Pulling the Trigger on the MP Custom

If you're interested in some of my public decision-making, check out this thread here:
http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/f...-mods-anyone-at-all...-please-chime-in./page1

Aaaanyways, it's 1230 at night here and I am posting on UU. Can you tell I love this place? lol

Well, here's an Email I sent Mike from MPUkuleles.com today:

Mike,

I have decided to go ahead and pull the trigger on the custom. I have done some extensive searching, and you came out on top, for quality/price and customer service... I can tell you about that second one first-hand. Others testify to your workmanship more than almost any other builder that I have seen aside from Moore Bettah. I contacted Chuck as well, and he is an extremely friendly man, though we agreed that his prices were well above my means.

He did, however, offer to send a few plates of Ivory to whichever luthier I decided to go with. That's right... plain, white, non-plastic ivory for the position markers and custom inlay. Sweet, eh?

Speaking of the inlay, and the uke in general, I have changed a few wants.
The first is the inlay. I am thinking of a funky-circle inlay on the headstock with a Sin Wave design for the 12th fret marker. It came to me one night while I was lying in bed... I know that sounds wierd, but the thought "divine circle" popped into my head and I haven't been able to get it out. Rotary winged aircraft, soundwaves, circles and waves. It's what I do, and what I love.

Chuck also suggested an all koa ukulele... not a koa top matched with mango back and sides. I'd be interested to what you have to say on that, as well as any suggestions for an alternative soundboard wood when matched with koa back and sides.

The sound I'm looking for could be best described as "glassy smoke" if that makes any sense at all to you. I want clear, but kind of warm, rounded-sounding single notes, while maintaining a cohesive sound when strummed.

I'd also like to maintain a traditional-looking headstock, if that is doable. Like your slotted headstock sans slots. I don't dislike the look of the slotted stock, but I don't want to spend an extra $150 just for the old-school look.

So, the revised list of wants goes something like this:
All Koa TBS, open to discussion on other soundboard woods
Figured Top
Traditional Headstock Shape
Ebony Headstock Veneer
"Divine Circle" headstock inlay, I will supply drawing
"Sin Wave" inlay at 12th fret, I will supply drawing
Side Position Markers
Ebony Fingerboard and Bridge
Maple Body Binding
Fingerboard, Soundhole, and Headstock Unbound
Maple or Cedar Neck, whichever you think is best

I think that's about it. I'd like to discuss your pickup options as well. I see that you offer KnK... I haven't heard anything from a Uke with them on it. Can you tell me more about them? What type of pickups are they? How do they work? Etc.

Well Mike, just let me know what the down payment is to get this thing rolling, and we'll work out the details from there. I'd be interested in hearing your take on the wood choices. If any of my changes (outside of the inlay work) increases the price we discussed earlier, please let me know.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,
Jacob Hicks
A Co 6-101 CAB
"Warlords"
101st ABN DIV (AASLT)

I decided on MPukes, if you can't tell by my email. Very excited... my first custom! I'll update when the building starts, and as it progresses, and OF COURSE when I get it. Wish me luck, people.

Congrats. I'm sure it will be an awesome uke.

Hi jehicks... Congrats on your decision to go for a custom with Mike. His all koa uke sound very nice. I have to say that from the 3 tenors that I have from him, the all koa is the one that sound the warmest but at the same time very clear.

But you really have to let the uke and the wood some time to really appreciate to his true value. Because I observe that it really takes some time to his uke to open up and find it's own personnality.

I'll share with you the wood combos that he made for me:

All Koa tenor: the warmest sound.
Sitka spruce top/koa back and sides tenor: the loudest and very cristaline sound coming from the Sitka spruce top.
Engelmann spruce top/ Madagascar Rosewood: not as loud as the sitka one but lots of reverb coming from the Rosewood body. The highs coming from the Engelmann are maybe more precise than the Sitka too.

Cedar top/padauk Concert: very loud and boomy soud...It's a really combo if you want a warm sound but quite boomy at the same time.... And I love the red tint of the Padauk wood!!

Anyway...yeah just let me know what's your wood combo!!!! Ask Mike, he will let you know how freak I am since I'm always looking for new wood combos that I want to try!!!

Thanks

fumanshu said:

But you really have to let the uke and the wood some time to really appreciate to his true value. Because I observe that it really takes some time to his uke to open up and find it's own personnality.

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Couldn't agree more with that. It took about a year until I really fet like it was there.

Mike, in his usual fashion, replied promptly to my email today!

He suggested a Redwood Top on the Koa body, which seems to be his favorite combination of woods. He told me he has a nicely figured top just lying around as well so... hmmm... :drool:

One thing I am worried about, though, is the tendency of redwood to pick up scratches so easily. I asked if he had any top finishes he could put on to have it ward off the scratches a bit. We'll see.

I also spoke with him about his pickup options and decided to go with the KnK twin soundboard transducers in a passive configuration. For the neck he suggested maple, and I am obliged to agree.

Guys, if you are considering a custom under a grand, I do not think you can go wrong with Mike. He is an excellent person to work with so far, very knowledgeable but also very approachable. He reminds me in his emails of Chuck Moore, though their work is very different. Chuck's stuff is amazing and from what I have heard well worth the price, but if you are like me and a MB just isn't obtainable *yet... hehe* do yourself a favor and check out MPukuleles.

I'll keep yall updated on the decision-making process as it progresses.

fumanshu said:

Hi jehicks... Congrats on your decision to go for a custom with Mike. His all koa uke sound very nice. I have to say that from the 3 tenors that I have from him, the all koa is the one that sound the warmest but at the same time very clear.

But you really have to let the uke and the wood some time to really appreciate to his true value. Because I observe that it really takes some time to his uke to open up and find it's own personnality.

