Do the Tenor Applause Ukes really have solid tops??

CurtainGuy

CurtainGuy

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 19, 2008
Messages
84
Reaction score
1
Location
NY
I see a bunch advertised on ebay @ ukulele4u that say solid sitka, solid mahogony, etc.. but I just got an Tenor Ovation Uke (not applause) for a little more than that which looks almost identical, and.. I'm pretty sure that mine is not a solid top. I sent a message over but they haven't responded yet. What do you guys think?
 
Last edited:
Some Applause do, but the popular UAE148 does not (I have one). Apparently, there were some special models that did (possibly the mahogany?), but you have to hunt for them and they're more expensive. Like the Fluke, a solid top would be a nicer sound, but the plastic back reflects a lot of sound forward.

Curious that the soprano models have solid tops.
 
Hmm... I wonder if all these places on ebay advertising that their applause ukes have solid tops are actually correct. Because on the applause website it definitely does not say anything about them being solid on that model. If they really ARE solid tops.. then that's kind of frustrating for me because I paid a decent amount more for an almost identical ovation uke that I'm fairly certain doesn't have a solid top.
 
Honestly, does it matter? I mean, you have a plastic back, so what if the top is a laminate, at least it has Spruce in it, with electronics to plug in, which, every Applause I've heard unplugged severely needs to be plugged in and modeled anyway.

Bottom line, you got it, you like, don't let anyone (like me) diss it, and just press. . .
 
I just see so many conflicting things, and I want a clear answer. On the applause website.. I see it just says "spruce" for that model, and "solid spruce" next to the soprano ones. Does that mean it's just plywood that looks like spruce?? Do they all actually have solid spruce tops but just different finishes, like mahogany, etc...?
 
ichadwick said:
If it doesn't say "SOLID" with the wood, it isn't.
Click to expand...

This!

I have the UAE158 which I think is identical to the 148 except that it has a shorter scale length and you can see the laminations around the edges of the sound holes.
For the record, I love the sound and feel of it and I rarely plug it in, but I do sometimes wish I'd got the 148 purely for the longer scale.

This on the other hand....
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=360107351025
....clearly states Solid Top and I'm sorely tempted.

If only MGM would open up a branch in Reading.....
 
Bryan- I saw that too! That's what confuses me.. because on the website it says that model *isn't* a solid top. I wonder if the person selling it is really sure about that. I messaged them asking a few days ago and they never responded.
 
They're listing the Spruce top 148 as a 'solid stika spruce top' too which as you say... it isn't
 
Ok.. that's a huuuge relief to me. Because I paid a decent amount more than that for the UCS148, which is the limited edition koa one (that actually says ovation on the headstock), and it's not solid wood. I would have been pretty frustrated if the one that was being sold for 350ish was actually solid wood.
 
CurtainGuy said:
the UCS148, which is the limited edition koa one (that actually says ovation on the headstock)
Click to expand...

I was considering asking MGM if he'd put one of those aside for me and take monthly installments :)

But I think he already sold it.

Incidentally I notice there's a UAE158 on Ebay with a buy it now price of £140, bargain.... if you like that sort of thing....and dont already have one.
 
Last edited:
CurtainGuy said:
Ok.. that's a huuuge relief to me. Because I paid a decent amount more than that for the UCS148, which is the limited edition koa one (that actually says ovation on the headstock), and it's not solid wood. I would have been pretty frustrated if the one that was being sold for 350ish was actually solid wood.
Click to expand...

Seems like you didn't do enough research in your purchase, or you didn't ask enough questions before you bought. I've been reading through this thread, and I noticed that Ovation and Applause is intermingled and compared as instruments, which they shouldn't be. That's like saying Ovation and Adamas is the same.

No offense, but again, why would you be offended with a Spruce top compared to a laminate Koa - in the end, the Koa could be marketed as costing more anyway. The reason those instruments are cheap is because they mold plastic for the back. An added cost probably comes in the electronics, and even then, the cost on that is probably less than I pay for tuning machines.

Your future with that instrument seems as though it'll be short lived - I would start looking for your next one already. At least you got something that not everyone can get, an Ovation `Ukulele (anyone can get an Applause). You may be able to sell it for more than you bought it for. . .
 
Kekani said:
I noticed that Ovation and Applause is intermingled and compared as instruments
Click to expand...

I wonder how that could happen
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-OVATION-U...3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66:2|65:1|39:1|240:1318

... that said, I think CurtainGuy is clearly aware of the difference and simply confused as to why the Applause would have a solid top and be cheaper than the laminated Ovation.


Kekani said:
I would start looking for your next one already. .
Click to expand...

..aren't we all? ;)
 
Kekani said:
Seems like you didn't do enough research in your purchase, or you didn't ask enough questions before you bought. I've been reading through this thread, and I noticed that Ovation and Applause is intermingled and compared as instruments, which they shouldn't be. That's like saying Ovation and Adamas is the same.

No offense, but again, why would you be offended with a Spruce top compared to a laminate Koa - in the end, the Koa could be marketed as costing more anyway. The reason those instruments are cheap is because they mold plastic for the back. An added cost probably comes in the electronics, and even then, the cost on that is probably less than I pay for tuning machines.

Your future with that instrument seems as though it'll be short lived - I would start looking for your next one already. At least you got something that not everyone can get, an Ovation `Ukulele (anyone can get an Applause). You may be able to sell it for more than you bought it for. . .
Click to expand...

Bryan- Thank you, I'm glad you understand what I've been trying to say/ask here.

Kekani- I knew exactly what I was getting when I bought it. It wasn't til afterwards that I found the nearly identical Applause that was being advertised as a solid top. That seemed strange to me because it was basically the same instrument, with supposedly a better top, for a lot cheaper. Turns out it was just being advertised incorrectly- those are not solid tops. Now I'm a lot less confused and very happy with my purchase.
As for looking for a new uke already- not likely. I love this thing. I got it for the electronics, and it's exactly what I wanted. I played out with it last night for the first time and this is definitely what I was looking for.

And yes Bryan *and Ricdoug* said it well- of course people are going to compare Applause and Ovation. They're owned by the same people.
 
Last edited:
Simple answer if anyone has one of those solid top spruce ukuleles open the back and look at the top and see if it is still spruce....and also if the grain patterens match what you see on the top...if it does its solid .... if its mahogany or some oher wood well...someones not telling the truth..As for Kaman...when we bought the first batch of the koa topped ovations the salesman told us it was solid...luckily befiore listing we had to change a battery and lo and behold...mahaogany back side......does that tell you something.????? (well i guess they could say it was solid veneer ontop of mahogany LOL)
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

TikiDave
Looking For Applause UAE148 or Ovation LE Koa Tenor
Replies
1
Views
338
experimentjon
experimentjon
M
Applause tenor
Replies
0
Views
361
Markyboy
M
M
Applause UAE148 Acoustic-Electric Tenor Ukulele
Replies
0
Views
281
mhoward48
M
cigarfan
  • Locked
Ovation Applause UAE148 Acoustic-Electric Tenor Ukulele (Natural)
Replies
12
Views
2K
cigarfan
cigarfan
Gforeman
Replacement tuners for an Applause UAE148 Tenor?
Replies
3
Views
766
Gforeman
Gforeman
Top Bottom