kilaana
Well-known member
I just happened to be in the neighborhood of the Mainland Ukes store this weekend (I actually don't live all that far away), so I just HAD to stop in to check it out.
And can I just say, "WOW!!!!". I've never seen so many ukes all in one place! Should I get a soprano, concert, tenor, or baritone? Hey, I'll just try them all! Mahogany, cedar, or mango? Gee, I'll just play them each and see how they sound! Oh, and look! Here's a lovely cutaway tenor... I'll try that one out! How cool! I can get to all those teeny frets at the top! Glossy or matte finish? I'll compare them side by side and see which looks best! What about a MISI pickup? I'll just plug one into this amp here and try it out!!
I have to say, I ended up buying EXACTLY what I had it mind before I went there: a glossy-finish mahogany concert with a MISI pickup. Most of what I'd read here on UU about the Mainlands was spot on. They're wonderful ukes at a great price. The mahogany and cedar both sound great, but they are quite different from each other. I'd describe mahogany as a mellow, rich, fuller sound, where the deeper tones resonate through a bit more. The cedar sounded clean, crisp, and brighter to my ears. The only mango Mike had was a soprano, and I'd say it was pretty similar to the mahogany.
The matte vs glossy finish doesn't seem to have any effect on sound. They're both nice looking, but I preferred the glossy.
The MISI pickup is really cool, too. It just seemed silly NOT to get one!
And once I made my choice of what to get, it was so nice to be able to look at several different concerts and pick out the one with the wood grain pattern I liked the best. What a treat!
And, of course, the very best thing of all about Mainland Ukes is Mike and his wife! They're both super-duper nice, and were very patient as I tried out tons and tons of ukes.
So, add me to the group of happy Mainland owners. I consider myself really fortunate that I got to try them all out in person!
- Jill
And can I just say, "WOW!!!!". I've never seen so many ukes all in one place! Should I get a soprano, concert, tenor, or baritone? Hey, I'll just try them all! Mahogany, cedar, or mango? Gee, I'll just play them each and see how they sound! Oh, and look! Here's a lovely cutaway tenor... I'll try that one out! How cool! I can get to all those teeny frets at the top! Glossy or matte finish? I'll compare them side by side and see which looks best! What about a MISI pickup? I'll just plug one into this amp here and try it out!!
I have to say, I ended up buying EXACTLY what I had it mind before I went there: a glossy-finish mahogany concert with a MISI pickup. Most of what I'd read here on UU about the Mainlands was spot on. They're wonderful ukes at a great price. The mahogany and cedar both sound great, but they are quite different from each other. I'd describe mahogany as a mellow, rich, fuller sound, where the deeper tones resonate through a bit more. The cedar sounded clean, crisp, and brighter to my ears. The only mango Mike had was a soprano, and I'd say it was pretty similar to the mahogany.
The matte vs glossy finish doesn't seem to have any effect on sound. They're both nice looking, but I preferred the glossy.
The MISI pickup is really cool, too. It just seemed silly NOT to get one!
And once I made my choice of what to get, it was so nice to be able to look at several different concerts and pick out the one with the wood grain pattern I liked the best. What a treat!
And, of course, the very best thing of all about Mainland Ukes is Mike and his wife! They're both super-duper nice, and were very patient as I tried out tons and tons of ukes.
So, add me to the group of happy Mainland owners. I consider myself really fortunate that I got to try them all out in person!
- Jill