Ukulele sound comparison

dont know if this has been discussed before. After watching UkiSociety video comparison it got me thinking about all of the sound comparisons. I then had a thought that if UU had its own song and Aldrine covers it in a lesson for all to see and learn, then perhaps everyone could submit videos of them playing it on their uke. Hopefully with enough people, UU could start to build a database for comparing the sounds of each ukulele playing the same song. What does everyone think?

AshleyB said:

dont know if this has been discussed before. After watching UkiSociety video comparison it got me thinking about all of the sound comparisons. I then had a thought that if UU had its own song and Aldrine covers it in a lesson for all to see and learn, then perhaps everyone could submit videos of them playing it on their uke. Hopefully with enough people, UU could start to build a database for comparing the sounds of each ukulele playing the same song. What does everyone think?

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Too many variables - strings, recording devices, people's interpretations, playing ability, etc. I know if I picked up Aldrine's ukulele, I'd give it back to him and tell him it was broke because it didn't sound the same when I played it.

Interesting in theory. It's the sort of thing that would give a pretty good jumping off point as far as tones etc... go, but I'm not so sure how well it could actually work in practice.

There's still going to be a pretty big difference in sound qualities depending on peoples' home set ups, recording techniques, mikes, Eq preferences etc... not to mention even differences between different brands of strings and playing styles and abilities and even the speakers/headphones you'd be doing your listening with. I certainly don't want to rain on your parade, but unless there were a certain standard of uniformity across the board, it wouldn't necessarily work the way I think you imagine it might.

That being said though, it's certainly not a bad idea in itself as a subjective resource. If people would make note of all those little details that go into the recordings themselves, personal conclusions could certainly be drawn. And we all know that every little bit helps.
Choosing an instrument without being able to play if for yourself is really really hard...

Lanark said:

.. not to mention even differences between different brands of strings ..

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Even the age of the strings makes a difference. Getting a true comparison would be nothing short of a controlled science experiment. I think we should just all meet at Aldrine's house, eat some food, chase his chicken, and take a trip to MGM's so we compare a bunch of ukes.

What time should we start showing up and who's bringing the beer?

I think we should all participate in a ukulele version of "We are the world." This is how to do it:

1) Pick one chorded version of "We are the World".

2) Everyone who participates records their version on video.

3) all videos sent to one intrepid editor

4) Editor picks the best bits from all the performances and splices them into one

5) Release it on Viddler or Youtube and reap the rewards of a job well done.
(Virtual Bucks)


We may want to plan ahead so we could have some singers sing harmony - I know there are a couple of duets in the song.

We could also pick a charity for folks to give.

Or would Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie sue us?

This sounds good in theory, but the problem of too many variables exists. For example, would ukulele's with a proper pickup be the only ukes included in this project? They would provide a better quality sound for recordings than anything else. Also, microphones would introduce many variables in the recording process. Each mic has a sonic signature, and the placement of it is significant.

And this only addresses the actual recording process, much less that of playing the ukulele. Many people have tried to emulate Jake Shimabukuro's sound, using the exact same instrument and strings. But, the tone is totally different. Issues like ability to play the uke are significant. Even factors such as nail length would impact the tone of a ukulele.

Again, it'd be a wonderful concept, but it's not practical in execution. The only way to find the perfect uke is rely on the subjective opinions of people on the board, and then try out a variety of highly regarded instruments to find your perfect fit.

Ebonyks - your UserName is contradictory to your writing style.