Pono tenors

I saw a 2019 Pono tenor listed for sale, with the following comments:

Some adjustments, Pono has implemented in the last year, made this model slightly lighter in weight than previous versions. In addition, the neck is a touch more slender and the resonance is a little more full. They sound open right off the bat

Anyone know about these supposed changes. I didn't get on too well with older versions, where I found the neck profile a bit clubby on the lower frets.

If the necks are slimmer, that would be great. I usually only hear people complain about their necks, or at best, say it isn't a problem. I rarely hear people say they actually prefer Pono's chunky neck.

I don't find the necks terrible, but I would still prefer a slimmer profile. Besides the relatively quiet volume of their ukes, the neck profile is one of my least favorite things about Ponos. For me, those two issues keep Pono from dominating the mid-range market.

Sadly it took me a couple years to figure what type of neck I liked. I prefer wide fingerboards and fat 'n chunky neck profiles like used on most Kala Elite models. Pono has it half way right—fat 'n chunky neck profile—but too narrow in fingerboard width. My Romero Creations Replica tenor was nice and wide but too thin in profile. I'm glad we have a lot of ukulele choices and just about anyone can find a neck that pleases them. Oddly, my first ukulele 7 years ago was a Pono MT-E—still own it—and it's pretty darn loud, albeit well played in. I seem to recall it started on the soft side.

I’ve got a couple Ponos and really like their necks (and don’t mind their weight), but have noticed some newer ones being lighter and more resonant.

Just my 2 cents here:
In my opinion the Pono tenors are quite nice ukes, and a great value.

The necks are not what I would call “beefy” but are not the very shallow D shape or even flat back that some brands/luthiers make.
The Pono necks are more of a normal depth D going into a C shape slightly.

Of course everyone has different preferences, but one advantage to having a uke with a slightly heftier neck is they are little more stable (aka. less prone to warping) (and Pono tenors have truss rods)

As far as the weight they are a little heavier” than some all Koa Hawaiian ukes for sure but the same comment from above applies here too. I wouldn’t necessarily call them heavy by any means though, just that some other makers/brands are quite lightweight. I think Pono has made an effort in the recent years to lighten up the ukes and necks a somewhat which is probably what some are noticing.

In regards to sound, that’s always a very personal thing... (all solid wood instruments will “open up” with playing)
I think part of the reason they may get labeled as quiet is the strings that come on them. (Hear me out here...)

They are nylon type strings as are the Kamakas which some people don’t like either. But it’s really in how you play...
Nylon strings respond to more aggressive playing as you can really push them and get more volume. Soft playing doesn’t get much volume out of them.
Carbon strings respond a little more to nuanced playing but can top out with aggressive playing on some ukes. However on slightly “heavier” ukes like Kamaka and Pono the carbon strings can really bring out some volume. (If your uke is not set up too low)

Sorry for the long winded post.... hopefully it may help some

jcrooks said:

Just my 2 cents here:
In my opinion the Pono tenors are quite nice ukes, and a great value....

As far as the weight they are a little heavier” than some all Koa Hawaiian ukes for sure but the same comment from above applies here too. I wouldn’t necessarily call them heavy by any means though, just that some other makers/brands are quite lightweight....
I think part of the reason they may get labeled as quiet is the strings that come on them. (Hear me out here...)

They are nylon type strings as are the Kamakas which some people don’t like either. But it’s really in how you play...
Nylon strings respond to more aggressive playing as you can really push them and get more volume. Soft playing doesn’t get much volume out of them.
Carbon strings respond a little more to nuanced playing but can top out with aggressive playing on some ukes. However on slightly “heavier” ukes like Kamaka and Pono the carbon strings can really bring out some volume. (If your uke is not set up too low)

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I totally agree about the strings. I do not like the nylon strings they come with. But if you put a set of fluorocarbons on a Pono it really comes to life. They may not be the featherweights that some brands are, but they're not heavy ukes at all and are not overbuilt. I personally find the necks very comfortable. I hate it when my fingers are crammed on a too narrow fingerboard and neck. I visited a nice little uke shop today, as I needed a few things done to a couple of my ukes. So I played around with quite a few of their offerings. I kept going back to a nice Pono MT-SP tenor with Worth Brown strings. Boy, it sounded nice! It was warm and mellow, had volume, and it played nice and easy. So I bought it. :uhoh: Editing to add, all my Ponos are newer. Andrew at HMS says the newer (as of '19 I believe) Ponos sound better than ever before. So indeed those changes mentioned above are probably true.

