tonewood and musical styles.

Icelander53

Icelander53

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The thread on favorite tonewoods got me to thinking about the type music I like to play and what might be best for that.

I'm kind of a minor key guy. I play a lot of slow sad or agnst type songs and the lyrics are important in that choice.

So I'd like to hear what you'd choose for tonewoods if that was your musical preference. I'm looking for a second uke to use for focus on this type of music exclusively and I'm looking for a sound that is darker and at the same time powerful when played with some energy. If that makes any sense.

I'm going to give an example of a song here so you get what I'm talking about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE2MmwUbC_E

btw my gf is learning this marvelous piano part so we can play this together somewhat like this version by EJ.
 
I (personally) don't think it matters. Find an 'ukulele with a response and overall tone you like and learn to make your favorite styles/feels of music sound as good as you can. If you are projecting slow, sad, or angst-y music, it doesn't matter if you are playing a uke with a mango, koa, spruce, ebony, or Trex deck top. People will feel your vibe no matter what.

Just play, man. That's my two cents.
 
I'm just biased in favor of solid mahogany for acoustic blues (at least a solid top) along with low g tuning and wound 3 and 4.
 
So youre telling me that a soprano uke and a tenor played by the same person will evoke the exact same depth of feeling in a minor key? Well if that's true then you can throw out much of what gets said about tonewoods, sizes, strings etc. Would you say that's correct?

I'm really going to disagree actually. I mean then you might as well play a kazoo as a pipe organ to get some depth and grandeur. I get what you're saying and agree that what you put out emotionally and with feeling is most important but I would think what you played on would make some kind of difference.
 
So all this talk about this or that instrument being better than another is basically due to lack of skill rather than any quality of the instrument? One very skilled player would sound exactly the same on a $89 laminate as a $3000 koa as long as the intonation was good on both? Am I getting this right? Why do these skilled players tend to play on expensive instruments. Is it just bling?
 
What Brad said was to find an instrument with the response and tone you like (emphasis mine). If that's the laminate, go for it.
 
I play a solid spruce top concert which is usually described as bright, brassy, loud, or punchy. But my husband finds my playing tone to be anything but those descriptors. He describes it as introspective.

I play the same types of songs you mention as well as many slow and thoughtful ones from the early part of the 20th century in a minor key. I play mostly with the pads of my fingers. But, the spruce top gives me the tone I want as I decompress at the end of the day. Maybe I intuitively gravitated towards the sound I want.

When I got a solid mahogany soprano ukulele, I ended up playing it with a very different style - I found that I needed to use my nails to get that sound. But, I think that I do get the same depth of feeling in a minor key from two different types of ukuleles.
 
Kayak Jim said:
What Brad said was to find an instrument with the response and tone you like (emphasis mine). If that's the laminate, go for it.
Click to expand...

Yes I was listening to him. My question was is that tone in any way determined by the wood type of the ukulele? I'm not trying to be difficult, really I'm not, (my mom never believed that) I just want to decide what tone wood would best fit my musical preferences. If that is really not a factor then I'll focus on whatever is. This is all outside of what I bring to the music with my playing.
 
actadh said:
I play a solid spruce top concert which is usually described as bright, brassy, loud, or punchy. But my husband finds my playing tone to be anything but those descriptors. He describes it as introspective.

I play the same types of songs you mention as well as many slow and thoughtful ones from the early part of the 20th century in a minor key. I play mostly with the pads of my fingers. But, the spruce top gives me the tone I want as I decompress at the end of the day. Maybe I intuitively gravitated towards the sound I want.

When I got a solid mahogany soprano ukulele, I ended up playing it with a very different style - I found that I needed to use my nails to get that sound. But, I think that I do get the same depth of feeling in a minor key from two different types of ukuleles.
Click to expand...

So for you then, the type of wood you choose compliments your musical preferences? Do I have that right?

I find, for some reason that I absolutely don't like spruce top when strumming with the fingernail. It seems to amplify the sound of the nail on the string in an almost plastic sounding way. My gf has a spruce Pono and she thinks so too. Picked however I find these spruce topped ukes very pleasing. We have two of them.
 
Hippie Guy said:
I (personally) don't think it matters. Find an 'ukulele with a response and overall tone you like and learn to make your favorite styles/feels of music sound as good as you can. If you are projecting slow, sad, or angst-y music, it doesn't matter if you are playing a uke with a mango, koa, spruce, ebony, or Trex deck top. People will feel your vibe no matter what.

Just play, man. That's my two cents.
Click to expand...

I kind of agree with Brad....
I have all different combinations of tonewoods...but none of them make me sound like Brad...

practice makes you a better player...not the tonewood...this is just my opinion....:) as I am not even close to being where I want to be...and I practice as much as possible

so grab your uke and start practicing.....
btw I still think Brad in his teens...wow!
 
hawaii 50 said:
I kind of agree with Brad....
I have all different combinations of tonewoods...but none of them make me sound like Brad...

practice makes you a better player...not the tonewood...this is just my opinion....:) as I am not even close to being where I want to be...and I practice as much as possible

so grab your uke and start practicing.....
btw I still think Brad in his teens...wow!
Click to expand...

When did I ever say anything about being a better player? That has absolutely nada to do with the question I asked here. I'm asking a very simple straight forward question about whether the tonewood on a ukulele will have an effect on the sound produced.

So I guess all your tonewoods sound the same. That's what you're saying, am I getting this right? So you bought them why?
 
I dunno, I think it makes a big difference. I have an all-Koa uke and one with a spruce top and hardwood back and if I play the same song the same way on each, they sound different. Koa seems warm and woody, the spruce is brighter and louder. While I can adjust my strum somewhat for tone and volume, there is a difference.

