark was among the things which really got me thinking about the perfect steel string ukulele, and that Pono would be the company to pull this off.
 
Rakelele said:
David, I think you may have been the first person to publicly mention the idea of a steel string Nui, about a year ago, when Andrew introduced the new Pono models on his review page. As a matter of fact, your remark was among the things which really got me thinking about the perfect steel string ukulele, and that Pono would be the company to pull this off.
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Ya, that was me. Ko'olau had a steel string tenor before the Nui. I was hoping that Pono would have a similar model. I think the smaller UL-4 will b more my cup of tea.

Here is the video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDlq_eC4NN0
 
iDavid said:
Ya, that was me. Ko'olau had a steel string tenor before the Nui. I was hoping that Pono would have a similar model. I think the smaller UL-4 will b more my cup of tea.

Here is the video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDlq_eC4NN0
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Oh how I remember that video. When I was first considering tenor guitars I came upon the video of this instrument. I was gobsmacked, dumb founded and in lust, serious lust

Thanks for doing it to me again iDavid............I think :drool:

But I am with you about the smaller size being much better for me. I bought a Blueridge BR 40 TCE that is smaller then the Ko'olau shown and I find it too big. The nut width on the Blueridge is 1-1/8" which I find too cramped, 1-3/8" on the new UL4 will be perfect.
 
I bought a Pono mango baritone and it is one fine instrument. I can't wait to get the UL4. I wonder if you could put a high D on it.
 
Holy smokes, that's such a beautiful sound. If the uku li'i is similar with just a touch more sweetness its going to be an amazing instrument. July can't come soon enough.
 
Hey iDavid

Funny you should ask, Patrick Madsen sent Rainer and I an inquiry asking if we still liked them. Rainers reply, and I quote "In my opinion it is one of the hottest inventions in the world of ukulele and I like mine very much." " It doesn't sound as full as a big guitar but very sweet and pleasing".

That pretty much echos my thoughts as well. I still have my Blueridge tenor guitar and it definitely has a bigger, deeper sound. But it is longer, bigger and deeper in size, much bigger. If someone comes from ukulele or never wants to fight with a big instrument again the Pono UL4 is as comfortable as a baritone to play and absolutely the way to go.

I am not sure what the production schedule is like but Andrew at HMS is great at responding to emails so fire him off an enquire.

L-R : Blueridge, Pono UL4-20, Pono baritone

20160611_074620.jpg
 
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DownUpDave said:
Hey iDavid

Funny you should ask, Patrick Madsen sent Rainer and I an inquiry asking if we still liked them. Rainers reply, and I quote "In my opinion it is one of the hottest inventions in the world of ukulele and I like mine very much." " It doesn't sound as full as a big guitar but very sweet and pleasing".

That pretty much echos my thoughts as well. I still have my Blueridge tenor guitar and it definitely has a bigger, deeper sound. But it is longer, bigger and deeper in size, much bigger. If someone comes from ukulele or never wants to fight with a big instrument again the Pono UL4 is as comfortable as a baritone to play and absolutely the way to go.

I am not sure what the production schedule is like but Andrew at HMS is great at responding to emails so fire him off an enquire.

L-R : Blueridge, Pono UL4-20, Pono baritone

View attachment 91824
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Is a Pono Baritone Nui next? LOL
 
DownUpDave said:
That's a damn good idea.........why didn't I think of it. Maybe you should buy one Simon that way you could turn your other bari into reentrant tuning like you want to
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Ha! I am talking to Andrew about another Pro Classic ... perhaps some tasty Mango ... yum!
 
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