Recent content by PTOEguy

I totally agree with everything you said - the Blackbird Clara is amazing - huge dynamic range and does everything - fingerpicking, strumming, etc. I had your same experience with Pono, and the main place we differ is my cheap uke is a Flight travel uke that I got for $40 on Amazon- it came...

I’ve owned a Pono and currently own a Godin multiuke. Yes to both being built solid. The godin does feel amazing in the hand and has a surprising amount of acoustic volume and it sounds great pugged in. As others have noted - the heavier a solid wood uke is built, the less volume/tone it...

Sounds like you have built a nylon stringed tenor guitar in "Irish" tuning. I'd post this same question on both Banjo hangout (in the 4-string Irish Traditional section) and Mandolin Cafe (in the tenor guitar section). There are far more knowledge folks out there than me regarding strings...

I had an MT and MB and I had a similar experience - the MT always sounded thin and tight, and the MB was a great uke.

This is a tenor banjo (19 frets). They were very popular in the 1920s for playing jazz and for traditional jazz playing are tuned CGDA (same tuning as a viola). With the 5ths tuning they were an easy instrument for violinists and violists to transition from string orchestras to jazz bands...

I don't know if the Blackbird ukes count as "plastic". The current crop (Clara and Farallon) are made out of bio-resin and linen, so not petrochemicals (I think?), and they made a few carbon fiber ukes before that. But regarding sound, I absolutely adore my Blackbird Clara - I've heard some...

I've got to say that "avoid the midrange" is good advice to me wherever the midrange is set. I'm in the process of thinning down my collection and the two ukes that I'm certain I'm keeping are the Flight travel uke (spent $40) and the Blackbird Clara (not a cheap uke). If I'm seriously...

Could you ask the school what company others in similar situations have used? And good for you starting a uke club - I did that for my kids school a few years back and it was a lot of fun and has continued on despite the fact that I'm no longer leading it.

I have an Oahu case form my baritone uke - it is really nice. However, I did try to use it with my uke bass which is baritone uke sized. One of the great things about the Oahu is that it is very economical in the space it encloses, so while the uke bass was the same length and body dimension...

Most of my ukes are good for travel - I've got a Flight travel uke, a Flea and a Blackbird Clara. The Flight just happens to be as well set up as any uke I've ever owned - and that is just down to chance - I've played other Flight ukes that weren't nearly as good. So the Flight often goes...

I'm looking at nylagut/flourocarbon strung banjo ukes. Although I've been thinking about taking my plectrum banjo, using chicago tuning (same as baritone uke tuning - DGBE) and putting a capo on the 5th fret. Should sound pretty good, but there is a certain lack of portability when you start...

I've been a pretty big fan of Oasis warms - although I didn't know about them when I had a Pono Tenor - maybe that would have helped me like that uke better. I know that Oasis warms make a huge difference on my Blackbird Clara, but sometimes you need the right strings for the right uke.

technically my first instrument was piano (it didn't take), but I started trumpet in 4th grade and was shortly switched to baritone horn because I lacked the lip to play high. I played that through college (although when I got serious about it I had a very good high range). But as you noted...

Ditto on the Deering Banjolele - just didn't connect with it although it is objectively a very pleasant sounding and playing instrument. I think for me the idea is to keep no more than one uke for each musical "niche" that I play on any regular basis. So for instance when I had a resonator...

Selling the least played ones is where I'm heading - advertising all would run the risk of losing specific functionality. Starting with least played would put the Godin, the Flea and the Pono on the bubble. With respect to functionality, the flea is the one where its functional use as a...