arashi_nero
Well-known member
So, after being on the site for a while and not finding too much about Oscar Schmidt 'ukuleles, I've decided to write a review about my tenor. I would write one about my soprano, too, but no point--it's 42yrs old and would probably be considered a "cheap" model hahaha. I don't know if there aren't too many OS uke owners on this site or people are just too embarassed by owning them, but hopefully after writing this review, people will start paying more attention to this suprisingly good 'ukulele maker.
Now to get down to business. I bought my OS OU-4 tenor in November 2008. I was in Japan for a little bit and on my way home, my mom-in-law gave me some money for whatever I wanted to use it on. Because I had to get back to work, I came home alone while my wife and kids stayed behind to play for another week. During that week, I was so bored that I pulled out my at the time crappy soprano (since has changed with a new saddle and strings) and started strumming out the 2 songs I still remembered how to play. It was at that point that I knew I wanted to buy a better tenor. Over the week I was alone, I went to many music stores around the area and started looking at ukes that were in a $100-$150 range. After playing every Kala, Ohana, Lanikai, and Oscar Schmidt around, I decided the instrument with everything I wanted at the time was the Oscar Schmidt. With my soprano, I didn't like that I couldn't play loud(er) and if I tried, it sounded gawd-aweful. What I liked most about the OU-4 was that I could play loud and have good tone and then turn around and play quiet and still have good tone.
Now, because one of my bachelor degrees was in music, I can't stand to have a sub-par instrument, even when paying a cheap price. When I bought my bassoon, I played MANY--but that also could be because I was going to be paying $6000 . I knew even though I was only going to be buying a $120 uke, I still wanted the best damn OU-4 in Utah County. Every day, I went to all 4 of the one music store chain I decided to buy from and by the day my wife and kids came home, I knew exactly which ukulele I wanted to buy. I just needed to get the boss' ok . The day she got back, I bought my baby!!
Now what you all were waiting for
Features:
I paid $119 (not including tax) for this tenor. Oscar Schmidt's site says it should be $189.90.
I have no clue what year it was made, but I would assume early 2008. This uke was made in Indonesia.
19 frets (standard tenor)
Select spruce top (laminated)
No electronics
Body and neck is all rosewood (neck is solid)
Glossy finish with abalone rosette and binding
Bridge is string through
Tuners are die-cast Grover geared
GHS strings came standard
No other accessories were included
Sound:
As for style, I play anything we do in my local 'Ukulele club (we do traditional Hawaiian, modern Hawaiian, pop, religious, etc) and it fits very well. Like I said above, I wanted an instrument that could play soft when I wanted and loud when I wanted.
Because this uke is not fitted with electronics, I don't hook it up to an amp; however, I have found that I have been using the "arm-wah" effect quite a bit lately (thank you hippieguy--live 'ukulele).
The only unwanted noise I get is from the wound C string, but that only happens when I pluck or strum REALLY hard.
Because I spent much time finding the "right" OU-4, I got one with full, very rich sound. A friend with a Kamaka tenor was impressed. He told me that my uke didn't sound like a just over $100 uke. However, the truth is I think no two OU-4s sound exactly the same. I have played several before and after I bought mine that were strung with Aquilas, and I don't think it sounds as full.
This uke does really well all the way up the fretboard. However, as you get towards the high-end, it can sound a little plinky.
With the Grover geared tuners, this instrument really holds it's tuning and all the strings seem to "detune" evenly.
My main like and dislike is the same: the GHS strings. Since I got my soprano fixed, I've noticed that my tenor sounds a little too "guitarish" and not enough like a ukulele. I believe this comes from the wound C string. But I do like being able to play really loud and soft with good tone. Like I said, the GHS strings really work for this instrument.
