jonesjimbo
Well-known member
Hey guys,
I have completed a review of the Mainland Mahogany Tenor uke that I received almost a week ago. I have used bornagainjeepers format. I have a text and video review.
Let me know if you have any questions or comments!
Thanks,
Jim
Mainland Mahogany Tenor Review
Disclaimer: This is my first uke review, and my first tenor that I have owned. I have been playing for a little over a year and do not have a lot of experience with different uke sizes or materials!
As I was writing this I tended to compare it most to my Mitchell Concert uke because that is what I had been playing. I am not trying to make a direct comparison between the two, but these are my experiences.
I used bornagainjeeper’s ukulele review form because I thought his were very well done and very informative. Thanks bornagain!
Appearance (all scales are 1-10) 8
It is mahogany, but probably the most beautiful mahogany uke I have seen (no bias here). Seriously though, it has a beautiful grain that can be seen in different aspects on each side of the uke. This uke is completely solid top, solid back and solid sides. I was surprised by this because most I have seen including guitars have a seam running through the middle of the top and the middle of the back. However it appears that Mainland is using one piece of wood for this with no seam. I like this and am not sure why it isn’t more standard. Maybe Mike can correct me if I am wrong and/or explain?
I went with the gloss after talking to Mike about it on the phone. I have a matte soprano that I actually like the look of. I asked what was most popular and he indicated that it seemed to depend on what part of the world it was going to. Apparently the matte finish is very popular in Thailand.
He said that the gloss helps to bring out the grain of the wood a little more, and so after some debate, I decided to go with the gloss. He couldn’t have been more correct, it really looks beautiful.
I really do like the rope binding as well. I have heard this from others, but agree that the picture on the website doesn’t do it justice.
Sound 8
As I said in the disclaimer, I don’t have much experience with ukes, but I continue to be surprised by ukuleles in general. It seems that is almost impossible to predict what one is going to sound like or how loud it is going to be.
Before I purchased the Mainland, I went to a few stores near me that have some ukes to try out different ones and sizes. I wanted to make sure that I wanted a tenor and wanted to see what was out there. The two most notable tenors that I tried were a Lanikai LU21T I believe and a Luna.
The Lanikai was quite loud. It was electric as well and I didn’t like the way it sounded through the amp. Maybe it was just me but it seemed to be quite noisy just lifting my fingers of the strings. I knew I didn’t want electric anyway… I am getting sidetracked here…
The Luna was very, very soft, I felt like I could barely here it. (It was Koa, don’t remember the model).
I would say that the Mainland is right between these two in volume. I think I was expecting it to be louder because the Mitchell Concert uke I have is quite loud. The Mitchell Concert is actually louder than my Mainland tenor.
To me, the Mainland has a soothing tone where the Mitchell is a little piercing.
The sustain is quite nice as well.
Overall I like the sound and volume very much.
Intonation: 9
I think the intonation is very good. I just got a snark tuner yesterday and it indicates that it isn’t perfect but it is very good. For me, it is much more than adequate.
Feel in the hands: 7
I have been thinking about getting a uke leash or making my own strap for this uke, because it is just big enough that it can be a little uncomfortable or difficult to play.
I think this is just because of the size and has no reflection on Mainland. It is very playable and easy to move around the neck.
I would have liked it to thave dots on the side of the neck so that I don’t have to look at the top of the fretboard to see where I am.
Quality 8
Construction quality is very good. There are a couple of minor blemishes, but it is built well. The frets are interesting because I have always seen frets that are round in shape, but these are flat on top.
I am not sure what the reasoning is behind this but I thought it was interesting.
The gloss finish is beautifully done, but I very quickly marked it up with fingerprints! I thought after that.. “maybe I should have taken photos before I touched it”
Value 9
Again I don’t’ have much to compare it to in this size or price range, but I got it for $250 direct from Mainland. For a solid wood uke that is professionally setup and top notch customer service, I think this is a great value.
The setup was perfect and it is very easy to play single notes with very little pressure. Bar chords of course, require more pressure, but they are not too difficult.
I bought my Mitchell that I bought at guitar center had very high action. It was very hard to play bar chords, and I took the advice of another thread and sanded down the saddle. They are somewhat easier now.
OVERALL 8
So far I have really been enjoying this ukulele. I started with a soprano, then got a concert and now have this Mainland tenor.
The Mainland Mahogany Tenor sounds and looks beautiful. I really have no complaints.
