NUD: Bruko No. 6

Swamp Yankee

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Oooh I like this one!

Just picked it up second hand from the Flea Market Music site. This is the fifth soprano I've owned..I think, maybe the 6th...but so far it's my favorite sop of the lot of them.

The neck is a little club-like, but it has a much sweeter tone that I'd anticipated and there's just something very lovable about it, including the obsolete "Made in W Germany" branding on the inside of the back.

I like it a LOT!

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Congratulations!

I've been kind of intrigued by Brukos for a while, but I haven't had a chance to try one in person and have been a bit put off by reports of them being very bright - interesting that you are finding the tone to be sweeter than you expected, maybe it's time I bit the bullet...

Enjoy your new uke :)
 
These are very good instruments, and excellent value for money. Great woods and a slightly arched back... Hubert and Friederike are still using the 'West Germany' stamp today!

Concerning the numbering system, I always understood that the nrs 5 and 6 were both mahogany bodys with maple necks, the difference being the two-tone headstock on the nr 6. I think they only still make the 6 in a thinline version. Nr 7 had a spruce top on a mahogany box with a maple neck, while nrs 2-3-4 were full-maple. 3-4 had with a sunburst that even covered the fretboard and headstock - no idea what the difference was, while the n° 2 had a clear finish. I've never seen a nr 1, but heard it's a maple one with a walnut top and a clear finish. And the n° 9 is a full mahogany in-between-concert-and-tenor one, with a maple strip on the headstock. Keeping in with a ukulele tradition, there never were any nrs 7 or 8. And Brüko more or less left behind the idea of a handfull of numbered standard models.
 
Mostly correct, ukulelekarcsi, but I might add a few minor corrections: the standard models, basically most of the numbered ones, do not have an arched back, but rather a flat one. The only exception was the number 4, all made of maple, which was available with a sunburst finish or, alternatively, which just a straight natural one.

Talking about the numbers: the 1 and the 4 were made of maple, but the 1 had a flat body and was all colored black. The nr 2 models were mostly made of maple, but sometimes also of mahogany, they had a characteristic branded palm tree and beach design on the cover, and the back was all colored, red, blue or green. The number 3, on the other hand, was made of Gabun, or rather okoumé wood, and mostly made with a sunburst finish, although the so called 3A had a natural one, as well.
The 5 and 6 are both still available in a flat, i.e. travel, version.
And the nr. 7 had a spruce top, but a body made of ovankol, and later on, as ovankol in good quality was getting rarer, of zebrano wood. Today, the line is abandoned, as are the nrs. 2, 3 and 4.
The 9 is actually called tenor by Brüko, but it has the same body size as a Brüko concert, with a tenor scale. The tenor neck, however, has only 12 frets, as the standard soprano models (with a longer scale, of course!).

But it's absolutely correct, that most of the numbered standard models are largely abandoned today, and they are focussing much more on producing custom models of various, high class woods. They started a line of Pineapple-shaped models this year, also made of various woods. They updated their website also this year. So now you can find most of the instruments on offer there. However, it's always worth contacting them, as they often have a number of instruments which don't make it on the website. They are very lovely and helpful, so far I went there twice - it's a roughly two-hour drive from my place.

Oh, and they used nylon strings until about ten to fifteen years back. Since then, it's fluorocarbon. Still by the German string company Pyramid.
 
Congrats!
That is a very sharp lookin' uke!
 
Thanks all!
Frolicks, if Bruko has disontinued the "full body" No. 6, then those that still appear for sale are New, Old Stock? I see Uke Republic still offers them.
 
Thanks Frolicks! I love this kind of knowledge... Do you happen to know if there are clues in determining the age of Brükos? They have no logo save for the stamp that's been in use for decades, the design seems quite 'timeless'. Any changes in tuners, bridge design, nut material?
 
Bruekos have an awesome sound, especially the sopranos. When I hear cheap ukes, I often think "the twinkliness of this uke is cute, if only it had good intonation, overtones, and sustain, it would actually sound really great." Brueko is basically that sound.
 
Sorry, I see my longish answer still wasn‘t quite detailed enough, and caused some confusion. Brüko still builds the numbers 5 and 6 models, both with a flat body as well as a full one. But all the other numbers have been dropped, in most cases both the number as well as the model. Yet, they still make the number 4 model, a full maple soprano with a rounded back, but they don‘t call it No. 4 anymore. The only visible difference is the natural finish in contrast to the sunburst one (the old 4 used to have).

Regarding the age determination: the only visible clue I have concerns the bracing of the back (if it‘s a flat one): If the bracing has a square profile the instrument was built before 1980. For all newer models built after that, they use bracing with a rounded profile.
Apart from that, I know that they changed the mechanics some time around 2000. The newer ones have slightly larger buttons. And they used one-pieces bridges on the older models as well. I think they started two-piece bridges around the same time, but only on the higher priced custom models, not on the standard, i.e. numbered ones.
But in case of any question you can always contact Brüko directly. Mr. Pfeiffer is always willing to help, and in most cases he is also able to do so.

Regarding the sound: it‘s certainly quite unique and differs from most other ukuleles. It‘s a little harsher and more percussive. And I think, that people either love it, or they don‘t like it at all. I belong the first category, as you certainly guessed already...
 
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Congrats on the Bruko!! A Bruko instrument has been on my want list for a very long time!
 
I wish they made a more standard size tenor. I think their workman ship is great. Plain but very precise. I’d buy a more standar size tenor with at least 16 fret total. Current tenor , I think, is 12 fret to a body that is smaller than most tenor. I’ve read Brüko do their own thing so not holding my breath
 
Certainly no need to hold anything, M3Ukulele. You're right, they're quite peculiar about their tenor models, at Brüko. The body size is indeed the same as on the concert models, although they do make something they call a "jumbo body" on custom orders. The standard tenor model is then, in fact, rather a longneck concert, if you like. Yet, the neck is still the same with the rare 12 frets. Rare for a tenor, I mean.

Anyway, a good Nr 6 is certainly a fine choice. Hope, Swamp Yankee, you will enjoy it for quite some time. And then, maybe one day, you might consider go for a custom model. They're certainly worth their money.
 
I hate to ask a dumb question, but what does the "NUD" acronym mean? I keep seeing it.
 
I recently purchased a wonderful pre 1980 #6 (flat back, square bracing) from a UU member. It had had some issues but all has been rectified by the previous owner, by me and my luthier. It is an adorable instrument and its voice is amazing. I have installed Gotoh UPT tuners as the friction ones were terrible and it now sports Worth brown strings, which are my favorites. I could not be happier and have taken the opportunity to thin my ukulele collection as this one seems to complete the herd.
 
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