Well I finally purchased my next tenor, I had been going in circles looking at many different brands out there and stumbled across something on elderly that really struck my eye. http://www.elderly.com/instruments/...o-tenor-ukulele-with-a-free-case-included.htm
Honestly it coming with a good case was a major selling point for me, when the price of the uke was barely more than other solid wood ukes from the same line and mainland. The case is much sturdier than I expected, nice high quality latches, very soft interior and the uke fits very snugly with no movement at all.
Seemed like a great deal and honestly I couldn't be happier with the purchase.
Aesthetics It is a very beautiful instrument, I find the mango very pretty and with the glossy finish it seems to dance in the light. The bindind and purfling are not over the top and add a nice touch. Some of the ones where it extends all the way to the fretboard and headstock can seem a little overdone in my tastes.
Build Quality Insides look pretty good, the smell is much more pleasant in the sound hole than my Koloa, and I could not find any issues with the finish or frets etc. After playing with cheap friction tuners I am very happy to have one with nice grover geared tuners on it.
Sound When I first started playing it, I felt it sounded very similar to my mahogany tenor. After playing with it for a week or so it definitely feels a good bit brighter to me, while still having that very mellow sound. Whether that has to do with the instrument itself or my imagination, I couldn't say. That said I do really enjoy the sound of it. Good volume, notes seem much more clear than on the mahogany.
Intonation/Setup Action seemed pretty good to me, but where the instrument really impressed me was with the intonation. It is definitely the best of any uke I've been able to play. I put my snark on and went all the way up and down the neck from open to 12th fret and its on the money with no variance even at the 12th. That definitely seems uncommon, even in more expensive instruments I have played, so I think I may have gotten very lucky in that regard
Final Thoughts I am very pleased with my purchase and the great value it was with a nice instrument and nice case. It is my first all solid uke though, so I can't say how I would compare the sound to some of the really high-end ukes, nor would I realistically expect it to beat a quality hand-made instrument at that price point. I did get a chance to play it next to a Kamoa 500C though, and I definitely prefer the cheaper Ohana.
Honestly it coming with a good case was a major selling point for me, when the price of the uke was barely more than other solid wood ukes from the same line and mainland. The case is much sturdier than I expected, nice high quality latches, very soft interior and the uke fits very snugly with no movement at all.
Seemed like a great deal and honestly I couldn't be happier with the purchase.
Aesthetics It is a very beautiful instrument, I find the mango very pretty and with the glossy finish it seems to dance in the light. The bindind and purfling are not over the top and add a nice touch. Some of the ones where it extends all the way to the fretboard and headstock can seem a little overdone in my tastes.
Build Quality Insides look pretty good, the smell is much more pleasant in the sound hole than my Koloa, and I could not find any issues with the finish or frets etc. After playing with cheap friction tuners I am very happy to have one with nice grover geared tuners on it.
Sound When I first started playing it, I felt it sounded very similar to my mahogany tenor. After playing with it for a week or so it definitely feels a good bit brighter to me, while still having that very mellow sound. Whether that has to do with the instrument itself or my imagination, I couldn't say. That said I do really enjoy the sound of it. Good volume, notes seem much more clear than on the mahogany.
Intonation/Setup Action seemed pretty good to me, but where the instrument really impressed me was with the intonation. It is definitely the best of any uke I've been able to play. I put my snark on and went all the way up and down the neck from open to 12th fret and its on the money with no variance even at the 12th. That definitely seems uncommon, even in more expensive instruments I have played, so I think I may have gotten very lucky in that regard
Final Thoughts I am very pleased with my purchase and the great value it was with a nice instrument and nice case. It is my first all solid uke though, so I can't say how I would compare the sound to some of the really high-end ukes, nor would I realistically expect it to beat a quality hand-made instrument at that price point. I did get a chance to play it next to a Kamoa 500C though, and I definitely prefer the cheaper Ohana.
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