Brand new Opio, 3rd string is where music goes to die

AndrewKuker said:

Hey Ziret - This thread was sent to me by a customer but I can’t find your email. I had Zach look to and he does emails full time ant this point and he couldn’t find it either. I will call the store when they open and see if they have unchecked messaged. My apologies. You can always call or text me at (808)781-9168 or email andrew@theukulelesite (sorry we are not seeing the previous one!?)

As far as the issue, since it’s a public discussion I’ll let you know here. I just tried a handful of Opio tenors to confirm and it’s that way on them. For almost all of our customers, they love the tone and it’s not an issue. On some level, you build either for volume or sustain. The D# area that is not sustaining is also more punchy so the resonant frequency or overall pitch of the body is causing that to come through stronger for a shorter duration. I know this because if I tune it differently the issue moves to the same frequencies. Tuning down reduces it, and a lighter gauge for that string will reduce it slightly. It happens on some level with pretty much every acoustic instrument but some are more noticeable (usually more projecting/ punchy ones).

You can play with different things inside the body or at the headstock but usually you’ll just move the resonant frequency. It usually ends up somewhere unless you make significant structure changes which will also change the overall tone that you enjoy. One of my personal ukes, an expensive custom built one, is super loud and punchy, but has a few frequencies that just don’t sustain. I love the sound and it doesn’t cause problems for me. I never notice it when just playing and enjoying it, only when checking the notes individually. Most players pick up an Opio and just love the tone and feel and never even hear a problem because it’s not affecting what they are doing. Lots of customers have bought and loved this instrument from us and it sounds just like yours. In fact I can only recall two other people noticing this since we’ve been selling them for the last few years (same thing on the sapele) and many people finding just what they were looking for. So it just depends on the player and generally people don’t have the same criteria. We QC them and set them up to play great but each brand has people that will love them and others that will have issues inherent to their design and sound. We want all our customers to be happy, and have no problem getting it back. If this is an issue for you then I understand and we’ll do whatever you want and work with you to make it a good experience. So just let us know what you’d like to do. I don't normally have time to check in here so please contact me directly. Mahalo.

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Ziret said:

Jason, thank for your Soundcloud page! I didn't hear it, either. I really like your Oh, So Eee Zee. I'm following you now. Not in a stalker way, don't worry. You can still go out at night.

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johnson430 said:

I always felt like fluorocarbon C strings were "thuddy" and not as responsive as the other 3 strings. Have you tried a wound C?

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Mivo said:

I feel the same way about fluorocarbon C strings, but I don't see other people mentioning it often. Glad I'm not alone. Are you using a low-G with it? (Thomastik CF27 for the C and CF30 for the G?) I recently tuned my tenors back to re-entrant tuning, since the guitarlele takes care of my low sound needs (I dislike the nylon C here, too), but I find the thuddy C takes a bit away from my experience. I wonder if using just a wound C would work, with a high-G, but I imagine it might be a little imbalanced (just like a wound low-G with three unwound strings). What are your thoughts?

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johnson430 said:

Yes, for the Breedlove, I am using the TI CF27/CF30 combo with the Savarez Alliance 541R 542R for the E and A. Honestly, I think another 541R tuned to G on the top would make for a nice sound.

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Mivo said:

I think I'll try this, and if it sounds off, I'll just swap in the CF30 for a low-G. Are the Savarez strings part of a specific set? (Looking at this one here.) Otherwise I'd just use the E and A strings from either a Worth brown set or a Martin M620 one.

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Mivo said:

Thanks! I'll grab that Savarez set, since it's the easiest way to get those strings, and if they work I'll see about finding singles. Then again, €26 for a string change (the Thomastik full set is €12), if I go low-G, every half year is an acceptable price if it finally gives me the sound I'm after. For E and A, I'd use the B and E strings from the guitar set?

edit: On a second thought, buying the singles from the site you mentioned would be cheaper in the long run even with international shipping. So if I can't find a European supplier for singles, I'd just do that.

(Sorry, Ziret, for hijacking your thread a little!)

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Ziret said:

Thank you, that was just what I wanted to understand. Don't get me wrong, I love how it sounds in general, and I think you guys did a great job setting it up. But to me, it was SUPER spendy and I go back and forth with bouts of guilt, which doesn't even make sense, but there you go. And because it was spendy, I expected--what? I expected it to not have issues that my Kala doesn't have, I guess.

So given what you've told me, I really have to think about it for a while, if possible. In light of that, I'd also like to ask if really, that third string, third fret or thereabouts has virtually no sustain and the surrounding area has very little on all the Opios? If every Opio is that way, it's something to weighs in my decision. You're saying that if I exchange it, what I get will be just the same?

And thanks for the ideas about minimizing it.

Thanks for your help. I really did leave a message when trying to buy this, and I've left two messages about it since Sunday, plus the unanswered email. I was wondering if someone is too-quickly deleting voicemail messages? Or maybe something is weird with your voicemail service?

PS, yes, I love how it feels and sounds, too.

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johnson430 said:

Ziret.
The uke on the soundcloud sample is my Breedlove. It is an amazing sitka spruce top. Although I put a classical guitar wound C on it. To be honest, a wound C is a game changer for me. I always felt like fluorocarbon C strings were "thuddy" and not as responsive as the other 3 strings. Have you tried a wound C?
Thanks for the compliment and the SoundCloud follow, I made OhSoEeeZee on my Native Instruments Maschine when I couldn't sleep from jet-lag upon arriving in Shanghai, 2011.

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Pueo said:

I have a few ukuleles. A few high-quality ukuleles as well. On exactly four of them I notice sustain that rings like a bell, but not everywhere on the neck. What is funny to me is that I always just considered those ukuleles to have great sustain, and the others just adequate. I guess it's how you perceive it.

Once again Andrew shows us all why he is one of the best retailers in the business.

I am fortunate that I can hop in the car and drive to HMS and play the ukuleles on the wall. I imagine buying such a personal and subjective item as a musical instrument must be difficult without trying it first, especially when it is not a trivial amount of money. Fortunately you did make a good choice in buying it from a vendor that understands these concerns and will do the right thing to satisfy you.

The ensuing string discussion shows again how perception affects sound. I personally dislike wound strings on ukuleles, I find them too boomy and guitar-like. I use Worth Browns for low-G applications as I like both the sound and the feel of them. To each their own, that is why there are so many different types of strings. There are still some I have yet to try that I am curious about, but for now the Worth Browns are what I like. Incidentally, it was Andrew who recommended I try them.

Please let us know what you decide to do, and how it works out. Incidentally, the ukulele I own with the best sustain is a Pono.

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Choirguy said:

I love Andrew's response, and I also wonder if this is true of "regular" KoAloha tenors (or KoAlana for that matter) or if it just an Opio thing.

I'm not bothered by it...still love it and I'd take anyone's Opio that they no longer wanted (if they were giving it away )

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Mivo said:

Trying a wound C on your Opio may actually improve the situation, if you decide to keep it.

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