Closing the loop on this new uke purchase. I've had it now for nearly two weeks and it's time to make a judgement about a Chinese made all-laminate uke.
The Aquila 'New Nylgut' strings have had a bit of work now and the uke has had a little bit of time to aclimatise and settle down. I've promised that I'll do a private concert this thursday for a bunch of blokes that I help look after, and have a bit of a mixed repertoire from their requests: Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime, The Anniversary Waltz, You'll Never Walk Alone, To Make You Feel My Love, Leaning On A Lamp Post, When I'm Cleaning Windows, Reminiscing. I had a full rehearsal this evening on the front verandah of a friend's house, to see whether I'll be ready for Thursday.
I started out using a soft-thumb strum and changed over to a full-bark strum as it quickly became obvious that the sound needed to project more than I was pushing it. This was a good thing. The new uke stood up and gave what was necessary, and held a sweet, rich and full-flavoured tone when it was pushed hard. No twangs, buzzes or sour tones.
I'm happy to say this tenor uke is a real keeper. The neck is very comfortable in the left hand. It's very nicely set up and a joy to play, and according to the audience tonight it's delightful to listen to when played to its strengths. It cost a mere $AU156 including dellivery, which at today's exchange rates is something like $US122. It's bang for buck that's hard to argue with, and I'm now looking forward to comparing it with more expensive tenor ukes to see where it might fit.
I have no financial interest in the company that makes or sells these. I found them on the net and took a chance.