The Aroma of Ukulele

Jerryc41

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 4, 2015
Messages
10,243
Reaction score
3,113
Location
Catskill Mountains, NY
I never noticed a particular smell from any of my ukes, except for the Martin Konter. That smells wonderful. I thought it smelled like cinnamon, and someone else said the same thing. That got me to thinking.

How about putting a little cachet of something into the case to impart a nice aroma to the uke? A little pouch of cinnamon might add a nice scent.

Please, let's not get into a discussion about how the scent would affect the sound. :D
 
I never noticed a particular smell from any of my ukes, except for the Martin Konter. That smells wonderful. I thought it smelled like cinnamon, and someone else said the same thing. That got me to thinking.

How about putting a little cachet of something into the case to impart a nice aroma to the uke? A little pouch of cinnamon might add a nice scent.

Please, let's not get into a discussion about how the scent would affect the sound. :D

I had two thoughts. I searched the forums and mostly found threads about how to get unpleasant smells out of ukes.

How about getting some cedars chips and soaking them in vanilla or cinnamon or lavender or whatever and putting them in a sachet?

Or how about getting a little vanilla extract in a q-tip and applying a little to the inside of the uke, maybe on a brace?

I wonder what, if anything would happen?

I then decided that it was too much work...
 
I never noticed a particular smell from any of my ukes, except for the Martin Konter. That smells wonderful. I thought it smelled like cinnamon, and someone else said the same thing. That got me to thinking.

How about putting a little cachet of something into the case to impart a nice aroma to the uke? A little pouch of cinnamon might add a nice scent.

Please, let's not get into a discussion about how the scent would affect the sound. :D

Ukuleles already have a wonderful scent, especially when played. I know the Ohana Sopranissimos have a strong scent. I can't imagine why you can't smell yours. The ukulele smell is why people smell their ukes.
 
I had two thoughts. I searched the forums and mostly found threads about how to get unpleasant smells out of ukes.

How about getting some cedars chips and soaking them in vanilla or cinnamon or lavender or whatever and putting them in a sachet?

Or how about getting a little vanilla extract in a q-tip and applying a little to the inside of the uke, maybe on a brace?

I wonder what, if anything would happen?

I then decided that it was too much work...

Excellent idea. I can imagine a table set up with that at the next uke fest. :D
 
I sometimes add a little snuff into mine...
 
My Kamaka does not smell like anything but my custom uke, made of London plane with a maple neck actually smells treen. I think it is the English maple neck (or the laburnum fret board) that I'm smelling.
 
You should smell one with a Port Orford cedar or Alaska yellow cedar top and linings.
Brad

Yes sir, I have a Port Orford cedar top/neck on a baritone that smells wonderful. Toon wood also has a very pleasant smell.
 
You should smell one with a Port Orford cedar or Alaska yellow cedar top and linings.
Brad

You all made me go down and take a whiff from each of my ukes to see. Port Orford cedar, sorry Brad, nothing. Neither from my mahogany Mainland, or from my solid spruce top Ohana. My laminate Makala might smell like beach, which wouldn't surprise me because it spent a lot of time there. That might just be wishful thinking though, I persuaded my wife to smell it and she couldn't smell anything. I thought that it could be that I'm not sensitive to odors so I took a whiff of one of my tap shoes down there and no doubt there was a distinct odor, so I can say with certainty that I can recognize the smell of sweaty feet. I do like the idea of putting a little bag of something inside to give off a pleasant smell. I'm thinking green tea. Then the inside of my uke would smell good and I would also always have a bag of tea with me should I feel like brewing up a cup while I am playing somewhere that didn't have it. Very field expedient, if you ask me.
 
Last edited:
Some people have way too much time on their hands
:D
 
I recently sold a Port Orford cedar top uke & it smelled heavenly. Every time I opened the case, the aroma would waft out & make me say..... Ahhhhhh. First ukulele I’ve owned that made me a “sound hole sniffer.”
 
You should smell one with a Port Orford cedar or Alaska yellow cedar top and linings.
Brad

My cedar-topped tenors keep the moths away...

Not really. Only a couple of my ukes had an inside smell to them. Both smelled like a woodshop.
 
Actually, both POC and AYC are not cedars, they are closely related members of the cypress family. And their aroma is most prominent when freshly cut. The best quality of them is their stability vs. humidity changes. I need to bring some over here to Kauai, climate control is a big issue here.
Brad
 
There has been also sweat (sometimes tears) and cheap labor behind our ukes, all the troubles people have when they are exploited.

The smells can be nice, but there are woods, I hope still for most of us where we can go and have a smell, sigh.
 
Top Bottom