electrauke
Well-known member
Hey everyone, got a quick question: What is the best resonator ukulele? I know lots of people will say personal preference but in YOUR opinion what is the best?
I would like a wood bodied one, size Tenor, and I want to play everything with it. Are the Kala's any good and are the National resos better?Are you looking for a metal body or a wood body?
What size are you looking for?
What kind of stuff to you want to play with it?
I have a wood-bodied Kala tenor resonator, strung with Southcoast low-G classical metal strings. I think it sounds great for fingerpicked stuff (check out my YouTube channel), but I would also say it sounds more like a little guitar than a uke (which is fine with me). A concert with reentrant tuning would be better for getting a more traditional strummed sound.
Wood bodies are a bit mellower. Metal bodies have more "bark".
I'm sure a Mya-Moe is going to sound better than my Kala, but they are well out of my price range.
- FiL
I would like a wood bodied one, size Tenor, and I want to play everything with it. Are the Kala's any good and are the National resos better?
Best one would be a free one!
I've been hemming and hawing over a Kala myself, but find the nylon strings just a bit too mild for a reso sound. I believe metal strings can be substituted, which might really pick up the punch.
Thing about tenors is that they really need tension on the cone to get the best sound. I've had a Republic reso and played with several others including National, Goldtone and Kala. My own opinion is that the best/loudest sound comes from a tenor in great part because it has the greatest string tension. A reso should almost have a banjo-like tone.
I have a metal-body tenor guitar with metal strings. It doesn't have the same punch as a six-string because the strings have just that much less tension. I've considered some options, including changing the saddle from the traditional ebony to a Tusq piece.
I've been hemming and hawing over a Kala myself, but find the nylon strings just a bit too mild for a reso sound. I believe metal strings can be substituted, which might really pick up the punch.
Try Southcoast's classical metal strings. I wouldn't use any other metal strings on a uke--they're not built for standard steel string tensions.
- FiL