Schoenhut 5400

The Schoenhut 5400 has been largely ignored, at least in terms of a fair review in this section. Unfortunately this ukulele gained the negative attention of both a 14 and a 25 page thread, which need not be repeated here. For those who are into politics and are so inclined the threads are here:

http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com...ake-Flea-comparisons&highlight=flea+fake+flea

http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com...a-clone-for-33-bucks&highlight=flea+fake+flea


Currently we own a Kala KA-15s and a Kala Ukadelic. The 5400 was also compared to an entry level Flea and a Makala Dolphin. Construction and costwise (setup):

KA-15S – laminated mahogany, brass frets, Aquila strings, $84.
Ukadelic – laminated poplar or nato, nickel-silver frets, Aquila strings, $84.
Flea – molded abs plastic body, laminated face, Aquila strings, $205.
Dolphin – molded abs plastic body, laminated face, ordinary nylon (cheap) strings, $65.
5400 – molded abs plastic body, laminated face, with Martin strings, $35.

I ordered the US flag version of the 5400 for $29.95, and knowing I would be changing the strings, a set of Martin 600 fluoro's, total $35 delivered. I ordered the Martins as I anticipated that the 5400, like the entry level Flea would be “bright” enough already. Upon receiving the 5400 I was impressed by the construction, which except for the very flimsy and cheap strings was very nicely done. The finish and fit was good. The neck appears to be a glossy finished maple. The tuning pegs were of the friction type. Like the body, the fretboard, nut and saddle are also precisely molded abs.

The first thing I did was a quick tuneup which immediately confirmed the absolute cheapness of the strings, and my intention to immediately replace them with the Martin fluorocarbons. As has been noted by others the 5400 pegs are delivered a bit loose, but a quarter turn of the Phillips head tuning screws easily and effectively adjusted them. Compared to the Aquilas on our Kala's, the Martins only required a couple of days to stretch and to stabilize.

The action and intonation were both excellent, a credit to quality control, the molded abs fretboard, nut and saddle and to a design which favors such accurate assembly and production. Only the Flea compares in this regard.

Even just strung, the Martins/5400 produced both warm and bright tones (depending on the strum), with good clarity and a nice sustain. As they stretched over the next few days, the Martin driven 5400 became even fuller and warmer. Our first comparison was of course, to our own Kala's.

Ka-15S: warmest of the three
Ukadelic: bright and full, lots of volume
5400: bright and full, clarity and sustain

To be fair, we both found the 5400 more than satisfactory. My partner preferred its sound; I was impressed by the clarity and sustain. I believe the Aquilas – known for their steroid effects – in comparison come across as a little dirtier than the Martins. When thumb strummed, the Martin/5400 displays nice warmth, while a fingernail brings out a clear and sustained brightness. Very nice.

My next goal: to compare the 5400 to a Flea and what should be the real comparison, to the Makala Dolphin (or Shark). With the cooperation of a very well stocked ukulele/guitar store I was able to do just that. When I first walked in, 5400 in hand I lifted it up to show the salesman and asked “Do you know what this is?”. “Sure, looks nice”, he replied. I then handed it to him and had him try it. Without noticing the Schoenhut logo, he played it and replied “Very nice. We have one for sale here.” And got out an entry level Flea, on sale for $205! He never knew.

It was then I revealed that what he'd just played was a Schoenhut 5400 that sold for just $30, and asked if I could try both the Dolphin (stock strings) and the Flea (Aquilas). Quite interested now, he tuned them up and I had at it. With the Flea, I first noted the similarity of the two particularly in terms of the brightness. The string difference was also similar to our earlier comparisons, with the booming Aquilas providing more volume, but being a bit muddier than the sustained clarity of the Martins. With the string difference an exact comparison couldn't be made, but I would give the edge to the Flea, but nowhere remotely near the point that I would consider spending an additional $170 for one, at least now.

