hotdogfingers
Well-known member
I've played ukulele for several years at this point and there was always something about the instrument that was missing for me. So what would happen is, I would get obsessed with it for a while, buy and trial a few instruments, decide the size or the sound or the feel just wasn't quite right, and sell them off and stop playing for months.
I was initially attracted to instruments with some bling- the abalone inlay, the fancy bindings or exotic woods. Being perpetually dissatisfied, I inevitably set my sights on less ornate models (usually with a bit higher price tag). Enter the kiwaya kts-4 (stay with me, yes, this is about Ken Timms ukes). I'd heard and read much about these kiwayas and found one for a deal, snatched it up, and although I really, really liked it, I sold it shortly after the purchase having convinced myself that the soprano fretboard was just a bit too small.
I then went on a super soprano spree, but felt that the longer neck somehow detracted from the sound and feel of the traditional soprano neck- I just couldn't get over how much more tension I felt on the strings.
The whole time I was hemming and hawing, I kept hearing about the ukuleles made by Mr. Ken Timms of the UK. I was intrigued. A kiwaya kts-7 made its way into the fold in the midst of this search and I felt (and still feel, even though it's currently for sale) that it is a top-notch instrument. It sounded great, played great, and was beautiful. But then I got my hands on a Timms soprano, style O.
Game over; my UAS has been arrested. What's the big deal, you ask? Here it is.
I actually have 2 Timms ukes- a style 0 and a style 1; they are both superb.
Sound: I won't put a number on any of these ratings; sound is such a subjective thing... When I play and listen to an instrument I find myself asking "is there anything missing? Anything I would like to hear more/less of? Is the tone pleasant to my ear? Is it loud enough?"
My 2 Timms ukes were made from different batches of Mahogany. The style O is an absolute cannon!! It's louder than anything I've ever played and not in an obnoxious way. Both are very responsive to heavy strumming and light finger-picking. Both have excellent tone and sustain, and yes, they ring pretty well all the way up to the 12th fret. There are no 'dead notes' on any of the frets or any of the strings. And no offense meant, but I'm not one to believe that the strings can cure a dead note; I've tried several strings on ukes with dead notes in the past, and the note remained dead regardless of the brand/type of string. So, having 2 ukes made by one guy and his wife with no dead notes demonstrates some pretty good consistency.
And talking strings, I have to admit when I saw that the ukes would be arriving strung with Aquilas, my first thought was "Well, I'll have to change those out pretty much immediately". But that wasn't the case with these 2 instruments. They sound great actually with the aquilas- which is great news because most of the local stores only carry those and the martin flurocarbons; otherwise I have to order out. My beef with aquilas is a long one. I read one reviewer who stated that the strings themselves had a distinct sound, and no matter what instrument you put them on, the characteristics of the strings stand out more than the characteristics of the instrument itself. That, and they squeak. So anyhow- a uke that sounds good with aquilas is pretty much a keeper for me. I don't know how either of the ukes will sound with flurocarbons, but I'm willing to be it will be good.
Playability: best neck I've played, hands down. My hands are fairly large and narrow necks with narrow string spacing never worked for me. I haven't actually measured the necks, but they just slightly beefier than my kiwaya. The action is also slightly higher than my kiwaya, but very playable and comfortable all the way up. The intonation is spot-on. The frets are dressed very nicely. I have zero complaints. It's also nicely balanced.
Tuners: comes with high quality friction tuners. I used to not be a fan of friction tuners, but geared tuners just don't look right on a soprano uke. I can get the ukes in tune with no problem, and they stay in tune with very little adjustment. I like these...
Fit/Finish: awesome. I think Mrs. Timmbuck does the French polish; just beautiful! Very smooth surface. Be careful if you sweat a lot like me- you'll want to wipe that off pretty much immediately. Probably not a finish you would want on a uke you'd take camping because it's just a bit more fragile, but a very well-done piece of the whole. The seams are tight, the rosettes are beautiful, everything feels very solid. A look into the soundhole reveals care and meticulous attention to detail (I think I read that Timmbuck is a retired engineer- it shows in his work)
Value: incredible value! This is uke made almost entirely by 1 person (save the finish of course), so he knows each instrument inside and out. I cannot afford a custom instrument, but I feel like I have 2 of them now. I feel like Mr. Timms is doing the uke community a favor by producing these incredible instruments at affordable prices.
Overall: I've had my Timms ukuleles only a couple of months at this point, so I can't speak to longevity, but I have to think that if properly cared for, there's no reason they won't last as long as any other instrument. Superb build and attention to detail, superb playability, incredible volume and sound (IMO). I'm sold!! If you want an heirloom instrument, keep on the lookout on ebay (that's the only place I know of where he sells these). You won't be disappointed!
