Concerned about Pono neck thickness
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Jerryc41
Well-known member
As I switch from one uke to another, there are differences, but I soon compensate. If actually forming chords is difficult because of the design of the neck, that's a legitimate concern. Let me do a little measuring, and I'll get back to you.
The Pono looks and feels thicker - because it is. Making a rough measurement with a ruler, it looks like it's 20mm at the second fret. Compare that with Kamaka 17mm, Kanil'ea 18mm, Martin 18mm, KoAloha 18mm. Again, these are rough measurements. Many Pono ukes have a radiused - curved - fretboard, and some people find that easier to use.
The Pono looks and feels thicker - because it is. Making a rough measurement with a ruler, it looks like it's 20mm at the second fret. Compare that with Kamaka 17mm, Kanil'ea 18mm, Martin 18mm, KoAloha 18mm. Again, these are rough measurements. Many Pono ukes have a radiused - curved - fretboard, and some people find that easier to use.
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Yes, my Pono's neck is thicker than the necks of my other ukes. So What? It doesn't seem to make a difference in playability. It's a great sounding instrument. The adaptation to the thicker neck will come quickly. By becoming more versatile you will become a better musician.
All that said, play what sounds/feels best to YOU.
All that said, play what sounds/feels best to YOU.
Jerryc41
Well-known member
Also, there's a good book available: "Aerobics for the Ukulele" It's actually for the ukulele player, more than the uke itself. : )
Here are over a million links to hand exercises for the uke.
https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1...1.64.psy-ab..0.4.319...0i7i30k1.0.JpiKloLuNVg
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From the responses so far you can see this is a very subjective perception. I had one of the pro concert model. Very well made, great tone but not comfortable for me to play. I strongly recommend you give yourself the opportunity to play one for a good hour if you can. By then you will make up your own mind.
Ukecaster
Well-known member
The Pono tenor necks I've seen have all been thicker than most other tenors. Either you like, or don't, very subjective.
It was never an issue for me, and I easily switch to thinner necks, YMMV.
It was never an issue for me, and I easily switch to thinner necks, YMMV.
Bill Sheehan
Well-known member
I once had a very nice Pono mango soprano, and found the "girth" of the neck to be noticeably thicker than other ukes I had owned. I would (kiddingly) say that it reminded me of holding onto the barrel of one of those little wooden souvenir baseball bats you could buy at the ballpark. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it wasn't my personal preference. The neck on my Martin S-1 is much less beefy by comparison, and sometimes I wonder if the Martin is actually a little TOO thin for my taste. I'd have to say that my most "comfortable-to-play" uke is my Kala soprano travel model ("KA-SSTU"), which is somewhere in between (on the "thickness" scale), and which just feels "right" when I pick it up and let the neck rest in my fretting hand. I guess we all eventually decide what suits us best!
Uke Don
Well-known member
Yes my ponos are thicker. I don’t mind. But if it bothered me I would get out the files, scraper and sand paper. It’s quite easy to thin down a neck
I'll add that I really like the thickness of the neck on my Pono mango soprano. I find that I tend to like deeper profile necks over thinner profiles. The Pono I have read is similar to that of Bruko and Opio - though I have not actually played them to know first hand (some pun intended )
)For myself, I dislike thick necks immensely. So much so, I've had necks shaved down, guitars mostly, to fit my preference; thin, low action and fast.
Swamp Yankee
Well-known member
As others have indicated, neck carve preference is very subjective.
I have a Pono ATD and I don't much like the neck at all.... very thick in profile but too narrow in the nut for my taste. The way I play, I find that the 1st and 4th strings slip off the side of the fretboard every once in a while ....drives me batty - and I don't see any reason to learn how to play it as there are any number of ukes out there that have necks better suited to my playing. I mean, Ponos are nice and all...but if this is what they're like, I don't see them as being so special that I feel the need to learn to adjust my style so I can play them.
I definitely prefer wider nut widths coupled with slimmer profile necks. I also dislike the adjustable truss rod...it seems like overkill to me, and definitely adds to the weight. It's nearly a pound heavier than my lightest tenor and is uncomfortable to play without a strap, not only because of the weight, but because it's neck heavy too.
It does sound very nice but I'll likely sell it off.
I have a Pono ATD and I don't much like the neck at all.... very thick in profile but too narrow in the nut for my taste. The way I play, I find that the 1st and 4th strings slip off the side of the fretboard every once in a while ....drives me batty - and I don't see any reason to learn how to play it as there are any number of ukes out there that have necks better suited to my playing. I mean, Ponos are nice and all...but if this is what they're like, I don't see them as being so special that I feel the need to learn to adjust my style so I can play them.
I definitely prefer wider nut widths coupled with slimmer profile necks. I also dislike the adjustable truss rod...it seems like overkill to me, and definitely adds to the weight. It's nearly a pound heavier than my lightest tenor and is uncomfortable to play without a strap, not only because of the weight, but because it's neck heavy too.
It does sound very nice but I'll likely sell it off.
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It's great that Jerry provided some numbers to a discussion that has become a bit of self-fulfilling prophecy. I have measured out the necks of all of my ukes as well (with a different method, measuring circumference at the first fret, which is more important to me than thickness alone) and came to find that Pono's neck profile is very similar to my KoAloha Opio tenor (which always gets mentioned to have a thin neck). It is also similar to my ukes from top luthiers like LFdM, Beau Hannam, Jay Lichty and Jerry Hofmann who know what they are doing. Some even say that a bit of weight at the neck may help with sustain. Maybe it's a guitar player's thing, but a perfectly rounded neck profile such as Pono's is much more comfortable to me to play than a flat one.
Does anyone here have a Pono and a Kala Elite? If so can you describe the neck differences to me? Thank you!
SoloRule
Well-known member
If you like the feel of Kanile’a then Pono May be too thick for you
SoloRule
Well-known member
Pono is more curvy
Kala Elite is a bit flatter but my Kala Elite is 1 1/2” nut width.
Both are comfortable to me because thin neck like Kanile’a hurt my wrist !
Hope this help !
So far, I like the Pono tenor's neck. The thickness is fine for me. I played a Pono Mango and a Acacia for several months before getting a Kanile'a. The thin neck of the Kanile'a took me a short while to get used to. My KoAloha tenor's neck is somewhere in between. I have small hands for my size (6'1"). I can't palm a basketball or throw a good spiral with a football. My fingers are too short.
I also like the truss rod. My mango started buzzing last winter, even though I kept it humidified. I gave the truss a half turn. (Two quarters to be more precise.) And the buzzing stopped.
I am seriously considering the Pono 8-string instead of some others because of the higher combined tensions. (But that a different issue entirely.)
If you play with your thumb behind the neck, I don't think it will make a lot of difference.
I also like the truss rod. My mango started buzzing last winter, even though I kept it humidified. I gave the truss a half turn. (Two quarters to be more precise.) And the buzzing stopped.
I am seriously considering the Pono 8-string instead of some others because of the higher combined tensions. (But that a different issue entirely.)
If you play with your thumb behind the neck, I don't think it will make a lot of difference.
igorthebarbarian
Well-known member
I’ve never played a Pono. Is it basically like a Fluke neck? (I have grown to love the Fluke neck so maybe I would like a Pono?)
I haven't played a Fluke instrument before, but aren't these neck profiles more of a D shape with a bit of flat directly on the back profile (from what I though I have read)? My Pono soprano feels like a perfectly rounded C shape - just a thick C.
Yes, from what I've seen, the fluke neck is chunky as well, but more of a square, i.e. flat on the back of the neck, whereas the Pono neck profile is perfectly rounded.
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