Now the real comparison: the Dolphin/Shark with factory strings. The store had five or six of these on display, all of which I examined. All were playable, but the actions were on the high side, while the intonation varied among the lot. As far as tone was concerned, the standard advice – to change to Aquilas – seemed entirely justified. The factory strings seemed both dull and brassy, simply sounded cheap and almost toylike. The sound of the Martin/5400, more like the Flea, was clearly superior as already described.

Summary:

The real comparison for the Schoenhut 5400 is the Dolphin. When buying the Dolphin you will need a setup and good strings, no doubt the Aquilas much recommended for it. Even then the action and intonation may not be perfect, as a low-price instrument will never get more than a basic setup. A Dolphin like this sells for about $65 delivered. OTOH, the 5400 needs no setup, and with Martins was had for just $35 delivered.

At the least I would expect both of these to be quite satisfactory. If anything the shape of the 5400, its easy low action, great intonation, and lovely clarity and brightness will likely be preferable, particularly at its amazing cost. In our opinion, this ukulele is no toy and should be a primary consideration for a ukulele that competes very well with other laminated instruments under $100 (set up). I still wonder though, what it would sound like with Aquilas...

Here's another Schoenhut thread, non-political. We found out Magic Fluke licensed the design to Schoenhut. Funny, during all the negative talk about them on previous threads, nobody bothered to check with the Magic Fluke co. Doh !!

http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com...ut-flakes-available-again&highlight=schoenhut

Walden's Schoenhut Flake poem on post #45 is hilarious

The schoenhut uses something other than polycarbonate for its plastic fretboard. Because of this it wears quite fast and won't last very long as an every day player. Also apparently the schoenhut quality control is poor, the breakdown would happen in the neck.

The soundboard on the schoenhut is noticeably thicker than a flea's fretboard which affects sound, but not really that much.

I do agree that martin m600s are good strings for the schoenhut.

Impressions of the Schoenhut 5400 (the S54) by other UUr's:

The following comments about the Schoenhut 5400 were gathered from posts made here by many others at UU, and may be of interest to you...


Overviews:

The tuners on the S5400 are cheap feeling and have some trouble holding tone without tightening. Conclusion: The sound of the S54 is good enough to cause concern for the Flea makers. Although not as loud or full in sound, the S54 has good intonation and is loud enough. The sound of the real Flea is superior, but it'll be hard to convince the average consumer that it's worth an additional $140. (Ukulilia)

I got mine in a few days ago. The tuners and general workmanship seem fine. I never have thought that plastic was suitable for frets. It inevitably wears. I know that they say you can order replacement fretboards from Magic Fluke Co. About what do they cost? I reckon these will have to be replaced sooner or later with new ones.

Having gotten a parrot version last night I must admit I'm impressed with it. Tuners are probably grover 2b knockoffs (the screws are black). The top graphic and finish are nice, no mistakes or dings. It is thick but doesn't bother me as this will be an at work ukulele. The neck/headstock is high gloss finished. There's some slight cosmetic dings and scuffs on the abs body but just like it will pick up with more use. I have no problems with the tuners. The original strings were kind of bad but still worked after stretching. Then I put martin m600s and everything was okay, in fact I even like it! The one thing I do notice is that the fretboard is definitely wearing already.

For a $35 ukulele it is pretty decent. As already mentioned, the strings were crap, so I just replaced those with Aquilas. It seems to be well made, with the only flaws being a few places were you can see the glue. The friction tuners are pretty bad, but I adjusted them with a screwdriver and they at least seem to be doing the job. As a $35 ukulele, I rate this an 8/10.


Regarding sound:

But getting back to the sound comparisons, for a (low priced ukulele) the S54 sounds pretty good.
The S54 is definitely not horrible sounding for a very low priced ukulele.
It doesn't sound half bad.
Sounded good out of the box.


Regarding intonation:

Intonation is really good for a 30 buck uke.
The fretboards on the plastic fretboard ones are all perfect out of the box.
In addition to the plastic, the other most common feature of a fretboard like these is the "zero" fret. No need to fiddle with the nut as the zero fret correctly terminates the string vibration at precisely the right point.


