Ohana or Mainland or Pono or ?

TheKlmslim

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Ive been looking around with a hard case of UAS. I want a solid wood uke to upgrade from my laminate. My main priority is to get a uke with that sweet sound thatll put me one step up from where I am now. Ive considered banjoleles as i posted another thread a couple days ago on that. But I've startes thinkong mayve i should go for a solid wood concert before i go for the banjolele. That being said i am looking at the ohana ck 270g, mainland mango concert ( or either of the other woods, i cant decide) and the pono AC. I am really drawn towards the acacia wood because i think its just beautiful, but i dont know much about Ohana brand ukes, are they good? And are they as good as mainlands or other brands in that price range? And i have heard good and bad things about ponos. Mostly good with a couple bad experiences which leads me to believe that theyre a great company despite what ive heard. And mainland i hear nothing but solid reviews, so the main questions are how would you guys rate these 3 companies in terms of quality ukes? Which one would you go with and why? What are your thoughts and councils to a newbie to the ukulele community?
PS both looks and sound are crucial for me, i dont want unplayable wall art, but i dont want to sacrifice looks for sound. Id like to keep them both. I dont care much for fancy inlays and what not, i just love aesthetics of natural woods with the sweet sound that comes from solid wood.
Thanks guys!
 
They are all good ukulele brands. Having played and own several from each brand, I would say...

Ohana and Mainland are on a par with each other.

Pono are a level above - superb instruments and in my view possibly the best 'bang for buck' ukulele brand around.

you say you have heard 'good and bad' about Pono - what was the bad? I've never played a bad one and own several.
 
I have heard trivial things like the action being a tad high or minor imperfections in the finish or the overall voice of the instrument being a little quiet. But theyre so few and far between, which is why i believe that they are still a great brand. I didnt want to sound like i was bashing them, because ive heard so many other great things about them that make me realize that it mustve been a fluke for those other trivial things to happen. Now re-reading my post i dont think i explained myself quite well on that matter. I apologize for the misunderstanding! But thats also why i wanted to open it up to everyone on UU to get some more direct feedback. Btw i love your uke reviews! So am I correct to assume that you would recommend that I go with the Pono?
 
Actually now that i think harder i cant be too sure that what i heard was about pono, but as i try to pull up where i read those things i cant find them, or any complaint about one in general. I honestly probably got a little confused as i was going through my research online.
*Update* i did find 2 reviews on theukulelesite that werent too great. They can be found here. But like i said im sure these were just flukes. http://www.theukulelesite.com/review/product/list/id/244/
 
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Pono get very good reviews on here, they're a bit pricier than Ohana & Mainland, but your choice of tone wood would dictate to me that you go & listen to all the videos you can of those particular instruments, then you can get a better idea of which one is best for you, we each like something different.
 
I've never seen an issue on a Pono finish myself. Action being high is something correctable and usually picked up by dealer before sale so I wouldn't worry about that.
 
I have a Pono MCD-E and it's my main "go to" uke for meetups, practice, etc. I have a kpk acacia concert cutaway that heavy, but sounds like it cost hundreds more...amazing! Several others here have had similar experiences with a kpk concert. I have heard and played all solid cedar topped Mainland and Ohana concerts and found them amazing for the money. One possibility on that banjo uke is to get a really, really cheap one...upgrade it a little so that you can't loose money if you decide to sell it. If you love it, get a good one....most people never really get "hooked" on them once they try them. I found a cool maple concert closed back model from China for under $100!!!!
 
I own a Pono UL4-40. The only thing I don't like about it is the neck is a little too fat for me. So much so, I'm considering selling it and buying a custom to get the neck I want. There are a few imperfections in the finish but nothing I worry about. For me, it's all about a thin, low action fast neck with good intonation up the fretboard; everything else is secondary. All in all, it's a great instrument. Not sure if I can get the neck shaved or not.
 
Patrick - you talking about the neck profile (as opposed to width)? PResume so- and if so, yes, I know a few people who have had necks shaved down by luthiers
 
I own a Pono UL4-40. The only thing I don't like about it is the neck is a little too fat for me. So much so, I'm considering selling it and buying a custom to get the neck I want. There are a few imperfections in the finish but nothing I worry about. For me, it's all about a thin, low action fast neck with good intonation up the fretboard; everything else is secondary. All in all, it's a great instrument. Not sure if I can get the neck shaved or not.

This is my only complaint about Pono. They have a thicker neck (profile, not width) and I like a thin neck like a KoAloha. I love the sound! They are wonderful, well made ukes that represent an excellent value for what you get. I had one and had to sell it (to my dismay) because I could only play it a short while without cramping my hand. I suppose if I pushed through that I might have gotten used to it and it wouldn't hurt anymore, but I had other ukes I wanted to try.
 
