The Rebel Double Creme?

[magicspeller]

Hi,

After reading a couple of rave reviews here, I have been just about ready to buy a The Rebel Double Creme Concert Satin (or possibly the KoAloha Opio Concert (KCO-10)) uke.

However, when I searched for the Rebel Double Creme, I found a plethora of members selling theirs. Of course, in each case the seller said how much they loved their uke and how much they hated to sell it. And of course, this is exactly what one would expect someone to say if they were trying to sell something.

So what's the story? Are these ukes really as good as the reviews claim, or are they turning out to not be what the original buyer expected? Or is this rate of resales normal here for other brands and models as well?

Should I buy the Opio (or an Islander or Pono) instead?

How do you all feel about this?

 

[rainbow21]

I believe you will do well with either one. A likely reason that you see them for sales used is that many experienced a good ukulele like these and are now buying a more expensive one.

 

[Kenn2018]

I can't speak to the concert versions of either Rebel or Opio.

I have a Rebel Mango Tenor Double Creme / Matte 1-Series 2020 and I had an Opio Spruce/Acacia tenor.
I thought the build quality of both were pretty comparable. But I think the Rebel has a slight edge in having a little more lively sound. The Rebel mango actually seems to have a better projection than the spruce-topped Opio. Mostly because the spruce seemed to be a bit thick. The Rebel looks, feels and sounds like a more expensive tenor. Much classier than the Opio. Sort of like "very nice" vs. "good."

But those are just my impressions. The concerts may be quite different in comparison.

 

[badhabits]

I'm keeping mine.

Pono has that chunky neck and Islander has wider string spacing...neither worked for me. Imo
the Rebel is more like my Koaloha RP than an Opio (I've read that from others on these boards too). Keep in mind one has UPTs and one has friction tuners. But the choice is yours.

 

[mikelz777]

I've owned the Rebel Double Creme the KoAloha Opio (both concerts) and a Pono (tenor). The Pono sounded nice but I never bonded with it so I sold it. It was an expensive lesson that taught me that I didn't really want a tenor but even if it were a concert I wouldn't have liked it because of the baseball bat thick chunky neck. I loved both the Opio and the Rebel. They are supposedly made by the same people/same shop(?) and it showed. They were both light, had excellent construction and sounded excellent. I once played them side by side for over an hour to compare them. The sound was a coin toss. One might sound better on one song but then the other would sound better on the next song. When I decided to pare down my uke collection the Opio and Rebel sounded so similar that I couldn't justify keeping both. I kept the Opio because I liked the look slightly better and because I had installed Gotoh UPT tuners on my own which was a bit scary to take on because it required boring out the holes in the headstock but it was successful so there was that additional pride element attached to that uke. My decision to sell the Rebel had nothing to do with it lacking in any way. It's an excellent uke and I'd easily recommend either the Rebel or the Opio.

 

[InTuneWithUke]

I have a soprano Rebel Creme Brulee, so the slimline version, and I don't foresee ever selling it. Only gripe is the 1980s graphics on the stock padded gig bag, but the instrument itself is an absolute treat.

 

[badhabits]

I dislike the bag as well. I could live with the graphics and lack of storage/pocket, but the sharp corners that the zipper needs to round hinder (quick) opening and closing. Luckily I found a well-fitting hard case.

 

[mikelz777]

I would agree that The Rebel very much deserves a better looking case. To me the case looked like something that would contain some kind of outdoor game you'd bring to the beach or a picnic.

 

[magicspeller]

Thanks, everyone. This is very helpful. BTW, badhabits, you're the one who got me into this in the first place! Somehow I managed to see your Baan post along with the Rebel review, and I was hooked.

I have seen other complaints about the bag, but I guess I wouldn't have another option. What is the case you found, badhabits?

And yes, I noticed the friction tuners on the Opio just this morning, and that uke lost major points. mikelz777, there's no way I'm going to install new tuners, and I'm impressed that you were able to do so!

rainbow2, kenn2018, and InTuneWithUke, I very much appreciate your positive comments as well.

