Some advice.......

Dear All,
I own a Kala curly mango uke and it is great and I am happy.
When watching instructional clips on utube etc the ukes appear to have a brighter sound.
If I was to buy a Uke made of koa - would there be a noticeable difference in tone to my current uke ?
I would like to try some different ukes to see / hear for myself but I live in what appears to be a uke - free - zone?
Any advice gratefully received !

I love the curly mango. Saw one in a shop down at the beach last summer, but decided to pay my rent instead.

I would try changing the strings first. That should make a noticeable difference. Ukuleles "off the shelf" generally have cheap ones installed, and strings also go dead after a while.

Also, brighter ukes/woods generally have less sustain and depth.

Aloha Kindabluenose,
You could put on better stings such as Aquilla's that will improve the tone
and volume of your ukulele..
I tend to notice some mango's having less volume sometimes...
And Koa would make a definete improvement it tone and volume, besides the cost....
Big difference all the way around...
I hope this helps, Cheers!! MM Stan....

You uke is laminated and many of the ukes you see on YouTube are solid wood ukes. Laminated ukes have benefits and also some trade-offs. First off, they can be beautiful because the outer layer of wood may be picked for its beauty while an inferior grade lies underneath, so you save money on your purchase. The structural integrity is better on laminated ukes because the glue is actually stronger than the wood itself. They typically hold tune better and are not as likely to split from high-elevations and winter weather.

On the down-side, they are not as loud, although the mango model you have is known for its sweet voice. Kala makes a very nice quality uke and for the price, it is one of the better models out there.

If you want "loud", save for a KoAloha or try one of the Ohana CK-70 or CK-75 ukes... they are two of the loudest, yet sweetest models I have ever heard.

mm stan said:

Aloha Kindabluenose,
You could put on better stings such as Aquilla's that will improve the tone
and volume of your ukulele..
I tend to notice some mango's having less volume sometimes...
And Koa would make a definete improvement it tone and volume, besides the cost....
Big difference all the way around...
I hope this helps, Cheers!! MM Stan....

Click to expand...

I agree with mm stan, put on some aquila strings and you will hear a difference. Or just get a solid Koa wood uke (expensive) and you will truely hear a difference!

mm stan said:

Aloha Kindabluenose,
You could put on better stings such as Aquilla's that will improve the tone
and volume of your ukulele..
I tend to notice some mango's having less volume sometimes...
And Koa would make a definete improvement it tone and volume, besides the cost....
Big difference all the way around...
I hope this helps, Cheers!! MM Stan....

Click to expand...

Koa is not better or worse than mango, just different.

If you want a brighter sound, strings are definitely the way to start. Cheap and easy. Remember all instruments sound different in person.

Kindabluenose said:

Dear All,
I own a Kala curly mango uke and it is great and I am happy.
When watching instructional clips on utube etc the ukes appear to have a brighter sound.
If I was to buy a Uke made of koa - would there be a noticeable difference in tone to my current uke ?
I would like to try some different ukes to see / hear for myself but I live in what appears to be a uke - free - zone?
Any advice gratefully received !

Click to expand...

My first uke was the Kala Mango tenor, and I like Worth Clear strings on it. I believe mine came with GHS strings, and they were rather dull sounding to me on that uke. If you are more of a strummer than picker, try Aquila strings. I have been very happy with my Mango Kala.

–Lori

Pippin said:

You uke is laminated and many of the ukes you see on YouTube are solid wood ukes. The structural integrity is better on laminated ukes because the glue is actually stronger than the wood itself. They typically hold tune better and are not as likely to split from high-elevations and winter weather.

On the down-side, they are not as loud, although the mango model you have is known for its sweet voice.

If you want "loud", save for a KoAloha or try one of the Ohana CK-70 or CK-75 ukes... they are two of the loudest, yet sweetest models I have ever heard.

Click to expand...

Amen to Pippin, your Mango beauty is only skin deep as in the first layer of it's laminate skin so pretty but not as loud and clear as a solid Mango nor a solid Koa. Laminates have the advantage of structural stability in varying humidities but tend to be more muted than solid wood as a rule. Solid Mango versus solid Koa all things being equal the Koa is brighter sounding the Mango more mellow. Not just the wood species but also the construction method, design, and even varying densities and grain patterns within the same species of wood will also effect how it sounds. When I bought my R&L Koa 'ukulele the luthier had 3 to pick from so I played all 3 and each had a unique sound though looked almost identical. I bought the one the sounded best to my ears sound being a very subjective thing. I LOVE the sound of Koa best but many here prefer the sound of Mahogany, tastes very.
As far as strings all my laminates with the exception of my Flea wear Aquila strings which to ME brings out the best in a laminate sound board, YMMV.

Spruce is a good choice if you want to sound bright too

I think Koa is known for a "warm" sound more so than "bright".
But this really depends on what uke it is and what particular piece of Koa is used.

Wow,
Thank you all for the advice.
Much appreciated

Wow,
Thank you all for the advice.
Much appreciated