kaizersoza
Well-known member
Hi Guys the Clearwater ABS Concert Uke arrived today,
My first impressions about this uke are:-
Build Quality
The build quality of this plastic go anywhere uke is very good, I bought the black one coz that is my favourite colour, there is also orange, which in hindsight I should have bought because it would have looked, well........ orange lol, black does tend to show up marks quite easily, but I cannot fault the build quality for such a cheap ukulele, the uke is heavier than I thought it would be as well, the head stock is surprisingly small, but it is neat and not overloaded, it is all ABS plastic, except for the tuners they are open geared tuners, because the uke is black and quite shiny it is showing small scratches on the back already hence my decision that I should have bought the orange colour, not that it makes any difference in the long run coz this uke is going to get a hammering in my backpack/car and at work, the nut is plastic and looks to be separate but not sure, the bridge is also plastic and so is the saddle, the fret markers are at 5, 7, 10 and 12 and are inlaid, there are 18 frets and 14 to the body, so far so good
Intonation
The intonation on this ukulele is surprisingly very good, it comes fitted with Aquila strings as standard, I will probably use these on this uke till they wear out and then experiment with other strings, but for the time being they will be fine, the action is a bit high for my liking but it stays in tune quite well going slightly sharp and I mean only very slightly as you go up the fretboard, but again much better than some far more expensive ukes I own, this may settle down when the strings are stretched out properly, still good
Sound
Now for the sound, I must admit I am well pleased with the sound of this uke for the price it is far louder than say a dolphin, I know its a concert and should be but price wise they are about the same, it projects very well for a plastic sound board and also finger picking it has a nice clear tone, there is a bit of a percussive thump when strumming chords heavily but it doesn't feel out of place and actually adds to the overall sound of the uke, but when I back off a little the strings ring very nicely, the sound resonates well for a plastic and projects far more than I was expecting, so still good
Tuners
The tuners are quite cheap they are not very smooth when tuning the uke, but again they do their job very well, they are easy to tune and they hold a tune, they look very similar to the tuners that also adorn the Makala Dolphin, they are precise though with no slippage, being geared tuners they shouldn't slip anyways, so an adequate set of tuners, so I am still smiling
Finally
I bought this uke from Really Useful Music Company in the UK, it cost £24.99 with free P+P and to be honest I think I had a bargain when you weigh it up to the cost of The Outdoor Ukulele that everyone was raving about a few months ago on UU, plus points compared to The Outdoor Uke for me are its a Concert size for those fat fingered players (like me), its cheaper by a country mile, it has better tuners and it comes with Aquilas as standard, the only minus point up to now is that The Outdoor Uke is a soprano and will fit in backpacks/suitcases etc better, I cannot compare sound quality other than what I have heard on You Tube so it would be unfair to comment on that.
Plus points for the uke in general
because of its competitive price you would not be afraid to play it in the bath, up a mountain, hell even underwater, if it gets damaged it cost the same as a Mahalo to replace, I have owned some really cheap ukes in my time, they have been great fun, but they have lacked good quality sound, intonation and build quality, this is by far THE best cheap uke I have ever invested in to date and I won't be afraid to take it anywhere with me, I am very, very happy with this ukuele and would recommend it to anyone,
but a word of warning this plastic not wood so don't expect it to resonate like a solid wood uke, it doesn't.............
If you are looking for a cheapie beater, check one of these out you will be pleasantly surprised guys, 'SO ENDETH MY FIRST IMPRESSIONS REVIEW'
Thanx for reading guys
kaizer
My first impressions about this uke are:-
Build Quality
The build quality of this plastic go anywhere uke is very good, I bought the black one coz that is my favourite colour, there is also orange, which in hindsight I should have bought because it would have looked, well........ orange lol, black does tend to show up marks quite easily, but I cannot fault the build quality for such a cheap ukulele, the uke is heavier than I thought it would be as well, the head stock is surprisingly small, but it is neat and not overloaded, it is all ABS plastic, except for the tuners they are open geared tuners, because the uke is black and quite shiny it is showing small scratches on the back already hence my decision that I should have bought the orange colour, not that it makes any difference in the long run coz this uke is going to get a hammering in my backpack/car and at work, the nut is plastic and looks to be separate but not sure, the bridge is also plastic and so is the saddle, the fret markers are at 5, 7, 10 and 12 and are inlaid, there are 18 frets and 14 to the body, so far so good
Intonation
The intonation on this ukulele is surprisingly very good, it comes fitted with Aquila strings as standard, I will probably use these on this uke till they wear out and then experiment with other strings, but for the time being they will be fine, the action is a bit high for my liking but it stays in tune quite well going slightly sharp and I mean only very slightly as you go up the fretboard, but again much better than some far more expensive ukes I own, this may settle down when the strings are stretched out properly, still good
Sound
Now for the sound, I must admit I am well pleased with the sound of this uke for the price it is far louder than say a dolphin, I know its a concert and should be but price wise they are about the same, it projects very well for a plastic sound board and also finger picking it has a nice clear tone, there is a bit of a percussive thump when strumming chords heavily but it doesn't feel out of place and actually adds to the overall sound of the uke, but when I back off a little the strings ring very nicely, the sound resonates well for a plastic and projects far more than I was expecting, so still good
Tuners
The tuners are quite cheap they are not very smooth when tuning the uke, but again they do their job very well, they are easy to tune and they hold a tune, they look very similar to the tuners that also adorn the Makala Dolphin, they are precise though with no slippage, being geared tuners they shouldn't slip anyways, so an adequate set of tuners, so I am still smiling
Finally
I bought this uke from Really Useful Music Company in the UK, it cost £24.99 with free P+P and to be honest I think I had a bargain when you weigh it up to the cost of The Outdoor Ukulele that everyone was raving about a few months ago on UU, plus points compared to The Outdoor Uke for me are its a Concert size for those fat fingered players (like me), its cheaper by a country mile, it has better tuners and it comes with Aquilas as standard, the only minus point up to now is that The Outdoor Uke is a soprano and will fit in backpacks/suitcases etc better, I cannot compare sound quality other than what I have heard on You Tube so it would be unfair to comment on that.
Plus points for the uke in general
because of its competitive price you would not be afraid to play it in the bath, up a mountain, hell even underwater, if it gets damaged it cost the same as a Mahalo to replace, I have owned some really cheap ukes in my time, they have been great fun, but they have lacked good quality sound, intonation and build quality, this is by far THE best cheap uke I have ever invested in to date and I won't be afraid to take it anywhere with me, I am very, very happy with this ukuele and would recommend it to anyone,
but a word of warning this plastic not wood so don't expect it to resonate like a solid wood uke, it doesn't.............
If you are looking for a cheapie beater, check one of these out you will be pleasantly surprised guys, 'SO ENDETH MY FIRST IMPRESSIONS REVIEW'
Thanx for reading guys
kaizer
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