Action, Finish & Fit:
Because I had never bought a 'ukulele or a guitar, I had no idea that I had to make sure everthing was perfect. I guess because of my strong musical background, I picked a good tenor. I would have known if anything was off with intonation. Now that I know more, this uke was setup quite well. I did play a few when I was deciding which i wanted to buy that had buzzing. If you decide to buy an OU-4, make sure to test them first because they are not all this good. Other than a couple tiny rough spots on the binding, this 'ukulele is almost flawless.
Reliablilty/Durability
This uke will withstand and has withstood live playing.
The hardware does appear like it will last for a very long time.
I have played hundreds of hours on this and didn't buy a polish cloth for it until recently and you cannot see almost any wear in it at all (I would pull the polish cloth out of my bassoon case and clean it occasionaly). Definitely durable.
I have two children--one who wants to play 'ukulele (4yrs old) and another who just wants to play with it (she'll be 1 this week); and while I don't allow them to touch the tenor (my son plays on my soprano), they have both got their hands on it and has held up.
If I had no backup (which I really don't), I would use this in a gig.
Customer Support:
I have not had to deal with Oscar Schmidt directly, but their website and warranty registration is extremely straight forward.
This uke comes with a lifetime warranty. I do, however, understand that warranty is not transferrable if I sell my uke to someone else.
Overall Rating:
I have been playing 'ukulele off and on for almost 12 years and going gung-ho at it for the last year and a half. I have been a musician my entire life--I've played piano, trumpet, bassoon, contrabassoon, oboe, clarinet, drums, etc. When I first jurry-rigging fixed my dad's soprano 12 years ago, I knew I would be playing 'ukulele the rest of my life. It wasn't until I bought this tenor that I knew that this, and the bassoon, would be my main music playing life. When I play my bassoon, I always worry if I'm playing 100% right, but when I'm playing my tenor uke, I can just relax and really enjoy the music I'm playing.
I have really had 3 'ukuleles: Beltone soprano (dad's old), my tenor, and a concert with a pickup. When I was living in Japan my first time, some Hawaiian who had lived in the apartment before me left a "cheapie" concert that had a pickup. I don't even remember if it was a good uke because I had to leave it when I came home. My room mate and I recorded several songs on to mini-disc, tho. I wish I could have brought it back, but I had amassed way too much stuff over 2 years to take home everything and some things had to stay behind :'(.
I do wish I had a little more knowledge about ukes before I bought this, but I think most music knowlege and common sense were mainly needed when buying my uke. I think if I had no music knowledge and no knowledge about ukes or guitars, I probably would have bought a horrible sounding instrument (maybe even a crappy OU-4) and would be kicking myself right now.
If this instrument were stolen or lost, I would definitely buy it again. Although, I might pick up an Oscar Schmidt OU-6CLE.
Most of all, I love the overall sound quality. I can play loud if I want and sound good, but sound just as good playing soft. For the price, you can't beat this sound!!!
The only things I don't like are things that I realized recently that I want and that's a pickup and a cutout body. But that's why people own multiple ukes, right? You have different ukes for different situations .
I can't think of any specific feature that I like most. I really like this instrument overall, everything comes together well.
I did compare this to every uke in the same price range at all the music stores that had ukes in my area. I probably played more than 40 ukes before I bought mine. I played Ohana, Lanikai, Kala, Makala, Oscar Schmidt, Fender, etc.
I hope you all have been able to see why I bought this through my review, but if not, I bought it because in the price range I was looking at, this was overall the best I played because it had the tone and playability I wanted.
I do wish this had a pickup, but at the time I bought it, I wish it would have come with a case. I waited for a couple months for a Lanikai hard-shell travel case, but the store I bought the uke from couldn't get them in stock (i got a 30% discount on a case because i bought from them). I ended up buying the Oscar Schmidt tenor hard case. Looks like and old-school guitar case and it works really well for protecting my uke.
If I had to give my uke a number rating, I'd give it a 7 out of 10. In the price range, I'd give it a 9.5.
