Greetings.
The following is an abbreviated version of a review I posted on my blog about a budget priced ukulele ensemble sold by Lohanu on Amazon. Lohanu boasts that they offer "one of the BEST SELLING Ukuleles on Amazon!" and that their products are "High Quality at Low Price!" On the latter claim I would strongly beg to differ.
If by chance you would like to read further about how it played and sounded (to my rookie ear at least) I will include the link to my original post. Here though I will just focus on the physical issues I found on the instrument and some of its accessories.
The number of photos I have exceed the amount I am allowed to include in this post so I combined them together in three groups. You can go to the original blog post to see them in a higher resolution.
Lohanu Ukulele Review
Considering its reasonable cost I did not expect something that would rival a much more expensive hand crafted name brand ukulele. but with all the positive reviews of their Sampiel Mahogany version I did expect something better then what I received. I will start with the good and work my way down from there.
NOTE: I am a rookie ukulele player at best, but I have 30+ years experience in wood working, and I have a meticulous eye for detail, fit & finish. Occasionally in this review I will use one of our 3 other ukulele’s in comparison; these are also all Chinese imports, and none cost more than $100 new, in fact the tenor and Dolphin cost less than $60.
I apologize for the length of this review; I point out some negative issues and thus I feel it only right to justify those claims with as much detail as I can. If I get too wordy, just zip through to the pictures
The numbers you see along the way correspond to the photo for that issue.
THE GOOD:
The Ukulele arrived with both the outer and inner box damaged, however the slightly padded gig bag/case (I’m guessing 5mm of padding) did its job and spared the instrument from any visible damage. PHOTO #01
The instrument is attractive looking with nice accents.
Overall construction looks solid.
The Aquila strings are of good quality, and the kit includes an extra set.
The chromatic tuner seems to work right, makes tuning much easier, and comes with a spare battery.
The strap is of decent quality and, with the pre-installed posts, makes it easier to practice when standing up or chasing a 5 year old.
NITPICKS:
The rosewood bridge has a rough rustic look which stands out in contrast to the effort they made to make the rest of the instrument look so polished & attractive. PHOTO #02
It is advised that for big guys with large hands, like me, a tenor sized uke may be more comfortable to play than a soprano. The overall size of this tenor is larger than a soprano, and there is indeed a bit more room in the frets for my fellow fat finger syndrome sufferers but, the width of the strings, from G to A, at the saddle/bridge is even less than both a soprano ukulele we have as well as my other tenor. I would have welcomed a little more space between the strings when plucking, The body is a bit smaller than my other tenor ukulele but still there is plenty of room for it. PHOTO #03
The Chromatic tuner works well but one of the pivot points to allow you to turn it towards you, after only a month, is already so worn that the head flops down when you stand the uke up on your lap to tune it. There is no adjustment to tighten it. PHOTO #04
There is some slight tearout of the veneer on two areas on the top where it was cut for the binding. The cutter might have been getting dull or was moving too quickly. The clear finish fills the small gaps, it doesn’t affect the instruments performance at all, most people wouldn’t give it a second thought. But it’s there. PHOTO #05
When I proceed to the finish sanding process on my own projects my fingertips are a vital gauge for measuring my progress. I can feel the texture of the wood grain on the back of the neck of this ukulele. I checked two of our other ukes along with two electric guitars and one vintage banjo we have at the house and the necks are glass smooth (I omitted the Dolphin because, except for the bridge & fret board, it is entirely covered in a thick layer of glossy smooth paint) Maybe they ration sandpaper?
Someone went the extra step to apply protective decals to the back of the tuners, but even that wasn’t done with care. PHOTO #06
THE NOT SO GOOD:
Looking at the entire kit, there are so many half-fast, sloppy small details that could have been done better including: multiple long threads (I’m talking 4-6 inches long) hanging from the zipper and seams of the case which should have been trimmed. PHOTO #07
The nut has machine marks and a burr from when it was cut to size. PHOTO #08
The satin finish had two small blemishes on the top face from where someone or something had touched it before the finish was dry. PHOTO #09
The felt discs between the strap mounting posts which both protect and isolate the instrument were way off center. It takes just a fraction of a second when screwing the post into place to hold that disc straight and, like trimming the threads on the case, to do it right. PHOTO #10
THE UGLY:
The body has a angular ridge on its side. My first concern was that this was a defect caused by either the laminated material not being properly prepared before being shaped around the template or poor clamping. However, after looking more closely at that area inside of the Uke, I think that it might be just a sloppy job finish sanding after the binding was installed. My guess is that they probably use a drum sander and the instrument was allowed to come to rest a moment during that clean up process. PHOTO #11
The rosewood fret board, this one had me gritting my teeth, it has definite machine marks. The strips for fret boards are cut on a band saw from larger stock and then are sanded smooth to remove the grooves/lines left by the saw blade. Reading reviews of their other models, I recall some that seemed to reference a similar issue with theirs, so chances are these aren’t isolated incidents. Whomever was responsible for this task did a terrible job. PHOTO #12A & 12B
Quality Control had no problem giving these issues a pass; either no one really checked or it is just considered normal. PHOTO #13
IMHO, this thing should have been flagged as blemished, a factory defect, and the instrument sold as a ‘second’.
As for how it plays, I find the action way to high, the sound thin and twangy.
PHOTOS:
You can find my original blog post here: https://kobolila.wordpress.com/2018/09/06/lohanu-ukulele-review/
Note, this is a personal blog page, not monetized, I do not beneift financially from it whatsoever.
Happy Strumming!
