I have had the good luck to be able to have in my home a Pono in the $400 range and a Pono in the $1200 range.
I found/could tell very little sound quality difference between them.
Can you Pono owners chime in and tell me what the $800 difference is if it's not sound quality?
I have had the good luck to be able to have in my home a Pono in the $400 range and a Pono in the $1200 range.
I found/could tell very little sound quality difference between them.
Can you Pono owners chime in and tell me what the $800 difference is if it's not sound quality?
Play what you like if it sounds good and your a good player you can make a piece of crap 30 dollar uke sound good.
I think once you get up to 500 bucks ukes are high quality and its more about the physical look than sound at that point
(again just my humble opinion).
Let's up the ante. I just bought a Pono TE-C; that's a chamber-bodied cedar electric. It's a cheaper version of the Ko'olau CE-2. It's very close in quality.
Let's up the ante. I just bought a Pono TE-C; that's a chamber-bodied cedar electric. It's a cheaper version of the Ko'olau CE-2. It's very close in quality.
Play what you like if it sounds good and your a good player you can make a piece of crap 30 dollar uke sound good.
I think once you get up to 500 bucks ukes are high quality and its more about the physical look than sound at that point
(again just my humble opinion).
Well of course I do that. But I've had an issue with the Pono sound on both instruments. Still I have heard such high praise for them I'm actually considering trying another Cedar cutaway because I just can't believe all those folk could be wrong. I mean it happens but it's rare when something gets high ratings from most customers and it's not somehow a superior value. The folk at HMS practically drool over them but of course they are selling them.
So here I am trying to find out what I'm not seeing or hearing. The one in my home currently is a favorite to play because of the really nice action and set up and possibly due to the radiused fretboard its got and maybe due to the nice feel of the Aquila Reds but I'm not going to lie and say it sounds superior to any uke I have in the $300 range and I have half a dozen of them.
The one in my home currently is a favorite to play because of the really nice action and set up and possibly due to the radiused fretboard its got and maybe due to the nice feel of the Aquila Reds.
The folk at HMS practically drool over them but of course they are selling them.
Correct
My Pono was one of my first beginner ukuleles. I have since given it away to my young niece. For an import, I thought it was (IMO) so much better than Kala, Lanikai, etc.
Well I'm comparing them to Gretsch, Moku and Alulu and Flukes with the wood fretboard and sound wise I'd put the Pono near the bottom. Especially strummed. It's very nice to play however. The set up and strings are very nice for playing. Both myself and my gf agree about the playability and sound quality. It's actually her uke. She's trying to like it but having difficulty loving the sound.
You have two Ponos that you have issues with; can't tell the difference between the two. Have you tried different strings. So far for me, Southcoast have worked best . Strings make a difference big time.
If it's a matter of UAS...Perhaps it's time to try something new or perhaps a custom to your specs. For the same 1200 dollar Pono, you could be playing a vintage Martin with that wonderful thin, fast, low action neck and smokehouse sound or a number of others.
For myself, it's all about the feel of the neck and intonation. I like a thin, fast low actioned slightly radiused neck. The Pono has a fatter profile so it wouldn't work for me.
Stringy is right. You may have outgrown the instruments you have. Treat yourself to a special uke not buying one cause of the reviews. There are good luthiers in Oregon...
Just read it's your gf's uke. If it's playability, may be just a matter of a good setup and change the strings to something different. Ask her if it's the size of the neck in her hand. It may be the Pono necks are too big for her. It may be she just doesn't bond with it. I've had a few that just weren't right so moved on.
Strings can make a good build sound great or a great build sound so-so. Different top woods sound different. And solid tone woods tend to develop a more mature tone over time.
That said, I have played two examples of the same instrument (acoustic guitar, carved top mandolin, solid woods ukes) and found there to be difference in tone acceptance to my ear. Note that I am not saying that I heard a difference in tone quality because that would suggest that tone quality is a generally accepted standard; it is not.
The differences between a $400 build and a $1200 build of the same maker and general design is typically in the cost of more desirable woods, attention to construction detail and "extras" like binding, slotted heads, detailed fretboards and rosettes. The latter features make the owner feel good and the two former tend to make the uke sound as good as it can.
If you really found the $400 uke to sound better than the $1200 uke with the same setup and strings, I'd suggest that you buy the $400 model. If you don't like the sound you get from a Pono in general, there are many other solid wood ukes to check out. My $500 Pono plays and sounds better than many ukes I have tried out costing 3-5 times what I paid for the Pono.
You don't have to like pono just because everyone else does. Trade-in/up for a different brand. Everyone is different, everyone feels differently, everyone likes a slightly different sound. Sounds like you don't like pono. Its not a big deal, try a different brand.
