Any opinions on the Applause UA10 soprano?

J_Tay81

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This little guy has no electrics, a solid spruce top and the Ovation plastic back. Has anybody played one?
I don't play amped so how does it sound unplugged?
I also have a Flea which has the plastic back. Is there any sound difference between the two?
Are they tough to hold? The Ovation guitars were always a pain for me to hold because they slipped. But I was going to get a Uke Leash for it so maybe that would help...

Sorry for the loaded post!

John
 
This little guy has no electrics, a solid spruce top and the Ovation plastic back. Has anybody played one?
I don't play amped so how does it sound unplugged?
I also have a Flea which has the plastic back. Is there any sound difference between the two?
Are they tough to hold? The Ovation guitars were always a pain for me to hold because they slipped. But I was going to get a Uke Leash for it so maybe that would help...

Sorry for the loaded post!

John

I had one - the sound was a bit thin and quiet, but not too bad. The neck was too skinny for me, though. I sold it to a fellow forum member (Ukulelehill); I think he still has it as his at-work uke.

I didn't have any trouble holding it, but I usually play sitting down.

From most reviews I've heard if you already have a flea you may find yourself disappointed in the ovation.
 
I have a UA-10 as well as a fluke and flea and they are two completely different animals. The UA-10 was the first uke I owned and learned on. It does not have any where near the amount of volume as either the fluke or flea and sounds quite "tinny" in comparison. Even after changing the stock strings out for Aquillas. I also found that the shape of the headstock interefered with playing some chord shapes up high on the neck. IMO, don't waste your time with the Applause, especially given the relatively high price,(around $130) for what you get.
 
The only real strong point of Applause/Ovation ukes is the electronics. The acoustic sound isn't anywhere near as good as the Flea. Heck, the Makala dolphin sounds better unplugged. D: If you can find one with a pickup for a good price, it'll be a decent gigging uke, but I'd stay away from the one with no electronics.
 
Sounds like good advice. I found a used Applause on eBay, for less than $100 and thought it might be worthwhile. The solid spruce top on my Kala tenor really has a bright loud sound to it. I thought that perhaps this would be a noisy little instrument too. I already have a plastic-backed Makala dolphin, so unless there's some really compelling reason to pick up the Applause, I guess I will skip out on it. Thanks!
 
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