You really can't get much better than this for the money. However, when you go to buy a uke (or any instrument for that matter), I really do recommend (if you can) playing as many as possible before buying. I don't say that to put down any stores that actually check the setup of a uke; I say that because for most people, even $100 is a lot and you should be happy with what you buy. If you buy a uke and don't like the way it sounds, I guess there's always ebay :rofl:.
Now to get down to business. I bought my OS OU-4 tenor in November 2008. I was in Japan for a little bit and on my way home, my mom-in-law gave me some money for whatever I wanted to use it on. Because I had to get back to work, I came home alone while my wife and kids stayed behind to play for another week. During that week, I was so bored that I pulled out my at the time crappy soprano (since has changed with a new saddle and strings) and started strumming out the 2 songs I still remembered how to play. It was at that point that I knew I wanted to buy a better tenor. Over the week I was alone, I went to many music stores around the area and started looking at ukes that were in a $100-$150 range. After playing every Kala, Ohana, Lanikai, and Oscar Schmidt around, I decided the instrument with everything I wanted at the time was the Oscar Schmidt. With my soprano, I didn't like that I couldn't play loud(er) and if I tried, it sounded gawd-aweful. What I liked most about the OU-4 was that I could play loud and have good tone and then turn around and play quiet and still have good tone.
Now, because one of my bachelor degrees was in music, I can't stand to have a sub-par instrument, even when paying a cheap price. When I bought my bassoon, I played MANY--but that also could be because I was going to be paying $6000 . I knew even though I was only going to be buying a $120 uke, I still wanted the best damn OU-4 in Utah County. Every day, I went to all 4 of the one music store chain I decided to buy from and by the day my wife and kids came home, I knew exactly which ukulele I wanted to buy. I just needed to get the boss' ok . The day she got back, I bought my baby!!
Now what you all were waiting for
Features:
I paid $119 (not including tax) for this tenor. Oscar Schmidt's site says it should be $189.90.
I have no clue what year it was made, but I would assume early 2008. This uke was made in Indonesia.
19 frets (standard tenor)
Select spruce top (laminated)
No electronics
Body and neck is all rosewood (neck is solid)
Glossy finish with abalone rosette and binding
Bridge is string through
Tuners are die-cast Grover geared
GHS strings came standard
No other accessories were included
Sound:
As for style, I play anything we do in my local 'Ukulele club (we do traditional Hawaiian, modern Hawaiian, pop, religious, etc) and it fits very well. Like I said above, I wanted an instrument that could play soft when I wanted and loud when I wanted.
Because this uke is not fitted with electronics, I don't hook it up to an amp; however, I have found that I have been using the "arm-wah" effect quite a bit lately (thank you hippieguy--live 'ukulele).
The only unwanted noise I get is from the wound C string, but that only happens when I pluck or strum REALLY hard.
Because I spent much time finding the "right" OU-4, I got one with full, very rich sound. A friend with a Kamaka tenor was impressed. He told me that my uke didn't sound like a just over $100 uke. However, the truth is I think no two OU-4s sound exactly the same. I have played several before and after I bought mine that were strung with Aquilas, and I don't think it sounds as full.
This uke does really well all the way up the fretboard. However, as you get towards the high-end, it can sound a little plinky.
With the Grover geared tuners, this instrument really holds it's tuning and all the strings seem to "detune" evenly.
My main like and dislike is the same: the GHS strings. Since I got my soprano fixed, I've noticed that my tenor sounds a little too "guitarish" and not enough like a ukulele. I believe this comes from the wound C string. But I do like being able to play really loud and soft with good tone. Like I said, the GHS strings really work for this instrument.
Action, Finish & Fit:
Because I had never bought a 'ukulele or a guitar, I had no idea that I had to make sure everthing was perfect. I guess because of my strong musical background, I picked a good tenor. I would have known if anything was off with intonation. Now that I know more, this uke was setup quite well. I did play a few when I was deciding which i wanted to buy that had buzzing. If you decide to buy an OU-4, make sure to test them first because they are not all this good. Other than a couple tiny rough spots on the binding, this 'ukulele is almost flawless.
