Nalu Ahua

deach

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Features

* What year was it made? Where was is made? (Hawaii, Japan, China etc...) This year I guess. Made in China
* How many frets? 18
* Solid-Top? Laminated top? Solid mahogany body and neck
* Any pickups or electronics?Not on this model
* Body and neck woods? Mahogany
* Finish (Satin, transparent, quilted top, flamed top, etc...) Satin
* Body style (Soprano, Tenor, Concert, Cutaway, etc...) Tenor
* Bridge style ( String-thru body, stop tailpiece, etc...) Tail pins
* Tuners (Locking? Non-locking? brand of tuners - Sperzel, Gotoh, Grover, Schaller, etc...) Grover open geared
* Neck/Scale (Fat, Thin, Jumbo Frets, Rosewood, Maple, etc...) Thin-ish Mahogany
* Any included accessories? (Case, gig bag, strap, cable, tools, humidifier, etc...)T-shirt


Sound

* How does it suit your music style (and what is that style)?No surprises. It sounds like a nice mahogany uke should.
* What amps and effects are you using it with? n/a
* Is it noisy? On what settings? n/a
* Rich/Full sound? Bright sound? Balance of full and bright
* Likes and dislikes? Sure is purty


Action, Fit & Finish

* How well was the ukulele set-up at the factory? (How was the action?) Nice action. Not too high or low
* Properly bookmatched top? n/a looks to be one piece
* Properly routed bridge? yes
* Did the ukulele contain any flaws? (misaligned bracing, poorly filed fretwire, finish flaws, poor quality wood, rusted or oxidized hardware, loose tuning pegs, poorly cut nut, poorly fit saddle, noisy pickup selector, loose controls, etc...) The tuners seem a little"tall for the head stock. Maybe a milimeter too tall. Nit-picky...
Picture030.jpg


Reliability/Durability

* Will this ukulele withstand live playing? yes, I think. Seems rather sturdy yet light-weight.
* Does the hardware seem like it will last?yes
* Is the finish good enough to last, or does it seem thin and easy to wear off with lots of playing? The finish is pretty even and seems durable
* Can you depend on it? probably
* Would you use it on a gig without a backup?yes


Customer Support

* If you've dealt with the company, how helpful/friendly were they?Yes, I dealt with Gary. We spoke for several hours before I decided to purchase the uke.
* Ever try and get it repaired? n/a
* Was it under warranty?Gary said if there's ever anything wrong with the uke due to manufacturing, they would fix or replace the uke.
* How long is the warrantysee above comment


Overall Rating

* How long have you been playing?17 months
* What other gear do you own? buncha other ukes
* Is there something you wish you had asked before buying this ukulele? not that I can think of...
* If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else? probably buy another one
* What do you love about it? sure is purty
* What do you hate? Aquila strings
* What is your favorite feature? inlays and laser etching
* Did you compare it to other ukuleles? Which ones? Yes, Kalas and Mainlands.
* Why did you choose this one? wanted something different and it sure is purty
* Anything you wish it had? should have gotten a pick-up
* Anything else you'd like to share?


Website - http://www.nalu-ukulele.com/products.html

Sound clip - Aquila's http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USAxXaxHi2A
Sound clip - Worth CT's http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrWXlOCjttg
 
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LOVE the wave in the sound hole
 
I blame Dominator's wife for sporting a Nalu Ukulele t-shirt at the SF bbq.
 
How does it compare to your Kalas and Mainlands?

I no longer own any Kalas.

I've never owned a Mainland although I've played many. I would rate Mainland's mahogany tenor's sound comparable. I think Mainland's are set up a lot nicer. Nalu's set-up process should improve once they are more established though. As for looks, beauty is in the eye blah blah blah. Is the Nalu worth $50 more? Sound-wise, probably not. It's still a really nice uke though and I'm glad I have one.
 
I blame Dominator's wife for sporting a Nalu Ukulele t-shirt at the SF bbq.

Ha, that's funny.

I've played one of their tenors at Hayward. I belive it was Old Smelly Bob's. It sounded great. I played one of the top of the line models at the Tahoe fest and it sounded fantastic. It sounded much fuller than my Dominator spruce top. I almost used it for my set during the concert.

The Kala's I've played don't sound as good as the top model I played. My issue with Kala's are string spacing. The strings are too close together around the soundhole where I do my fingerpicking. A deal breaker for me. Not an issue for someone just starting out who will just automatically get used to it without knowing the difference.

Congrats on the new uke Deach.
 
How did you "receive a Nalu uke?" Or did you purchase it?
haha, it sounded like you're starting to get Deached by companies who want some cheap marketing. :D Then again, if you bought it, nvmd.
 
How did you "receive a Nalu uke?" Or did you purchase it?
haha, it sounded like you're starting to get Deached by companies who want some cheap marketing. :D Then again, if you bought it, nvmd.

I purchased it Saturday and received it Tuesday.
 
You can't Deach the Deach. To do so would seriously warp the space-time continuum and create a disturbance in the force.
 
Nice one, Deach. On the vid it sounds really petty full and decent volume.

What strings do you think you'd prefer?
 
Nice one, Deach. On the vid it sounds really petty full and decent volume.

What strings do you think you'd prefer?

I changed strings later that day. I replaced them with Worth CTs. I love the sound now!
 
Thanks, Deach. Yeah, the Worths do sound better. :)

Congrats on the new uke. :)
 
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