HPL ukes, Enya X1, Martin OX-K and Bamboo, etc

Uncle Rod Higuchi

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I got an Enya X1 Concert because of its radiused fretboard and electronics... before I understood what HPL meant.

when I found out that "Formica" might be related, I found it very interesting. And after having received it and played it a couple of times, at various events, I find that I like it.

I like it so much that I also bought a Martin OX-K meaning the HPL Martin uke with the Koa Pattern or Print. I haven't yet received it, but I am looking forward to playing it as I am mostly a Soprano-body guy. Truth be known, I'm more of a long-neck Soprano guy :)

somehow, i find even the concert body a bit large for my taste. Concert scale is great, maybe even a 16" scale? but the general concert body and esp the Tenor scale is just a bit uncomfortable to me.

anyway, getting back to HPL (high pressure laminate, or 'Formica'), I am not put off by its not being wood or a plywood laminate. in fact I like the idea that it is less prone to scratching and could be banged around a bit without getting too dinged up... I hope :)

If anyone knows of a longneck soprano HPL uke, please let me know :)

keep uke'in',
 
Hey Uncle!

I've been intrigued by these and the thought of getting them in the coolest HPL I can find. They make every size from Soprano up to Baritone in any laminate you want. You might ask them if they'd fit a concert neck onto a soprano body for you.

http://www.bonanzaukuleles.com/shop.html
 
Wow, an OXK with a C1K neck would be a great Ukulele to try. Martin, are you listening?
 
Got my Martin OX-K the other day and enjoyed the experience.

Looking forward to having it be my go-to uke shortly :)

Perhaps bonanzaukuleles.com will be at the forefront of very creative
ukulele designs. I'd like to see an HPL Steam Punk version! :)

keep uke'in',
 
Hi,Uncle--
I have been ordering an Enya EUC-X1 on Amazon,
Different with you,I got it because of its HPL(High Pressure Laminate).
The HPLthickness of 1mm caught my astonishment successfully,
I think it will provide good resonance and response.:)
 
I just got an Enya Soprano (round body) and it plays and sounds great. I just put on a set of Aquila 30U Nylguts that let me tune it like a mandolin. Took a couple days to stretch but it is getting close and it does work.

That whole HPL material is interesting, what I thought was it would be good in the high humidity environment I live (SE Florida) as a travel "mandolin."
 
Uncle, how would you compare your Enya and Martins? I'm curious about both.
 
Frankly, since then I've acquired several other wooden ukes. Most recently during my vaction home to HNL, I was
fortunate to be able to purchase a Concert, 16" scale, bell body, Sonny D ukulele from a HS student in Waipahu
who lost interest in playing the uke in favor of more computer gaming :) I won't go into the pricing except to say
it was a good deal, even without a case.

I did play the Martin OXK exclusively for a while and truly enjoyed it. I rarely played the Enya but also enjoyed it
when I did use it. However, being a soprano-body person, (not my size, the ukulele's :)) I lost interest in the
Concert-size body pretty quickly. My favorite is a long-neck (concert-scale) soprano. My new Sonny D, although
a concert, feels like a long-neck soprano to me :) of course, it is my newest uke!

So, sorry I can't help you with my experience with HPL ukes... except to say that I truly enjoyed the Martin OXK
and I'm glad I can pick it up any time and continue to enjoy playing it.

keep uke'in',
 
Thanks for posting your experiences with HPLs.
I'm also enjoying your Ukulele Boot Camp, mahalo!

I should stop buying cheap ukuleles but I really like my round enya, especially the wide fret board.
What does your Enya X1 measure at the nut?
 
Well, with the interchangeable necks on the Enya x1, since you have the concert already, if you bought the soprano (~$105) you could put the concert neck on it and you'd have your HPL long neck soprano.

Frankly, since then I've acquired several other wooden ukes. Most recently during my vaction home to HNL, I was
fortunate to be able to purchase a Concert, 16" scale, bell body, Sonny D ukulele from a HS student in Waipahu
who lost interest in playing the uke in favor of more computer gaming :) I won't go into the pricing except to say
it was a good deal, even without a case.

I did play the Martin OXK exclusively for a while and truly enjoyed it. I rarely played the Enya but also enjoyed it
when I did use it. However, being a soprano-body person, (not my size, the ukulele's :)) I lost interest in the
Concert-size body pretty quickly. My favorite is a long-neck (concert-scale) soprano. My new Sonny D, although
a concert, feels like a long-neck soprano to me :) of course, it is my newest uke!

So, sorry I can't help you with my experience with HPL ukes... except to say that I truly enjoyed the Martin OXK
and I'm glad I can pick it up any time and continue to enjoy playing it.

keep uke'in',
 
sorry I don't have the measurement for you right now, but the comment you made about 'stop buying cheap ukes'
arrested my attention.

I'm actually fond of less expensive ukes. That's how, or perhaps why I get so many. I know that if I add up the
cost of all my acquired ukes it would end up being a substantial sum, but I wonder if I would enjoy ONE rather
expensive uke versus the enjoyment I have derived from playing the several less expensive models I still own.

I suppose it says something about me that I have difficulty justifying paying more than say $450 for a uke.
what if I end up not enjoying it? If I spend $80 or $200 for a couple of ukes, there may be a better chance of
my enjoying one or more of them. Maybe I'm not sensitive to the nuances of quality that are built into the
higher-priced models.

this past summer, just a few weeks ago, I got a nice uke fairly inexpensively and I'm still enjoying it.
a friend had his practically custom-made, big name uke... and there was a notable difference. Everyone who
played his uke mentioned how much quality it seemed to possess. I don't deny that.

however, I still enjoy having and playing my 'cheaper' uke without being envious of my friends much nicer uke.

anyway, thanks for your interest.

keep uke'in,

PS has anyone already started an "I like cheap ukes" thread? :)
seems like it's been mentioned before
 
If there isn't a thread like that, there needs to be!

Thanks for saying that you like cheap ukes! Makes me feel better! I like them, too! I can enjoy them without fear of damaging an expensive instrument. I can have more of them and enjoy the differences. Lots of reasons!

Sometimes I feel looked down on because I like cheap ukes. We need a support group! :rolleyes:
 
I like cheap ukuleles, I confess.

If something is too nice, then I feel like its too nice to use.
 
I found the thread!! It's called In Praise of Cheap Ukes!

I posted to it so it should show up! Yay!

Now to go back and read the old responses . . .
 
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