My new Mya-Moe Ukulele. A few Q’s and some performance videos.

xzcuzxme

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So I got my Mya-Moe custom build about a week ago and I have to say it looks absolutely gorgeous! It looked amazing enough in the build pictures but is even nicer in the flesh! It is made of a straight grain redwood top and cocobolo back and sides.

At first, I had little affection for the sound…but it’s grown on me a bit. It seemed a bit dull next to my concert Koa but hopefully it will open up! Maybe also the transition from a concert to a tenor brought about a more restrained/refined sound than I was expecting. It's also surprisingly heavy!

The problem is that I’m scratching it really easily below the fretboard! Does anyone have any advice on how to reduce/repair this? I spoke to Gordan at Mya-Moe who suggested a pick guard but I think I would prefer the worn look than a big patch of material!

My gloss concert Koa is spotless after countless of hours play. I’m assuming it’s the finish but I can actually hear my nails hit the wood when I’m playing my Mya-Moe and that never happens on my KoAloha Koa. Not sure if it’s because the fretboard sits lower.

There seems to be a heated discussion over the use of cocobolo wood at the moment but I would prefer to save that for another thread.

Anyway here’s also some links to me playing it which will give you a feel for the sound and look. I’m playing Crazy G and Has Anyone seen My Gal. I'm might try and record them again on my Koa concert soon so I can get a better feel for their individual sounds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-zP6Srz814&feature=autoshare

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScqTbHg_oZA&feature=youtu.be

Cheers, Luke
 
Sign shops and others have thin clear adhesive plastic material. Well, it comes in various thicknesses but for your intended use thin would be best. I use it on potential wear areas of the bike where curves can cause a problem but a ukulele top should be a breeze. Make a cardboard pattern and cut out the shape you want. Very inexpensive for the amount you need too.
 
Congrats Luke! Beautiful uke and nice playing. You thought it was dull? I thought it was bright, maybe the recording colored the sound, but it sounded great. If nail/strum marks are a problem, a pick guard is a good solution. You might consider a clear one, that doesn't show.

Redwood can be warmer sounding, maybe that is the sound difference from your all koa tenor.

Thanks for the video demos!
 
I think I just needed to realign my expectations. My Koa concert is actually louder and more resonant. I also think, coming from a background in guitar, that the more chirpy and jovial sound of the soprano and concert was perhaps what attracted me to the instrument! It's great for fingerpicking though...each note really stands out!
 
Congratulations, Luke. It sounds and looks beautiful. Your KoAloha is particularly lively in tone, but I think your Mya Moe is gorgeous sounding and looking. Very complex, multi-layered, yet well balanced tone.
 
To my understanding redwood is soft like cedar, and mellow. The cocobolo should give nice projection and it sounds lovely in the videos. I have a Pono rosewood tenor with a cedar top and it can scratch and dent super easy. The thin clear stick on plastic pick guard previously suggested might be a good idea if you have any concern for resale value. And yes my koa tenors are louder than my rosewood tenor with the same strings but the sound is gorgeous and it has more resonance. I just put Southcoast smooth round wound linear strings on the Pono and the volume went up substantially from the Worths that were on it prior.
 
Sound nice and balanced to me. I have a Pono Pro-Classic cedar top, acacia back and sides and it sound much more mellow that yours. (and I was actually looking for mellow so i got what I wanted).
 
It sounds very Mya Moe. To my ears it sounded more bright than dull. The Mya Moe sound is a bit more complex, a little less deep, and has a touch of sweetness to it. It's a very different sound from KoAloha. I like both but they are different.
 
It sounds very Mya Moe. To my ears it sounded more bright than dull. The Mya Moe sound is a bit more complex, a little less deep, and has a touch of sweetness to it. It's a very different sound from KoAloha. I like both but they are different.

Yes, I agree.
 
Cool thanks for the advice. I'll try some new strings and have a look into getting a clear pick guard. I'm not really too fussed about resale value, I just hate to see it trashed so quickly! Yes I agree Teek, it definitely has more resonance than my Koa and I'm starting to prefer it more for fingerpicking patterns.
 
Sounded very nice and bright to me!

Petey
 
Yes different types of wood will sound different, you chose a more mellow top,
So that is what you get. As for scratches, have you tried strumming near the 10th fret
Sounds nice and bright to me too, typical mm tone
 
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I agree. It sounds pretty bright. I have found that I often really prefer Bb tuning on longer scale instruments. At least with my long scale concert (cedar top) it makes the tone much deeper and richer. It just sounds much better. Plus, I like the feel of lower tension. I would be very interested to see how yours sounded tuned down a step. I am not sure if this trick only works on my particular uke or if it is a generally true to longer scale instruments (or maybe ones with softwood tops).
 
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