I had been leaning toward the Rebel to start with, but the one remaining concern I have is with the finish. The Rebel description says it has a silk finish, but the Opio description says it has a semi-gloss finish. Those of you have both, is there a difference? I think the one thing that makes me hesitant is that I bought a Flight DUC430 on a good sale, and when it arrived I was very disappointed. One reason was that it doesn't have the green cast and black streaks advertised on the website, and is much plainer -- but the other reason was that it looks like it has no finish at all.

I'm attaching a photo of mine. ( I hope this is the right size for you to get a good look.) The color is off (it's brown, not this bluish gray), but hopefully you can see the finish (or lack of it). Can you give me your thoughts on the finish of both the Rebel and the Opio?

Again, thank you very much, everyone, for your previous comments and any future help you may give me

 

[badhabits]

Happy to oblige!

Rebel is head and shoulders above Flight imo. I don't think I'll ever get one (Flight), but there are other issues at play. To me the satin Rebel finish is not quite an open pore satin, kinda comparable to the old Kala SMHC but more pore filled. Its' not a smooth matte finish like some Ohana, there is still some shine to it, just not a high gloss. When I tried an Opio, the finish felt yucky to me, not sticky or oily but something reminiscent of that.

I found a generic non-branded hard case on ebay, boring black, but a snug fit. No, not the snake/gator skin/glarry one with red stitching. Most cases measure too wide across the lower bout, this one is very close to the exact shape and dimensions of the new Koaloha hard case so it fits snugly around the lower bout, just a tiny bit of wiggle room around the upper hip of the upper bout.

 

[magicspeller]

Happy to oblige!

Rebel is head and shoulders above Flight imo. I don't think I'll ever get one (Flight), but there are other issues at play. To me the satin Rebel finish is not quite an open pore satin, kinda comparable to the old Kala SMHC but more pore filled. Its' not a smooth matte finish like some Ohana, there is still some shine to it, just not a high gloss. When I tried an Opio, the finish felt yucky to me, not sticky or oily but something reminiscent of that.

I found a generic non-branded hard case on ebay, boring black, but a snug fit. No, not the snake/gator skin/glarry one with red stitching. Most cases measure too wide across the lower bout, this one is very close to the exact shape and dimensions of the new Koaloha hard case so it fits snugly around the lower bout, just a tiny bit of wiggle room around the upper hip of the upper bout.

Yeah, I bought the flight because I was curious and it was $45. Open pore? Kala SMHC? Ohana smooth matte? Sorry, you're way past my level of knowledge. I'm still trying to figure out what a matte finish is. The mention of a shine helps; there is definitely no shine to the Flight.

Interesting comment about Opio. Thanks.

 

[Cadia]

I only have Rebel tenors, not concerts. But they are lovely, well made instruments. Very light in build, like Hawaiians. I prefer the gloss finish, as I think it brings out the beauty of the wood more. I've been wanting to add a mango tenor to my collection, besides my Tiny Tenor, and a Rebel or a KoAloha are my top considerations, because of their tone and the quality of the build. Each mango uke is an individual in looks, and everyone has different tastes, so finding the right one is part of the appeal, I think. I don't have an Opio, but I do have a KoAloha, and I find the Rebel very close in quality.

 

[Dohle]

I think it would be good manage your expectations a bit especially if you're a beginner and don't know much about ukes, finishes, etc. A satin (or matte) finish can sometimes seem like there's no finish at all especially if it's an open pore finish meaning that the pores in the wood aren't filled completely. This will leave the uke with a very textured feel where you can feel the woodgrain on your fingers. Some people like it, some people don't. I personally love it if it's done properly. Even the cheapest ukes will have some form of finish unless they're one of those horrible painted ones. I'm positive the Flight also has some form of finish. Maybe just a very thin one or crudely applied since it's one of their more inexpensive models.

