cpmusic
Well-known member
I've had my Pono MGT for about a year, and although I've been reluctant to admit it, it hasn't thrilled me. It just seemed to be kind of quiet and restrained. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't very interesting.
I replaced the stock Ko'olau tenor strings with Aquila tenors, but they didn't make much difference. A short time later I bought an Oscar Schmidt tenor in the Marketplace which has a lovely tone, and I noticed that its clear strings were thinner than the tenors I'd been using on the Pono, so I looked around for thinner tenor sets.
One of the sets I bought was Martin M620 (clear tenor), and they really woke up the Pono, like flipping a switch. The tone is clear and woody, and the uke has plenty of volume now. It's what I've come to expect from a good uke, and now the Pono is getting most of my attention.
I also have some Worth clear tenors which appear to be similar to the Martins in gauge, but the Martins are so pleasing that it'll be a while before I try them.
I replaced the stock Ko'olau tenor strings with Aquila tenors, but they didn't make much difference. A short time later I bought an Oscar Schmidt tenor in the Marketplace which has a lovely tone, and I noticed that its clear strings were thinner than the tenors I'd been using on the Pono, so I looked around for thinner tenor sets.
One of the sets I bought was Martin M620 (clear tenor), and they really woke up the Pono, like flipping a switch. The tone is clear and woody, and the uke has plenty of volume now. It's what I've come to expect from a good uke, and now the Pono is getting most of my attention.
I also have some Worth clear tenors which appear to be similar to the Martins in gauge, but the Martins are so pleasing that it'll be a while before I try them.