National Ukuleles - are they worth the price?

mile38

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Are the National resophonic ukuleles really worth the asking price? Which, if either, are better sounding - the metal bodied ones or the wood bodied ones?
 
Ooo- I hate to say this, but I have played one and I think the Mya-Moe is better put together for the dough. That said, I have not played the Mya Moe- have not even seen one...but I have played a few of their standard ukes and the attention to detail is over the top. Not my impression on the National.
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That said, it is the little things- the way Gordon hand shapes the fingerboard, the woods used...spectacular. Both use the same cone by the way.
As for metal to wood- I played the metal body and it was too bright for me, the guy who owns four spruce top ukuleles and several banjo ukes. I thought it was a little over the top- I think brittle is the right descriptor.
 
Depends on what sound you prefer!!!!! Apples and oranges in my opinion. Have only heard wood bodied resonators online, but from what I could hear, much preferred them to metal bodied ones. I love a fuller, warmer resonator sound than the all metal bodies give.
 
Depends on what sound you prefer!!!!!
I agree with Phil. You know what they say at National "It's the cone!" I live near Don Young, the president of National, and I'm a National endorsee. I can tell you the folks there are just as passionate about the quality of their instruments as Gordon at Mya-Moe. In fact, Gordon buys his cones from National.
 
I've played Lil' Rev's mya-moe resonator and a national resonator and yeah, the Mya-Moe is way better.
 
Never played a Mya-Moe, but as of today have played two National resonator ukes. One was a wood-bodied concert, belongs to Michael Eck of Albany NY (A National Guitar Endorsee), and played a metal-bodied one at Sylvan Music in Santa Cruz today.

Enjoyed them both, but the metal-bodied uke has Aquila strings on it, and the wood-bodied has Worth Browns; The Worth strings were mellow, yet crisp - I really love that instrument!

I've never tried anyone else's resonator, so can't make any more comparisons.

Good Luck!

........... .........-Kurt
 
I have a metal-bodied resonator uke (It's a Recording King), and I can tell you that I did fight a little with trying to warm up the sound a little on it. The Aquilas that were on it originally were just way too shrill for me. I have Kala Reds with a low G on it right now, and I really like the added warmth that is brought to it, while still retaining that unique resonator sound.
 
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