igorthebarbarian
Well-known member
Hi again - UAS is creeping back in and plastic seems to be popular around here as summer is quickly coming upon us. People want beach ukes/ travel ukes. And that's part of why I picked up the Outdoor Ukulele Soprano.
I already have the "new" and improved Tenor - NUD here:
http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?117312-NUD-Outdoor-Ukulele-Tenor
So here it is 6 months later and I ordered the Soprano version. I did this because I want to stick this in my backpack for traveling this summer. The Soprano should be easier for that (and cheaper too).
For the price, it's a good deal. I paid just $105, and that's because I added two strap buttons. In retrospect, I probably could've got by with just the bottom-strap button and had it for a nice even $100. A strap button is only $5 and they install right at the factory, so that's a no-brainer upgrade for me.
It shipped quickly to AZ and came in a single-box (not double-boxed). The neck/upper section was nicely bubble-wrapped though. No problems with USPS getting it here to AZ.
Again, I went for the bottle brown color, which I like and prefer to Heineken/Becks green. The camouflage ones they just added look pretty cool; I hope someone tries one of those out. I added a Sherrin's Threads 1" strap and some Flea Market grip strips to instantly "make it mine".
I also swapped out their Rye Rabbit light strings for Worth Brown BM's. Worth BM's are my go-to strings and they sound good on here. I have Worth CT's on the Tenor and they're good over there.
The Tenor feels a little heavy compared to other tenors, but the Soprano is lighter-built and doesn't feel too heavy. Obviously size is different but the Soprano feels a little less bulkier built.
The ABS plastic molded/injection plastic stuff is of a good quality build. It feels very indestructible. It will definitely make a great travel/ beater/ beach uke.
The tuners are nice quality geared ones. They turn easily and seem to hold tuning well. Very easy to use. The bridge is just a slot for knotting the strings and slipping them through - super easy to use. If you hate changing strings, this is a good invention.
Note that a Low G might be a problem since the G slot is very narrow.
The action is low, no buzzing. The Tenor's action seems a little lower and more likely to buzz.
The Tenor initially sounded a little soft/muted/not-loud enough. I don't get that from the Soprano though. It's not a sound cannon, but it's not quiet - somewhere in the middle and that's fine.
I do wonder if it would sound better/punchier if tuned up to high D tuning (ADF#B). But I'm not sure if the plastic is braced for that, and I wouldn't want to warp it.
The neck profile is square in a Flea/Fluke-sort of way, but not as thick or uncomfortable as I find the Flea's/Fluke's. The Soprano's is less thick than the Tenor's, so it's quite nice. Since it's plastic, it is very easy to slide up/down the neck.
In summary, they basically took the new-and-improved Tenor version and mini-sized it down into a Soprano. Success! Made in the USA too.
I already have the "new" and improved Tenor - NUD here:
http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?117312-NUD-Outdoor-Ukulele-Tenor
So here it is 6 months later and I ordered the Soprano version. I did this because I want to stick this in my backpack for traveling this summer. The Soprano should be easier for that (and cheaper too).
For the price, it's a good deal. I paid just $105, and that's because I added two strap buttons. In retrospect, I probably could've got by with just the bottom-strap button and had it for a nice even $100. A strap button is only $5 and they install right at the factory, so that's a no-brainer upgrade for me.
It shipped quickly to AZ and came in a single-box (not double-boxed). The neck/upper section was nicely bubble-wrapped though. No problems with USPS getting it here to AZ.
Again, I went for the bottle brown color, which I like and prefer to Heineken/Becks green. The camouflage ones they just added look pretty cool; I hope someone tries one of those out. I added a Sherrin's Threads 1" strap and some Flea Market grip strips to instantly "make it mine".
I also swapped out their Rye Rabbit light strings for Worth Brown BM's. Worth BM's are my go-to strings and they sound good on here. I have Worth CT's on the Tenor and they're good over there.
The Tenor feels a little heavy compared to other tenors, but the Soprano is lighter-built and doesn't feel too heavy. Obviously size is different but the Soprano feels a little less bulkier built.
The ABS plastic molded/injection plastic stuff is of a good quality build. It feels very indestructible. It will definitely make a great travel/ beater/ beach uke.
The tuners are nice quality geared ones. They turn easily and seem to hold tuning well. Very easy to use. The bridge is just a slot for knotting the strings and slipping them through - super easy to use. If you hate changing strings, this is a good invention.
Note that a Low G might be a problem since the G slot is very narrow.
The action is low, no buzzing. The Tenor's action seems a little lower and more likely to buzz.
The Tenor initially sounded a little soft/muted/not-loud enough. I don't get that from the Soprano though. It's not a sound cannon, but it's not quiet - somewhere in the middle and that's fine.
I do wonder if it would sound better/punchier if tuned up to high D tuning (ADF#B). But I'm not sure if the plastic is braced for that, and I wouldn't want to warp it.
The neck profile is square in a Flea/Fluke-sort of way, but not as thick or uncomfortable as I find the Flea's/Fluke's. The Soprano's is less thick than the Tenor's, so it's quite nice. Since it's plastic, it is very easy to slide up/down the neck.
In summary, they basically took the new-and-improved Tenor version and mini-sized it down into a Soprano. Success! Made in the USA too.