New, for me, ukuleles

I was looking to buy a nice ukulele and was really considering the Pono MC or AC, then this Pono MCD came up on eBay, so I bought it.

I originally had a Kala CEM which does sound great for a newbie like me, but the sound of this Pono, even to my untrained ears is so much better.

Fuller, crisper, and more mellow at the same time.

It was purchased originally 4 months ago and I have restrung it with Living Water strings which really makes it sing, (it was strung left handed).





Before this I also bought a nice tenor from somebody who makes them as an amateur luthier. Top is Alaskan spruce, back is American walnut with burr elm and sycamore, neck is mahogany, pink ivory and sycamore, bone nut and bridge, rosewood fretboard, and purpleheart headcap.

Strung with low G, also with Living Water strings.

It's also got a lovely tone, and great sustain, and I am enjoying learning fingerpicking with it.

Congratulations! They're lovely!

Really nice ukes, you must be a happy puppy. I dig ponos but that other one is beautiful. How do they compare?

Congrats! I have a Pono MCD-E and like it a lot, it's my "primary" uke. That Tenor is gorgeous. I think some folks don't realize that some amateurs can produce professional results at a high level.

Icelander53 said:

Really nice ukes, you must be a happy puppy. I dig ponos but that other one is beautiful. How do they compare?

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Well, funnily enough the Pono is a lot more mellow, and sounds "fuller" as well, even while being able to hear individual notes.

The tenor sounds more clinical and less "ukulele" like, but that might be the low G, and the sustain is to kill for.

Both are great in their own way, but if I had to choose one, then it would be the Pono as it can be strummed and picked while I feel the tenor loses out on the strumming, but I love fingerpicking it, (or trying to, haha).

The Pono also makes me smile more when I play it.

Does that make sense?

Love mine. You can get a fair amount of brightness out of that Pono without losing the "fullness" by using brighter strings should you ever want to. I have Ko'olau Alohi's on mine. I would imagine those Living Waters are similar. I think Aquila nylguts are a bit "brash" on it. Lots of great strings out there.

They are both very nice looking! Your amateur luthier sure pays attention to details... very nice.