Favorite Wood Combinations?

Your favorite wood combination(s)?

  • Cedar/Rosewood

    Votes: 23 27.7%

  • Cedar/Mahogany

    Votes: 5 6.0%

  • Spruce/Rosewood

    Votes: 5 6.0%

  • Spruce/Mahogany

    Votes: 5 6.0%

  • Spruce/Maple

    Votes: 3 3.6%

  • Mahogany/Mahogany

    Votes: 17 20.5%

  • Koa/Koa

    Votes: 25 30.1%

  • Mango/Mango

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Redwood/Other

    Votes: 8 9.6%

  • Other/Other

    Votes: 16 19.3%
  • Total voters
    83
Yooke

Yooke

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Hello,

What is your favorite wood combination(s) on a ukulele and please explain why?

I don't have a favorite wood combination ..yet but I'll describe my only ukulele, a Nato Top/ Nato B&S (mahogany-esque) Lanikai.

It is mellow and warm. Has a full round sound but not too loud in volume. Moderate sustain and really quite balanced.
 
I just received a custom gypsy jazz style uke. I chose solid curly maple top and solid Indian rosewood body. I read that the brightness of the maple matches well with the deeper rosewood, and the price was right from the builder in Vietnam. Having said that, a few months ago I traded in three lesser ukes for a really nice Kala with solid cedar top and acacia koa body that sounds very good, and looks great too. I like projection and sustain, which both have.

Gypsy semi side.jpg
 
So far, cedar and rosewood, though I enjoy my mahogany and acacia ukuleles almost as much.
 
Right now I'm digging my Cedar top/ Mahogany S&B. Warm with a punch.

Hell I could describe the sound differently tomorrow but honestly I love the sound of this Pono however it's described. I think it's a truly great combination and I'm guessing the build has something to do with it and the strings.
 
I like the bark of spruce and maple.
 
my favourite has to be walnut back and sides and redwood top and fav size uke is a concert.
close 2nd would be all mahogany
 
So many great wood combinations - can't leave out all koa! I never get tired of that sound...

I have to say I'm in awe of folks like Trevor, who have so many cool woods in their collection.
 
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Cedar usually has a warmer quality, but since a ukulele is already a bright instrument, I guess that's why many prefer cedar.
 
It all depends on what you are looking for. If you have no idea on what you really want, then get one that looks prettiest to you. A good all around combination would always be East Indian Rosewood (back and sides) with spruce, cedar or redwood top. The top will definitely influence the tonal quality of brightness or mellowness. Only you can decide. The brand or the luthier of the ukulele also influences the tonal qualities. So you're gonna have to do some research. Remember...sound appeals differently to different people. What might sound very good to someone else may not sound the same to you...hope this helps
 
So far grafted pistachio with a curly redwood top has been my visual favorite (and it sounds good too!).

P1060653_zpscc30af4c.jpg
 
dtikim1 said:
It all depends on what you are looking for. If you have no idea on what you really want, then get one that looks prettiest to you. A good all around combination would always be East Indian Rosewood (back and sides) with spruce, cedar or redwood top. The top will definitely influence the tonal quality of brightness or mellowness. Only you can decide. The brand or the luthier of the ukulele also influences the tonal qualities. So you're gonna have to do some research. Remember...sound appeals differently to different people. What might sound very good to someone else may not sound the same to you...hope this helps
Click to expand...

So true, I dropped some change on spruce tops that sound good in online vids. but in person left me cold. One of them was a Pono that is a very nice instrument. When I went to a cedar top I was home free.
 
Redwood top with Rosewood back and sides. Redwood sounds like Cedar on steroids! :)
 
We don't have any high end ukuleles but we enjoy what we do have - a solid mahogany tenor and a cedar/acacia tenor. I like each for different reasons but my favorite is the cedar top with acacia back and sides. Great projection and volume. It's also got great sustain and is warm but not muddy. I've heard great things about redwood and would love to give that a try one day....
 
I have added a Poll to this thread. It should be read as Top Wood/Back and Side Woods

Other could mean non-wood material, such as plastic.

I voted Other because of my Nato Lanikai.

Oh and forgot to mention it is multiple choice.. not sure how many but its multiple
 
Last edited:
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