Always love looking at Bonanza ukes. This one has been my favourite so far!!
https://www.gotaukulele.com/2020/03/bonanza-homestead-baritone-ukulele.html
https://www.gotaukulele.com/2020/03/bonanza-homestead-baritone-ukulele.html
I have a #493 tenor Homestead in cherry. An attractive woody sweet voice, albeit on the soft side. The action was slightly below 2.5mm at the 12 fret—too low for me and a low wound G—so I cut a bone saddle set to 2.75mm. Perfect, no buzzes even at forte and the volume bumped up a notch as well. The tone exhibits slightly more chime in the treble range so bone transmits the tone better than the plastic (Corian) saddle. Plus Corian is not attractive and a mismatch for the natural vibe of the Homestead design. When I have more time I'll replace the plastic nut as well (grooves are super deep and seem to choke the strings). All in all a super good deal for the sound had.
To make a trivial correction to a point you made in the review, my concert homestead is #496, so they started producing this line before #500. I’m certain mine wasn’t the first.
I have a #493 tenor Homestead in cherry. An attractive woody sweet voice, albeit on the soft side. The action was slightly below 2.5mm at the 12 fret—too low for me and a low wound G—so I cut a bone saddle set to 2.75mm. Perfect, no buzzes even at forte and the volume bumped up a notch as well. The tone exhibits slightly more chime in the treble range so bone transmits the tone better than the plastic (Corian) saddle. Plus Corian is not attractive and a mismatch for the natural vibe of the Homestead design. When I have more time I'll replace the plastic nut as well (grooves are super deep and seem to choke the strings). All in all a super good deal for the sound had.
Hmmm Corian saddle AND Corian nut on this one. No plastic. I quite like the look of the speckled Corian - been on every Bonanza i've so far seen.
I do like my Homestead and, of course, it's okay to prefer speckled Corian but I like my nut and saddle plain vanilla!
I do like my Homestead and, of course, it's okay to prefer speckled Corian but I like my nut and saddle plain vanilla!
I concur. Bonus points to Pete for using excess material that would normally go to waste, though.
On the subject of waste, banging the environmental drum here, how much wood is wasted in the production process of these ukuleles as opposed to conventional top+sides+bottom manufacturing?
I might be totally wrong - I don't make my own- but surely a lot of wood is wasted by routing out 2 pieces of solid wood rather than slicing thin layers off?