Godin muiltiukes - different tops

Mattyukaholic

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Hi all,

I'm thinking about getting a Godin multiuke (actually possibly two - for gigging. One low G one reentrant.)

I'm just wondering if anyone has tried the different tops - solid cedar, solid spruce sunburst and laminate koa - and knew if there is a discernible difference between the three?

I played a two hour set last night and got tired of dealing with mic stands and feedback. I want something I can play quiet Hawaiian tunes on but can crank up the volume without feedback.

Thanks for your help!

Matt
 
I've added pickups and preamp/tuners to a few of my ukes, maybe look into that too.
 
I know people will think I'm silly but I only have a few precious to me Kamaka deluxes and couldn't ever comprehend putting in pickups etc.
 
I'm considering the possibility of having pickups installed but it makes me nervous and I'd have to pay postage

Did your Godin need work?
 
It did and the luthier said it would cost a hundred just to bring it in and go from there. I returned it and bought a Risa which came in good to go.

I would have no worries about getting pickups installed by a qualified luthier.
 
I play with microphones regularly as I just can't stand the sound of underside piezo pickups. I have 2 useable setups. I have a K&K Sound Meridian Pro microphone which clamps to the instrument plus a K&K Sound preamp and I have a Audix VX-5 condenser microphone which I use sometimes instead of the K&K Sound setup.

You do need to exercise a little care in use, however they work fine for me without feedback. The number ONE way to eliminate feedback is to turn your fold-back down. If it isn't fold-back causing the issue then its placement of the speakers (you should stay behind the speakers) that is usually the culprit. Is there a technician running the PA system?

Another issue is that the sound on stage is often quiet (this is a good thing) compared to the sound out front. When performing you need to get used to the stage sound and trust the sound technician to get a good sound out front.

Also, the Godin multi-uke is designed for reentrant tuning and is unlikely to intonate all that well for the low bass string.

When it comes down to it I insist on the best possible sound for the audience and if that means that I have to deal with a less than ideal stage sound then so be it.

Do you have your own microphone or are you relying on whatever is provided?

Anthony
 
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Thanks Anthony, I really appreciate your advice.

I'm wondering if part of the problem was that my amp was too small for the village hall venue. I've been playing through a Marshall Acoustic Amp 50watt using a shure condenser mic for the ukuleles and a shure SM58 for the vocals.

At the hall no matter where I placed the amp and mics I just couldn't get the volume I wanted without a deep feedback noise. I had the the phase and clip feedback controls on my amp switched on.

Any advice is greatly appreciated. I like the natural acoustic set up but just can't get it right. I mostly play smallish venues like pubs, doing my own sound.

Cheers,
Matt
 
Thanks Anthony, I really appreciate your advice.

I'm wondering if part of the problem was that my amp was too small for the village hall venue. I've been playing through a Marshall Acoustic Amp 50watt using a shure condenser mic for the ukuleles and a shure SM58 for the vocals.

At the hall no matter where I placed the amp and mics I just couldn't get the volume I wanted without a deep feedback noise. I had the the phase and clip feedback controls on my amp switched on.

Any advice is greatly appreciated. I like the natural acoustic set up but just can't get it right. I mostly play smallish venues like pubs, doing my own sound.

Cheers,
Matt

Something I've learned the hard way is that the volume out the front of amps and PA systems is WAY louder than you think it is as a performer. The volume at a level that won't feedback might actually be loud enough. Having said that a 50 watt amp may not be big enough. You need someone in the audience that you trust to give you feedback.

Also, to get the best quality sound and most volume before feedback you need to carefully set the various gain knobs (gain staging) for the best results. Gain staging is reasonably technical and I don't claim to be expert enough myself to teach anyone about it. What you can do depends very much on what controls you have on your amplifier.

Look up gain staging.

A simple and cheap step up from the Marshall would be a compact mixer, preferably with some effects and a single powered speaker mounted on a pole. As mixers go up in price you gain features that allow you to control gain staging. If you want to be serious about your sound then you need a mixer that has a "Solo" or "Solo in place" feature as a minimum.

Anthony
 
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