Hmph. My Ohana CK-65D has a crack in the top

byjimini

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It looks and sounds great, but I've really had enough of this uke. The tuners feel horrible, the strings took a bloody age to stop buzzing and settle in, and the spruce top is always getting marked and dinged. Now it has a bloody crack in it. Have no idea how it's done it, I don't take it out of my room, let alone to gigs and whatnot.

It's not a gaping hole, but it is noticeable both to the eye and to the touch. Really disappointed as this took some getting through from the US as customs lost it then tried to charge me twice!

Will certainly steer clear of spruce tops in the future, in fact all concert sizes as well. I haven't bonded well with anything other than soprano ukes.
 
First sorry and I can understand your feelings. How long did you have it for?

I think, I could be wrong, per the description of that uke on Elderly Intsruments, they went for a thinner top for better sound/projection, and no gloss. I've seen in guitar shops not a few cracked tops (spruce no gloss) even in humidified rooms...with the help of how many handlers.

I assume you kept that in a case with a humidifier...but really it's temp variations that do instruments in more quickly than just humidity variations. This is NOT to discount humidity or low baseline humidity... If an instrument is already dry, temp variation does more damage more quickly .

It still sounds great...but as you said...you've "had enough of this uke." But at least the location of that crack makes it usable...repairs? I'd probably leave it.

Sopranos. I share your sensibility. I too have never bonded with concerts (my least favorite size of all actually for myself but used very effectively by not a few esp. with vocals and instrumental melodic/chordal style), could bond somewhat with tenors...

Also, I checked out the Ukulovely blog...you play with other instruments, guitar, fiddle etc...and very happy to see in that busking photo OTHER instruments besides a uke...sopranos, contrary to popular misconception are actually better for the mix....
 
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Yeah it was more of a "oh what is it NOW?" reaction than anything else, it wouldn't surprise me if I woke up tomorrow to find the entire front caved in or something. I've had it less than 3 months, I'm treating it as a ding rather than some major flaw so it won't need repairing, just so bloody annoying.

Such a shame, as I have an SK-35G and think the world of it - again, another soprano. :)

Cheers for the comments on the blog; they asked me to join when the bass player dropped out, they wanted a new direction and decided that a uke would be it. :D
 
Aloha Bijimini,
Sorry to hear that you're bummed out with your ukulele....Luv Dat has a good suggestion, if you don't
have one yet, get one!!!A humidifier...they're cheap....Good Luck, and Happy Playin' MM Stan...
 
hhahaha, or find it in the morning, under your neighbours car.

However, stay with what you are comfortable with. I seriously, cannot stand soprano's, I want to buy a concert (about $150 one for now) but I can't put it past me and do it, because I can buy a tenor for that price, or get another $70 and get kala travel uke, or something.

stay with what you like !! anxiety, autistic.... I think not !
 
Yeah I will be staying with the Sopranos from now on, I'll keep the concert just because it looks great and is a nice one to play, but just not as good as the smaller sizes.
 
Not fond on them either. I feel with a soprano that I can thrash it around and what-have-you, I don't feel the same way with a tenor, almost feels like it should be picked or strummed less aggressively.
 
Yeah I will be staying with the Sopranos from now on, I'll keep the concert just because it looks great and is a nice one to play, but just not as good as the smaller sizes.

Also, if you're playing out with musicians who are not ukers (which BTW I think is better for most ukers musically anyway) and are not concerned about bumping into 4-40 ukers who want to jam, try out D tuning with that Ohana sop you have. Louder, better usually more balaced sounding sop that cuts through the mix even better and with with chord voicings for the most common keys closer to the demands of a lot of music (not just 20's 30's stuff)...and closer (you're still using the same chord shapes) to guitar chord shapes...ex. G chord on guitar compare with G chord uke D tuning...hey check it out at least once, LOL..and here's the best part: a much easier E chord LOL...and a nice full C (also closer to the basic chord shape of a guitar C chord).

In short, continue to step out of "uke think" and into "music think" which I believe you're already doing. Then you can trust your ears and feelings more than the "idea of things."
 
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Yeah I've tried D tuning before, will suggest it to the band. I always carry a capo with me anyhow.

The best part: they're not changing any keys or even you. You may need 1-2 days to get used to the different string tension but after that...it's time to kick!!!

With respect to tenors: even the so-called technically "great" stuff would go virtually unnoticed if played on guitar. Ironically, in this "current wave" the instrumentalist tenor players are considered part of the "upper tier?" The fact is: outside of Hawaii and the "uke community" they themselves are hardly known. The previous uke wave connected much more with other instruments, musicians and popular music and NEW SONGS (not artistic renditons/covers). In Hawaii the uke has always been a given...and there's also slack key...guitars with ukes...vocals...

To put things in perspective: check out this website of a female jazz banjo player named Cythia Sayer...could you imagine if she only played or played primarily with other banjo players?

http://www.cynthiasayer.com/

In short, very much on the side of a collaborative approach...to music. And glad to see a young uke player connecting with other types of musicians.

Spruce (or cedar) minus gloss: careful...
 
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That's a shame. I have heard that satin finished spruce can be a pain in the rear.

I would consider addressing the crack though. You're already having issues with it...I wouldn't want to see it get worse.
 
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