Well, it has been two weeks since I brought my new Pono ATDC tenor ukulele home. I purchased it from Mim's Ukes in Meadows of Dan Virginia. This is a great place to purchase a ukulele and I was fortunate enough to be able to visit Mim and try out a variety of Ukuleles prior to making a decision. Pono and Lanikai ukes were on my list and this was a great opportunity to compare them at the same time. My Lanikai CKC Concert was with me when I visited Mim's, so I had a direct comparison to what I was used to playing in the past. I really liked the sound of my Lanikai and was so surprised that the newer Lanikais did not sound as good. My CKC is fitted with Worth medium strings while the new Lanikais were fitted with strings of unknown origin. I was trying the Lanikai solid Monkeypod ukes.
Then I tried the Pono ukuleles and immediately noticed a marked difference in sound quality, feel, and playability. The neck on the Ponos is more "C" shaped and therefore a little thicker than other ukes which is preferable to me. It is a similar shape and thickness as my Gold Tone banjolele neck. The sound was just remarkable in my opinion. I then started comparing the acacia and mahogany models of Pono to see the difference. Of course, finish was also a consideration as the sound was a little different between the gloss and matte finishes. The acacia tenor seemed to me to have more volume than the mahogany version and I fell in love with the gloss finish. In the end I settled on the acacia deluxe tenor cutaway uke.
When I arrived home in Canada, I swapped out the Ko'olau strings for a set of Worth tenor strings and over the past two weeks they have been settling down and stretching out as expected. The Worth strings produce a lovely mellow sound with just enough brightness for my taste. The fit and finish of my Pono is just beautiful. The solid Acacia top back and sides are just exquisite. The book matched top and back have some lovely grain patterns and the ebony fingerboard also has some unique grain features and coloration. The setup if the bone nut and saddle is to my liking and intonation up the neck is perfect when checked with my electronic tuner. It is obvious that Pono takes care in setting up the instrument after receipt from Java prior to shipping from Hawaii.
Overall, I am very satisfied with everything about my Pono and now know why the extra dollars expended on purchasing a fine instrument are worth it. There really is a difference when stepping up to the high end of the intermediate price range.
Regards,
Bill
Then I tried the Pono ukuleles and immediately noticed a marked difference in sound quality, feel, and playability. The neck on the Ponos is more "C" shaped and therefore a little thicker than other ukes which is preferable to me. It is a similar shape and thickness as my Gold Tone banjolele neck. The sound was just remarkable in my opinion. I then started comparing the acacia and mahogany models of Pono to see the difference. Of course, finish was also a consideration as the sound was a little different between the gloss and matte finishes. The acacia tenor seemed to me to have more volume than the mahogany version and I fell in love with the gloss finish. In the end I settled on the acacia deluxe tenor cutaway uke.
When I arrived home in Canada, I swapped out the Ko'olau strings for a set of Worth tenor strings and over the past two weeks they have been settling down and stretching out as expected. The Worth strings produce a lovely mellow sound with just enough brightness for my taste. The fit and finish of my Pono is just beautiful. The solid Acacia top back and sides are just exquisite. The book matched top and back have some lovely grain patterns and the ebony fingerboard also has some unique grain features and coloration. The setup if the bone nut and saddle is to my liking and intonation up the neck is perfect when checked with my electronic tuner. It is obvious that Pono takes care in setting up the instrument after receipt from Java prior to shipping from Hawaii.
Overall, I am very satisfied with everything about my Pono and now know why the extra dollars expended on purchasing a fine instrument are worth it. There really is a difference when stepping up to the high end of the intermediate price range.
Regards,
Bill
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