How important is solid wood uke vs solid top w/ laminate back and sides?

HONOMO

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I'm currently stuck between a

used Kala KA-FMC (Solid Spruce top, Spalted Flame Maple back and sides) for $150

Or an Ohana CK-25S (all solid mahogany) from Mims Ukes for $200

I'd love to go play both somewhere but I'm not close to a location with one so I'll have to just go for it.

Any thoughts?
 
How important is a solid wood uke vs a solid top w/ laminate back and sides?

I'm currently stuck between a

used Kala KA-FMC (Solid Spruce top, Spalted Flame Maple back and sides) for $150

Or an Ohana CK-25S (all solid mahogany) from Mims Ukes for $200

I'd love to go play both somewhere but I'm not close to a location with one so I'll have to just go for it.

Any thoughts?
 
I can tell you this much, my Kala KAATP-CTG-CE tenor solid cedar top with laminate acacia koa body is one of the best sounding ukes I have (9). I also have all solid and believe it's not really necessary. Having said that, Mim is one of the best people to buy from, full setup and stands behind everything she sells.


This is Michael Kohan in Los Angeles, Beverly West near the Beverly Center
9 tenor cutaway ukes, 5 acoustic bass ukes, 11 solid body bass ukes, 14 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 39)

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children in hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers: YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/video, Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheCCStrummers
 
(Answer I just gave for your other post.) I can tell you this much, my Kala KAATP-CTG-CE tenor solid cedar top with laminate acacia koa body is one of the best sounding ukes I have (9). I also have all solid and believe it's not really necessary. Having said that, Mim is one of the best people to buy from, full setup and stands behind everything she sells.


This is Michael Kohan in Los Angeles, Beverly West near the Beverly Center
9 tenor cutaway ukes, 5 acoustic bass ukes, 11 solid body bass ukes, 14 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 39)

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children in hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers: YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/video, Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheCCStrummers
 
Warm mellow tone or a more crisper sound?

The solid mahogany (Ohana) is a sound that I like, but I also have a solid spruce (Baton Rouge), & those are the difference in sound to my ears.
 
Warm mellow tone or a more crisper sound?

The solid mahogany (Ohana) is a sound that I like, but I also have a solid spruce (Baton Rouge), & those are the difference in sound to my ears.
 
I'm a solid wood fan, but even I have to admit that's probably more of a fetish than anything else. It is the sound board that matters most because it is the soundboard's vibration that contributes to the sound. Solid wood resonates differently from composite wood. Also there is matter of truth in advertising. If, for example, a ukulele has a spruce top, we all know what that means: crisp sound, as Croaky Keith said above. But if the soundboard isn't actually spruce but some composite wood with the look of spruce, then it may not have the spruce sound that we all anticipate and pay for.

So the soundboards are important. I have never heard anyone dispute that. I have a hunch that the sides and back also play a role, so I prefer them to be solid as well. However other people disagree. In your case, both soundboards are solid, therefore they are out of the equation. What's left is your preference. Do you want a crisp or mellow sound? Do you want plain spruce or rich mahogany. Okay, I was poisoning the well there because I prefer darker woods and sounds...but you get the picture.
 
There's also laminate for high end builds as described in the HMS video
https://youtu.be/prACYDtxpwc
David Ingalls website http://onoukes.com/

Beau Hannam a custom builder also uses laminate woods
http://www.beauhannamguitars.com/

So there's laminate and there's laminate.

As for the Kala, we have solid wood top, laminate body ukuleles from Kala. And we do enjoy the sound and playing of those ukuleles. We also have Ohana solid wood ukuleles and can say the same.
 
Personally, at that $200-$300 price range I find that having laminate back and sides or full solid doesn't make that much of a difference. A solid uke is probably slightly louder but doesn't affect the sound that much otherwise. What I would be more concerned with is the material of the soundboard. As others have mentioned, a spruce top will generally sound brighter than a mahogany one. If you like that kind of sound then it might be a fitting choice. The solid spruce top laminate back and sides models from Ohana and Kala and other similar manufacturers are usually good quality for the price imo, provided you like the spruce sound. What I like about these hybrid models personally is that the solid top gives a nice loud and bright sound while the laminate back and sides usually provide really nice looks for the uke depending on the specific model (the flamed maple certainly looks killer, imo). Solid mahogany ukes from these same brands are usually decent as well, and Ohana actually offers some of the most inexpensive solid ukes out there. I would suggest you to find some videos where you can compare the sound of solid spruce and mahogany ukes and make your decision based on that.
 