Sound test comparisons by Alan at the Ukisociety:

S54 with Aquilas in Ukisociety comparison to a Dolphin with Martins, listener reactions:

Thanks Alan....I prefer the S54 sound..I may be different.
Interesting, the S54 sounded much better on the upper frets than I was expecting. What do you know, the molded plastic fingerboard design works.
Interesting comparison, Alan. The intonation on the S54 is actually slightly better than the Dolphin - though both could benefit from a touch of the nut files, I'm thinking.
On your sound sample I much prefer the Schoenhut to the Dolphin.
I agree with the S54. Dolphin is louder but that doesn't equate to a better sound.

And the S54 with Aquilas in Ukisociety comparison to the Flea with Aquilas:

Alan, the Ukisociety tester's impression (paraphrased): "...the Flea is louder and has a fuller sound, but the S54 though not as loud is a good enough uke that... I can't imagine why the price difference is so great."


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My observations:

Based on its out-of-the-box accuracy, action and intonation and with the sole addition of Martins, this $35 ukulele is miles ahead of the Dolphin. On price alone it should be ukulele of choice for beginners. With the Martins (or Alan's test with Aquilas) it's clear that the Schoenhut 5400 can hold it's own with any of the under $100 laminates. The fact that Alan of the Ukisociety "can't imagine the price difference with the Flea" is perhaps the greatest compliment that could be paid.

Until enough of these are purchased and used more widely, we won't know what the longer term holds in store insofar as durability, but for now it's a real competitor for beginners and intermediates at one-half to one-third their cost. The biggest obstacle will likely be the problem of overcoming one's ego to buy one. The good news: as long as Schoenhut continues to market them as they are, the prices will remain very, very attractive.

At $35 with Martins, it's really a no-brainer to find out for oneself.

Kayouker said:

The action and intonation were both excellent, a credit to quality control, the molded abs fretboard, nut and saddle and to a design which favors such accurate assembly and production.

If anything the shape of the 5400, its easy low action, great intonation, and lovely clarity and brightness will likely be preferable, particularly at its amazing cost. In our opinion, this ukulele is no toy and should be a primary consideration for a ukulele that competes very well with other laminated instruments under $100 (set up).

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Well, I've read plenty of opinions here that would contradict yours. Perhaps the quality has improved since they licensed from Magic Flea, or maybe you just got lucky. Cheaper, mass produced ukes tend to vary a lot in the finished product.

Just hazarding a guess, but on a bell curve, maybe something like 50% fall into varying degrees of "okay", 25% are decent and 25% are just plain duds.

I've owned a Schoenhut (the parrot finish) and I own several Fleas, and my conclusions are quite different from the original poster. While the intonation of the Schoenhut is good, the fretboard is softer and wears much faster, and it is maybe 50% as loud as a Flea, with nowhere near as nice a tone - even when strung with Aquilas. I ended up drilling a side port in mine with a hole saw, but that didn't help much. As others have noted, the soundboard on the Schoenhut is much thicker, which I think is the main reason it doesn't "sing" like a Flea.

My verdict is that it's a decent travel or practice uke - and it IS very cute to look at - but I still could never take it very seriously as a musical instrument. To my ears it cannot compete - in volume or in tone - with a Flea. I ended up giving mine away.

PS - I'm curious about this one.

http://www.wayfair.com/Schoenhut-Pineapple-Ukulele-5400OM-SHT1140.html



They have been selling it for around $35, but now I see it's gone up to more than $50. I had assumed it was identical to the other models, but now I'm wondering if perhaps it's a better model. Has anybody seen one?

Thumper said:

As others have noted, the soundboard on the Schoenhut is much thicker, which I think is the main reason it doesn't "sing" like a Flea.

My verdict is that it's a decent travel or practice uke - and it IS very cute to look at - but I still could never take it very seriously as a musical instrument. To my ears it cannot compete - in volume or in tone - with a Flea. I ended up giving mine away.

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these 'deficiencies' make it a pretty good practice instrument at work. Cheap and quieter.

