Romero Creations ST Concert Solid Mahogany Model

My primary attraction to these ukes was sound, playability, and comfort. They just felt and sounded right. I'm a fingerpicker, not a strummer, so your mileage many vary.

Neo1022 wrote an excellent review of the solid/laminate model, and I would just like to compare my new solid mahogany model with the solid/laminate. I picked up the TT a couple of months ago when it was announced that the solid/laminate model was being discontinued. It immediately became my favorite uke. I snatched up the STC soon after for the same reason. I was primarily a fluorocarbon reentrant guy, but both ukes sounded so good low g, I couldn't bring myself to change them.

My main quarrel with the "affordable" STC was the closeness of the tuning pegs to the neck. I had trouble forming an E7 or augmented chord at the first fret without my hand hitting tuners. It was a pain, but something I could work around. The solid mahogany model has a thinner, flatter neck and that no longer is a problem. A nice improvement.

It's a beautiful instrument, but that's not why I got it, Comfort, playability, and sound. This was set up at HMS and it is a joy to play. The sound? Depends on what you want. What attracted me initially was how alive the sound was fingerpicking, it just jumped out of the sound hole. The mahogany top is a little warmer, more subdued than the spruce. I like it. It is still alive, just not quite as bright or as loud. I listened to sound samples and comparisons on youtube for weeks before deciding. I knew right away the spalted mango was too bright, but debated between the koa and mahogany. Many I am sure will prefer the spruce top; your sound is highly personal. One wood doesn't fit all, and few will have the opportunity to try them all in person.

I love this uke. Is it worth twice the price of the solid/laminate? I guess to me, yes, but let your pocketbook be your guide.

Great to hear this. I have TT solid top and love it. I want a all solid. Just can't decide. I like bright and spruce is all that. I guess I fall into category of wanting to play a bunch. Now the STC has be very interested because of the fact that the body is tenor and all are reporting it sound BIG like a tenor, yet is small like soprano with a concert scale. I travel with my TT solid top and its never been and issue on a plane. If I can do the concert neck maybe it is the perfect travel uke. I have to play one. I also want to play the TT models in all solid wood. I 'd like to see them expand to some more wood combo's. thanks for posting. I keep searching. With three all solid tenors, a solid top TT and a laminae Fluke I'm pretty full right now but I could see myself with two TT's and that is it. My custom Gypsey Tenor sound the best and weights the least of all my ukes. I love that Tenor but something about TT shape just has me PICKING it up a lot.

Congrats on the purchase! I know what you mean about the tuners -- I'm always bumping up against them, but I just work around the minor inconvenience. The benefits of the light headstock and compact size more than make up for it.

I also thought about upgrading to a solid mango TT. Played one for a bit and decided it was just too quiet. The thick gloss finish seemed to dampen the sound and dynamics a bit too much (at least on a brand new instrument), but the thin polyacrylic "french polish" finish on the solid tops really lets the wood flex and sing. So I stuck with the solid top/laminate line, but added an STC to the stable.

Anyway, enjoy!

neo1022 said:

I also thought about upgrading to a solid mango TT. Played one for a bit and decided it was just too quiet. The thick gloss finish seemed to dampen the sound and dynamics a bit too much (at least on a brand new instrument), but the thin polyacrylic "french polish" finish on the solid tops really lets the wood flex and sing.

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Instead of the finish, could it also be the type of wood itself that makes for a somewhat tighter sound? Mango is often attributed to have this effect (which I'm sure is desired for certain types of music). A well applied gloss finish such as the one from Romero Creations shouldn't be much of a hindrance for sound.