I bought my Pono RTC(S)-PC and MTSH-C-MS from HMS TheUkuleleSite.com with a full setup and Low-G Plain strings. The RTC(S)-PC came with Worth Clears. The MTSH-C-MS was string with Ko'olau Fluorocarbons. I generally keep the strings that come with a ukulele for a month to get a feel for them. I did not care for either string sets and replaced both after a couple of weeks for Plain Low-G Living Waters.

They aren't loud, but they aren't quiet either. They both have a chimey, sweet, guitar-ish sound that I like a lot. The spruce/Rosewood RTC is brighter and projects a little better than the warm cedar/mahogany MTSH.

I'm not sure why 'quiet' is regarded as bad in these forums. One of the best things about my Pono and the reason I reach for it so often is precisely because it is quiet. Why do ukuleles have to be loud to be good?

Counter said:

I'm not sure why 'quiet' is regarded as bad in these forums. One of the best things about my Pono and the reason I reach for it so often is precisely because it is quiet. Why do ukuleles have to be loud to be good?

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I never got that, either.

Counter said:

I'm not sure why 'quiet' is regarded as bad in these forums. One of the best things about my Pono and the reason I reach for it so often is precisely because it is quiet. Why do ukuleles have to be loud to be good?

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LukuleleStrings said:

I never got that, either.

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I can't speak for others, but loudness is definitely a preferred feature for me. I'm not sure why. Maybe because dynamic range is easier on a loud uke than a soft uke. Maybe because a loud uke is still not really loud compared to something like a guitar, which many of us also play.

I recall seeing Liam Kirby's comment about loudness in ukes, and it really resonated (no pun intended) with me: youtube.com/watch?v=tIwPr8we5_c

snowdenn said:

I can't speak for others, but loudness is definitely a preferred feature for me. I'm not sure why. Maybe because dynamic range is easier on a loud uke than a soft uke. Maybe because a loud uke is still not really loud compared to something like a guitar, which many of us also play.

I recall seeing Liam Kirby's comment about loudness in ukes, and it really resonated (no pun intended) with me: youtube.com/watch?v=tIwPr8we5_c

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Perceived volume is often quite different from measured volume. For example I play a lot in acoustic jams and the fiddles and mandolins is what people tend to hear and perceive as loud. This is not because they have large resonance chambers but because they have a lot of high frequencies that stand out more for the listener. So I tend to bring the concert uke or the six string to acoustic jams so that everyone can hear me. A baritone or low G tenor would simply disappear in this environment. On the other hand if you are a solo melody player then a bigger uke with more volume can be beneficial.

Merlin touches on a great point above...

I currently have 8 Pono tenors in stock in my store Wood Vibrations Music. Today I put carbon string sets on one model of each wood and compared them to the stock strings. The carbons have more perceived volume because they emphasize the higher frequencies, but the nylon emphasize the lower frequencies and put out more sound “mass”...

While there May be others that are louder, quiet is not a word that comes to my mind when describing Pono sound.

My store will be launching a YouTube site very soon with a couple comparison videos of exactly what we are discussing.

Please feel free to follow Wood Vibrations Music on social media for updates

Pono’s are quite!? Quite the generalization... I mean yeah they aren’t KoAlohas but what else is?

You guys just need to string accordingly if you’re focusing on volume. My pro classic Pono tenor with cedar/ebony and UkeLogic High Tension strings is LOUD!

Also maybe get a uke with a side sound port if you value monitoring with extra volume.