I'm looking at a 100% maple uke. I won't have a chance to play before buying but I was wondering what luthiers thought of the wood in terms of tone. I read an article online that said the wood is rather muted. Has this been your experience too?
100% maple uke. Tone?
- Thread starter Ronnie Aloha
- Start date
Maple doesn't resonate much, so it offers very little sustain relative to other tone woods. I've heard it's popular with some musicians of certain styles of music, where individual clarity of notes is desired. I've neither built nor played an all maple instrument, so my knowledge comes from what I've read.
cpatch
Well-known member
I'm not a luthier but I do have an all-maple (including neck and rock maple fretboard) DeVine uke (one of Eric's first designs, so it's traditional rather than kasha). Sustain is definitely less than my koa and walnut ukes but still plenty, and it has a nice, bright tone that works especially well for fingerstyle playing. Plus the quilted maple looks absolutely gorgeous!
Relative to your other instruments, how heavy is it? I've been considering maple for necks.
cpatch
Well-known member
I've never compared directly but it's not noticeably heavier and it's well-balanced. I can check when I get home tonight if you like.
Kekani
Well-known member
Every "all maple" `ukulele I've heard (all 3 of them) have been less than stellar. Of course they beat any import I've heard. However, there is one all Maple that is simply, great. See Rick Turner for that one, Compass Rose.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1l1JtcS5FI
Outside of that, I'd look for one with a Spruce top.
That said, probably 50% of my builds are maple. Why? Clarity, beauty, projection, sustain, and all the other good stuff associated with a good tenor, except for maybe sweetness. Of course, that comes once its broken in properly. Not as sweet as an all Hog, but really really nice nevertheless. Yes, I'm biased. Milo edges it out on all accounts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F52lZJIhy8g
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll290/kekani427/Ukulele/IMG_1359.jpg
-Aaron
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1l1JtcS5FI
Outside of that, I'd look for one with a Spruce top.
That said, probably 50% of my builds are maple. Why? Clarity, beauty, projection, sustain, and all the other good stuff associated with a good tenor, except for maybe sweetness. Of course, that comes once its broken in properly. Not as sweet as an all Hog, but really really nice nevertheless. Yes, I'm biased. Milo edges it out on all accounts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F52lZJIhy8g
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll290/kekani427/Ukulele/IMG_1359.jpg
-Aaron
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fromthee2me
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Hi Ronnie, I am not a luthier, but I do own a Maple Brueko soprano longneck. The sustain cannot be compared to Koa, but the character/properties of my Bruecko reminds me of a ringing and plunky banjo uke sound . WS64 has one as well, which you can see and hear on one of his many Youtube performances.
erich@muttcrew.net
Well-known member
All-maple is a fantastic sound, if you know what to do with it. Imagine a harp in ukulele form. OK, it's not rosewood and spruce, it's not mahogany, it's different. It's the sound of zithers, banos, glass chimes, tiny church bells... We try to mix woods to get a balanced sound, so we would probably use a combination of maple with a spruce top (which is actually on our current list of upcoming instruments) but all-maple is definitely out there and has its place. Maybe it would be better if you went to your music store and bought a uke that you really liked (try before you buy).
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Flyfish57
Well-known member
I agree with erich--try before you buy, unless you know exactly what you're getting for a sound. Maple and spruce is a great sound though...
Aaron, Guava Jam made my day--Thanks for posting that
Stephen
Aaron, Guava Jam made my day--Thanks for posting that
Stephen
OP
OP
Thanks for the help everyone. I think I'm going to pass on it.
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