jimmybookout
Well-known member
I got a new ukulele today from Elderly, a Lanikai Quilt Ash Tenor. Please allow me to take you through my morning of working on it and what it's like.
I am a lefty (and use low G tuning), so first thing was for the strings to come off. The bone saddle was not compensated, but was radiussed for the fingerboard, so I just spun it around and we're good to go. While I had the strings off, I installed a K&K Big Shot Internal, my favorite pickup for an ukulele (I have one in my Mainland Tenor also). It is now strung with low G Aquilas (wound G).
Looks wise, the ukulele is VERY plain, no shell anywhere (fine with me), satin finish on the body and neck. The satin finish is REALLY satin, it is almost like there is no finish (or pore filling) on it. The tuners are Kluson replicas, gold finish and work fine. I like the all wood binding and simplicity of the entire ukulele. Also, it has a wider nut (37mm) which makes the neck width the same as my Kanilea. I struggle sometimes with the narrowness of my Mainland Tenor neck.
On to sound...the ukulele sounds quite good, crisp highs and nicely balanced string to string. Sustain is very good. Also, the intonation is amazingly good, to the point that I don't think I could get it any closer and would probably mess up a nice bone saddle. The bone nut needed no work either in it's swap to left handed/low G life.
The woods:
Top: Solid Spruce
Back/Sides/Peghead overlay: Quilted Ash (laminate)
Neck: Mahogany
Fingerboard/Bridge: Rosewood (small dots on fingerboard)
Binding/Rosette: Mahogany
Jimmy
Here it is with all it's fellow ukuleles
I am a lefty (and use low G tuning), so first thing was for the strings to come off. The bone saddle was not compensated, but was radiussed for the fingerboard, so I just spun it around and we're good to go. While I had the strings off, I installed a K&K Big Shot Internal, my favorite pickup for an ukulele (I have one in my Mainland Tenor also). It is now strung with low G Aquilas (wound G).
Looks wise, the ukulele is VERY plain, no shell anywhere (fine with me), satin finish on the body and neck. The satin finish is REALLY satin, it is almost like there is no finish (or pore filling) on it. The tuners are Kluson replicas, gold finish and work fine. I like the all wood binding and simplicity of the entire ukulele. Also, it has a wider nut (37mm) which makes the neck width the same as my Kanilea. I struggle sometimes with the narrowness of my Mainland Tenor neck.
On to sound...the ukulele sounds quite good, crisp highs and nicely balanced string to string. Sustain is very good. Also, the intonation is amazingly good, to the point that I don't think I could get it any closer and would probably mess up a nice bone saddle. The bone nut needed no work either in it's swap to left handed/low G life.
The woods:
Top: Solid Spruce
Back/Sides/Peghead overlay: Quilted Ash (laminate)
Neck: Mahogany
Fingerboard/Bridge: Rosewood (small dots on fingerboard)
Binding/Rosette: Mahogany
Jimmy
Here it is with all it's fellow ukuleles
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