Hi Olde Phart
I am interested to know what you consider the actual 'sound' differences to be between your different ukes. Do the higher end ukes really sound dramatically better in terms of sustain, note clarity etc. ?
Absolutely. Almost anything can be made to sound good in a video (especially at YouTube where they often fiddle with AGC and such during their "processing' of your video). But, in person the difference in volume, sustain, and richness of, say, a KoAloha (or my BP custom) is noticeably better than even the best ukes I've played that came out of "factories."
Until I bought my Boat Paddle tenor, my KoAloha longneck soprano strung with tenor Alohi strings kicked butt on every tenor I owned. My Pineapple Sunday doesn't have the low-end response of a tenor (actually, I bought it because it has a tenor scale neck but sounds very much like a good soprano) but in terms of sustain, dynamics (read "volume," because you have to have good volume to get good dynamic range) it is pretty much untouchable.
The Boat Paddle is incredible. It doesn't
seem especially loud when you are playing it, but it projects an amazing amount of volume forward. I discovered this when I recorded my first "real" video with it a few days ago. I used the same microphone placement that I always have with other ukes and it almost drowned out my vocals...and I've got a big mouth!
Even though my mahogany Mainland soprano that I love so much is a cannon with CH strings - it doesn't have the richness and sustain of high end ukes (it has a wonderful "bark" though, which is why I consider it one of my best ukes and say it rivals my high end ukes).
Now, all of the above is not to say that factory ukes are junk - not by a long shot. I recorded a video for the Seasons on my Mainland mango tenor strung low-g just this past Sunday because it was the right uke for that song. James Hill often plays factory ukes, he might even have an endorsement deal, I don't know.
But, for those who can afford a "high end" uke and have the ear to appreciate it - they should at least have one or two in their stable!
Finally, any uke that blends great intonation, nice feel and action, good volume and sustain, and rich tone together is simply much more enjoyable to play. I recorded a silly video of a Woodi and my modified KoAloha longneck soprano last week. I did both demos in one long take then split them up. I played the Woodi for three minutes and it felt like twenty even though I've filed down the zero fret so the intonation is decent. Then, I played the KoAloha for something like fifteen minutes thinking it was about three - and that is the KoAloha that was damaged and modified into a braced five-string so it doesn't really even have the volume and sustain of a KoAloha any more. It still has very rich tone and great feel, though!
I can get "lost" in my BP just playing jazz chord progressions and practicing finger rolls. On "lesser" ukes I will be "done" after fifteen to thirty minutes of that. (My poor wife probably wishes I hadn't bought the BP. LOL)
John