Thanks Baz, that's what I meant. Like WC said, the neck profile is a little thick. Other than that, I love this little steel string baritone or is it a tenor guitar. What ever, it's nice. The profile just needs to be a little thinner, perhaps a flatter rather than rounded neck and it'd be perfect.

I have a friend who just bought an under 200 dollar Ohana. I was blown away by how good it sounded, build quality and nice slim neck. Same went for a Mainland I played. I agree with Baz Kim; either of the three would be a good choice.
 
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This is my only complaint about Pono. They have a thicker neck (profile, not width) and I like a thin neck like a KoAloha. I love the sound! They are wonderful, well made ukes that represent an excellent value for what you get. I had one and had to sell it (to my dismay) because I could only play it a short while without cramping my hand. I suppose if I pushed through that I might have gotten used to it and it wouldn't hurt anymore, but I had other ukes I wanted to try.
So I have rather small hands, would this make a big difference to my ability to play well? I mean i imagine its not a ridiculous amount bigger than any other ukulele neck but is it enough to make it permanently difficult or would I be able to learn to cope with the thicker profile? I hear a lot of comments on the neck being thicker which makes me think it might a bigger problem for me than just getting used to it.
 
So i have rather small hands. Would this be a huge concern if i buy a Pono or would it be something i would just have to get used to? If it will be a continual bother to me that might dissuade me from buying a Pono. I want something that i will be able to play for a long time and if i have to struggle just to play it that would be very unfortunate.
 
So i have rather small hands. Would this be a huge concern if i buy a Pono or would it be something i would just have to get used to? If it will be a continual bother to me that might dissuade me from buying a Pono. I want something that i will be able to play for a long time and if i have to struggle just to play it that would be very unfortunate.

I wouldn't gauge it by hand size. I have large hands (generally an XL in gloves) and don't like how thick they are. I'm not much of a tenor player either. I just prefer smaller sizes. I know many people with smaller hands than I who love Ponos and tenors. My suggestion would be to try and play each one and see how they feel to you. One man's "thick" is another's "perfect."
 
Of the 3? Pono. But you might consider a "1" series Martin or KoAloha Opio if neck profile is an issue. All production ukes seem to have high action, but that is easily adjusted. All good instruments. I think the Pono is the best finished. I have a Pono ATD.
 
For me, neck profile is a big deal. It's not only the thickness but also the shape of the neck; what's called either a D shape or C shaped neck. I'm not putting Pono down at all but that little Ohana 28's neck I played was by far the best profile I've played in an inexpensive instrument. I liked it so much I'm thinking of getting one myself.
 
Out of the three, I'd go with Pono every time. My plain basic Pono AT sounds as good as many of the much more expensive instruments I've bought since then, and the finish is among the best I've come across. The neck is certainly a little thicker (and hence, also rounder which, to me, feels more comfortable than a flat profile) in the Soprano and Concert size, but that seems to even out in the Tenor size. Actually, I did some measuring and came to realize that the neck profile of my Pono AT is almost identical to the one on my KoAloha Opio, which is praised as being thin. That later, by the way, the Opio, might be something you want to look into as well: A well-made, all solid instrument with a big sound in the mid-price range.

I don't think a "fat" neck would be a hindrance, and a lot of this talk just has to do with what somebody is used to. Despite having small hands, I think the perfectly rounded neck profile on both Pono and the Opio feels very comfortable and makes it easier to change chords for me.
 
I have no experience with KoAloha, but I have owned 3 ponos and 2 mainlands. I am a big person about 6'5" and I play Pono now almost exclusively because I love how thick the neck profile is! It's hard to try these kind of brands out locally in most cases, so I know it's hard to make a decision. I will say not only was the switch to Pono easy, but to some people like me the neck is awesome! Especially for sopranos.
 
I have probably gotten very used to the Mainland as I play it almost exclusively, but when I play other ukes, my preference is for the Mainland neck profile. I also prefer the sound of my Mainland over a number of more expensive instruments.
 
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So i have rather small hands. Would this be a huge concern if i buy a Pono or would it be something i would just have to get used to? If it will be a continual bother to me that might dissuade me from buying a Pono. I want something that i will be able to play for a long time and if i have to struggle just to play it that would be very unfortunate.

I'd get the Pono, if you have enough cash. I think they sound better too. If you have a good luthier nearby.
I've had a Kala and a Duke Banjouke that both had necks that were too fat. The neck on the Kala was ridiculous, it felt like a baseball bat, and it did hurt my hand, and no, I never got used to it.
I had the necks shaved down on both of them, and now, no more sore hand!
 
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