Since the Opios and Rebels are made in the same factory by the same team I would assume the finishes between them would be very similar. A semi-gloss finish is - as the name suggests - somewhere between a satin and gloss finish. Kamaka use a similar finish on their standard models. Definitely not open pore but still feels smooth to the touch. To me it feels like a satin finish with some shine still to the looks. Judging by the looks and previous comments, the Rebel seems to be the same. Most probably pore filled so smooth to the touch. I would be surprised if you'd be disappointed by the finish on either ukes but it does come down to expectations as well. If you're at all concerned about the finish you could just get the same model with the gloss finish. The unfortunate thing of course is that it's more expensive.

 

[Cadia]

As another aside that may help, I recommended a Rebel to a young lady on a FB uke forum a while back, who was looking to move up to a better uke. Many others were pushing the Opio, using the cheaper price as a plus. She was fortunate enough to be able to go to Mims and try out all the ukes on her possibilities list, including Martin, to see what she actually liked the best. She came home with a Rebel Double Cream concert, quite happy with her choice.

The Gotoh tuners are great! One of my favorite tuners. The inlaid headstock on ebony is subtly beautiful. The ebony that is used for the fretboard is also my preference for fretboards. There are a few things here that justify the price difference between Rebel and Opio, imo. The finishes always seem impeccably done. I had emailed Rebel (Baan?) about the fact that the tenor case/bag is too close on the lower bout to zip up comfortably and not catch the edge of the uke without being careful. They knew of the issue, and said they were looking at other cases for the tenor, as the concert did not have this problem. I just got a Uke Crazy foam case for mine, problem solved.

 

[UkingViking]

I have never tried a Rebel, but it is one of the ukes out there, that I would be most curious to try. Just to see if it really is as good a deal ad it looks like.
Radiused fretboard and Gotoh planetary tuners with an ukulele so good looking, a good combination for a high mid / low high level priced ukulele. Not something you see every day. Many of the Hawaiian brands dont offer those features on their basic models.
If I didnt have as many nice ukuleles as I have, I would be tempted to buy one of these.
And I strongly prefer satin finish 🙂

Edit:
One con is that, based on internet demos, I am slightly more into the sound of the Opios. But I am not into friction tuners, I am very happy with radiused fretboards, and I like the look of these better...

Edit Edit:
Since I saw Badhabits post below, I realized that my research is a bit off, and that the fretboard is not radiused.
They still look awesome though.

 

[badhabits]

I have never tried a Rebel, but it is one of the ukes out there, that I would be most curious to try. Just to see if it really is as good a deal ad it looks like.
Radiused fretboard and Gotoh planetary tuners with an ukulele so good looking, a good combination for a high mid / low high level priced ukulele. Not something you see every day. Many of the Hawaiian brands dont offer those features on their basic models.
If I didnt have as many nice ukuleles as I have, I would be tempted to buy one of these.
And I strongly prefer satin finish 🙂

Edit:
One con is that, based on internet demos, I am slightly more into the sound of the Options. But I am not into friction tuners, I am very happy with radiused fretboards, and I like the look of these better...

Maybe present on the higher models, but the DC mentioned by OP does not have a radiused FB.

 

[Arik]

However, when I searched for the Rebel Double Creme, I found a plethora of members selling theirs. Of course, in each case the seller said how much they loved their uke and how much they hated to sell it. And of course, this is exactly what one would expect someone to say if they were trying to sell something.

So what's the story? Are these ukes really as good as the reviews claim, or are they turning out to not be what the original buyer expected? Or is this rate of resales normal here for other brands and models as well?

Should I buy the Opio (or an Islander or Pono) instead?

How do you all feel about this?

I think you would be good with the opio or the rebel. They both come out of the same factory so the build quality should be very similar. I would choose the Double Creme because I love mango wood for its sound. It projects very well with a warm round tone. Also, the rebel has some upgraded features like the Gotoh UPT turners, ebony faceplate, bridge, and fretboard. The ebony is normally for upgraded higher-end ukes.

