Ovangkol

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Adrian Ortiga

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So, a local buoder was offering a "Ovangkol"/Spruce tenor ukulele and it just seems sketchy to me, anyone there have any experience with this tonewood?
 
Adrian Ortiga said:
So, a local buoder was offering a "Ovangkol"/Spruce tenor ukulele and it just seems sketchy to me, anyone there have any experience with this tonewood?
Click to expand...

Can you play it?

There's probably both great and crap ukes built out of any wood you can think of.
Proof is in the pudding.
 
Perhaps the sides and back are ovangkol, and the top is spruce? This seems likely, though I have seen ovangkol used for a top.

Kala makes a tenor with spruce top, ovangkol back/sides, and red paduak binding. It's a lovely ukulele which has received good reviews, and retails for around $365. Cordoba also makes some instruments of ovangkol.

Ovangkol supposedly has a similar tonality to rosewood. It has orangey-golden and brown stripes, sometimes with purplish streaks. It can be a very pretty wood, and many ukuleles (and guitars) are built with it. You can do a Web search for pictures of instruments built of ovangkol and see lots of examples.

Did he name the brand or model? You can search for YouTube reviews, or search in the Ukulele Underground reviews.
 
My Lanikai O-8E has a solid spruce top with laminated ovangkol back and sides. Sounds pretty darn good.

- FiL
 
Brüko use ovangkol for some of their custom models also (sides and back).
 
The new Córdoba Mini O is solid ovangkol, top, back and sides, and is their most expensive model.
 
Taylor has been using ovangkol in their 400 series guitars since 1999 or 2000, with great success. I often consider the 400 series to be Taylor's sleepers. It is considered to be rosewood-like, but to my ear it's a bit brighter, and some boards are very pretty.
 
I think on HMS site they have sound samples of Kala spruce and ovangkol soprano and concert.
 
Hi,

Literally just registered on UU

I ordered a Kala concert Spruce/Ovangkol, I haven't seen much reviews of these Kala models. Expected delivery next Monday, but hope I'm lucky and it arrives Friday.

HMS has soprano, concert and tenor versions of this uke.

Anyone played any?
 
Last edited:
Ovangkol is a good tonewood so in the hands of a good builder...not something to be concerned about.
 
i guess if you would accept a rosewood instrument you're in the right territory. just looked on wiki and it's an evergreen that is also very dense. they do wood different in cameroon than we do in this hemisphere if i have the facts straight.
 
Thanks for the info.

I'll let you guys know how it sounds once I get it. HMS service is great but the wait is tough!
 
Received the uke, it is bright, not too complex, very crisp too which must be caused by the spruce top.

Ovangkol wise, it seems to sound very similar to rosewood.

Overal, a very nice uke, it came strung with worth clear, I'll try worth brown to add some softness to the sound, it's a bit crisp for my liking.

Also received a Pono AB, really fun to play!
 
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