Mainland Mahogany Tenor cutaway with slotted headstock review

monty

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Hey guys,
So I got this uke in the mail today! First things first, I played it for a solid 4 hours. Now i've had a strum and a pick, I figure i'll let everyone else know what I think of this solid mahogany 'uke.

Appearance
Without a doubt she is a beautiful instrument. The mahogany wood with the gloss finish is just so well done, the grain moves in sweeping curves down the sides and in lovely stripes down the top and back. That said, I was a little disappointed in the finish, having heard nothing but amazing reports of mainland's in the past. There was dried glue evident on the side of some frets, headstock, and where the neck joins the body. This has no impact on sound or playability however, so It can be overlooked. There were also some tiny scratches in the gloss finish in one area on the body - again, i'm just being thorough. Overall a fantastic looking instrument, with an amazing smell (new uke, had to give her a sniff).

Acoustics
This uke comes set up with high-G Nylgut strings - i've heard that a few other strings bring out the solid mainlands a little better, I may have a tinker around in the coming weeks to see if I can bring any truth to this. The sound is everything I could have wished for when purchasing this instrument - lovely clear projection with plenty of volume (as a tenor should), good note separation and melodious strumming. This uke really packs a punch, and I cannot fault it at all on its tonal qualities (been playing guitar and piano on and off for 20 years, intonation and pitch is pretty spot on).

Overall Vibe
This uke just screams out to be played. I'm being a bit of an overprotective father, trying to keep her free from all possible harm while playing... but you just get this sense of pushing the limits when you play it. If the Von Trap family used Ukulele's in the sound of music, a mainland would surely be in the picture somewhere!

Just my 2 cents,
Cheers from down under!
 
That's quite a tight budget. Now I've gotta decide between This (Provided it lasts till november) and a Kala Acacia Tenor. Maaaaaannnnn :/
 
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