I have three totally different uke brands (see signature) and I like all three, but for different reasons!
Aquila or Aquila Reds, I have Aquilas on most all my ukes and only my Fluke in low G. I'm sure there may be factors that could change things but finding out what they are might take some time. I have other strings I'll try but as I've said in other threads I'm pretty much an Aquila man with an D'Addario Titanium or two in the mix.
Patrick:
We both like the playability of the Pono's which I stated. I love a fat neck and the radiused fretboard seems to really work well for me. They are very fun to play and there is no doubt about that. That's not a problem.
I'm going up to the Breedlove factory in Bend to see what they have to offer. They put Worth Browns on all their ukes but from the sound samples I've heard I'm don't think that would be my choice. The nice thing about trying something with Aquilas is most all my other ukes have them so I'd be comparing apples to apples for the most part. Of course wood makes a difference but not as much as strings from my admittedly limited experience. I have mahogany, spruce, acacia, and I'd like to try a cedar or redwood next.
And the issue isn't UAS as the Pono is new to the stable.
I have a Mainland solid mahogany tenor and a Pono solid mahogany concert. Not sure if it says good things about the Pono or bad things about the Mainland, but the Pono sounds much much better to my ears. It's more balanced (no volume differences depending on what note I'm playing), better feel and a much richer woodier tone. The Mainland sounds more like a laminate costing half what I paid for it. I've played Martins and a few K brands costing 3X what I paid for the Pono in a local music shop and I'd say my Pono is comparable or better in quality, feel and sound.
I have had the good luck to be able to have in my home a Pono in the $400 range and a Pono in the $1200 range.
I found/could tell very little sound quality difference between them.
Can you Pono owners chime in and tell me what the $800 difference is if it's not sound quality?
In some cases, "bling" can contribute significantly to the cost. Abalone bindings, fancy rosettes, upgraded tuners, inlays, etc. and other eye candy really don't contribute to the sound.
If your ear can't discern much of a difference, then I'd say you don't need the one that costs three times as much.
Bagaag, my Mainland red cedar tenor is an outstanding instrument, one of my favorites. Loud and warm. I love my Pono mahogany tenor, too, but I'd have to say it's more sweet and mellow.
Well of course I do that. But I've had an issue with the Pono sound on both instruments. Still I have heard such high praise for them I'm actually considering trying another Cedar cutaway because I just can't believe all those folk could be wrong. I mean it happens but it's rare when something gets high ratings from most customers and it's not somehow a superior value. The folk at HMS practically drool over them but of course they are selling them.
So here I am trying to find out what I'm not seeing or hearing. The one in my home currently is a favorite to play because of the really nice action and set up and possibly due to the radiused fretboard its got and maybe due to the nice feel of the Aquila Reds but I'm not going to lie and say it sounds superior to any uke I have in the $300 range and I have half a dozen of them.
You do know that Pono is the import model of koolau? And the owners of hms and koolau are either same person or father/son or family(I can't remember what it is)?
The difference in the two Pono Ukes you've had in your home is the wood and bling. One might have been a pro series? I'm not blown away by Pono sound. But the craftsmanship is outstanding. Still a handmade imported uke though.
The WTSH Pro Classic you have is pricey because of the level of craftsmanship (remember, it has a radius fretboard, slot head and cutaway which add significantly to cost and do not contribute materially to sound). The Wi'awa wood has great clarity and sustain but does not shine in the lower registers. I put the Reds on there to give it more presence in the low end. Also, perhaps your ear might like that uke better low G and you should try a low G on there.
I believe the Pono Pro Classics are a very good value given the level of craftsmanship and playability they provide. Thankfully, they offer quite a few wood combinations so hopefully you can find one that has "that" sound for you.
Lot of great points in this thread. Eddie's point is a good one: the slotted head alone, when ordered as an upgrade in, say, a KoOlau or a Mya Moe, is $250. Your higher end Pono may be a cutaway...another $200-250. At both KoOlau and Mya Moe, just to stick with my example, the gloss finish upgrade is $350 and $400, respectively. Add some purfling, extra binding, a radiused fretboard ($100 upgrade at KoOlau) and, boom, there's more than the price difference between the two Pono ukes in your hand, Ice. It's sort of like a new Martin 5k at $5000 or a Martin 2k at $1400. Wouldn't want to bet the family pooch that I could tell the difference in a blind sound test.
As to Pono sound, I have a tenor cutaway slotted head, blonde spruce and maple Pono that is killer good with Worth Browns on it. Love it despite its fat neck (insert joke here). The Pono concert and soprano I had were sold: too heavy a build on a small uke size, esp in gloss. Best of breed? My KoOlau t100 Koa tenor by Noa (thanks, brother bearbike!)