I think you would be good with either uke. The reason that you might be seeing more opio's on the market is there is probably a lot more of them out there. Rebel started their business building opios maybe 10 years ago for Koaloha. They eventually decided to make their own brand called Rebel sometime later.

 

[magicspeller]

I only have Rebel tenors, not concerts. But they are lovely, well made instruments. Very light in build, like Hawaiians. I prefer the gloss finish, as I think it brings out the beauty of the wood more. I've been wanting to add a mango tenor to my collection, besides my Tiny Tenor, and a Rebel or a KoAloha are my top considerations, because of their tone and the quality of the build. Each mango uke is an individual in looks, and everyone has different tastes, so finding the right one is part of the appeal, I think. I don't have an Opio, but I do have a KoAloha, and I find the Rebel very close in quality.

Thanks, Cadia. Yesterday I watched the interview of Peng, the owner of Baan. Before the interview they had two people playing Creme ukes; one was playing a satin Double Creme and the other was playing a Creme Brulee, I believe, with a gloss finish. I do prefer the gloss finish, but until the sale ends at the end of the month, it's $90 more than the satin version, which is significant.

 

[magicspeller]

I think it would be good manage your expectations a bit especially if you're a beginner and don't know much about ukes, finishes, etc. A satin (or matte) finish can sometimes seem like there's no finish at all especially if it's an open pore finish meaning that the pores in the wood aren't filled completely. This will leave the uke with a very textured feel where you can feel the woodgrain on your fingers. Some people like it, some people don't. I personally love it if it's done properly. Even the cheapest ukes will have some form of finish unless they're one of those horrible painted ones. I'm positive the Flight also has some form of finish. Maybe just a very thin one or crudely applied since it's one of their more inexpensive models.

Since the Opios and Rebels are made in the same factory by the same team I would assume the finishes between them would be very similar. A semi-gloss finish is - as the name suggests - somewhere between a satin and gloss finish. Kamaka use a similar finish on their standard models. Definitely not open pore but still feels smooth to the touch. To me it feels like a satin finish with some shine still to the looks. Judging by the looks and previous comments, the Rebel seems to be the same. Most probably pore filled so smooth to the touch. I would be surprised if you'd be disappointed by the finish on either ukes but it does come down to expectations as well. If you're at all concerned about the finish you could just get the same model with the gloss finish. The unfortunate thing of course is that it's more expensive.

Thanks, Dohle. Yes, I'm working managing my expectations. I think I know quite a bit about ukes, but no, I don't know much about finishes. I'm trying to learn.

The Flight probably does have a good finish. I can feel the grain, but it's very smooth.

I would expect a semi-gloss finish to be halfway between, as well. I was somewhat confused because the other day I found a blog entry by a manufacturer about finishes, which claimed that matte, satin, and semi-gloss are all the same.

Unfortunately, the gloss uke, as you say, is more expensive -- $90 more expensive, in fact.

I think I'm going to check with the local dealers to see if any of them have matte finishes I can look at. I haven't noticed any previously, which is the reason I haven't thought about finishes until now.

 

[magicspeller]

I appreciate everyone's very helpful comments. I think Cadia, UkingViking, and Arik have finally sold me on choosing the Rebel....

My other problem, though, is that I'm vacillating between getting a concert or a tenor. I already have three concerts and two tenors; I play them all and they're all seem to be equally comfortable for me to play. Only one of my ukes, though, is a more expensive and higher-quality one. It has a pickup and I've installed a low G string. I had been thinking that maybe I'd get a concert so I'd have a nice concert and a nice tenor, but the Rebel would be the best by far. And I've been reading lots and lots of forum discussions where people ask whether they should get a concert and a tenor, and just about every responder recommends a tenor because of better sound and easier fingerpicking.

mikelz777, you said that after buying the Pono tenor you decided that you didn't want a tenor. badhabits, your Rebel is also a concert. Can the two of you (and anyone else who has chosen concerts) tell me why you prefer them?