Big question: Mango vs Mahogany

NatalieS said:
Oops my bad! From what I read on UU, I thought mango was between koa and mahogany in the brightness factor... In other words, koa is brightest, then mango, then mahogany as mellowest. I hope I didn't spread false info.
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Nooo, no, not at all. These are very general observations, too. Your milage may very. I do think that mango is actually a softer wood than some of the others and actually has a sound more leaning to Koa, though. Thing is construction and the tree itself make a difference. Especially with a solid mango instrument, no two are alike.
 
And yes that mileage will vary....
My KoAloha Koa Soprano is way LOUDER and deeper voiced than my Pono Mahogany Soprano, the Pono sounds like someone stuffed a sock in it (and yes I checked)!!!!

A luither told me it has to do with the different styles of bracing in each.

Also my Spruce top Kala Tenor is brighter than the Pono too.
Who woudda thunk a Tenor brighter than a Soprano????
 
NaturalBornCamper said:
But I would definitely buy your mango ukulele if I was looking for one. But.. I guy I know is looking for a ukulele under 100$. I don't know how good is yours, but is it in that price range?

Also, I got the opinions of several people about the song I sent in my first post, so can I have yours as well? wich ukulele would sound more like the beginning of the song (mahogany, mango or koa)? And the strings don't matter as the guy I am buying from can switch to either Fremont or Aquila strings.

Thanks again!
Marco
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I'm no music expert but the ukulele sounds like either a mahghany or koa. It is hard to tell with out seeing it. If you own the cd look inside the instrument section or sponsors and it should tell you what kind of ukulele it is.

My mango is a Kala and I want more than 100.

Since you are looking for a solid koa you need about $500 to start if you are looking for a concert or tenor. Sopranos are less expensive.

Deach told you to buy both and I agree with him. Try to get one in as many woods as possible.
 
NaturalBornCamper said:
There is a solid koa for sale on ebay, but it's a Tangi, so it's custom and not a really well known brand
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I have never personally played a Tangi. I do know I wanted to buy one once from him and he never replied to my emails or messages after I told him I wanted to purchase a uke from him and I also know that he kinda went out of business.

I have heard mix reviews on the Tangi line of ukes so I have no personal comment on them.

I do know that you can get a Mele (Own three of them and love them) or pono (didn't like the paticular one I played but I still want to get one) for a resonable price. Honu also makes a solid koa uke that is very affordable and quite pleasing to the ears as well as eyes.
 
SuperSecretBETA said:
Mango's actually harder than mahogany... at least that's what Tony Graziano's website said.

http://www.grazianoukuleles.com/woods.html
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..and the other post I submitted said the opposite...so who knows. Here is another source talking about the fact that mango bends and works easily.

http://www.curlykoa.com/mangoguitarsets

I think what we have learned here is that mango is as inconsistant as its grain...some looks blonde, some yellow, some brown and stipey...some has curl...etc. etc. It is exotic and pretty and usually sounds great on an ukulele...but each example is a little (or a LOT) different!
 
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Nuke-ulele said:
..and the other post I submitted said the opposite...so who knows. Here is another source talking about the fact that mango bends and works easily.

http://www.curlykoa.com/mangoguitarsets

I think what we have learned here is that mango is as inconsistant as its grain...some looks blonde, some yellow, some brown and stipey...some has curl...etc. etc. It is exotic and pretty and usually sounds great on an ukulele...but each example is a little (or a LOT) different!
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I guess mango is a lot like humans. I was told by a luthier once that his company would not go to mango because bugs like to get into the wood piles and eat it. Not sure if he told me the truth or not.
 
Nuke-ulele said:
I think what we have learned here is that mango is as inconsistant as its grain...some looks blonde, some yellow, some brown and stipey...some has curl...etc. etc. It is exotic and pretty and usually sounds great on an ukulele...but each example is a little (or a LOT) different!
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Yeah, I love the colour on mine--greens, browns, yellows, oranges.

haolejohn said:
I guess mango is a lot like humans. I was told by a luthier once that his company would not go to mango because bugs like to get into the wood piles and eat it. Not sure if he told me the truth or not.
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Yeah, I hear powderpost beetles can be a problem with mango wood. I guess you just have to choose wisely.
 
