Team Mainland Strikes Again: Mango Concert

I had my eyes on a Mainland for months and am grateful to have gotten one. I've had it a week. This is a Mango Concert, matte finish with silver gears and amber buttons. It looks fantastic. Action and intonation are AOK.

I changed the strings to Martin M600 flourocarbons the day after I got it. I thought I'd wait longer, but I was itching. The instrument sounds remarkable with these strings - harp-like, with a balanced mid-range. The only MacGyver I had to pull was to cut a microscopic piece of eyeglass felt and lay it along the bottom of the nut groove under the G string because the thinness of the new string pinged when I wobbled it left and right. Now there's no ping (or wobble); the felt isn't visible and is thin enough so it has no adverse effect on sound.

The flourocarbons stabilize quickly, so tuning is an easy task. I got a Snark clip-on - more accurate than using the AP Tuner on my laptop or the gStrings app on Android.

I also got the Max uke case. It zips shut for travel, but the Velcro flap is nifty for day-to-day use. I'll zip it in the cold dry months and use a case humidifier.

What else? Well, let me say what everyone else who got a Mainland has said: the rope binding is A+ up close. The mango wood is equally beautiful - very natural looking. Mine has the characteristic waves in the grain and some neat little irregularities to give it character. I'm thinking because this is not highly figured or spalted, the relative straightness of the grain should make for a good strong instrument.

I'm planning to make a video in the next few weeks, but not with my crappy webcam. Meanwhile, here's an almost halfway decent photo:

Congrats! Loving both the look and sound of an instrument---that's the best. Enjoy!

That's a good looking ukulele,Angus.

congrats! that's I nice looking slice o'mango! mmmmm.... mango, ahhhhh...

Congrats! I like my Soprano, too~ first thing I did was take off Aquilas and put on Worth Clears & it made a world of difference in the tone.

That's a beauty! Congratulations. Looks like Mainland is really making a name for itself!

I have a Mainland mango concert, too- sweet uke! I find it has a brighter tone than mahogany, and really gives it that "happy ukulele" tone. Congrats on the new acquisition!

Thanks all. I'd read all kinds of descriptions about the sound - mellow, bright, underwater. In its own way, it is both bright and mellow - closer in tone to the mahogany than the cedar, I'm thinking. Don't hear any gurgling or bubbles, though. That's probably a good thing.

Looks great. I've been contemplating a new concert and might just have to go with the mango although I had been leaning toward the mahogany (really like the looks of the Mainland Slothead). I don't know why retailers (and maybe it's the manufacturers) insist on putting Aquilas on their solid wood ukes. I immediately change them out for some other brand, most of the time Worths but any fluorcarbon is better than the Nylguts most are using.

guitarsnrotts said:

Looks great. I've been contemplating a new concert and might just have to go with the mango although I had been leaning toward the mahogany (really like the looks of the Mainland Slothead). I don't know why retailers (and maybe it's the manufacturers) insist on putting Aquilas on their solid wood ukes. I immediately change them out for some other brand, most of the time Worths but any fluorcarbon is better than the Nylguts most are using.

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I have Aquilas on my Mainland and I think they sound great. To each their own.

Aquila is a great string too - has plenty of bite, which is useful for a lot of music. I bet they're good for low G as well.

guitarsnrotts said:

Looks great. I've been contemplating a new concert and might just have to go with the mango although I had been leaning toward the mahogany (really like the looks of the Mainland Slothead). I don't know why retailers (and maybe it's the manufacturers) insist on putting Aquilas on their solid wood ukes. I immediately change them out for some other brand, most of the time Worths but any fluorcarbon is better than the Nylguts most are using.

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KPK has it right by equipping their ukuleles with Worth clears. However, my Mainland mango tenor is the only uke I own where I actually liked the Aquilas.

Congratulations on your new Mainland. I love Mainland!

Congrats! I have had my Mainland Mango Concert for about a month and I am still in love with it! Every time I play it I am surprised again how great it sounds.

I still have the origional strings on mine and love the sound. If you don't mind my asking, why the Worths? How does that change the sound quality?

Jim

To my ear the Nylguts are harsh. The Worths are much warmer. Also for fingerpicking the Nylguts feel rough.

I went with Martin M600 strings, which have to sound more or less like Worths because they're both flourocarbon. It's a good kind of string to try - they ring much differently than Aquila or nylon strings. I found this out playing a Mitchell at Guitar Center strung with the Martins. I was like o, so that's the hype. I was hooked. They're not better than Aquila. They just resonate with overtones in a substantially different manner. The Martin M600 strings were available locally and weren't at all expensive, so I found it way more cost effective to go for those instead of mail-ordering Worths.

Beautiful uke! Congratulations!!