Mandolin v. Ohana Tiple

Pippin

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I decided to make a comparison between the Ohana Tiple and a mandolin. So, here is a video. The music composition is my own.

I mistakenly said that the mandolin has laminated maple back and sides. According to Mitchell's website, it actually has laminated mahogany back and sides. The top is solid spruce.

 
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Great video and great song !

That Ohana sure has a distinct sound. It does have a great bluegrass sound and must sound pretty good for celtic music. We are really getting very far from the typical ukulele sound with this !
 
I got to play the Ohana tiple at the Wine Country Ukulele Festival this weekend. It's a very interesting instrument with a great, full sound. Thaks for posting the video comparison.
 
I got to play the Ohana tiple at the Wine Country Ukulele Festival this weekend. It's a very interesting instrument with a great, full sound. Thaks for posting the video comparison.
Me too, it is really interesting. Sounds more like an autoharp than a ukulele to me. The strings seem to ring forever. It is a monster to tune too.
 
Thanks for the comparison video Mickey! I looked at mandolins at the music store the other day, and the neck is very narrow compared to a uke. I am sooo tempted by the tiple. Now my question, how does the tiple sound next to an 8 and a 6 string uke? I heard an 8 string being played at the booth next to me (Tony Graziano's booth), and mistakingly thought I was hearing the tiple from the Ohana booth.

–Lori
 
Thanks for the comparison video Mickey! I looked at mandolins at the music store the other day, and the neck is very narrow compared to a uke. I am sooo tempted by the tiple. Now my question, how does the tiple sound next to an 8 and a 6 string uke? I heard an 8 string being played at the booth next to me (Tony Graziano's booth), and mistakingly thought I was hearing the tiple from the Ohana booth.

–Lori

Lori, the tiple is quite a bit different due to the steel strings. There is much more sustain and the fullness is really great. It does produce more sound than a low-end mandolin, but, when you get to the Kentucky series in $600 price range, the mandolin is just as loud. In the WEBER, Trinity College, and high-end Kentucky models, they are louder than the tiple. The tiple still has the edge with its octave strings. Now, compare it to an octave mandolin and you have a much closer race.
 
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