I'll share with you the wood combos that he made for me:

All Koa tenor: the warmest sound.
Sitka spruce top/koa back and sides tenor: the loudest and very cristaline sound coming from the Sitka spruce top.
Engelmann spruce top/ Madagascar Rosewood: not as loud as the sitka one but lots of reverb coming from the Rosewood body. The highs coming from the Engelmann are maybe more precise than the Sitka too.

Cedar top/padauk Concert: very loud and boomy soud...It's a really combo if you want a warm sound but quite boomy at the same time.... And I love the red tint of the Padauk wood!!

Anyway...yeah just let me know what's your wood combo!!!! Ask Mike, he will let you know how freak I am since I'm always looking for new wood combos that I want to try!!!

Thanks

Click to expand...

As always, foo, thanks for all your help in this endevour. Mike and I have been in discussion about the tonewoods for the top, as I said yesterday he suggested Redwood, and I love the way it sounds softly. I am worried about its tendency to get scratched and I've heard tell that instruments with redwood tops may sound muddy when hammered on... which is definately a way that I play often. I wasn't crazy about the sound from the all koa soundclip he sent me, as every luthier has their own "sound" when it comes to wood.

I shot him back an email today and asked about maybe Red Spruce? I like the clarity of spruces, but they tend to sound a bit lacking when not played as hard as I sometimes do, but I read that Red Spruce (or adirondac) has a much larger dynamic range than your traditional american spruces. We'll see, of course.

Mike is certainly a pleasure to work with.

I think you'll be happy with your decision. Have Mike get in touch with me when he's ready for the inlay material.

will do chuck, and I am also sending you an email about something regarding the ivory. btw... you're pretty dang awesome yourself.

Hey jehicks!! Redwood is definitely a very scratchy tonewood and Mike is a person that doesn't use nitro or hardcoating finish so it's very easy to get lots of fingernails marks on the redwood soundboard.

As for the koa soundboard, Mike probably send to you a sample from uke that he just finish and take sound sample from it. And I have to say most of the time, the sound isn't impressive because like I said in other posts, for whatever reason Mike ukes sound good after quite a long time of playing but because he has to ship the ukes he's building, so most of the time he,s just taking a sound sample straight when the uke is finish!!!

Also, Mike used to strung his uke with Worth Brown, and for me, his ukes really need to be strung with classical guitar strings something such as D'Addario T2 to sound nice.

As for his bearclaw spruce, it sounds quite loud even if you don't play hard...well mine at least!

Hope this helps!

Thanks

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE

I received an email from Mike today, and it was nothing but good news.

He unfortunately does not have red spruce, however... he offered to put a Koa Pickguard on the redwood in order to protect it from scratches. I had never even thought of something like that! He also informed me that the curly redwood he has in stock is from a sinker log. Too. Freakin. Cool.

So, I confirmed my Uke with these specs:

Figured Koa Back and Sides
Curly Redwood Top
Matching Koa Pickguard (I am leaving the exact shape to his discretion)
Ebony fretboard, headstock veneer, and bridge
Traditional Shaped Headstock (again, I am leaving the exact shape to his discretion)
Maple Neck and Body Binding
Unbound Soundhole
Unbound fretboard
Ivory Inlay on Headstock and at 12th fret
Ivory Position markers
KnK Twinspot Passive Pickups

You don't think it will be too busy with four different woods, do you? You think I should have asked about a maple pickguard maybe? hehe... well, I did.

Regardless, I am completely excited now. He is also shipping the Cedar/Myrtlewood concert I picked up from his "For Sale" page next week. He's got a few new ones on there, too, so if you're in the market it is def. worth checking out... they are at incredibly reasonable prices, too.

Here's the Final List, with prices from his website.

Model K Tenor $850
- Figured Koa Back/Sides, Figured Redwood Top
Inlay $unk
- Ivory Circle Soundwave Design
Pickguard $unk
- Matching Koa
KnK Twinspot $100
- Passive

Personal Touches: The above-mentioned inlay, Pickguard, as well as the Binding wood (maple), And lack of fretboard binding/rosette. May change my mind later, but that can always be done.

sounds awesome!! can't wait to see pics ... and hear how it sounds too!

Hey Jacob,

Congrats man, glad you found the builder that's right for you.

Hey Jake!

Good to see you on the UU. Yeah, it was a pretty exhaustive search, but I found one within my means and am very excited about it. How's your business coming?

jehicks87 said:

Hey Jake!

Good to see you on the UU. Yeah, it was a pretty exhaustive search, but I found one within my means and am very excited about it. How's your business coming?

Click to expand...

yeah, there is nothing like getting a new instrument.
Business is good, ive been busy.

I noticed in this thread people saying that it takes a while for a MP uke to "open-up" or settle in.

How long are we talking about, with daily play time?

fantastic looking instruments and the prices are outstanding...

Hi iDavid!! From my experiences with Mike's uke, I think after about 3 months you just start to hear what it can really sounds like. But the true sound only comes after 6-12 months or even more I think. My MP Negra just start to open up and now it's already very different from the first day I receive it. But I know it will be very different in 6 months or a year because I can see the differences from my other ukes that it's really with time that Mike's uke start to really find it's personnality.

Mike's uke sound good at the beginning but you can't compare it with how it can sound after lots pf playing time....and find the good strings combo too!

Hope that helps!

Thanks

Feast your eyes on my eye candy!




Just a few teasers for yall. I'm not showing the headstock until it's done. Muhuhahahahah.

Well, it's only letting me upload one of the pictures... but it's friggin huge! does anyone know how to resize it?

Use a graphix or picture program like Photoshop or Preview for Macs.