Reliablilty/Durability
This uke will withstand and has withstood live playing.
The hardware does appear like it will last for a very long time.
I have played hundreds of hours on this and didn't buy a polish cloth for it until recently and you cannot see almost any wear in it at all (I would pull the polish cloth out of my bassoon case and clean it occasionaly). Definitely durable.
I have two children--one who wants to play 'ukulele (4yrs old) and another who just wants to play with it (she'll be 1 this week); and while I don't allow them to touch the tenor (my son plays on my soprano), they have both got their hands on it and has held up.
If I had no backup (which I really don't), I would use this in a gig.
Customer Support:
I have not had to deal with Oscar Schmidt directly, but their website and warranty registration is extremely straight forward.
This uke comes with a lifetime warranty. I do, however, understand that warranty is not transferrable if I sell my uke to someone else.
Overall Rating:
I have been playing 'ukulele off and on for almost 12 years and going gung-ho at it for the last year and a half. I have been a musician my entire life--I've played piano, trumpet, bassoon, contrabassoon, oboe, clarinet, drums, etc. When I first jurry-rigging fixed my dad's soprano 12 years ago, I knew I would be playing 'ukulele the rest of my life. It wasn't until I bought this tenor that I knew that this, and the bassoon, would be my main music playing life. When I play my bassoon, I always worry if I'm playing 100% right, but when I'm playing my tenor uke, I can just relax and really enjoy the music I'm playing.
I have really had 3 'ukuleles: Beltone soprano (dad's old), my tenor, and a concert with a pickup. When I was living in Japan my first time, some Hawaiian who had lived in the apartment before me left a "cheapie" concert that had a pickup. I don't even remember if it was a good uke because I had to leave it when I came home. My room mate and I recorded several songs on to mini-disc, tho. I wish I could have brought it back, but I had amassed way too much stuff over 2 years to take home everything and some things had to stay behind :'(.
I do wish I had a little more knowledge about ukes before I bought this, but I think most music knowlege and common sense were mainly needed when buying my uke. I think if I had no music knowledge and no knowledge about ukes or guitars, I probably would have bought a horrible sounding instrument (maybe even a crappy OU-4) and would be kicking myself right now.
If this instrument were stolen or lost, I would definitely buy it again. Although, I might pick up an Oscar Schmidt OU-6CLE.
Most of all, I love the overall sound quality. I can play loud if I want and sound good, but sound just as good playing soft. For the price, you can't beat this sound!!!
The only things I don't like are things that I realized recently that I want and that's a pickup and a cutout body. But that's why people own multiple ukes, right? You have different ukes for different situations .
I can't think of any specific feature that I like most. I really like this instrument overall, everything comes together well.
I did compare this to every uke in the same price range at all the music stores that had ukes in my area. I probably played more than 40 ukes before I bought mine. I played Ohana, Lanikai, Kala, Makala, Oscar Schmidt, Fender, etc.
I hope you all have been able to see why I bought this through my review, but if not, I bought it because in the price range I was looking at, this was overall the best I played because it had the tone and playability I wanted.
I do wish this had a pickup, but at the time I bought it, I wish it would have come with a case. I waited for a couple months for a Lanikai hard-shell travel case, but the store I bought the uke from couldn't get them in stock (i got a 30% discount on a case because i bought from them). I ended up buying the Oscar Schmidt tenor hard case. Looks like and old-school guitar case and it works really well for protecting my uke.
If I had to give my uke a number rating, I'd give it a 7 out of 10. In the price range, I'd give it a 9.5.
You really can't get much better than this for the money. However, when you go to buy a uke (or any instrument for that matter), I really do recommend (if you can) playing as many as possible before buying. I don't say that to put down any stores that actually check the setup of a uke; I say that because for most people, even $100 is a lot and you should be happy with what you buy. If you buy a uke and don't like the way it sounds, I guess there's always ebay :rofl:.