A kazoo is not a pipe organ, a uke is not a guitar, and a koa uke sounds different than a mahogany. At least to my ears.

Now, whether minor key blues sound better on one than the other is going to be affected by construction and the players and listeners, but "better" is different from "different ..."
 
Icelander53 said:
So all this talk about this or that instrument being better than another is basically due to lack of skill rather than any quality of the instrument? One very skilled player would sound exactly the same on a $89 laminate as a $3000 koa as long as the intonation was good on both? Am I getting this right? Why do these skilled players tend to play on expensive instruments. Is it just bling?
Click to expand...
When trying to understand why most very skilled players are playing with high-quality decent uke. Here are some thoughts,

Sponsor: Professional players are sponsored by uke brands so they have their unique top quality uke. Brands are doing marketing, showing off their high-quality, attracting the fans to buy their brand, etc..

Reliability: What makes the uke won't fail during performing. Skilled players they choose a higher priced uke, because they desire the reliability from the uke being made with more stable materials - mostly the wood. Then it comes to a well seasoned, selected, pricey wood. Along with higher handcraft quality, to make sure the uke is very well constructed. And the construction gives much in how the uke sound.

I believe all players are able to make beautiful music, not limited with what wood & price of ukes.

Many players with different style, technique,and different type of music. It is easy to find that most of them are playing beautiful Koa ukes. One tonewood - Koa, has made all kind of music by those players.

Now lets brainstorm together, what is more important when making music.:cheers:

I hope some of my humble opinion may help you create new thoughts and find answers.
 
Last edited:
Icelander53 said:
When did I ever say anything about being a better player? That has absolutely nada to do with the question I asked here. I'm asking a very simple straight forward question about whether the tonewood on a ukulele will have an effect on the sound produced.

So I guess all your tonewoods sound the same. That's what you're saying, am I getting this right? So you bought them why?
Click to expand...


sorry seems like you had a duplicate question/thread about tonewoods...kind of confused....:)

what I am saying is more practice less talking my way of getting answers and the goal to sound better....:)

and I did my homework on tonewoods...but I talked to luthiers who built my ukes....

Rick Tuner can give you good advice...send him an email..he will help you
 
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How do you know how much I practice? I didn't ask about sounding better. I asked if tonewoods effect the sound of the instrument and if so what people thought about tonewoods for the type of music I like to play. I've already agree that how you play has a profound effect on how the musics sounds but that was not my question. I don't know how to say it in a way that can make this any plainer so I guess I'll just give it up and move on. I know when I'm beat. :cheers:
 
Icelander53 said:
The thread on favorite tonewoods got me to thinking about the type music I like to play and what might be best for that.

I'm kind of a minor key guy. I play a lot of slow sad or agnst type songs and the lyrics are important in that choice.

So I'd like to hear what you'd choose for tonewoods if that was your musical preference. I'm looking for a second uke to use for focus on this type of music exclusively and I'm looking for a sound that is darker and at the same time powerful when played with some energy. If that makes any sense.

I'm going to give an example of a song here so you get what I'm talking about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE2MmwUbC_E

btw my gf is learning this marvelous piano part so we can play this together somewhat like this version by EJ.
Click to expand...

I see what you're saying. After discovering Jake Shimabukuro, I have really began to like fingerstyle music. From my limited knowledge and info I gathered from the Favorite Tonewood thread, I would choose Cedar, Redwood, or Mahogany for you.

If someone were to look for an instrument that would suit happy, upbeat music, more strumming than picking, then I would go for Spruce, Koa, Mango, even Acacia.
 
Last edited:
Steveperrywriter said:
I dunno, I think it makes a big difference. I have an all-Koa uke and one with a spruce top and hardwood back and if I play the same song the same way on each, they sound different. Koa seems warm and woody, the spruce is brighter and louder. While I can adjust my strum somewhat for tone and volume, there is a difference.

A kazoo is not a pipe organ, a uke is not a guitar, and a koa uke sounds different than a mahogany. At least to my ears.

Now, whether minor key blues sound better on one than the other is going to be affected by construction and the players and listeners, but "better" is different from "different ..."
Click to expand...

Well thanks for addressing the question. I hear that term woody but don't know for sure what that describes. I do think however that warm works well for the music I like to play as compared to bright.

I do think that the build quality (guessing) has the most to do with how a uke sounds but it would seem reasonable that the type of wood would have some effect. That's what I keep hearing on these boards anyway. If wood type has no effect on sound then there is a lot of nonsense posting about it going on here.
 
Yooke said:
I see what you're saying. After discovering Jake Shimabukuro, I have really began to like fingerstyle music. From my limited knowledge and info I gathered from the Favorite Tonewood thread, I would choose Cedar, Redwood, or Mahogany for you.

If someone were to look for an instrument that would suit happy, upbeat music, more strumming than picking, then I would go for Spruce, Koa, Mango, even Acacia.
Click to expand...

I've heard redwood described as cedar on steroids lol. I'd really like to hear one, especially since I live very near to the Northern California redwoods. They certainly look like they're on steroids, in a dinosaur kind of way. :D
 
Icelander53 said:
I've heard redwood described as cedar on steroids lol. I'd really like to hear one, especially since I live very near to the Northern California redwoods. They certainly look like they're on steroids, in a dinosaur kind of way. :D
Click to expand...

It would be nice to own a piece of such old history that's for sure. Yeah, I'm really intrigued as well, haven't heard about it until someone mentioned it in the other threads. I read that its an endangered species so even cooler if a ukulele made of Redwood was from an old Church where they played music all the time.
 
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