I wouldn't think much of the fancier top of the one in the post above. It will still be thick and the fretboard wear problem likely isnt fixed for this either.

Update... a Dolphin killer (sounds nasty, yes?)

This review has been up for awhile, and I've now had ample opportunity to play the Schoenhut. In the OP it's fair to say we found this uke a great option for budgets of $100, give or take.

As time has passed I continue to be pleased with its near perfect intonation, nice low action and especially its lovely clear sound with its Martin 600 strings. As relative beginners these attributes encourage playing and enjoying it.

Like the Flea some might not like its composite fretboard, but most will likely not object. I've seen no evidence of real wear, and I'm confident this uke will last long enough to easily justify its extremely low cost. Compared to our Kala's - the 15S and Ukadelic - the Schoenhut is easier to fret. It should be noted though that like the Flea, the black on black frets/board makes the frets harder to see, which may be temporary issue for brand new players. This has not been a big issue for most, some owners have simply put dots of silver nail polish on the side. Most others adapt quickly without side markings (the uke does have the usual top markings).

I must say that this ukulele is really a Dolphin killer in terms of a competent, good sounding and easy playing first ukulele that doesn't need setup, and that is available for less than half its price. As mentioned, ours was delivered for $35 including a set of Martins (which I consider necessary). Schoenhut has provided a number of fun soundboard designs in a many themes for children and - ahem - for us adults too, lol...

We got the "flag" design, but want to buy another, this time the parrot/tropical.

Oh, one more thing. Oddly enough, we found the flat base a real advantage, as I can simply set it down vertically on the floor next to my computer, or in our television room - solves the storage problem and having it right there and handy encourages us to just pick it up frequently. BTW, can't say enough for the Martins on this uke. Our Kala's were delivered with Aquilas which are certainly more aggressive, but there's something about the soft, bright, smooth, clear and harplike sounds of the Martins that we find really appealing, particularly for personal playing.

We'd still have to say that this uke is an absolute consideration for budgets up to about $100. I think it will be enjoyed by beginners through intermediates. At that point it will have more than served its objective when we are ready to make a serious ($200 plus) commitment.

Piece of crap. I got the parrot one and wasted whatever my $30 or so. I bought a Toys R Us $20 uke for my daughter and it's a much better instrument.

there ya go. inconsistent quality control. the killer of cheap ukuleles. a shame since the flea design should be harder to screw up.

nongdam said:

Piece of crap. I got the parrot one and wasted whatever my $30 or so. I bought a Toys R Us $20 uke for my daughter and it's a much better instrument.

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We must all treat this post with all the respect it deserves. Let's all keep in mind the Fake Flea threads that a handful of poster owners carried on for tens of pages. Apparently it's impossible for some of these guys to let go.

A brilliant and convincing contribution, lol...

Skinny Money McGee said:

Here's another Schoenhut thread, non-political. We found out Magic Fluke licensed the design to Schoenhut. Funny, during all the negative talk about them on previous threads, nobody bothered to check with the Magic Fluke co. Doh !!

http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com...ut-flakes-available-again&highlight=schoenhut

Walden's Schoenhut Flake poem on post #45 is hilarious

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Sadly that kind of short sighted prejudice is all too common on this Site and one of the reasons why I don't come to read what is said here and post here much any more

I looked at this thread as I have recently got a Scheonhut Butterfly and was considering a review Again comparing it to the real flea, (I do own one as well) and the Dolphin (I own one of these too Lucky me)
I probably won't now. Everything that needs to be said is here in the unprejudiced comments They are basically as good as a Dolphin (and both are improved by better strings that the set they are sold with) but not as good as a Flea
They won't kill the Dolphin because of the short sightedness and prejudice. There are quite a few budget Ukuleles around that are as good as a Dolphin but the "I know what I like and I Only like what I know" brigade dismiss them all very vocally. To explain the relative value against the Flea, you have to equate the Price/Quality graph of Ukuleles with the Energy/Speed graph of linier accelerators . Like as you get closer to the speed of light you have to put in a lot more energy to get a little more speed. With Ukuleles as you get closer to perfection you have to pay a lot more money to get a little more quality. (Unlike Linier accelerators though this is not a firm constant and it is quite possible to pay a lot more money and get no better quality)

