NUD - Outdoor Ukulele Soprano

igorthebarbarian

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Hi again - UAS is creeping back in and plastic seems to be popular around here as summer is quickly coming upon us. People want beach ukes/ travel ukes. And that's part of why I picked up the Outdoor Ukulele Soprano.

I already have the "new" and improved Tenor - NUD here:
http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?117312-NUD-Outdoor-Ukulele-Tenor

So here it is 6 months later and I ordered the Soprano version. I did this because I want to stick this in my backpack for traveling this summer. The Soprano should be easier for that (and cheaper too).

For the price, it's a good deal. I paid just $105, and that's because I added two strap buttons. In retrospect, I probably could've got by with just the bottom-strap button and had it for a nice even $100. A strap button is only $5 and they install right at the factory, so that's a no-brainer upgrade for me.

It shipped quickly to AZ and came in a single-box (not double-boxed). The neck/upper section was nicely bubble-wrapped though. No problems with USPS getting it here to AZ.

Again, I went for the bottle brown color, which I like and prefer to Heineken/Becks green. The camouflage ones they just added look pretty cool; I hope someone tries one of those out. I added a Sherrin's Threads 1" strap and some Flea Market grip strips to instantly "make it mine".

I also swapped out their Rye Rabbit light strings for Worth Brown BM's. Worth BM's are my go-to strings and they sound good on here. I have Worth CT's on the Tenor and they're good over there.

The Tenor feels a little heavy compared to other tenors, but the Soprano is lighter-built and doesn't feel too heavy. Obviously size is different but the Soprano feels a little less bulkier built.

The ABS plastic molded/injection plastic stuff is of a good quality build. It feels very indestructible. It will definitely make a great travel/ beater/ beach uke.

The tuners are nice quality geared ones. They turn easily and seem to hold tuning well. Very easy to use. The bridge is just a slot for knotting the strings and slipping them through - super easy to use. If you hate changing strings, this is a good invention.

Note that a Low G might be a problem since the G slot is very narrow.

The action is low, no buzzing. The Tenor's action seems a little lower and more likely to buzz.

The Tenor initially sounded a little soft/muted/not-loud enough. I don't get that from the Soprano though. It's not a sound cannon, but it's not quiet - somewhere in the middle and that's fine.

I do wonder if it would sound better/punchier if tuned up to high D tuning (ADF#B). But I'm not sure if the plastic is braced for that, and I wouldn't want to warp it.

The neck profile is square in a Flea/Fluke-sort of way, but not as thick or uncomfortable as I find the Flea's/Fluke's. The Soprano's is less thick than the Tenor's, so it's quite nice. Since it's plastic, it is very easy to slide up/down the neck.

In summary, they basically took the new-and-improved Tenor version and mini-sized it down into a Soprano. Success! Made in the USA too.
 
Have you had first had experience with the Waterman or the Bugsgear plastic ukes, and can compare the Outdoor soprano to it? :) I finally caved and ordered a Waterman last night (should be here in a couple days) because I wanted something soprano-sized for the desk, kitchen, garden etc that requires zero protection and maintenance. The Outdoor one would have cost more than twice as much (plus having to import it), so I was curious how it compares.
 
Congrats and thanks for the review!

...I ordered the same one last night.
 
Hi Mivo, no I have not yet had a chance to check out either the Waterman or the BugsGear Aqualele. I would love to though. I have heard mixed things about the Waterman, but they are very reasonably priced. I think the Aqualele looks cool, is a Concert-sized, which is cool too. They may be a little heavy/overbuilt. But I do like that side sound-hole port. I don't care for the really loud colors though on the Aqualele.

I do love the look of the Waterman's with the swirled colors on the back. Those look like vintage bowling balls to me.

Living in AZ, I'm all about the lazy when it comes taking care of ukes.

I can only imagine the costs - and time/shipping/VAT - of living in Germany have to really add up when buying any of these items. Good luck. Please post pics when you get it.

Have you had first had experience with the Waterman or the Bugsgear plastic ukes, and can compare the Outdoor soprano to it? :) I finally caved and ordered a Waterman last night (should be here in a couple days) because I wanted something soprano-sized for the desk, kitchen, garden etc that requires zero protection and maintenance. The Outdoor one would have cost more than twice as much (plus having to import it), so I was curious how it compares.
 
Beat me to reviewing my OU green soprano....

All over I was pleasantly impressed and also quite surprised at how loud it is.

The reason I held back from writing a review was because the uke I recieved had a QC issue where the soundboard was not correctly glued to the sides on the bottom bout approx 2" or so. I consulted the OU people and they were astounded it got past their QC measures. Once they recovered they advised using high impact slow cure epoxy to fix it. I did as advised and it has been issue free since then. I think my problem was a rarity, the OU folks were more than interested in making sure I was happy and satisfied with the transaction.
 
Congrats, they seem to be quality ukes from what Ive read. I'd like the bottle green one ;)
 
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Hmm. This thread is relevant to my interests. I am looking to purchase a new uke soon and one of the things I am looking for is something that will do well with changes in climate and altitude. Something that will travel well and take some knocks.

I was planning on getting a lower-end, laminated wood uke...something that wouldn't be so valuable or prone to being affected by temperature, humidity, etc.

Of course I have known about older plastic ukes such as the Macaferris and I've played several Flukes over the years, but I didn't realize there were others in production at the moment. This is very cool news.

I wish they made a concert size!
 
Hi Mivo, no I have not yet had a chance to check out either the Waterman or the BugsGear Aqualele. I would love to though. I have heard mixed things about the Waterman, but they are very reasonably priced.

I went with the Waterman since it's the only one that is locally available here in Germany, and not even particularly well. Found a regional music store on eBay that had a few, so I grabbed the all-clear model. The alternatives were the 1950s plastic white top ones, and I figured the see-through model may appeal more. I'd have taken one of the "glow in the dark" neon ones, or the swirly backed models you mentioned, but those weren't available.

Climate-wise I'm fine here, but I noticed how often I sit at my desk, have a few minutes of downtime and think "I could noddle a bit!", but then don't do it because I don't want to bother with the case and the strap for just the short period I'd play. Same with the kitchen when I cook or wait for something to get ready: it's not the place where you'd want to play a higher end instrument. So I hope the Waterman will be suited for those purposes. It should arrive tomorrow. :) (This forum has the tendency to trigger purchases! At least in this case it's genuinely inexpensive and not only "a good deal" (that still costs hundreds!)).
 
Actually, my Waterman came today already, just not with the delivery service they had claimed to have shipped it with.

Interesting uke. I'll post a NUD about it when the strings have settled. Those Super Nylguts seem to stretch like a ballerina.
 
Congratulations! It sure looks woody!
 
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