janeray1940
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- Nov 19, 2009
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Happy Earth Day, UUers! Appropriately enough, I'm trying to understand the differences between mango and myrtle, both of which are considered sustainable woods.
Those of you who have been following my recent posts know that I'm 99% certain my next uke is going to be a Mya-Moe. I've fallen in love with the sound of this one, which is mango. Which surprised me, because the only mango ukes I've heard have been factory ukes and I've hated the sound of every single one of them - they've all sounded really muted and dull to me. From talking with the Mya-Moe folks I understand that this has more to do with the maker than the wood itself.
I'm a complete idiot when it comes to the whole concept of "bright" vs. "warm." I've always thought that my Kamakas sounded "bright," especially with the fluorocarbon strings that I favor. I've heard the stock Kamaka strings described as "warm" and frankly, I don't care for that sound at all. My Kamakas sound to me like bells - do bells sound warm or bright? I dunno, they sound like bells
I've also heard Kanile'a ukes consistently described as "warm;" of the K-brand ukes I've heard, these are my least-favorite. To my ear, they sound dull and muddy when compared with Kamakas or Koalohas - similar to the dull and muted sound of the factory mango ukes I described above.
Here's where my confusion comes in. On the Mya-Moe site, koa is described as being on the "warmest" end of the spectrum, with mango a bit brighter, and myrtle dead in the middle of the warm vs. bright spectrum. All this time I've thought that I don't care for a "warm" sound - but here koa is being described as exactly that!
After seeing myrtle described as "brighter" than koa and mango, I listed to these sound samples, and I think they sound amazing as well. But I can't tell if they sound "brighter" than the mango uke in the video linked above.
Essentially, I don't know what I like! I only know it when I hear it. Which is a problem when ordering a custom uke. While I'm certain that I'll be thrilled with anything made for me by Mya-Moe, this is the one thing about ordering a custom that is kind of freaking me out...
So. That was my long-winded way of asking: if you wanted a ukulele that sounded clear and bell-like, and wanted it made from a sustainable wood, and your choices were mango or myrtle: which would you choose, and why?
Mahalo!
Those of you who have been following my recent posts know that I'm 99% certain my next uke is going to be a Mya-Moe. I've fallen in love with the sound of this one, which is mango. Which surprised me, because the only mango ukes I've heard have been factory ukes and I've hated the sound of every single one of them - they've all sounded really muted and dull to me. From talking with the Mya-Moe folks I understand that this has more to do with the maker than the wood itself.
I'm a complete idiot when it comes to the whole concept of "bright" vs. "warm." I've always thought that my Kamakas sounded "bright," especially with the fluorocarbon strings that I favor. I've heard the stock Kamaka strings described as "warm" and frankly, I don't care for that sound at all. My Kamakas sound to me like bells - do bells sound warm or bright? I dunno, they sound like bells
I've also heard Kanile'a ukes consistently described as "warm;" of the K-brand ukes I've heard, these are my least-favorite. To my ear, they sound dull and muddy when compared with Kamakas or Koalohas - similar to the dull and muted sound of the factory mango ukes I described above.Here's where my confusion comes in. On the Mya-Moe site, koa is described as being on the "warmest" end of the spectrum, with mango a bit brighter, and myrtle dead in the middle of the warm vs. bright spectrum. All this time I've thought that I don't care for a "warm" sound - but here koa is being described as exactly that!
After seeing myrtle described as "brighter" than koa and mango, I listed to these sound samples, and I think they sound amazing as well. But I can't tell if they sound "brighter" than the mango uke in the video linked above.
Essentially, I don't know what I like! I only know it when I hear it. Which is a problem when ordering a custom uke. While I'm certain that I'll be thrilled with anything made for me by Mya-Moe, this is the one thing about ordering a custom that is kind of freaking me out...
So. That was my long-winded way of asking: if you wanted a ukulele that sounded clear and bell-like, and wanted it made from a sustainable wood, and your choices were mango or myrtle: which would you choose, and why?
Mahalo!
