Outdoor v. Enya v. Fluke Tenors

Uke Don

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This isn’t really a review but a comparison. There are plenty of thorough reviews out there of these ukes. But, there has been quite a bit of discussion lately about the Outdoor Ukulele and the Enya X1. Since I now have all three of the tenor ukes in the title I thought it might be useful to do some comparisons. Most folks buying one of these are looking for a durable take anywhere instrument. That was my purpose, and I kept buying another uke until I was satisfied.

Let me say upfront that I know there will be differing opinions, and that these are just mine. Please don’t take it personally or feel a need to flame me if we don’t share the same views. I’ve had the unlimited opportunity to play all of these back to back in my own home and these are my observations (and not what I expected).

The executive summary is that of the three, the only one I would recommend is the Outdoor Uke.

Outdoor Clear Tenor with upgraded Tuners
ConstructionPolycarbonate – indestructible. Well made.Well made. Laminate is somewhat brittle.Fit and finish are just OK. Feels like exactly what it is.
PlayabilityFeels like a real uke. 1.5” (38mm) nut. Easy to play and just feels good.Good. Slightly radiused fingerboard. The plastic fretboard and the ¾” lumber neck are unimpressive. Harder to play as a result.
TunersDon’t bother to upgrade. The basic ones should work just as well. The upgrade does have plastic bushings, but they are no smoother in use. And the knob shape is annoying. Plastic tuner body with metal gears on a slotted headstock. They work surprisingly well. Don’t know how long they will last.The standard Grover friction pegs are terrible. I don’t understand why Grover would even make these they are so bad. I changed them out for Grover geared 8Ns.
SoundVery pleasant and balanced sound. Does not sound “plastic”. Not as loud as the Fluke but a lot louder that the Enya.Terribly unbalanced, but not unpleasant. Very quiet (see below).My least favorite, and to me harsh, hollow and plastic sounding. A great disappointment. The wood soundboard seems to make little difference. It is loud though.
SetupNo issuesNo significant issues. Neck relief a bit high.No issues.
IntonationGoodGoodGood

[td]Enya EUT- X1 Tenor[/td]
[td]Fluke Standard Walnut Tenor[/td]


Overall I’m very pleased with the Outdoor Tenor. It plays well, feels like a real uke and I like the sound. The neck shape, fretboard feel and slightly wider nut all make for an enjoyable playing experience. I was most disappointed with the Fluke. I know I’m swimming upstream with this, because there are so many glowing recommendations for it. I bought it based on that. Maybe it was the best available when it was first introduced, but other choices are now possible. I already have to be subjected to my own playing. I’m not going to make it worse with an instrument I don’t like the feel or sound of. Besides, it is twice the price of the Outdoor or Enya. I find it amazing that you can pay nearly $500 for the top of the line model. Given its construction I can’t in any way justify even the base price, made in the USA or not.

Regarding the Enya being very quiet, when I went to measure the sound level to see how much quieter it was than my wood ukes I discovered that the laminate just sucks up the high notes. The A string measured a full 10 db lower than the C. So the high strings sound half as loud. No wonder it’s quiet.

What also surprised me is that none of these instruments required any setup. They all had proper nut and saddle height, and except for the Enya being a little high in neck relief, they were great right from the box. Speaking of the Enya, I’ve had it several months now and there has been absolutely no change in neck relief. I know neck warping has been reported by one other UU member, but I have not seen it.

Hopefully this probably overly long post will be useful to some. At least it was educational for me to have all three to compare.
 
Thanks. I've wondered about this. Nice chart, too! Now we'll see what everyone else says.
 
Since baz has reviewed all three, it'll be interesting to see if he weighs in.
 
Thanks for putting together this well thought out comparison. The chart is quite helpful in seeing how each measures up, and confirms my thoughts about one day acquiring an Outdoor uke.
 
Thanks for posting your impression.
I may have to look at an Outdoor ukulele now.
As you know the Fluke has a legion of rabid fans, including me, but I understand that not everyone is not going to love them.
Thanks again for your honest opinion.

I do like the Enyas we have bought, not on the same par as Flukes, but very decent and a good value. Especially if bought on sale.
 
Thanks for the comparison!! This will come in very handy. OU seems to be the hot ticket on the forums right now.
 
Very good review, a new standard of excellence in very useful information.

A friend of mine has both the tenor and soprano Outdoor Uke, I am a tenor guy through and through but thought the soprano sounded better of the two. This is only because I felt the tenor was on the quiet side for a tenor sized instrument.

I own three Enya X1, a round body soprano, pineapple soprano and concert w-pickup. The round body is quiet and mellow, the concert is slightly quieter than other concerts but has a nice tone and the high notes are more evident then the two sopranos. The pick up in it is great, seriously. The pineapple is a winner, more volume then the round body, again on the warm mellow side but very resonant. You made a great observation with your results about lack of high tones

Thanks again for "sticking" your neck out and doing an honest review.
 
