musiccityuker
Well-known member
Have an opportunity to purchase a solid curly maple uke. Not familiar with the sound that maple produces vs koa, mahogany or spruce top. Any thoughts? Thanks.
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Expert Advice Needed!
- Thread starter musiccityuker
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Typically, maple will be brighter than koa and mahogany, but similar to spruce. However, that said, construction and string choice are also big factors, along with uke size. Can you play it in person first? That is always best.
–Lori
Pippin
Well-known member
In solid maple instruments, straight-grain makes for better volume. Curly maple looks wonderful, but, it is software and does not project well. Typically, curly maple is used on the back and sides of instruments with a spruce-top to give it better projection. I love that combination, and I do have a uke make that way (loudest uke I own).
I had an old Gretsch Electromatic arch-top guitar made of curly maple back and sides with a spruce top. It did not project as much sound as most guitars in that configuration, but the body was shallower than a typical acoustic guitar. My maple/spruce uke, though much smaller, is much louder.
I had an old Gretsch Electromatic arch-top guitar made of curly maple back and sides with a spruce top. It did not project as much sound as most guitars in that configuration, but the body was shallower than a typical acoustic guitar. My maple/spruce uke, though much smaller, is much louder.
As was already said, I found Maple has a brighter tone than the Koa, Mahogany, Acacia words. Nice sound, loud, and the way to go if you like the brighter tones. I have a sound sample somewhere on here of one of my maples to compare.
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musiccityuker
Well-known member
Thanks, Lori...
Not able to play it... on the other side of the country. Fell in love with the sound of the Kanilea's recently... gotta have one! Since beginning my research have heard GREAT things about their ukes. Might have to buy this one on faith. I'm a big fan of spruce top ukes because I like that "bright chimy sound" so I think I'm probably in pretty safe territory with the maple idea. Thanks very much for your input.
By the way... I love my UkeLeash... fantastically versatile and so lightweight!
Not able to play it... on the other side of the country. Fell in love with the sound of the Kanilea's recently... gotta have one! Since beginning my research have heard GREAT things about their ukes. Might have to buy this one on faith. I'm a big fan of spruce top ukes because I like that "bright chimy sound" so I think I'm probably in pretty safe territory with the maple idea. Thanks very much for your input.
By the way... I love my UkeLeash... fantastically versatile and so lightweight!
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musiccityuker
Well-known member
Thanks, Pippin. I agree... the curly maple is GORGEOUS!
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musiccityuker
Well-known member
Thank you, Tu! That's what I was thinkin'! And I DO like the bright sound of my spruce top. The fact that maple is on the "Bright" side is what I was hoping to hear. Have UAS something awful right now. Just sold a couple of other ukes so that money is burning a hole in my pocket. And the Kanilea I heard the other day was sooooo sweet! Thanks for your feedback.
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I hate to aways seem to go into sales mode, but I have a tenor curly maple available in my stock if you are in the market. It is in the marketplace area if ya wish to take a look and give it a consideration. It is also the one that is in the sound sample. Hope you find what you are looking for whatever you decide to go forward with. If ya like the brighter tones, the curly maples are awesome.
http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?47496-Latest-Ukes-ready-to-ship-NOW.-For-Sale
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I have a spruce top/maple back & sides Taylor guitar that I love. It definitely has a brighter sound. Wanting a ukulele that emulates that, I ended up with an all maple (top, back & sides) Makai that ended up being quite a bit darker than I thought it would be (still brighter than mahogany but not much). Thinking it might have been the manufacturer, I sold it and bought an all maple (again, top, back & sides) Kanile'a tenor. Same outcome. Sold that one too. I recently got a spruce top/maple back & sides Pono that still isn't too bright but closer to what I was expecting. The sound sample of Tudrop's maple tenor sounds brighter than the Makai or Kanile'a though so the builder definitely does play a big part.
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musiccityuker
Well-known member
Flippin' A Coin!
Nupe... Thanks much for the feedback.
Always tough to buy an uke online. Have had a couple of disappointments myself. And when the disappointments involve $1000 buys it hurts! Still tempted to give it a go, though... you know what UAS does to a guy!!!
Nupe... Thanks much for the feedback.
Always tough to buy an uke online. Have had a couple of disappointments myself. And when the disappointments involve $1000 buys it hurts! Still tempted to give it a go, though... you know what UAS does to a guy!!!
shrink9
Well-known member
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