HONOMO: In my opinion, at the price level you are considering, the laminate with the solid spruce top will sound louder and crisper than the solid mahogany. The mahogany will be warmer, softer and have a little more complexity to the sound.

Is this for strumming or fingerstyle playing? Will you be playing on your own, or will you be in a group such as a ukulele club? Will you be taking it places or will it stay at home? (The laminate will travel somewhat better.)

Are the necks the same widths? Do both include a setup with purchase? (Very Important.) Do both have strap buttons? (If you play with a strap.) Both come with a case or gig bag? Do you like the looks of both equally? (Yes, it's actually important. We're more likely to pick it up and practice if we dig the way it looks and feels.)

Plan to get a humidifier, a strap-if you use one, and an extra set of strings in the near future. Different strings can change the way your uke sounds by a lot. Are the strings it comes with genuine Aquilas or look-alike? If it doesn't say, assume they are look-alikes and buy a set of Aquila strings.

Don't stress too much about it. Both seem like fine ukes and will work well for you.

Have fun with it.
 
I prefer laminate (plywood) mostly because I don’t like messin’ with all the humidity stuff. I do have a Kala KA FMB baritone with a solid top and a spalted body, and I really like it a lot. I also have a few tenor guitars with solid tops and plywood bodies.

I’m more interested in teachin’ myself to play the best I can than what equipment I use. I believe the music comes from the player. :eek:ld:
 
I have all three and I like all three. Got to admit though that when I show up with the solid cedar top concert, it is a bit more expensive ukulele and it makes me feel a little classier. I think that feeling gets reflected in the playing. Anyway, they are all good.
 
The kind of wood only has a very small impact on the sound of a uke, other aspects such as bracing, thickness of wood and overall care of manufacture are much more important. Kala and Ohana are both very similar in these respects, so just pick the one that you like more with your gut feeling and don't try to justify your choice with supposed features. While most of my ukes are solid, I have found many examples where laminates actually sound "better" to my ears. One objective drawback of solid wood instruments is that they are sensitive to temperature and humidity changes, so need a lot more care in terms of protection from the elements and proper humidification to prevent damage.
 
I can tell you this much, my Kala KAATP-CTG-CE tenor solid cedar top with laminate acacia koa body is one of the best sounding ukes I have (9). I also have all solid and believe it's not really necessary. Having said that, Mim is one of the best people to buy from, full setup and stands behind everything she sells.


This is Michael Kohan in Los Angeles, Beverly West near the Beverly Center
9 tenor cutaway ukes, 5 acoustic bass ukes, 11 solid body bass ukes, 14 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 39)

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children in hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers: YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/video, Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheCCStrummers

I just ordered a Kala KA-ACP-CT (Solid Cedar Top / Acacia Sides and Back) from Sam Ash on ebay b/c the local KA-FMC seller cancelled on me for the third time. I think I like the look of it better anyway. Based on youtube videos, I think I like the sound as well. I'll be mostly strumming and I liked how the strumming sounded.
 
HONOMO: In my opinion, at the price level you are considering, the laminate with the solid spruce top will sound louder and crisper than the solid mahogany. The mahogany will be warmer, softer and have a little more complexity to the sound.

Is this for strumming or fingerstyle playing? Will you be playing on your own, or will you be in a group such as a ukulele club? Will you be taking it places or will it stay at home? (The laminate will travel somewhat better.)

Are the necks the same widths? Do both include a setup with purchase? (Very Important.) Do both have strap buttons? (If you play with a strap.) Both come with a case or gig bag? Do you like the looks of both equally? (Yes, it's actually important. We're more likely to pick it up and practice if we dig the way it looks and feels.)

Plan to get a humidifier, a strap-if you use one, and an extra set of strings in the near future. Different strings can change the way your uke sounds by a lot. Are the strings it comes with genuine Aquilas or look-alike? If it doesn't say, assume they are look-alikes and buy a set of Aquila strings.

Don't stress too much about it. Both seem like fine ukes and will work well for you.

Have fun with it.

I ended up ordering a Kala KA-ACP-CT (Solid Cedar Top / Acacia back and sides) on ebay from Sam Ash. Now the long wait for it to arrive...
 
My first soprano was an Ohana pineapple sk10 laminate which seemed great to me to work with the grandkids but then my wife treat me to an Ohana sk20 mahogany laminate sides and solid mahogany top what a difference in sound. It's a beautiful little instrument and certainly my go to instrument suitable for playing any type of music I am interested in
 
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