Ovangkol Ukuleles?

WireUke

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I'm just wondering if anyone has any idea how an ovangkol ukulele would sound. I'm considering having an ovangkol concert ukulele made by bruko, and ive heard that ovangkol is becoming more popular with guitar makers.

How would ovangkol sound compared to, say mahogany or Koa?
 
Not sure how it would compare to mahogany or koa, I have a Lanikai O8-E with the Ovangkol back & sides and spruce top. And it's quite loud and full sounding, but I'm sure that's mostly the spruce top and it being a tenor. The Ovangkol is very beautiful with stunning grain, I love the look.
 
I'm pretty sure the Lanikai Ovangkol ukes are laminate back and sides...they sure are pretty, though!
 
Taylor Guitars has been using ovangkol on some of their models for quite a while, so I figured their website would have some good info...

Ovangkol is an attractive hardwood indigenous to tropical West Africa. Usually, its coloration runs from yellow-brown to a mottled olive-brown to dark brown, and it features stripes that run from gray to almost black. When it has significant purple coloration, however, ovangkol's variegation and grain pattern closely resemble East Indian rosewood. It also shares some tonal characteristics with rosewood, but boasts the livelier "sparkle" found in such medium-density hardwoods as mahogany, walnut, and koa.

John
 
I have a solid Ovangkol Tanglewood Concert and it's my favourite uke. I bought it after trying out several ukes and it was by far the best sounding to my ears. Looks great too. People see it though and presume that because it's a Tanglewood it's a cheap uke and don't pay it much attention. Their loss, not mine.

Ian.
 

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Taylor Guitars has been using ovangkol on some of their models for quite a while, so I figured their website would have some good info...

Ovangkol is an attractive hardwood indigenous to tropical West Africa. Usually, its coloration runs from yellow-brown to a mottled olive-brown to dark brown, and it features stripes that run from gray to almost black. When it has significant purple coloration, however, ovangkol's variegation and grain pattern closely resemble East Indian rosewood. It also shares some tonal characteristics with rosewood, but boasts the livelier "sparkle" found in such medium-density hardwoods as mahogany, walnut, and koa.

John

I love Taylor, but "sparkle" and Mahogany don't belong in the same sentence as far as I am concerned. I suspect the Rosewood reference is pretty close to correct. But then if thickness and bracing aren't right it really doesn't matter.
 
From what i'd read ovangkol was tonally somewhere between rosewood and mahogany, which was what I was looking for, but when i spoke with bruko they said ovangkol was very bright sounding, and recommended zebrawood or mahogany instead, which made me think twice about having one built.

I'm thinking that Maybe its better not to take a risk with an ovangkol uke, and start saving for a nice koa uke instead!
 
I can confirm that ovangkol is very bright sounding. I say this as both a hobby uke-builder and also as someone who has owned an ovangkol Taylor 415 jumbo guitar for about 12 years (alas, they no longer make that model).
My Taylor is very bright sounding - biased towards mid-range rather than bass response. Sometimes with new strings, it is almost a little harsh sounding.
I'm rather partial to koa for ukes, but I think using ovangkol would be an interesting alternative. I think you could go pretty thin with the plate thickness and I would imagine that it would project well.
 
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