One week ago, I received my first deliberately sought ukulele, the Ohana CK-39! This is pretty exciting for me, as I find it to be a significant upgrade over the cheap Kala soprano that I stumbled into at the start my ukulele journey.
First off, I must admit I am only ~4 months and now 2 ukes in, so bear in mind that this review is the impression of a ukulele novice. However, I do have 30 years of experience as a musician and I'd like to contribute what I can to all of the many helpful folks at UU!
Pics:
Description:
The CK-39 is built in the style of the Martin S3. Solid mahogany top, back, and sides; fancy bindings, purflings, and appointments in maple; a snazzy striped runner down the rosewood fingerboard; Aquila strings; and friction tuners.
Looks:
It might be hard to tell from the poor quality attached images, but this is IMO a very pretty ukulele.
Build Quality:
Overall a very nicely put together instrument. No structural flaws. There are a few slight blemishes, glue marks or debris caught in the finish I can't be sure, but they are small and barely noticable. The friction tuners are a little bit finicky, but they do work well enough.
Sound:
The sound is what I had hoped for from a solid mahogany instrument. It is clear, well rounded, and balanced across the range. It has a noticeably mellower tone than my soprano, but it still has a little bite. The volume was originally somewhat muted, which I found mildly disappointing. Over time, it has opened up and the volume has increased noticeably. Intonation is very good, a huge improvement over my starter uke, but it does go just a tiny tad flat up the neck. Overall the tone is clear and rich. I am definitely pleased with the sound.
Feel:
Action was set by Mim, and it feels very good. Barre chords are easy and the nut makes the first fret barely any more challenging than the rest of the fingerboard.
Price:
$320 USD. Kinda steep, but they say you get what you pay for. I think it was worth it.
Conclusion:
You can call me thoroughly satisfied. Would recommend.
EDIT:
After playing with this ukulele for more than a month, it has opened up and the tone and volume have both improved. I made a few minor edits above regarding this.
First off, I must admit I am only ~4 months and now 2 ukes in, so bear in mind that this review is the impression of a ukulele novice. However, I do have 30 years of experience as a musician and I'd like to contribute what I can to all of the many helpful folks at UU!
Pics:
Description:
The CK-39 is built in the style of the Martin S3. Solid mahogany top, back, and sides; fancy bindings, purflings, and appointments in maple; a snazzy striped runner down the rosewood fingerboard; Aquila strings; and friction tuners.
Looks:
It might be hard to tell from the poor quality attached images, but this is IMO a very pretty ukulele.
Build Quality:
Overall a very nicely put together instrument. No structural flaws. There are a few slight blemishes, glue marks or debris caught in the finish I can't be sure, but they are small and barely noticable. The friction tuners are a little bit finicky, but they do work well enough.
Sound:
The sound is what I had hoped for from a solid mahogany instrument. It is clear, well rounded, and balanced across the range. It has a noticeably mellower tone than my soprano, but it still has a little bite. The volume was originally somewhat muted, which I found mildly disappointing. Over time, it has opened up and the volume has increased noticeably. Intonation is very good, a huge improvement over my starter uke, but it does go just a tiny tad flat up the neck. Overall the tone is clear and rich. I am definitely pleased with the sound.
Feel:
Action was set by Mim, and it feels very good. Barre chords are easy and the nut makes the first fret barely any more challenging than the rest of the fingerboard.
Price:
$320 USD. Kinda steep, but they say you get what you pay for. I think it was worth it.
Conclusion:
You can call me thoroughly satisfied. Would recommend.
EDIT:
After playing with this ukulele for more than a month, it has opened up and the tone and volume have both improved. I made a few minor edits above regarding this.
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