Mid-Range Ukes: Opio, Pono, Ohana, Kala

jimt123

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Hello,

I hope this is in the proper subforum:
I've been browsing HMS, mim's ukes, etc for a mid range (<$700ish USD) ukulele to replace my Islander MT4. I want to take my playing more seriously, especially now that I am finishing grad school.

I'm looking mostly at Ponos (AT,MT,MGT, and AT-CR) and Opios (Spruce and all acacia). I must admit that I haven’t delved much into the higher-end Kala, Ohana, Mainland, Romero, etc ukes.

I'm looking for a well rounded uke; somewhat bright with good note definition, as well as lots of sustain/resonance. My MT-4 feels somewhat boomy or muddy in the lower register, and it is also very percussive and lacking significant sustain that some other ukes have (although ukes are percussive in nature).

Unfortunately, I have not been able to play or hear many ukuleles in person. I do live near Elderly Instruments in Michigan, which is supposed to have a good selection; but they do not have many ukes in my price point that I am interested in.

I like the look of acacia and mango especially with a matte/satin finish, but would be willing to consider other woods based upon tone.

I also like the concept of the truss rod on the pono.

Am I narrowing my fields too much?

Does anyone have any videos/audio directly comparing any of these ukes (ideally opio/pono, or Opio spruce vs opio acacia)?

Thanks in advance!
 
Your post shows that you have given this a lot of thought and came to the right conclusions. I think you will be very happy with a Pono.
 
My one & only uke in that price range is a long neck concert Opio, & I chose it in preference to a Pono. ;)

We all like different things, & I found that I liked the Opio Acacia sound, especially with Living Water Fluorocarbon Low G strings on it, not in the least bit 'muddy' sounding, but very clear sounding, & it seems to be getting better as it settles in too. :)

Buying this uke also seems to have cured my UAS, I'm no longer looking for 'the one', as I believe I have now found it. :D

P.S. I still like my solid mahogany ukes too.
 
@Kamaaina1: I haven't really put too much consideration into the Martin Ukes... In guitars, I've always preferred Taylor to Martin, and thus never really thought about it for ukes. Also, Martin always seems to skew farther away from the "value for money" type uke that I'm shooting for. I will look into them further though.

@Rakelele: You seem pretty definitive on the Pono, do you have any specific reason why you would choose that over the Opio? I believe from some of your previous posts that you own both... just wondering your thoughts. Any thoughts with respect to woods? The Opio seems brighter and more resonant to me, which is appealing. But, I bought my first uke from HMS and I can't help but swoon over the idea of a Pono.

@Croaky Keith: That's the tough place I'm in. It's especially confusing given the fact that Opio comes typically with Fluorocarbon and Low G, while Pono comes with nylon (wound c string... yuck) and high G.

The difficulty I'm having has to do with lack of direct comparability between the two ukes to make a decision. This is especially cloudy when there are 2 Opio models, and 4 pono models/wood choices in my price range.

I like the chime/bell sound of the opio, but the pono also seems to have great note clarity as well.

Am I missing anything that could help sway me to a decision?
 
I think it will come down to sound. Can you play both? I don’t think I can classify a Pono “sound,” but I certainly can classify a KoAloha sound. Yes, there is a difference depending on tone woods, but there is also a distinct quality through all of the KoAlohas I have played and heard. The twist is that you may not like that quality and prefer the Pono.

The Pono may bring extra features like a truss rod and a radius fretboard.

In reality, if all we had was one or the other, we would be happy.
 
When I bought my KoAloha, I was looking for a different sound to my mahogany ukes,

So I was looking at examples of acacia, & I thought the KoAloha sound much nicer, to my ear, than the Pono.

But you may be looking for a totally different sound than I was, & unfortunately, or maybe that is fortunately, we hear differently to one another, so what suits me may not suit you. Only you can decide that. :)
 
@Choirguy: I wholeheartedly agree. Unfortunately, I am unable to play both. I don't know of any retailers that sell pono near me, and Elderly only sells Koaloha, not opio. I agree that pono tends to lack a certain "familial sound" if you will, but I have enjoyed most of their sounds. Of the K brand clips that I've listened to from HMS, I've preferred the clarity and brightness of Koaloha over things like Kanile'a and Kamaka.. So I would definitely say that I enjoy the Koaloha sound. I do agree that I would be happy with either, but as a graduate soon to face student loans; I want to make the best purchase I can :D. I think, in my case, that more careful listening will be the best way to decide.