Well, who doesn't risk anything doesn't get anything.. I bought the mango uke and I'll see how it goes. I'll post back after a month to see how's the sound, if the wood changes in the cold over here or if bugs are eating it(I would doubt that, we don't have too much bugs here in the coldness of Montreal)

haolejohn said:
I guess mango is a lot like humans.
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Haha! Nice poetry!!
 
NaturalBornCamper said:
Well, who doesn't risk anything doesn't get anything.. I bought the mango uke and I'll see how it goes. I'll post back after a month to see how's the sound, if the wood changes in the cold over here or if bugs are eating it(I would doubt that, we don't have too much bugs here in the coldness of Montreal)
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You don't have to worry about bugs. That's an issue for the wood supplier or uke builder... not always, of course, but it can happen. Usually, the pieces they choose are fine and finished with gloss.
 
NaturalBornCamper said:
Well, who doesn't risk anything doesn't get anything.. I bought the mango uke and I'll see how it goes.


Haha! Nice poetry!!
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What kind of mango uke did you decide to go with?
You really aren't risking anything except your savings because once you get this mango, you are going to want to get a mahaghany and then a koa and then a spruce and then a cedar and then a (place wood type here).
UAS is uncurable.
 
I have a Pono solid mango. Some of the mango models offered are laminates, not solid. That can make a considerable difference to the sound and volume.

My mango uke is stunning, but it has a mellow sound that's not as loud or bright as either cedar or spruce. That's not bad, but if you play with others or in a band, you may have to compensate for it. I had low-G Ko-olau strings I switched for high-G Aquilas and it helped perk it up a bit.
 
I am neither a luthier or player but a purveyor of both Mango and Koa and hear everyday customers reactions to my woods.
Without exception people are completely in love with the sound of Mango!
Direct quote from local builder (buys 10 sets at a time) :

"well, I'll take all you've got! The mango classic we just made sold 2 days after we strung it. Unbelievable tone!"

There can be powder post beetle holes (very tiny holes, smaller than the head of a pin) but they only attack fresh wood. Once it is dried there should be no problem at all. There are sugars in the wood that seem to really attract the rascals.

Experienced builders have no problems with the holes as they are almost imperceptable and fill easily with resin. Less experienced luthiers are more often leary.

Buy Mango, you won't be dissapointed.....

Steve

www.curlykoa.com
 
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cpatch said:
They were one of the first punk bands out of L.A. in the late '70s and did several covers. Their version of "Nights in White Satin" is a classic, as is the "Banana Splits" theme song (anyone else here old enough to remember that show?):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTxdZEB7agA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flMS2gHFOH0

Also search YouTube for their version of Black Sabbath's "Paranoid" (the way it should be played!) and Barry McGuire's "Eve of Destruction."
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I love the Dickies.They wrote "Stuck In A Pagoda With Trisha Toyota" and the Title song for the movie "Killer Klowns From Outer Space".They made a guest appearance on the 70's TV sitcom "CPO Sharkey"(a Barney Miller spinoff). I remember buying The Dickies 10" EP on white vinyl in 1978. it was their first major release and had "You Drive Me Ape You Big Gorilla","Paranoid" and "Hideous" on it.
 
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If you can identify the ukulele that Spike Slawson (singer of The Gimmes) is playing in this picture and this video, you'll have your sound.

It looks like mahogany, but I can't tell the make or model.
 
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personally I feel the construction has more to do with the sound with the exception of maple which always sounds tinny and scratchy too me.I think the most important thing to do is to try each uke out in a store and forget all the disection of wood types and just listen and compare side by side.I can't say I like a particular wood as connstructioin methods and wood stocks vary so greatly that you've just got to listen and see what resonates in you.Take you time especially if your going to put down some serious lolly on one.The only things I would say with confidence is solid wood sounds better than lams and extremely lightly built ukes tend to respond better and have greater projection than heavy built ukes. The catch is the very light biult ukes usually cost more
but as with anything you get what you pay for.
cheers fergs
 
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