I think this is a great first step into the world of solid wood ukes!
I have completed a review of the Mainland Mahogany Tenor uke that I received almost a week ago. I have used bornagainjeepers format. I have a text and video review.
Let me know if you have any questions or comments!
Thanks,
Jim
Mainland Mahogany Tenor Review
Disclaimer: This is my first uke review, and my first tenor that I have owned. I have been playing for a little over a year and do not have a lot of experience with different uke sizes or materials!
As I was writing this I tended to compare it most to my Mitchell Concert uke because that is what I had been playing. I am not trying to make a direct comparison between the two, but these are my experiences.
I used bornagainjeeper’s ukulele review form because I thought his were very well done and very informative. Thanks bornagain!
Appearance (all scales are 1-10) 8
It is mahogany, but probably the most beautiful mahogany uke I have seen (no bias here). Seriously though, it has a beautiful grain that can be seen in different aspects on each side of the uke. This uke is completely solid top, solid back and solid sides. I was surprised by this because most I have seen including guitars have a seam running through the middle of the top and the middle of the back. However it appears that Mainland is using one piece of wood for this with no seam. I like this and am not sure why it isn’t more standard. Maybe Mike can correct me if I am wrong and/or explain?
I went with the gloss after talking to Mike about it on the phone. I have a matte soprano that I actually like the look of. I asked what was most popular and he indicated that it seemed to depend on what part of the world it was going to. Apparently the matte finish is very popular in Thailand.
He said that the gloss helps to bring out the grain of the wood a little more, and so after some debate, I decided to go with the gloss. He couldn’t have been more correct, it really looks beautiful.
I really do like the rope binding as well. I have heard this from others, but agree that the picture on the website doesn’t do it justice.
Sound 8
As I said in the disclaimer, I don’t have much experience with ukes, but I continue to be surprised by ukuleles in general. It seems that is almost impossible to predict what one is going to sound like or how loud it is going to be.
Before I purchased the Mainland, I went to a few stores near me that have some ukes to try out different ones and sizes. I wanted to make sure that I wanted a tenor and wanted to see what was out there. The two most notable tenors that I tried were a Lanikai LU21T I believe and a Luna.
The Lanikai was quite loud. It was electric as well and I didn’t like the way it sounded through the amp. Maybe it was just me but it seemed to be quite noisy just lifting my fingers of the strings. I knew I didn’t want electric anyway… I am getting sidetracked here…
The Luna was very, very soft, I felt like I could barely here it. (It was Koa, don’t remember the model).
I would say that the Mainland is right between these two in volume. I think I was expecting it to be louder because the Mitchell Concert uke I have is quite loud. The Mitchell Concert is actually louder than my Mainland tenor.
To me, the Mainland has a soothing tone where the Mitchell is a little piercing.
The sustain is quite nice as well.
Overall I like the sound and volume very much.
Intonation: 9
I think the intonation is very good. I just got a snark tuner yesterday and it indicates that it isn’t perfect but it is very good. For me, it is much more than adequate.
Feel in the hands: 7
I have been thinking about getting a uke leash or making my own strap for this uke, because it is just big enough that it can be a little uncomfortable or difficult to play.
I think this is just because of the size and has no reflection on Mainland. It is very playable and easy to move around the neck.
I would have liked it to thave dots on the side of the neck so that I don’t have to look at the top of the fretboard to see where I am.
Quality 8
Construction quality is very good. There are a couple of minor blemishes, but it is built well. The frets are interesting because I have always seen frets that are round in shape, but these are flat on top.
I am not sure what the reasoning is behind this but I thought it was interesting.
The gloss finish is beautifully done, but I very quickly marked it up with fingerprints! I thought after that.. “maybe I should have taken photos before I touched it”
Value 9
Again I don’t’ have much to compare it to in this size or price range, but I got it for $250 direct from Mainland. For a solid wood uke that is professionally setup and top notch customer service, I think this is a great value.
The setup was perfect and it is very easy to play single notes with very little pressure. Bar chords of course, require more pressure, but they are not too difficult.
I bought my Mitchell that I bought at guitar center had very high action. It was very hard to play bar chords, and I took the advice of another thread and sanded down the saddle. They are somewhat easier now.
OVERALL 8
So far I have really been enjoying this ukulele. I started with a soprano, then got a concert and now have this Mainland tenor.
The Mainland Mahogany Tenor sounds and looks beautiful. I really have no complaints.
I think this is a great first step into the world of solid wood ukes!
