Do Ukuleles Open Up with time & Playing?

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Katz-in-Boots

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I know string instruments like violins & cellos can change over time, the sound can 'open up'. Does this happen with ukes?
My Islander MSC-4 I received yesterday has what I can only describe as a 'closed' sound and I'm wondering if the tone will develop over time?
 
Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

Typically a solid-wood instrument might open up in the first few weeks you use it. Of the dozens of guitars and ukes I've owned I've had only two that I could state unequivocably that they opened up noticeably in the first six months. One was a cedar-topped Seagull guitar and the other was a Mainland mahogany soprano. I've had very good, expensive instruments that never really changed that I could tell (but, of course, they were good to begin with).

Put simply, I will never purchase an instrument with the expectation that it will get better - if it is not good enough to justify its price the day I buy it then I don't buy it. Then, if it does "open up" that's just icing on the cake. I would also never keep an instrument that I received on the speculation that it would "grow into" its price, either.

I think luthiers probably see the "opening up" phenomenon much more often than consumers do, because they handle instruments in the first hours after they've been assembled, when there doubtless is a lot of "settling" and such going on in the wood and joints. But, after a few hours or a few days I think the opening up beyond that is one of those "special things" that is nice when it happens but not something you can count on.

I have even had one instrument that I think got a little worse the first six months I owned it, but it was subtle enough that I wouldn't swear to it.

Edit to add: That said, a uke with a "closed" sound isn't necessarily "defective" - it may just not be your cup of tea. A good example is Kamaka vs. KoAloha sopranos. Both are very good, but the KoAlohas I've had displayed a much more "open" sound than the Kamakas - but many people prefer the sound of the Kamaka!

Also, I wouldn't reject a uke out of hand without considering the strings. Often changing a $6 set of strings makes a huge difference in whether I "like" or "don't like" a $600 uke!


John
 
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Good answer Jon! I learn something from you almost every day, if I pay attention!
 
Katz-in-Boots said:
My Islander MSC-4 I received yesterday has what I can only describe as a 'closed' sound and I'm wondering if the tone will develop over time?
Click to expand...
It will not, no.

Your perception of the instrument might change, for better or for worse, though. Especially when wet with drink.
 
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As John said, the strings make a big difference. My MSC-4 sounded very good to me in the store when I played it. The only thing that sounded better was a Kanile'a and that was unfortunately out of my price range. However, when I changed over to a low G, the sound really seemed to change and become very big and full. And that was just a simple one string change.

I've found the stock Aquila strings sound good on the Islander, but my Pono sounds much better with Koolau strings on it. The strings to me make a much bigger difference and give an immediate feedback, one way or the other. Will it open up over time, maybe, but if it does, that will only be a bonus.
 
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Sometimes ukers experience the new strings breaking in on a new ukulele more than the Ukulele itself....
 
OldePhart said:
... That said, a uke with a "closed" sound isn't necessarily "defective" - it may just not be your cup of tea. A good example is Kamaka vs. KoAloha sopranos. Both are very good, but the KoAlohas I've had displayed a much more "open" sound than the Kamakas - but many people prefer the sound of the Kamaka!

Also, I wouldn't reject a uke out of hand without considering the strings. Often changing a $6 set of strings makes a huge difference in whether I "like" or "don't like" a $600 uke!
John
Click to expand...

It came with Aquilla Nylguts, plus an unidentified Low G as I requested a set-up to work with a fluorocarbon Low G. Changing to a Nylgut high G hasn't made any difference, nor did changing the dead sounding E to fluorocarbon.

I will persevere for a few days before deciding what to try next.

coolkayaker1 said:
It will not, no.
Your perception of the instrument might change, for better or for worse, though. Especially when wet with drink.
Click to expand...

Heheheeee.
 
I sometimes wonder if it's as much the players perception. I have an Islander MSS4. At first I wasn't too taken aback with the sound. I think this is partly because my other main uke is a red cedar concert, which has a (and I mean this in a good way) treble-y sound.

However, the more I played the Islander the more I grew to love it's mellow quiet sound and altered my strumming style slightly. I now use it when playing gentler songs and I have to say I am in love with it!! In fact it has made me want to try more mahogany ukes.
 
Anyone who says it absolutely will or won't "open up" is expressing personal opinion. There are too many variables that determine whether an instrument's tone will improve with time. i.e. construction, soundboard, braceing, condition of the wood at construction and how it reacts to ageing, curing of the finish, etc. etc. There have been many posts however that suggest Aquilas aren't usually the best strings for a solid mahogany instrument. Sometimes the "opening up" experience is a reaction to different strings, fitting of the nut, saddle, etc.
I'd just enjoy the sweet, mellow tone of that baby, and if you want a brighter uke with more projection, get one that is somewhat known for that. good luck.
 