The following is an abbreviated version of a review I posted on my blog about a budget priced ukulele ensemble sold by Lohanu on Amazon. Lohanu boasts that they offer "one of the BEST SELLING Ukuleles on Amazon!" and that their products are "High Quality at Low Price!" On the latter claim I would strongly beg to differ.
If by chance you would like to read further about how it played and sounded (to my rookie ear at least) I will include the link to my original post. Here though I will just focus on the physical issues I found on the instrument and some of its accessories.
The number of photos I have exceed the amount I am allowed to include in this post so I combined them together in three groups. You can go to the original blog post to see them in a higher resolution.
Lohanu Ukulele Review
Considering its reasonable cost I did not expect something that would rival a much more expensive hand crafted name brand ukulele. but with all the positive reviews of their Sampiel Mahogany version I did expect something better then what I received. I will start with the good and work my way down from there.
NOTE: I am a rookie ukulele player at best, but I have 30+ years experience in wood working, and I have a meticulous eye for detail, fit & finish. Occasionally in this review I will use one of our 3 other ukulele’s in comparison; these are also all Chinese imports, and none cost more than $100 new, in fact the tenor and Dolphin cost less than $60.
I apologize for the length of this review; I point out some negative issues and thus I feel it only right to justify those claims with as much detail as I can. If I get too wordy, just zip through to the pictures
The numbers you see along the way correspond to the photo for that issue.
THE GOOD:
The Ukulele arrived with both the outer and inner box damaged, however the slightly padded gig bag/case (I’m guessing 5mm of padding) did its job and spared the instrument from any visible damage. PHOTO #01
The instrument is attractive looking with nice accents.
Overall construction looks solid.
The Aquila strings are of good quality, and the kit includes an extra set.
The chromatic tuner seems to work right, makes tuning much easier, and comes with a spare battery.
The strap is of decent quality and, with the pre-installed posts, makes it easier to practice when standing up or chasing a 5 year old.
NITPICKS:
The rosewood bridge has a rough rustic look which stands out in contrast to the effort they made to make the rest of the instrument look so polished & attractive. PHOTO #02
It is advised that for big guys with large hands, like me, a tenor sized uke may be more comfortable to play than a soprano. The overall size of this tenor is larger than a soprano, and there is indeed a bit more room in the frets for my fellow fat finger syndrome sufferers but, the width of the strings, from G to A, at the saddle/bridge is even less than both a soprano ukulele we have as well as my other tenor. I would have welcomed a little more space between the strings when plucking, The body is a bit smaller than my other tenor ukulele but still there is plenty of room for it. PHOTO #03
The Chromatic tuner works well but one of the pivot points to allow you to turn it towards you, after only a month, is already so worn that the head flops down when you stand the uke up on your lap to tune it. There is no adjustment to tighten it. PHOTO #04
There is some slight tearout of the veneer on two areas on the top where it was cut for the binding. The cutter might have been getting dull or was moving too quickly. The clear finish fills the small gaps, it doesn’t affect the instruments performance at all, most people wouldn’t give it a second thought. But it’s there. PHOTO #05
When I proceed to the finish sanding process on my own projects my fingertips are a vital gauge for measuring my progress. I can feel the texture of the wood grain on the back of the neck of this ukulele. I checked two of our other ukes along with two electric guitars and one vintage banjo we have at the house and the necks are glass smooth (I omitted the Dolphin because, except for the bridge & fret board, it is entirely covered in a thick layer of glossy smooth paint) Maybe they ration sandpaper?
Someone went the extra step to apply protective decals to the back of the tuners, but even that wasn’t done with care. PHOTO #06
THE NOT SO GOOD:
Looking at the entire kit, there are so many half-fast, sloppy small details that could have been done better including: multiple long threads (I’m talking 4-6 inches long) hanging from the zipper and seams of the case which should have been trimmed. PHOTO #07
The nut has machine marks and a burr from when it was cut to size. PHOTO #08
The satin finish had two small blemishes on the top face from where someone or something had touched it before the finish was dry. PHOTO #09
The felt discs between the strap mounting posts which both protect and isolate the instrument were way off center. It takes just a fraction of a second when screwing the post into place to hold that disc straight and, like trimming the threads on the case, to do it right. PHOTO #10
THE UGLY:
The body has a angular ridge on its side. My first concern was that this was a defect caused by either the laminated material not being properly prepared before being shaped around the template or poor clamping. However, after looking more closely at that area inside of the Uke, I think that it might be just a sloppy job finish sanding after the binding was installed. My guess is that they probably use a drum sander and the instrument was allowed to come to rest a moment during that clean up process. PHOTO #11
The rosewood fret board, this one had me gritting my teeth, it has definite machine marks. The strips for fret boards are cut on a band saw from larger stock and then are sanded smooth to remove the grooves/lines left by the saw blade. Reading reviews of their other models, I recall some that seemed to reference a similar issue with theirs, so chances are these aren’t isolated incidents. Whomever was responsible for this task did a terrible job. PHOTO #12A & 12B
Quality Control had no problem giving these issues a pass; either no one really checked or it is just considered normal. PHOTO #13
IMHO, this thing should have been flagged as blemished, a factory defect, and the instrument sold as a ‘second’.
As for how it plays, I find the action way to high, the sound thin and twangy.
PHOTOS:
You can find my original blog post here: https://kobolila.wordpress.com/2018/09/06/lohanu-ukulele-review/
Note, this is a personal blog page, not monetized, I do not beneift financially from it whatsoever.
Happy Strumming!
