Beach ukulele

Ukulelerick9255

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Let the opinions begin....I need a ukulele to take places like the beach where I'd never take my Beau Hannam custom uke. So here's the question....you have $500 to spend on a tenor uke, what are you buying? Just a couple of things that are preferences....gloss finish, slotted headstock, and not a fan of Mahogany....none of these are deal breakers. No laminates that's a deal breaker. Let the suggestions begin. Electronics would be nice but not necessary as I will be playing it outside mostly anyway.
 
I've found my Blackbird tenor is great. It's carbon fiber so no moisture problems and stays in tune. It's more than $500 but you might look for a used one. It sounds good no matter where I'm at. Sounds like you might be looking for wood.
 
How about an HPL laminate instead of a traditional laminate? After buying the Enya EUR-X1, I'd certainly recommend the Enya X1 Tenor Ukulele or $140, with electronics, from Amazon. Then save up the left over $360 towards the next ukulele.
 
You must live a pretty plush beach lifestyle. Personally, I don't really see the point of a beach uke that's less than waterproof these days. Rain: check. Sand: check. Saltwater: check. Careless want-to-tryers: check. It won't sound as good or probably play as good, but boy, to just chuck it around without worry is a joy.

I'm pretty thrilled with the durability of my Outdoor uke. It's not perfect and I hope that they continue to evolve their line of products, but for $150 it's a cool piece of gear. It went 6km around NZ with me this past month and a half in the back of my van. No case on the plane or in the car.
 
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My Bonanza HPL concert is my outdoor uke. Strapped on my whitewater raft or packed inside my sea kayak. It survived a week long rafting trip with three teenage girls playing it a few weeks ago. It's sturdy and fun to play. Has it's own unique sound that I'm getting to love more & more as I play it. To me personally, a $500, solid wood ukulele would never go to the beach.
 
As Raftergirl said the Bonaza has a body made from HPL which is not effected by moisture, its counter top material. They now have a Corian finger board, think Magic Fluke plastic finger board with internal frets but made from Corian. Even though the neck is wood the corian fingerboard and frets will always remain stable. Bazmaz at Gotauke just did a review.

I understand wanting an all solid wood great souding and playing uke for the out of doors but the actual beach is a bitch on instruments, sand gets everywhere, like in the tuners. I had a Pono pro classic cedar and macassar ebony as a travel uke. I took it car camping many times, but never to the beach. It lived in its hardcase when not being played so I did baby it, couldn't just toss it around and drop it on the ground or in the sand.

If you are set on what you have specified just keep looking on the Market place for something used and a bit banged up.
 
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In my experience, and my beach ukulele has spent plenty of time on the beach, is not the wood, but the tuners. You can wipe rain and sand off of most any Uke, but the salt air plays hell with the tuners.
 
Hmm... Rlink raises an excellent point. Got to ponder tuners for my play anywhere design. Echoing all of the above, there are a host of good options made these days for beach use. You might want to reconsider your solid wood criteria. In any case you're going to want to keep it out of direct sun when not being played. A gig bag is fine for that -- but not a black one (it's an oven). Also, no metal zippers -- they die an early death in a marine environment.
 
Hmm... Rlink raises an excellent point. Got to ponder tuners for my play anywhere design. Echoing all of the above, there are a host of good options made these days for beach use. You might want to reconsider your solid wood criteria. In any case you're going to want to keep it out of direct sun when not being played. A gig bag is fine for that -- but not a black one (it's an oven). Also, no metal zippers -- they die an early death in a marine environment.
This is what they look like after four years. They are still working though.
IMAG1386.jpgIMAG1383.jpgIMAG1382.jpg

The wood is fine. No problems there, despite rain, wind, and sea spray.
 
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My Bonanza will be 99% around fresh water, but good head-up on the tuners. Near lakes or rivers it can get pretty damp in the mornings. I'll keep an eye on them
 
I wonder if someone makes aluminum tuning heads? Are Gotoh's? Also...Rollie...did you ever say what you are going to buy? And are you coming up for the fall ukulele day with Lil' Rev in November? With school starting back next week...looks like this summer slipped away from me.
 
I just got an Ohana TK70R. Rosewood laminate body with a solid spruce top.
Street price is about $180. This a super uke and nice to look at too. Plays like a dream.
It is a great take anywhere uke for any level of player. I also believe this is a super starter uke, as it will keep a beginner challenged until UAS sets in. I use my Blackbird Clara at the beach on a regular basis.
 
