Decided on a new uke

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armytrucker77

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I have a soprano cheapy uke and a early 1900s banjolele concert size I think....i got short stubby fingers so Im thinking I should go no bigger than a concert. I used to have a oscar schmidt concert pineapple and it seemed right for me.
 
I bought the concert version earlier this month pretty much out of curiosity and slotted headstock lust.:p For the money this ukulele is very well made and finished. I really can't fault its workmanship at all (nice gold grover tuners, bound fretboard, clean interior, etc). To me, it definitely looks as nice in person as it does in the pictures. It is pretty heavy though. I'm not sure if it's built heavy or because of the density of zebrawood, but definitely heavier than the average concert sized ukulele.

As for the sound, I don't think I would be a great judge of it because I'm so used to playing various high-end custom ukes. To my ears, it has a bright sound that is a bit thin and similar to most Lanikai/Kala ukes I've played in the past, which is not necessarily a bad thing. But I do think it sound pretty nice if I do not play it back to back with say a Glyph or a King.

I've sold my Mainland slotted headstock concert a while ago, so I can't make a direct comparison between the two. If I recall correctly, I'm pretty sure the Mainland is louder and probably sound better overall. The Lanikai would win hands down as far as workmanship and attention to detail.
 
armytrucker77 said:
I like a bright mellow sound...my old 1900s banjo ukes are nice but are plucky and harsh....i like anything with a nice sound really
Click to expand...

g'day trucker

just thinking, if you like bright and mellow (which I do as well) maybe you could think about a mango wood uke...mango a little brighter than koa and mahogany, but still beautiful, sweet and mellow tones...string it up with worth clears and you'd be in heaven I reckon...just something else for you to consider!
 
eugene ukulele said:
g'day trucker

just thinking, if you like bright and mellow (which I do as well) maybe you could think about a mango wood uke...mango a little brighter than koa and mahogany, but still beautiful, sweet and mellow tones...string it up with worth clears and you'd be in heaven I reckon...just something else for you to consider!
Click to expand...

mainland has a solid mango that is less expensive, ianchadwick did a review on his site. http://www.ianchadwick.com/ukuleles/mainland.htm
 
Another concert uke you might consider if you like the cutaway is this Ohana from Uke Republic: http://cargo.ukerepublic.com/product/ohana-ck-75g-spruce-maple

I haven't actually played this one but I think that the maple back and sides would give it a bright sound, tempered by the spruce top which would fill in the mid-tones. There may be some videos on youtube. Of course, if you don't like abalone purfling/bling then the Ohana probably isn't for you since it's loaded with it. Another brand you should look at is Mainland. Great prices, great ukes and great service. Plus you get to try it out for 15 days!
 
Not sure about spalted mango - I like the look of it but I've read that it's often used on laminate ukes since the spalting can make the wood too weak to use as a solid wood. Hopefully someone else will chime in about this.

Another uke to consider if you like the slotted headstock is the solid acacia tenor from Kala. I think it comes in a concert version too now though I'm not sure if the concert has the slotted headstock. In any case, the solid acacia is a winner when it comes to a beautiful warm sound and the details on it are nicely done.
 
Aloha Armytrucker77,
Good Idea...getting a new ukulele always brings up my spirts and motivates and inspires to get better...besides it's just fun...it a good distraction from my current health issues...
Let me know what you get buddy!! Take Care and God Bless....Happy Strummings MM Stan..
I'm sure you'll enjoy it and have fun....go for it !!!!
 
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Well my wife hates the ukulele so she always tries to hinder my uke obsessions...told her when i get my disability from the va I am getting a new uke no questions asked...
 
marymac said:
Not sure about spalted mango - I like the look of it but I've read that it's often used on laminate ukes since the spalting can make the wood too weak to use as a solid wood. Hopefully someone else will chime in about this.
Click to expand...

I've got a Lanikai SM-T, a solid spalted mango tenor. It's gorgeous and sounds lovely; I have occasional problems with buzzing, but I expect it's mostly my own fault. There's also a concert version, the SM-C.
 
Oh sorry I linked you to a review of a tenor, there may be some things that are the same between the tenor and the concert different, but they will sound different
 
I think you'd be happy with any of the ukes you've looked at mate. Hard to beat MGM's deal on the Lanikai spalted mango tenor though...I might PM one or two others and see what they think...
 
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