Do old ukuleles built pre-1940 sound better than modern ukuleles?

Fred Ukestone

Fred Ukestone

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As I have been considering purchasing a pre-1940 solid wood soprano or concert ukulele I am interested in peoples opinions on whether they actually sound better than modern instruments. I know price and brand are obvious factors here when comparing instruments but were older ukes built as well as modern ukes? When I listen to samples of old ukuleles on you tube they often sound very thin with little or no sustain. I realise recording methods have to be taken into consideration here, but there still seems to be a consistent trait of thin sound. Can anyone recommend older instruments that sound more 'musical' with longer sustain.
 
Martin, Gibson, Favilla,Harmony, Kamaka. Nunes,most of the older quality ukes sound pretty good.
 
I just listened to a 60 or 70 year old Martin Soprano. I got to hold it. It weighed almost nothing. I thought the sound was nothing special.
 
I have a 30's Martin style 0 and think it sounds amazing!
 
Much like beauty is in the eye of the beholder, good sound is in the ear of the listener. What sounds good to me may not sound good to you, and vice versa.

Asking someone else what sounds good won't get you what you want. You need to decide what sounds good to YOU....
 
An older actor was asked "Briefs or boxer shorts?" He answered "Depends".

An older instrument might sound better or worse. It depends on several factors. Was it built well to begin with? Was it maintained? Has it been restored? Was the restoration mediocre or excellent?
Not all old instruments sound good. Some do, some don't.
Not all new instruments sound good. Some sound phenomenal.

If you are considering buying an instrument, listen to it.
 
Depends how you perceive things.. if you own a Ferrari or lambo you might think they are the best, but to some others they may love their karmanghia, for better milage than preformance
Moore bettah currently has the best tone, looks, playability and comfort to me in preformance, back then Martin 5K in the late 20's had the best tone and was considered the best of the same, which is better, it's personal taste....but I do believe myself I prefer moore bettah because in time everything gets better in craftsmanship, materials used and technology and knowledge...
 
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I accept that it is subjective (beauty is in the ears of the beholder......and the skill of the player!....well, more the latter I think !). The reason I brought this topic up is that I spotted a couple of old 'Sherwood' ukes on ebay. I could not find any sound samples of them being played on the net. The sellers live in a different country so playing before buying is impossible. I listened to some old Gretsch's as an obvious comparison and to my ear they sounded like tuneless dogs barking. This is why I posted the question.
 
1920-30s martin vs 1950-60s martin vs 2010+ martin...older sounds better in general. slightly different build plus more years of drying out equals bell-like tone in older martins
 
Fred Ukestone said:
As I have been considering purchasing a pre-1940 solid wood soprano or concert ukulele I am interested in peoples opinions on whether they actually sound better than modern instruments. I know price and brand are obvious factors here when comparing instruments but were older ukes built as well as modern ukes? When I listen to samples of old ukuleles on you tube they often sound very thin with little or no sustain. I realise recording methods have to be taken into consideration here, but there still seems to be a consistent trait of thin sound. Can anyone recommend older instruments that sound more 'musical' with longer sustain.
Click to expand...
The way you phrase your question, I'd say the answer is no. Vintage ukes were barky with little sustain. Now, to some that is the appeal. It certainly is a unique feature, especially with re-entrant tuning. Modern ukes are more well balanced.

I also believe modern luthiers just know much more about making a good instrument. They have 100 years of examples. There was an article a few years ago about a blind test of violins from several modern makers and a Stradivarius. I think the Stradivarius ended up in the middle of the pack, clearly not as good as 2 modern violins. Why? Same reason- the profession advanced.

There will always be nostalgia for the old stuff, and I like playing old tunes on the vintage gear. But as to what sounds better? By this description, I'm going with modern.
 
I think older ukes have different voices than modern builds..........vintage voice v. modern voice, if you will. I know the 1930-40 era Gibson I own has a hollow, mid-rangy bark in it that I've not heard in newer ukes I've played. Not to say the modern builds don't sound fine, but there is, in my ears at least, a audible difference between old and new. Maybe it's the age of the wood, maybe it's differences in bracing......that I don't know. Reckon it all comes down to the player: how does it sound in your hands and to your ear?
 
Tigeralum2001 said:
The way you phrase your question, I'd say the answer is no. Vintage ukes were barky with little sustain. Now, to some that is the appeal. It certainly is a unique feature, especially with re-entrant tuning. Modern ukes are more well balanced.

I also believe modern luthiers just know much more about making a good instrument. They have 100 years of examples. There was an article a few years ago about a blind test of violins from several modern makers and a Stradivarius. I think the Stradivarius ended up in the middle of the pack, clearly not as good as 2 modern violins. Why? Same reason- the profession advanced.

There will always be nostalgia for the old stuff, and I like playing old tunes on the vintage gear. But as to what sounds better? By this description, I'm going with modern.
Click to expand...

This seems very likely imo. Professions advance.
 
I have both modern and vintage ukes. There are reasons people like vintage ukes, they do have a different voice and vibe. For many reasons I generally like modern better by a wide margin. I would definitely avoid buying old just because it is old. The odds are most vintage ukes you buy will be a lot of trouble and not that great. If you find a Martin, or Martin made uke, or a high end Harmony, or something similar you might get something very special. Once in a while but mostly not. If you buy an old one more important to try before you buy than even with a new uke. Also, as others have said longer sustain is more of a modern aesthetic. The best older instruments will have powerful and rich midrange but not a lot of sustain.
 
katysax said:
I would definitely avoid buying old just because it is old.
Click to expand...

As others have said, it depends, but this is really, really good advice. Generally I tend to prefer vintage/used over new - EXCEPT when it comes to cars and instruments! If I had a budget that allowed for the purchase of a pristine Martin 3K or 3M, I'd probably find a vintage uke that I loved. But the ones that I've encountered within my mere-mortal budget have all had issues and been a bit of a disappointment.
 
Do carrots taste better than celery? The problem with any question like this is that "better" is a very subjective and individual thing, and thus can't realistically be measured as a universal.

John
 
OldePhart said:
Do carrots taste better than celery? The problem with any question like this is that "better" is a very subjective and individual thing, and thus can't realistically be measured as a universal.

John
Click to expand...

Very wise answer, my grandfather used to say that's why they make chocolate & vanilla.
I have a vintage Gibson, great sound, but far different than my DaSilva.
 
It's entirely subjective. Some do - I played with an older Martin in the Twelfth Fret, Toronto, and it was superb sounding, better even than more expensive new Martins.

But my own Boat paddle still sounds better. To my ears.

My question is always cost-related. If you like it, is it worth it to you, never mind what anyone else thinks. If you can answer yes, then get it.
 
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