I love wood, and I've worked with a whole lot of it over the years. On the other hand, wood has limitations as a material for instruments. Most of us realize that wooden ukes require greater care than -- for example -- laminates.
One of the things that concerns me (and the reason behind this post) is the sort of generalized thinking that a solid wood instrument will be better than something made out of high pressure laminate, or some other alternative material -- particularly when this thinking is passed along as gospel to beginning players/buyers.
Ukes made from alternative like laminates, plastics, carbon fiber or others should not suffer from being labeled as inferior. Some will tell you -- with great authority -- that wood is the only proper material and that anything else is nothing more than congealed snot.
Wood is -- by its wonderful nature -- a highly variable material. For reasons having to do with species, weather during growth, mineral content of water/soil, how it's cut from the log, how it's seasoned and a host of other factors, any given piece of wood will have its own "fingerprint" when it comes to producing sound.
In the hands of a skilled builder this is all taken into account. The thickness can be varied and even the bracing pattern tweaked to coax the desired sound out of an individual piece.
That's not how most wooden ukes are built. So, here's the thing:
Laminates are relatively consistent when compared to wood. That allows a maker to optimize things like plate thickness, bracing pattern/density/thickness, etc. to work well with the material -- and that result will be repeatable.
In other words, a well made laminate uke well often be cheaper and sound better than a factory made comparable of solid wood. Moreover, particularly for beginners, it will be the sort of instrument that you can leave out on the table, toss into the car and take to the beach.
There are some makers of wooden instruments who have elevated the craft to an art -- and such instruments are well worth owning. However, instruments of that sort deserve thoughtful care. I have yet to meet anyone who could actually play a high-end uke while it resided inside a humidity controlled case.
If playing is your thing, a well made non-wood instrument may well be your best bet. Even if you are bitten by the collecting bug, you will likely find that a non-wood instrument is the one you play the most.
These forum are filled with folks looking to "move-up" to a solid wood instrument -- and that's fine. However, nobody should feel in the least inferior -- or deprived -- for playing a well made alternative. If music on the go is your thing it may well be the superior option!
One of the things that concerns me (and the reason behind this post) is the sort of generalized thinking that a solid wood instrument will be better than something made out of high pressure laminate, or some other alternative material -- particularly when this thinking is passed along as gospel to beginning players/buyers.
Ukes made from alternative like laminates, plastics, carbon fiber or others should not suffer from being labeled as inferior. Some will tell you -- with great authority -- that wood is the only proper material and that anything else is nothing more than congealed snot.
Wood is -- by its wonderful nature -- a highly variable material. For reasons having to do with species, weather during growth, mineral content of water/soil, how it's cut from the log, how it's seasoned and a host of other factors, any given piece of wood will have its own "fingerprint" when it comes to producing sound.
In the hands of a skilled builder this is all taken into account. The thickness can be varied and even the bracing pattern tweaked to coax the desired sound out of an individual piece.
That's not how most wooden ukes are built. So, here's the thing:
Laminates are relatively consistent when compared to wood. That allows a maker to optimize things like plate thickness, bracing pattern/density/thickness, etc. to work well with the material -- and that result will be repeatable.
In other words, a well made laminate uke well often be cheaper and sound better than a factory made comparable of solid wood. Moreover, particularly for beginners, it will be the sort of instrument that you can leave out on the table, toss into the car and take to the beach.
There are some makers of wooden instruments who have elevated the craft to an art -- and such instruments are well worth owning. However, instruments of that sort deserve thoughtful care. I have yet to meet anyone who could actually play a high-end uke while it resided inside a humidity controlled case.
If playing is your thing, a well made non-wood instrument may well be your best bet. Even if you are bitten by the collecting bug, you will likely find that a non-wood instrument is the one you play the most.
These forum are filled with folks looking to "move-up" to a solid wood instrument -- and that's fine. However, nobody should feel in the least inferior -- or deprived -- for playing a well made alternative. If music on the go is your thing it may well be the superior option!