@Croaky Keith: I think my lack of playing other ukes is the baseline knowledge I'm missing to help me make a decision.

I think the easiest way to buy would be to hear side-by-side audio comparisons: if anyone has any, I'd love to listen!

FWIW I emailed both Mim and HMS and got two completely different answers from sending both of them an identical email. Mim stated that she would take the Opio and run. Andrew stated that he would definitely go with a Pono. I respect both retailers and both of their opinions. I just wish they could have been in agreement :eek:
 
I think the Taylor/Martin comparison has some applicability here. I consider Taylor modern, consistent and I prefer the sound. Martin is old school, traditional, and in the case of ukes (guitars, too, in many cases) not a good value for the money. I prefer the Pono for some of the same reasons I prefer Taylor. Radiused fret board in most models, truss rod, cities compliant woods, etc. For me way easier to play, many more wood choices, high quality consistent construction. I've not owned an Opio, mostly because the esthetics do not appeal to me.

Be careful in making generalizations from the HMS sound samples. Different players who all have different styles, different music, different strings, on most every sample. And you need very high quality headphones or speakers to really discern the difference.
 
You will never ever ever be able to come to a 100% solid conclusion based on HMS sound samples. They are the best sound samples out there by far but Corey and Kalei have such different playing styles as to make the same instrument sound different.

Based on what you have said you would be happy with both instruments. They are quite different in their sound characteristics, but have similarities. Both are resonant with a big sound, Opio possibly more so in high G. Ponos seem to suite low G very very well. What tuning and type of music do you like
 
You cannot go wrong with either. A quality instrument will help lead you on your musical quest. When it comes to sound samples from HMS, YouTube, phone, SoundCloud etc., I can say my ear has never deceived me. I either lean toward or against and when I've actually played some of those instruments after hearing sound samples my impression stayed the same.

I too faced the Pono KoAloha dual. For me I chose KoAloha because of the sound, and at the time it was sapele ( mahogany) which my ear preferred. Pono's have a heavier build and thicker neck. KoAloha is light as a feather. That said, I once played a soprano Pono that I fell in love with. And at one time had a KoAloha acacia that I just could not enjoy. The tone, the look, the feel didn't please me. It's very subjective from instrument to instrument. I love the chimey bell tone of my spruce maple soprano. I was surprised that a spruce Maple concert didn't deliver a similar chime. But it does deliver clear note separation. It's like asking what's the best flavor ice cream, or best tasting food. Only you can define what matters the most. FWIW, I agree that Kamaka and Kanilea don't thrill.

When it came to that big decision I spoke to Andrew who gave me the best advice "get the one that's in your heart." You have done all the right research, and you are asking the right questions. I think you are leaning towards Pono. I think you will enjoy the look, the feel, the build, and as for tone you have more choices.

Of course you will have to tell us all what you ultimately choose, and what your impressions are when you have "the one". To avoid UAS affliction, I highly recommend you stop flirting once you make your choice. If indeed UAS catches you, we are here for you. We will be eager to share ruminations, flirtations and conflicting opinions to confuse you even more. But that's all part of the fun, and journey through the learning process.

Ultimately it's not what you got, but what you do with it. Play every day and keep exploring.
 
@Rakelele: You seem pretty definitive on the Pono, do you have any specific reason why you would choose that over the Opio? I believe from some of your previous posts that you own both... just wondering your thoughts. Any thoughts with respect to woods? The Opio seems brighter and more resonant to me, which is appealing. But, I bought my first uke from HMS and I can't help but swoon over the idea of a Pono.

I like both brands very much. I just feel that Pono offers a slightly better value, with a smoother finish and some added benefits like the truss rod you mentioned. By the way, I measured all of my ukes, and my AT has the exact same weight as my Opio tenor. Moreover, the neck profiles are very similar. Both of them are definitely not thin, but nicely rounded which makes them both comfortable to hold. The Opio might sound a bit more open, very close to a real KoAloha. My AT has a rich, full tone as well, though. My one criticism would be that the factory strings from Pono sound rather dull, which is an easy fix, of course, but it might weigh in heavily on people's judgment from listening to sound samples or playing one at a store.
 
Two things that are the most important things not mentioned when I am looking for a new Uke is nut width and thickness of neck. The Pono necks are thicker than most, which I stay away from and I also like the wider 1.5" width of the nut which gives bigger hands a better chance of fitting into the frets. I haven't played an Opio, but their KoAloha brand has very thin necks.

