UkeStuff
Well-known member
As our camping season approaches, I wanted a ukulele to be able to bring along, and I prefer ukuleles in the Concert and Tenor size, mainly because of my men's size L hands. I own three sopranos and can play them--but spacing is just easier on a Concert or Tenor.
The closest music store to my house (I live in Wisconsin less than 1/2 mile from the St. Croix River separating Minnesota and Wisconsin) is Brickhouse Music in River Falls, Wisconsin. I had looked at their ukulele selection many times while in River Falls, and since my entry into ukulele this past January, I realized that they had Outdoor Ukuleles in stock. In April, the owner told me that they had them in boxes, including the natural color.
What is interesting is that Outdoor Ukulele doesn't show them as a vendor, and you can't buy the natural color from them any more (green, brown, and camo). The natural intrigued me with the idea of dropping a glow stick in the ukulele around a campfire.
I watched eBay and Amazon since then, and haven't seen any Outdoor Ukuleles show up, and I even posted here with a WTB in the Marketplace. I finally decided that it was time to pay full price for a ukulele (I haven't done that since my first ukulele, my Makala MK-CE)
Today I picked it up, and there isn't much I can add that other reviews haven't already said. The sound is a take-it-or-leave it issue (for me, and the intended purpose, it is fine), but where it really shines is the set-up, as noted by Ukulele Go! (http://ukulelego.com/gear/outdoor-ukulele-tenor-review/). The instrument just plays incredibly well and the action seems perfect. I like the Rye Rabbit strings, and can't seem to find them listed anywhere but Outdoor Ukulele.
What this ukulele DID do was to cause me to loosen the tension on most of my other ukueles (most Kalas or Kala brands), and work on the saddle heights to make the action similar to the Outdoor Ukulele. That included a crummy Mahalo MK1 that I bought for my kids to keep them off of my ukuleles, a Ukadelic US Flag soprano, a Kala Travel Tenor, and the Makala MK-CE, which was my first ukulele in January. I think some could still be adjusted lower!
I don't own a K model at this time, and my goal is to take my wife to Hawaii to buy one on location (honestly, I had no desire to go before playing ukulele...I taught for a year in the Dominican Republic, which was a wonderful experience but cured my need to go to a tropical climate). My nicest ukulele is my Lanikai Spruce UkeSB Tenor (the overtones just scream out of it) which is set up similar to the Outdoor Ukulele. But I do like this ukulele and the ability to have the tenor size with the peace of mind in traveling is worth it.
I also speak at music education conventions, and it will be great to be able to bring this ukulele along.
So..another NUD...and there won't be many of these for me any more. My wife told me that 10 is enough.
(P.S. If you are interested in the natural colored Outdoor Ukuele, Brickhouse music still has some in stock).
The closest music store to my house (I live in Wisconsin less than 1/2 mile from the St. Croix River separating Minnesota and Wisconsin) is Brickhouse Music in River Falls, Wisconsin. I had looked at their ukulele selection many times while in River Falls, and since my entry into ukulele this past January, I realized that they had Outdoor Ukuleles in stock. In April, the owner told me that they had them in boxes, including the natural color.
What is interesting is that Outdoor Ukulele doesn't show them as a vendor, and you can't buy the natural color from them any more (green, brown, and camo). The natural intrigued me with the idea of dropping a glow stick in the ukulele around a campfire.
I watched eBay and Amazon since then, and haven't seen any Outdoor Ukuleles show up, and I even posted here with a WTB in the Marketplace. I finally decided that it was time to pay full price for a ukulele (I haven't done that since my first ukulele, my Makala MK-CE)
Today I picked it up, and there isn't much I can add that other reviews haven't already said. The sound is a take-it-or-leave it issue (for me, and the intended purpose, it is fine), but where it really shines is the set-up, as noted by Ukulele Go! (http://ukulelego.com/gear/outdoor-ukulele-tenor-review/). The instrument just plays incredibly well and the action seems perfect. I like the Rye Rabbit strings, and can't seem to find them listed anywhere but Outdoor Ukulele.
What this ukulele DID do was to cause me to loosen the tension on most of my other ukueles (most Kalas or Kala brands), and work on the saddle heights to make the action similar to the Outdoor Ukulele. That included a crummy Mahalo MK1 that I bought for my kids to keep them off of my ukuleles, a Ukadelic US Flag soprano, a Kala Travel Tenor, and the Makala MK-CE, which was my first ukulele in January. I think some could still be adjusted lower!
I don't own a K model at this time, and my goal is to take my wife to Hawaii to buy one on location (honestly, I had no desire to go before playing ukulele...I taught for a year in the Dominican Republic, which was a wonderful experience but cured my need to go to a tropical climate). My nicest ukulele is my Lanikai Spruce UkeSB Tenor (the overtones just scream out of it) which is set up similar to the Outdoor Ukulele. But I do like this ukulele and the ability to have the tenor size with the peace of mind in traveling is worth it.
I also speak at music education conventions, and it will be great to be able to bring this ukulele along.
So..another NUD...and there won't be many of these for me any more. My wife told me that 10 is enough.
(P.S. If you are interested in the natural colored Outdoor Ukuele, Brickhouse music still has some in stock).