NUD: aNueNue Moon Bird concert

RafterGirl

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It's here! I had gone out to run an errand and got home just as the UPS truck pulled up. My very first impression was ......this is not a dainty, light as a feather ukuele. It feels substantial, but not unbalanced. It feels a little heavier than my concert scale tenor. It sounds wonderful. It has a very full sound. Not as bright & loud as my KoAloha, but not as mellow as my Doug fir & mahogany tenor. The Blackwater strings sound kind of like the Worth Browns on my tenor, but not exactly. They have a slippery feel to them. I'll keep them on for awhile & decide if I want to switch to my favorite Living Waters strings. I was worried about the neck, as some had described it as being on the thinner side. I don't think I'd call it thin. It seems very medium to me. Very much like my Gary Gill tenor and my Islander soprano. Maybe a tiny bit thicker than my KoAloha. Not at all like my Loprinzi, which has a thin neck. The finish on this ukulele is smooth as glass, and I LOVE that the neck is satin, not gloss. The spalted maple rosette is very cool, and the one thing that is unique to each uke.

My experience with HMS was very good. I got notification of the order receipt and the shipping in a timely manner. 10 days from order to delivery with the full set-up and MiSi installation. It was boxed exceptionally well. It even had a filled humidifier in the case with the uke. The set-up feels great. The aNueNue case is a tank. Beefiest case I've ever seen, and it's a lockable case.

So far, I'm digging it this uke a lot. Back to playing it now.
 
A few pictures. It's hard to get one of the back, since it's such a mirror surface.
 

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Thanks for the review.

I thought I had read that it was a lighter ukulele, but I must be confusing it with something else. Glad that you included that information.

Looks great. Enjoy it!
 
I've not seen people discuss the weight much in any of the Moon Bird reviews I've read. Barry Maz's detailed review of the Moon Bird tenor described it as not heavy, but not overly delicate either, and well balanced. I've not had a ukulele with this kind of gloss finish before, so maybe that accounts for it feeling heavier. But, whatever is weighs, it sounds great. I'll report back on my decision about the Blackwater strings. I do love Living Waters, so we shall see.
 
I've not seen people discuss the weight much in any of the Moon Bird reviews I've read. Barry Maz's detailed review of the Moon Bird tenor described it as not heavy, but not overly delicate either, and well balanced. I've not had a ukulele with this kind of gloss finish before, so maybe that accounts for it feeling heavier. But, whatever is weighs, it sounds great. I'll report back on my decision about the Blackwater strings. I do love Living Waters, so we shall see.

I think I just was getting this one confused with something else as far as the weight is concerned.

Living Water strings are usually my favorite, so it will be interesting to hear what you decide regarding strings.

Enjoy!
 
Thanks for the review.

I thought I had read that it was a lighter ukulele, but I must be confusing it with something else. Glad that you included that information.

Looks great. Enjoy it!

I have the TENOR version and it is heavier than both our Kanilea and KoAloha: It was approx. 24 oz. KoAloha 23 oz. Kanilea 21 oz.
 
I have the TENOR version and it is heavier than both our Kanilea and KoAloha: It was approx. 24 oz. KoAloha 23 oz. Kanilea 21 oz.

My concert Moon Bird is 23 oz. My Gary Gill concert scale tenor is 21 oz. and my KoAloha concert is 17 oz.

strat4me, did you keep the Blackwater strings or change to something else?
 
We bought it two months used from someone who wanted a pickup. He switched to Oasis warms but tells me they sounded very similar to the originals to him. I have only heard the Oasis so have nothing to compare it to. I thought it would sound overly bright but it does not.
 
My concert Moon Bird is 23 oz. My Gary Gill concert scale tenor is 21 oz. and my KoAloha concert is 17 oz.

strat4me, did you keep the Blackwater strings or change to something else?

Do all of your ukes have pickups? I've never played a uke w/ a pickup, but assume that adds a noticeable amount to the weight?
 
My Gary Gill has a MiSi, but not my KoAloha. The pick-up could add weight, but I doubt it’s very much.
 
Congratulations RafterGirl, what a little beauty :D I think I might need one too! :D Give those Black Water strings a chance, I kept mine on & I really like them now :D

Me too, coming to really like them! I want a misi pick up putting in mine too, but it will require a substantial drive to a trusted store!
 
I think I just was getting this one confused with something else as far as the weight is concerned.

Living Water strings are usually my favorite, so it will be interesting to hear what you decide regarding strings.

Enjoy!

The clear counterpart to Anuenue black water strings are not the living water strings, but Anuenue Clear water strings.
I once accidentially bought a set of Clear water strings due to the reputation of the living water ones...

They are still in my drawer, but now that I got an Anuenue African Mahogany Tenor which also comes with these, I guess I know where to use them.
Their african Mahogany tenor is also glossy and not feather light either. You need to put bit of work in to get the sound out, but it is worth ot.
 
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Congratulations! I've had mine for almost 2 months. I'm definitely smitten with it. Look forward to hearing more of your adventures with it.
 
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The Moon Bird “flock” is growing. Lots of people picking up concerts & tenors. Any Moon Bird soprano owners out there? I’ve been playing the heck out of mine since it arrived yesterday. Gotta get those strings settled in before I take it to play at church on Sunday. I can’t wait to hear it through the church sound system.
 
Hi RafterGirl, Congratulations on your new uke. I love mine, sounds fabulous and SUCH a comfortable neck!

I'll be interested to hear your thoughts if you try the Living Waters. I bought my tenor Moonbird a couple of months ago and on day one the g string snapped. I happened to have a set of Living Waters lying around (usually one of my favourite strings) so I stuck them on, but after a couple of days I really wasn't liking them, they sounded kind of twangy, almost nasal.

I suppose the LWs might have settled down in time, but I put a new set of Anuenue black waters on as soon as I could and I like them a lot, they just seem to suit the instrument perfectly. I might try the clear waters at some point, just out of interest, but I probably won't be putting Living Waters on this particular uke again.
 
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Hi RafterGirl, Congratulations on your new uke. I love mine, sounds fabulous and SUCH a comfortable neck!

I'll be interested to hear your thoughts if you try the Living Waters. I bought my tenor Moonbird a couple of months ago and on day one the g string snapped. I happened to have a set of Living Waters lying around (usually one of my favourite strings) so I stuck them on, but after a couple of days I really wasn't liking them, they sounded kind of twangy, almost nasal.

I suppose the LWs might have settled down in time, but I put a new set of Anuenue black waters on as soon as I could and I like them a lot, they just seem to suit the instrument perfectly. I might try the clear waters at some point, just out of interest, but I probably won't be putting Living Waters on this particular uke again.

Good to know. So far, I like the Blackwaters just fine. It looks like World Of Ukes carries both the Blackwater & Clearwater, so I can get more strings from them when needed. Maybe someone in the US will start carrying them, since these ukuleles are becoming so popular.
 
Congrats!
These seem like such lovely ukes. I sure would like to try one.
 
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