I wonder if someone makes aluminum tuning heads? Are Gotoh's? Also...Rollie...did you ever say what you are going to buy? And are you coming up for the fall ukulele day with Lil' Rev in November? With school starting back next week...looks like this summer slipped away from me.
I have not decided what I want yet. Yes, I plan to come up in November. I'm actually waiting on buying anything until then, because there was such a variety of ukuleles for sale that I want to see what is there before I buy something. Besides, that gives me more time to talk about it. And yes, the summer got away from us. As far as the tuners, about two years ago I realized that I was losing the battle, so every once in a while I put a little 3 in 1 oil on them and I have a brush that I work the oil into ever cranny, then wipe off the excess. But they are still working, and I'm just going to keep hauling it out there until they won't work any more and then worry about replacing them. I'm interested to see how long that takes.
 
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This is an easy one. Fluke or Flea with plastic fretboard, but Peghed tuners. Done!
Pegheds are mostly Aluminum and plastic on the outside.
 
In my experience, and my beach ukulele has spent plenty of time on the beach, is not the wood, but the tuners. You can wipe rain and sand off of most any Uke, but the salt air plays hell with the tuners.

Good point Rlink. My guess is that the original beach ukuleles were solid koa with friction tuners. And, in an emergency, wood floats! ;)
 
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I'd be too worried about anything wood myself.

I know this does not satisfy the criteria of the OP, but...

For me, if the playability and tone of the Outdoor Ukulele was good enough, I'd likely go with that and replace the tuners with either sealed-geared tuners, or Gotoh UPT tuners, with are also sealed with the hope that the sea salt cannot get inside and corrode the gears. Barring that, with the existing tuners, I'd put a copious amount of lubrication on them before exposing them, something like bearing grease or even vaseline, and regularly check or re-apply as needed.

However, replacement tuners, similar to the originals on the OU, with the SAME mounting hole positions, are available on Amazon for about $5 or on CB Gitty for about $10 per set of four, so if they need to be replaced, it's not a big cost, and takes maybe no more than 20 minutes total if you have to remove and replace the strings with a manual string winder, and the only tool needed is a phillips head screwdriver.

Either an HPL uke as mentioned would be my second choice with similar considerations for the tuners.

My Fluke and Flea ukes are my favorites and I would consider taking them to a sea-salt environment a level of abuse that I would not subject them to.

Standard friction tuners are not an option for me, under ANY circumstances. I hate them with a passion, and the frustration they cause. Easier to use and modern replacements are everywhere, so if one were to suggest friction tuners, please understand that they are not now, nor will be anything I will want to use. That's just me.

Please understand that I am not judging nor condescending folks that love friction tuners, but I prefer literally ANYTHING else. :)
 
ahoy

Outdoor Uke,
price is right
takes abuse in stride

really like my green soprano
check their web site

yours truly
mac
 
I know you don't want to go laminate, but as a fellow beach bum I'll suggest it anyway. You don't have to go for an over the top laminate koa that shines like a lighthouse (that's my baby :p), you could get one with a nice satin finish! Honestly as a street musician, beach bum and wandering soul I would never take an uke out in public that's not laminate. You will get every rude idiot within a five mile radius wanting to touch it, or take a picture with it, or break it somehow... the list is endless. Plus, if somebody's unmannered child decides to dump a bucket of sand or water over you (which has happened to me, control your damn munchkins people), you're gonna have a bad time. I would suggest buying one of the nicer laminates available, and put the rest towards your next uke :D
 
I'd be too worried about anything wood myself.


For me, if the playability and tone of the Outdoor Ukulele was good enough, I'd likely go with that and replace the tuners with either sealed-geared tuners, or Gotoh UPT tuners, with are also sealed with the hope that the sea salt cannot get inside and corrode the gears. Barring that, with the existing tuners, I'd put a copious amount of lubrication on them before exposing them, something like bearing grease or even vaseline, and regularly check or re-apply as need.

Standard friction tuners are not an option for me, under ANY circumstances. I hate them with a passion, and the frustration they cause. Easier to use and modern replacements are everywhere, so if one were to suggest friction tuners, please understand that they are not now, nor will be anything I will want to use. That's just me.

Please understand that I am not judging nor condescending folks that love friction tuners, but I prefer literally ANYTHING else. :)
Well, the nice thing about wood is that it doesn't rust.
Any kind of grease smeared on the tuners is going to just attract sand and grind it into the gears. But when my tuners finally give it up, I'll will go with sealed tuners instead of the open ones. But honestly, in a beach environment, all you can do is slow it down a little. Sooner or later the salt eats everything. I mean, you just have to understand that a beach uke is not going to live forever. That's why they sell new ones.
 
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