I'd be interested in your experience or preferences, and sound samples if you have them. I think I know where I'm heading but incase I've missed anything, and I'm sure I have...
Unfortunately I'm in the UK so non-CITES options for me (no rosewoods) or cocobolo (kinda rosewood) etc but still would be great to hear your personal preferences.
I'd be interested in your experience or preferences, and sound samples if you have them. I think I know where I'm heading but incase I've missed anything, and I'm sure I have...
Unfortunately I'm in the UK so non-CITES options for me (no rosewoods) or cocobolo (kinda rosewood) etc but still would be great to hear you personal preferences.
It depends on the look and sound you want, there are plenty of pictures and sound samples here on UU. Of course, the sound depends mostly on the builder. Personally, I’ve played ukes that had redwood paired successfully with mahogany, ziricote, koa, walnut, and paduak. All sounded very good.
I own an I'iwi tenor ukulele redwood and walnut, I listened to all the different I'iwi wood combos and I liked this the best. I have had it almost two years and still love it, so does everyone that has played it.
I recently had a custom super concert built by Hank Johnson of Kimo Ukuleles, redwood and walnut. Different builder, different size and it sounds amazing. He was at little unsure because he had not used the combo before but was very impressed. Again so are all my friends, one wants to steal it, lol. I might have a baritone built with the same combo
But as Hodge said above there are a number of woods that work well
im probably going to get flac for this comment, but although the top makes a huge difference, I don't think the sides and back wood really make alot of difference.
That isn't to say the back and sides don't do anything, but I think what your builder does to the wood of the back and sides is a billion times more important than the wood type used for it. If you trust your builder, I'd pick the back and sides by cosmetics.
East Indian Rosewood sounds good too. I have a custom parlor guitar with Sinker Redwood and a Griffin tenor with EIR and RW top that sounds outstanding. The redwood/walnut is a great choice too.
im probably going to get flac for this comment, but although the top makes a huge difference, I don't think the sides and back wood really make alot of difference.
That isn't to say the back and sides don't do anything, but I think what your builder does to the wood of the back and sides is a billion times more important than the wood type used for it. If you trust your builder, I'd pick the back and sides by cosmetics.
I tend to agree. I ordered a custom with London plane, laburnum, English walnut, and English cherry--not because I measured the density of the woods, but because I wanted something as cool as me (i.e., not just another koa yawn-fest). So what I'm saying is that the wood is more for the player than the instrument. So get something that means something to you. In my case I wanted a warm sounding uke made with idiosyncratic woods. If in your philosophy redwood and walnut balance each other...then go for it.
Alas, you’ve already stated that you’re not going the Redwood/Walnut route, but I had Fred Shields build me one with that combo. I’ll be meeting up with it in a week and a half, I’m getting excited
I'd be interested in your experience or preferences, and sound samples if you have them. I think I know where I'm heading but incase I've missed anything, and I'm sure I have...
Unfortunately I'm in the UK so non-CITES options for me (no rosewoods) or cocobolo (kinda rosewood) etc but still would be great to hear your personal preferences.
I'm not sure how it compares to cedar in tone, but my Gary Gill tenor is Douglas Fir & Mahogany. It has Worth Brown strings on it & it's got an awesome mellow sound. My Loprinzi concert is cedar & rosewood. It's somewhere in the middle tone wise between my bright koa KoAloha concert & my mellow Gary Gill tenor.
I will agree that walnut is a nice b/s material, I have a cedar/walnut ukulele. In the guitar world, macassar is used with redwood with good results. It is also a gorgeous wood that goes well with redwood.
Good thing it is not pronounced Wedgee. Dont know if this translates across the ocean. As young boys we would sneak up behind a friend grab the underwear band and pull up real hard. Wedging the underwear up the crack of your friends butt. Yea young boys are savages.
Sorry to get off topic......Jake of Hive Ukuleles likes and has used Wenge with good results. HMS had one of his and the sound sample was great