I was initially attracted to instruments with some bling- the abalone inlay, the fancy bindings or exotic woods. Being perpetually dissatisfied, I inevitably set my sights on less ornate models (usually with a bit higher price tag). Enter the kiwaya kts-4 (stay with me, yes, this is about Ken Timms ukes). I'd heard and read much about these kiwayas and found one for a deal, snatched it up, and although I really, really liked it, I sold it shortly after the purchase having convinced myself that the soprano fretboard was just a bit too small.
I then went on a super soprano spree, but felt that the longer neck somehow detracted from the sound and feel of the traditional soprano neck- I just couldn't get over how much more tension I felt on the strings.
The whole time I was hemming and hawing, I kept hearing about the ukuleles made by Mr. Ken Timms of the UK. I was intrigued. A kiwaya kts-7 made its way into the fold in the midst of this search and I felt (and still feel, even though it's currently for sale) that it is a top-notch instrument. It sounded great, played great, and was beautiful. But then I got my hands on a Timms soprano, style O.
Game over; my UAS has been arrested. What's the big deal, you ask? Here it is.
I actually have 2 Timms ukes- a style 0 and a style 1; they are both superb.
Sound: I won't put a number on any of these ratings; sound is such a subjective thing... When I play and listen to an instrument I find myself asking "is there anything missing? Anything I would like to hear more/less of? Is the tone pleasant to my ear? Is it loud enough?"
My 2 Timms ukes were made from different batches of Mahogany. The style O is an absolute cannon!! It's louder than anything I've ever played and not in an obnoxious way. Both are very responsive to heavy strumming and light finger-picking. Both have excellent tone and sustain, and yes, they ring pretty well all the way up to the 12th fret. There are no 'dead notes' on any of the frets or any of the strings. And no offense meant, but I'm not one to believe that the strings can cure a dead note; I've tried several strings on ukes with dead notes in the past, and the note remained dead regardless of the brand/type of string. So, having 2 ukes made by one guy and his wife with no dead notes demonstrates some pretty good consistency.
And talking strings, I have to admit when I saw that the ukes would be arriving strung with Aquilas, my first thought was "Well, I'll have to change those out pretty much immediately". But that wasn't the case with these 2 instruments. They sound great actually with the aquilas- which is great news because most of the local stores only carry those and the martin flurocarbons; otherwise I have to order out. My beef with aquilas is a long one. I read one reviewer who stated that the strings themselves had a distinct sound, and no matter what instrument you put them on, the characteristics of the strings stand out more than the characteristics of the instrument itself. That, and they squeak. So anyhow- a uke that sounds good with aquilas is pretty much a keeper for me. I don't know how either of the ukes will sound with flurocarbons, but I'm willing to be it will be good.
Playability: best neck I've played, hands down. My hands are fairly large and narrow necks with narrow string spacing never worked for me. I haven't actually measured the necks, but they just slightly beefier than my kiwaya. The action is also slightly higher than my kiwaya, but very playable and comfortable all the way up. The intonation is spot-on. The frets are dressed very nicely. I have zero complaints. It's also nicely balanced.
Tuners: comes with high quality friction tuners. I used to not be a fan of friction tuners, but geared tuners just don't look right on a soprano uke. I can get the ukes in tune with no problem, and they stay in tune with very little adjustment. I like these...
Fit/Finish: awesome. I think Mrs. Timmbuck does the French polish; just beautiful! Very smooth surface. Be careful if you sweat a lot like me- you'll want to wipe that off pretty much immediately. Probably not a finish you would want on a uke you'd take camping because it's just a bit more fragile, but a very well-done piece of the whole. The seams are tight, the rosettes are beautiful, everything feels very solid. A look into the soundhole reveals care and meticulous attention to detail (I think I read that Timmbuck is a retired engineer- it shows in his work)
Value: incredible value! This is uke made almost entirely by 1 person (save the finish of course), so he knows each instrument inside and out. I cannot afford a custom instrument, but I feel like I have 2 of them now. I feel like Mr. Timms is doing the uke community a favor by producing these incredible instruments at affordable prices.
Overall: I've had my Timms ukuleles only a couple of months at this point, so I can't speak to longevity, but I have to think that if properly cared for, there's no reason they won't last as long as any other instrument. Superb build and attention to detail, superb playability, incredible volume and sound (IMO). I'm sold!! If you want an heirloom instrument, keep on the lookout on ebay (that's the only place I know of where he sells these). You won't be disappointed!