Since you are coming from an Islander, which has a 1.5" nut width, that should be a consideration. For a little more $$$, Islander's parent Kanile'a, should be in your scope as well. This is my favorite brand.

One not mentioned is the Romero Creations Tiny Tenor. This is a smaller body with a tenor scale neck and has a thin neck. Great sounding and responsive, lightweight, but it does have a 1 3/8" width. If nut size isn't a consideration, this would also be a good choice.

More items to confuse you.... Welcome back to the forum.
 
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Two things that are the most important things not mentioned when I am looking for a new Uke is nut width and thickness of neck. The Pono necks are thicker than most, which I stay away from and I also like the wider 1.5" width of the nut which gives bigger hands a better chance of fitting into the frets. I haven't played an Opio, but their KoAloha brand has very thin necks.

Since you are coming from an Islander, which has a 1.5" nut width, that should be a consideration. For a little more $$$, Islander's parent Kanile'a, should be in your scope as well. This is my favorite brand.

One not mentioned is the Romero Creations Tiny Tenor. This is a smaller body with a tenor scale neck and has a thin neck. Great sounding and responsive, lightweight, but it does have a 1 3/8" width. If nut size isn't a consideration, this would also be a good choice.

More items to confuse you.... Welcome back to the forum.

Dear Lenny
Must you have to mention Tiny Tenor just to poke me??;)
Yes TT is the most comfortable neck for me !
 
FWIW I emailed both Mim and HMS and got two completely different answers from sending both of them an identical email. Mim stated that she would take the Opio and run. Andrew stated that he would definitely go with a Pono. I respect both retailers and both of their opinions. I just wish they could have been in agreement :eek:

The Ukulele Site sells a lot of KoAloha product, too...but do keep in mind that Andrew’s family owns Pono/Ko’olau, so I do not begrudge him promoting Pono.

Three other thoughts...

1) Mim would be willing to do a sound comparison on two models, if you can specify the models.
2) E-Mail Mike at The Uke Republic and see what he would say...I’m sure they carry the models, too.
3) As you live near Elderly and Mighty Uke Day is around the corner, contact Ben Hassinger and see if he can recommend anyone that lives near you in Michigan that would have both instruments and would let you play them.

Again, you really can’t go wrong either way...both companies make a heck of a ukulele; for me, it comes down to KoAloha’s plain looks (not counting their customs) and booming sound; and Pono’s many options for models with appointments and a more “traditional” sound. Neither is the wrong choice.
 
A couple of years ago, I had a similar choice to make. I was lucky enough to be travelling to Hawaii, though and I got to play a whole bunch of ukes. Anyway, I really liked the sound and playability of the Opio over the the Pono, but I didn't really like the styling (although I like the look of the acacia ones better than the sapele one I tried at the time). Both were good ukes, though. Anyway, at the end of the day I ended up buying a Mango Mele because it suited me.
 
I JUST went through the exact same decision and ended up buying a Pono AT (still in setup with HMS). For me:

1) Pono AT had been where my heart lied.
2) Pono is cheaper in price and comes with a hard case and truss rod which make it a better value IMO.
3) I have a KoAloha soprano that was handed down to me and it is indeed loud, but this gave me an opportunity to try another brand.
4) Pono AT is where my heart lied ;)

Not to make things complicated, but I have been recently enamoured with the Romero Tiny Tenor and ST Concert which is right within your price range. The tone from them is sooooo nice and have already decided that one of them will be my next uke.

Let us know what you pick!
 
Ohana are better than Kala For Low G IMO FWIW.
 
two things that are the most important things not mentioned when i am looking for a new uke is nut width and thickness of neck. The pono necks are thicker than most, which i stay away from and i also like the wider 1.5" width of the nut which gives bigger hands a better chance of fitting into the frets. I haven't played an opio, but their koaloha brand has very thin necks.

Since you are coming from an islander, which has a 1.5" nut width, that should be a consideration. For a little more $$$, islander's parent kanile'a, should be in your scope as well. This is my favorite brand.

One not mentioned is the romero creations tiny tenor. This is a smaller body with a tenor scale neck and has a thin neck. Great sounding and responsive, lightweight, but it does have a 1 3/8" width. If nut size isn't a consideration, this would also be a good choice.

More items to confuse you.... Welcome back to the forum.

which brand has wider nut?

And the 12th fret of opio is??
 
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