After taking my first tentative steps into the realm of the ukulele with a concert-sized Lanikai LU-21C, I decided that since I was having so much fun, it was time to get a solid wood instrument. I ordered a mahogany tenor Ohana (TK-35) from a reputable online dealer and received it a couple of days ago. It looks fantastic and feels good (the tenor is a good size for me), but unfortunately does not sound so great.
The first thing I noticed is that it won’t stay in tune. I can tune it, play for a couple of minutes, check tuning again and it is already out of tune on every string (Aquilas). I know that new strings will stretch as they settle in, but this seems excessive. I have also noticed that it seems to take significantly more finger pressure to play chords than on my LU-21C. I realize that there is more string tension on a tenor instrument than a concert, but the difference is remarkable, so much so that it is genuinely difficult to play. Furthermore, the chords, when played, tend to produce the wrong notes. For example, when playing a “C” chord, my tuner consistently shows a “G#” (even right after tuning). This doesn’t happen on my old uke. Finally, the overall sound (likely because of all of the preceding issues) is “muddier” than the concert uke. It’s hard to explain, but there just seems to be a lack of note separation and clarity of tone (if that makes any sense?). Can anyone offer any advice? I want to love this new ukulele, but I find that I am much more inclined to just pick up my old laminated uke because it works as it should and sounds so much better. Thanks in advance for any input!
The first thing I noticed is that it won’t stay in tune. I can tune it, play for a couple of minutes, check tuning again and it is already out of tune on every string (Aquilas). I know that new strings will stretch as they settle in, but this seems excessive. I have also noticed that it seems to take significantly more finger pressure to play chords than on my LU-21C. I realize that there is more string tension on a tenor instrument than a concert, but the difference is remarkable, so much so that it is genuinely difficult to play. Furthermore, the chords, when played, tend to produce the wrong notes. For example, when playing a “C” chord, my tuner consistently shows a “G#” (even right after tuning). This doesn’t happen on my old uke. Finally, the overall sound (likely because of all of the preceding issues) is “muddier” than the concert uke. It’s hard to explain, but there just seems to be a lack of note separation and clarity of tone (if that makes any sense?). Can anyone offer any advice? I want to love this new ukulele, but I find that I am much more inclined to just pick up my old laminated uke because it works as it should and sounds so much better. Thanks in advance for any input!
