Opinions wanted..

Tudorp

Tudorp

Big guy with a lil' uke..
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I started playing with the Model 6T today. I'm on the fence with this model, and may, or may not continue it. It's is a beautiful instrument, and I really love the looks of this thing. But, I am not so sure about playing it. It would be awesome for Bluegrass I think. I love Bluegrass, but don't play it. This has a cool Bluegrass tone to it (Altho I still have the crappy strings on it it came with). I want to reserve opinion on tone long term until I set it up with better strings. It's "different" to play than I am used to. High action, which I think is kind of normal for a carved top with floating bridge and fretboard. Too high for me, even if I lower them some, it will still be more than I like to play with. It is "tinny" bright sounding, which I think is also typical, especially with a spruce top. How much interests is there out there for carved top ukes? Personally, I don't think they are "my" thing, even though I think they are cool to look at.. Here are some pics of the one I am selling presently. Inquire if interested in it, I should have it ready withing a few days pending a batch of strings coming in. Here, take a look. Cool huh?

P1040455.jpg


P1040456.jpg


P1040457.jpg


P1040459.jpg
 
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I think it looks absolutely stunning! That being said though I don't think I would actually ever want to buy something like it. :confused:
 
High action, which I think is kind of normal for a carved top with floating bridge and fretboard. Too high for me, even if I lower them some, it will still be more than I like to play with. It is "tinny" bright sounding, which I think is also typical, especially with a spruce top. How much interests is there out there for carved top ukes?
Click to expand...

I'm assuming that this is a pressed top like the Kala Archtop, not carved. The lack of volume and sustain is due to the fact that there is inadequate downward string pressure from the nylon strings over a floating bridge. In order to compensate for that, the bridge would need to be fixed (as in the Kala Archtop) which would completely negate the whole "arched-top/floating bridge concept.
 
The problem with a floating bridge on a uke is that the break angle on a uke is somewhat shallow compared to a viola, for example. The scale is short and the break angle cannot be increased without moving the floating bridge backward or raising the height-- in turn giving the uke high action. The higher the break angle, the better your volume. Low action could be impossible without a floating neck. Guitars can be made this way and have sufficient break angle and string tension. Still lots of designs have been made that didn't quite cut it. The Kala option, as noted above, is the easy way out.
 
I personally like it. I think it looks more jazzy than country. I'd buy it if it had the tone to match the looks, especially if I wanted a "jazz uke." May want to chat with Southcoast to determine best strings for this puppy. (low g, wound 3 and 4????)
 
I have on old Guild archtop guitar with steel strings and a single pickup that is pretty sweet.

Steel strings would destroy a flat top uke, but I wonder how it would work on a floating bridge. I'm not saying it will work, or even if the neck can withstand it, but if it would be possible to run .009 for the A, maybe a .010 for the G and fill in the right diameter for C and E. Add a modified P-90 and it would make one sweet steel string ukulele. Just run a single neck pickup with tone and volume controls.

That's the way you do it, you play the ukulele on the MTV.

John
 
Let me jump in here with a little arch top 101. The main reason that these pressed to shape arched instruments don't sound good is that their laminated tops and backs are a uniform thickness. Carved top (and back) instruments are graduated in thickness, from thick in the center to thinner in the recurve area, at about a ratio of two to one. For instance, typical thicknesses for a guitar are 5-6mm in the center, 3.2mm in the recurve area, a mandolin is 5.5mm in the center and 2.9mm in the recurve area and one of my tenor arch top ukes is 3.6mm in the center and 1.8mm in the recurve area. As you can see, the ukulele with nylon strings is carved quite a bit more delicately. The backs are graduated in a similar fashion, but are about 20% thinner overall. The bridge height, (break angle) is controlled by the angle of the neck, typically a little over 1" for a guitar, 3/4" for a mandolin and my ukes are 5/8". Nylon strings can drive an arch top instrument just fine, but they need to be carved and braced accordingly. Bob Benedetto and Steve Grimes among others have successfully built nylon string arch top guitars. Arch top instruments as a whole are probably not going to have a lot of mass market appeal, primarily because there are no shortcuts to making good ones, and good ones are labor and materials intensive.

Brad
 
Bradford said:
Let me jump in here with a little arch top 101. The main reason that these pressed to shape arched instruments don't sound good is that their laminated tops and backs are a uniform thickness. Carved top (and back) instruments are graduated in thickness, from thick in the center to thinner in the recurve area, at about a ratio of two to one. For instance, typical thicknesses for a guitar are 5-6mm in the center, 3.2mm in the recurve area, a mandolin is 5.5mm in the center and 2.9mm in the recurve area and one of my tenor arch top ukes is 3.6mm in the center and 1.8mm in the recurve area. As you can see, the ukulele with nylon strings is carved quite a bit more delicately. The backs are graduated in a similar fashion, but are about 20% thinner overall. The bridge height, (break angle) is controlled by the angle of the neck, typically a little over 1" for a guitar, 3/4" for a mandolin and my ukes are 5/8". Nylon strings can drive an arch top instrument just fine, but they need to be carved and braced accordingly. Bob Benedetto and Steve Grimes among others have successfully built nylon string arch top guitars. Arch top instruments as a whole are probably not going to have a lot of mass market appeal, primarily because there are no shortcuts to making good ones, and good ones are labor and materials intensive.

Brad
Click to expand...

This.

Good archtops are expensive. Cheap one's are usually not worth it if you're looking for an acoustic instrument.
 
Model 6T

Keep me posted! I'd still suggest saving time and money by talking with Southcoast. Also, Low G may be the way to go, probably with wound 3 and 4. Also, may greatly benefit from pickup. Will make a way cool jazz guitar.
 
Bradford said:
Let me jump in here with a little arch top 101. The main reason that these pressed to shape arched instruments don't sound good is that their laminated tops and backs are a uniform thickness. Carved top (and back) instruments are graduated in thickness, from thick in the center to thinner in the recurve area, at about a ratio of two to one. For instance, typical thicknesses for a guitar are 5-6mm in the center, 3.2mm in the recurve area, a mandolin is 5.5mm in the center and 2.9mm in the recurve area and one of my tenor arch top ukes is 3.6mm in the center and 1.8mm in the recurve area. As you can see, the ukulele with nylon strings is carved quite a bit more delicately. The backs are graduated in a similar fashion, but are about 20% thinner overall. The bridge height, (break angle) is controlled by the angle of the neck, typically a little over 1" for a guitar, 3/4" for a mandolin and my ukes are 5/8". Nylon strings can drive an arch top instrument just fine, but they need to be carved and braced accordingly. Bob Benedetto and Steve Grimes among others have successfully built nylon string arch top guitars. Arch top instruments as a whole are probably not going to have a lot of mass market appeal, primarily because there are no shortcuts to making good ones, and good ones are labor and materials intensive.

Brad
Click to expand...

Thanks Brad, that is great info. And yes as with anything of quality it will cost more.
 
I love the look of it, but with the bridge, I think I'd be too scared to play it incase I damaged it, nor do I think I could afford it, but on purely aesthetics, I'd buy it, should I win the lottery and gain that house we were talking about!
 
Very unappealing. (But I'm enjoying seeing you on your adventures in retailing)
 
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