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PhilUSAFRet said:
Anyone who says it absolutely will or won't "open up" is blowing smoke and expressing personal opinion. There are too many variables that determine whether an instrument's tone will improve with time. i.e. construction, soundboard, braceing, condition of the wood at construction and how it reacts to ageing, etc. etc. There have been many posts however that suggest Aquilas aren't usually the best strings for a solid mahogany instrument. Sometimes the "opening up" experience is a reaction to different strings, fitting of the nut, saddle, etc.
I'd just enjoy the sweet, mellow tone of that baby, and if you want a brighter uke with more projection, get one that is somewhat known for that. good luck.
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:agree:
This is my personal experience, so lets keep that in mind.
I keep ukes for review for at least 2 months before reviewing them. Why? The main reason is that they mature over time. Keep in mind some finishes take months to cure completely, and cheap ukes, like the ones I generally review, are made, finished, and when dry enough to touch boxed and sent to the nearest boat to the U.S.
With that I have also found that many instruments sound different with humidity. I try and keep things between 45% - 50% so I can do a true comparison.
Another observation is that a played ukulele changes in tone and sound the more you play it, especially when it is brand new. That is the idea behind the ToneRite (Lets not focus on ToneRites are good or bad).
So the answer is maybe over time it will change in tone. as others have said, try different strings, humidify, make sure the bridge and saddle is flat and not sitting just on one side, and maybe point the sound hole at you (You may not be hearing it as others do)
 
Wow. Some really good responses, though quite different ideas.

I do think it is very much a user perception thing. Remember, I am completely new to ukuleles. Yesterday I went to the two music shops to check out what ukes they had.
In the main shop, I tried the two concert ukes they had; a Samick Greg Bennett and a Lanikai CK-C. The Lanikai had the same high action issues as my CK-T and despite being exactly the same except in size, also seemed very quiet. The Samick was quiet too. In other words, after my tenor, concerts are more muted.

Other issue is I have recently changed from strumming with my thumb to using my index finger. I'm not good at that yet. This morning I strummed a few chords on the Islander using my thumb - it sounds really sweet. So I think I'm going to learn to love it. Perhaps it will open up over time as I learn to play better.
 
Katz-in-Boots said:
Wow. Some really good responses, though quite different ideas.

"I do think it is very much a user perception thing. Remember, I am completely new to ukuleles."

Not sure why you would think that at this stage. Some instruments very much do open up and sound better over time, some do not. Study the matter some more and pay close attention to what luthiers have been telling us about tonewoods.
Click to expand...
 
Katz-in-Boots said:
WThe Lanikai had the same high action issues as my CK-T and despite being exactly the same except in size, also seemed very quiet. The Samick was quiet too. In other words, after my tenor, concerts are more muted.
Click to expand...
It's actually not that simple. I've got two sopranos (one a regular soprano and one a longneck) that are louder than my tenors - and they're all solid wood!

The Lanikais and Samick you played are inexpensive laminate and it doesn't surprise me in the least that your Islander tenor is much louder than any of them. I'd bet dollars to donuts that my sopranos are louder than those ukes.

Of course, loudness alone isn't the measure of the quality of a uke but generally speaking a uke that is loud will usually have decent sustain and tone, too.

Enjoy the Islander - I've not owned one but from what I've heard they are pretty decent ukes. Basically, the Islander has already "spoiled" you for lesser ukes and if you are like many of us that will eventually lead to something a little nicer even than the Islander and the next uke you get will "spoil" you again, and so on. Welcome to the lovely world of UAS. :)

John
 
I think there's some confusion here John. My tenor is a Lanikai solid top, laminate back etc. The Islander is my new concert and is quieter than the Lanikai and doesn't have the same sustain - to my ear anyway.
I'm taking the Islander to a group tonight that has a teacher, I hope to get him to play it for me so I can hear what it sounds like when played properly.

I'm thinking maybe the laminate instruments just have a brighter (aka tinnier) sound. I know with cellos I gradually developed an appreciation for the more muted, sonorous instruments rather than the brasher, louder types.
Maybe along with the solid wood instruments developing over time, the player's ear & taste develops too.

And yes to UAS, already thinking about my next concert uke. My bass should be here any day now...
 
I don't know, I bought a solid koa Oscar Schmidt uke that sounded dead as a fence post when I got it, but over the past year has gradually begun to sound louder and more resonant, even with the original Aquila strings still on it.

On the other hand, I bought a solid koa Kamaka that suddenly "opened up" tremendously when I replaced the stock Kamaka strings with Worth Clears.

So maybe it's the uke, the strings, my ears, phases of the moon, or all of the above. :)
 
I found this thread very interesting. I am just getting into ukulele (only been playing a year), but I have played banjo for a while (7 years). Banjos most certainly change (usually for the better) after years of use. But a banjo has a lot of parts that "meld" as the instrument matures.

I bought a Kamaka soprano about a year ago and have not really seen a difference in it. But, I don't play the ukulele nearly as much as banjo. So, maybe it's just that there is not much change?

I am also having a tenor made now by Chuck Moore at Moore Bettah, and I should have it in a few months. (my first tenor) So my question is:

Does anyone think that a tenor would change more than a standard because of the size itself. Meaning, would the standard change less because it has a smaller soundboard (top), neck, less flex...etc.? Or, do all instruments change or not change strictly based around the characteristics of the wood, construction...etc?

I am not trying to make something out of nothing... and I am going to play them no matter what. But, does size matter (strictly speaking ukulele here)?
 
I don't think the size of the uke matters. Of all my ukes the only one that has clearly and definitely opened up is a soprano.
 
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