Not really new since I got it from HMS just before Christmas, but this is the first chance I've had to snap a few photos and write about it.
I was looking for a new Tenor that I could keep in High "G" tuning, since my Kala is currently set up with Low "G". HMS was running some Black Friday sales right after Thanksgiving and this one popped up with a nice discount. I used to have a guitar with a cedar top and I really liked the sound of it, so I decided that my next instrument would have a cedar soundboard.
I was not disappointed. This is a really good-sounding instrument, it's lovely, the construction and attention to detail is impeccable, and the setup is perfect (as expected from HMS). My only complaint was the strings...it shipped with a wound (not flat-wound) "C" string and I really hated the sound. The "C" was boomy, loud, and clashed terribly with the other strings. Plus it squeaked and squealed every time I moved my finger on it. I gave it a couple of days to see if my opinion changed, but I finally gave up, ripped off the factory strings, and replaced them with an "Aaron C Signature Set" (plain) that I had ordered from HMS at the same time. It's much better now, but I'm still not sure if this is the perfect set for this instrument. The set uses strings from different manufacturers, and although they sound fine, the different feels and diameters are a little weird. I'll stick with this for a while, but I expect my next set will be Worth Browns, that I've had excellent luck with on my other Tenor.
Anyway, I'm really happy with this ukulele and here's some photos!
I was looking for a new Tenor that I could keep in High "G" tuning, since my Kala is currently set up with Low "G". HMS was running some Black Friday sales right after Thanksgiving and this one popped up with a nice discount. I used to have a guitar with a cedar top and I really liked the sound of it, so I decided that my next instrument would have a cedar soundboard.
I was not disappointed. This is a really good-sounding instrument, it's lovely, the construction and attention to detail is impeccable, and the setup is perfect (as expected from HMS). My only complaint was the strings...it shipped with a wound (not flat-wound) "C" string and I really hated the sound. The "C" was boomy, loud, and clashed terribly with the other strings. Plus it squeaked and squealed every time I moved my finger on it. I gave it a couple of days to see if my opinion changed, but I finally gave up, ripped off the factory strings, and replaced them with an "Aaron C Signature Set" (plain) that I had ordered from HMS at the same time. It's much better now, but I'm still not sure if this is the perfect set for this instrument. The set uses strings from different manufacturers, and although they sound fine, the different feels and diameters are a little weird. I'll stick with this for a while, but I expect my next set will be Worth Browns, that I've had excellent luck with on my other Tenor.
Anyway, I'm really happy with this ukulele and here's some photos!