Lardy Fatboy said:

Sadly that kind of short sighted prejudice is all too common on this Site and one of the reasons why I don't come to read what is said here and post here much any more

I looked at this thread as I have recently got a Scheonhut Butterfly and was considering a review Again comparing it to the real flea, (I do own one as well) and the Dolphin (I own one of these too Lucky me)
I probably won't now. Everything that needs to be said is here in the unprejudiced comments They are basically as good as a Dolphin (and both are improved by better strings that the set they are sold with) but not as good as a Flea
They won't kill the Dolphin because of the short sightedness and prejudice. There are quite a few budget Ukuleles around that are as good as a Dolphin but the "I know what I like and I Only like what I know" brigade dismiss them all very vocally.

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i would appreciate hearing your opinion on them. I like my "flake" well enough to keep it at work. What I want to know is how consistent the quality is (afore mentioned thread someone got a really bad neck) and if they could be reliable. Of course the flake isn't a premium uke but it sounds just fine and if they are consistently manufactured so they play good out of the box they would make a fine introductory and starter uke, ESPECIALLY at under 50USD. And my biggest complaint about these ukes (fretboard durability) is easily fixed.

As for dolphin I received a huge piece of junk from one of these premium setup shops so I'm personally turned off on those. No question the flake I have would have been an excellent first ukulele for anyone.

Kayouker said:

We must all treat this post with all the respect it deserves. Let's all keep in mind the Fake Flea threads that a handful of poster owners carried on for tens of pages. Apparently it's impossible for some of these guys to let go.

A brilliant and convincing contribution, lol...

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I think otherwise...someone's gonna read this thread and think that it's a great starter uke which I totally disagree. This is a uke review and people are entitled to an opinion. BTW, I have aquilas on mine

nongdam said:

I think otherwise...someone's gonna read this thread and think that it's a great starter uke which I totally disagree. This is a uke review and people are entitled to an opinion. BTW, I have aquilas on mine

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When hundreds of favorable words of at least 20 favorable commenters, including a couple of favorable sound tests by Alan of the Ukisociety have all been published here in this thread, and along comes a poster who dismisses all of that with a single descriptor: "Crap!", most people have the same reaction:

Childish, simplistic, condescending, uninformative, rude and boorish. Such comments serve no one short of the interloper's ego, and has no place in an otherwise respectful discussion.

You've made your single word opinion quite clear. Perhaps you should take your plastic bag, wrap that hot steamer up and dispose of it somewhere else. And take your pooch with you...

Kayouker said:

When hundreds of favorable words of at least 20 favorable commenters, including a couple of favorable sound tests by Alan of the Ukisociety have all been published here in this thread, and along comes a poster who dismisses all of that with a single descriptor: "Crap!", most people have the same reaction:

Childish, simplistic, condescending, uninformative, rude and boorish. Such comments serve no one short of the interloper's ego, and has no place in an otherwise respectful discussion.

You've made your single word opinion quite clear. Perhaps you should take your plastic bag, wrap that hot steamer up and dispose of it somewhere else. And take your pooch with you...

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I should have used piece of junk as that seems acceptable as stated in a prior post. Regardless, I thought we are reviewing ukes and not making personal attacks.

Seems like one persons crap is another persons treasure. Cheap as I am, this uke interests me more and more.

Rodney. said:

Seems like one persons crap is another persons treasure. Cheap as I am, this uke interests me more and more.

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Me too. My curiosity is now fully piqued. Sounds like the perfect low-cost, indestructible uke to stand unobtrusively at the ready in the corner @ the office.

nongdam nrever qualified "piece of junk". piece of junk how? not a compass rose junk? really bad intonation a set of strings couldnt fix? twisted/bent neck? warped top?