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Thanks everyone for being so supportive. I knew I was sticking my neck out a bit, and as as I said, the results were not what I expected. I was so disappointed and so surprised by the Fluke. I don't like being negative, but I had to call it as I saw it.

Regarding the Enya, it's really not bad, just quiet. If it weren't for the Outdoor, I could be happy with it as a take anywhere uke. Besides, I'm a real sucker for a slotted head stock. I think if their wooden models are made as well as the HPL laminate they would be a viable option in an inexpensive uke.

The Outdoor was also a real surprise. I expected a very hollow sounding uke that was just OK, sort of like an upgraded Waterman. That was not the case at all and I actually enjoy playing it. It's not perfect, and I'm going to try some brighter strings on it and likely change the tuners to Grover 8Ns, but I'm satisfied.
 
No comment.

(oh the IRONY, LOL)

see here.
 
I respect all three brands and own ukuleles from two of the companies. I love my Outdoor Ukuleles, but it would be a mistake to not point out that there is a plastic sound on them—as well as a percussive sound. I can’t speak to Flukes and Fleas as I don’t have one—but I would imagine that they have less of that sound with the wood soundboard (laminate or solid). There is a distinct difference between my old Ukadelic (built like the Dolphin/Shark versus the Waterman-like models sold today) and my Outdoor Sopranos. The Ukadelic is more “ukish” if that makes sense. But I don’t hold the Outdoor sound against it in any way.

All that is to say that I would expect a Fluke/Flea to sound more like a traditional wood ukulele.
 
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I have had a outdoor tenor for some time now. It stays in my unheated travel trailer and is generally in tune and ready to play whenever I pick it up. Sounds good not great and with some caution should be indestructible just the right fit for a campfire ukulele. I play compass roses and breedloves along with kamakas so that it stand up at all is a pretty good thing. I use their rabbit strings some may sound better but you need a string that is not affected by moisture for my use. If it ain't broke don't fix it.:rolleyes:
 
I do like the Enyas we have bought, not on the same par as Flukes, but very decent and a good value. Especially if bought on sale.

I bought an Enya concert temporarily on sale on Amazon. It was $18.21 delivered, with case, very good tuner, strings, etc. How could I go wrong? I also got an Enya tenor that I'm (eventually) converting to a resonator uke.
 
For what it's worth, I realize that these things are always SO subjective and everyone seems to have a different opinion.

But, I don't currently own a flea or fluke, but had previously and have played a number of them over the years. My feelings about these instruments are much more positive than your assessment. I have always been very impressed with how good they sound and play. Intonation and action is always pretty much dead on. While I would probably prefer the wood fingerboard, the plastic one feels fine and works well. The sound is a bit different than a solid wood uke (just as laminates sound different than a solid instrument) but I always thought the sound was very pleasing and well balanced and with good projection. I generally prefer different strings than what they supply stock, but that is my own preference.

I realize that folks have different preferences and I think they are a fine choice for many people. They are very durable and great as an all around instrument.
 
Since baz has reviewed all three, it'll be interesting to see if he weighs in.

I haven’t reviewed all three. Never reviewed an outdoor, only reviewed the soprano Enya. Do own a Fluke though!

What I would say though is that they are all so completely different it’s hard to compare them. Full plastic vs full HPL vs bowl back wooden top boat paddle shape.. apples and oranges
 
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I don’t think he has reviewed the Outdoor Ukulele.

True. I did ask them to feature several times and they kept putting me off. Then after all had gone quiet they started spamming comments on several of my YouTube videos. When I called them out on it they got hyper aggressive. Never heard from them again, so it’s fair to say you will never see one on GAU.

I’m not going to lose sleep over it...
 
True. I did ask them to feature several times and they kept putting me off. Then after all had gone quiet they started spamming comments on several of my YouTube videos. When I called them out on it they got hyper aggressive. Never heard from them again, so it’s fair to say you will never see one on GAU.

I’m not going to lose sleep over it...

Wow! Baz, that sounds really bad, and totally uncalled for from such a fledgling new company.

Especially since your review would have given them wide exposure. I am truly shocked at such unprofessional behavior from OU.

I don't blame you for not wanting to deal with them any more. Thanks for sharing this info.

You are a true gentleman and professional for not saying anything until now, and also for not bad-mouthing them because of your experience.

They are still going to be at a huge loss for missing out being in your reviews on GAU.
 
I agree wholeheartedly with Booli. Was really considering a OU for rough and tumble use. And thought it was a plus that they are not far a way from me. But after Barry's issues........... A big NOPE.

Booli and Barry,

Just want to pass on appreciation to both of you for sharing your insights, skills and experience with us all.

Steve.
 
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