Recent content by besley

Well I'm sure the solid top would project much better, but again at what cost to durability? As for the Flatlander, yes it does look huge, which is why I asked for a concert body with a tenor neck. The result is a much more reasonable size, but again fairly quiet. The full sized tenor body is...

I guess I don't quite understand the thinking behind getting an HPL back and sides, but a solid wood top. The top is what will crack if you let it dry out, so what is the point then of the HPL back and sides? Also the HPL material is quite brittle, and I was surprised at how easily the side of...

I would NOT take the Clara if you are not going to use a case. Yes the Ekoa body is tough, but remember the top is a foam sandwich that is probably not that difficult to dent (or worse). Take the Flea, or better yet, take David's advice above and get an $80 Enya Nova.

So how is the action at the 12th fret? My experience with Klos ukes is that they tend to underset the neck angle, meaning the only way to get low action is to sand down the bridge. Is the bridge on that model wood or composite?

Sounds like a good reason to try a strap, as most folks would not play a soprano having it resting on your knee. Maybe not forever, but at least long enough to experiment with different positions.

So which version did you order?

I got an email from them a couple of months ago highlighting that new uke. I like that it's the less expensive hybrid with a wood neck, which might not be indestructable, but with internal carbon rods it's at least not going to warp. Though I wish they offered it without electronics.

My original Klos has a dead flat neck, which I prefer. My second Klos (a full carbon) had WAY too much neck relief, which was part of the reason I returned it. I also complained to them about the tiny headstock, but they say most customers prefer it that way. (I'd like to see the data on...

I second the idea of trying a Fremont low G, but I rather doubt you are going to get it to fit without some tinkering with the slot width on the G string. But it's not hard to do, and doesn't require replacing the nut. And if you aren't up to it yourself it would only take a tech about two...

Do let us know what you think of the Klos, as there has been a fair amount of experience with them on this board. I have one of the first ones from the original Kickstarter campaign, what they now call the "hybrid" with a wood neck. It's a bit on the quiet side, but that might be because I...

About 2 - though there was a 60 year gap until I took it up seriously.

Definitely go for it. I would personally first cut out the shape I wanted out of black construction paper and tape it to the uke to see what I thought of the shape - for example an oval will probably look better than a circle. Then I would make an outer template out of thin bendable masonite...

Well the environment on the inside of a clarinet, covered with spit, is certainly much more demanding than a fretboard - so I imagine bore oil should work just fine. I doubt it will make a difference, as just about any product will do the job, as long as you use it regularly and not too often...

Well yes every Gibson electric has a radiused fretboard, but it really doesn't make a difference, since the saddle matches the radius of the fretboard and nut. What would make a difference to buzz is how flat the neck is (amount of neck relief), overall action height, how even the frets are...

I would doubt that this will help as much as a good setup will. I just compared the effort to fret a D chord on my Gibson CS-356 electric with 10 gauge strings with the effort to fret a G on my Klos carbon fiber tenor uke, and it felt to me as if the uke took less pressure. Get someone to set...