Antica Ukuleleria Sacco Soprano - REVIEW

bazmaz

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Antica Ukuleleria quickly came up when I was looking for European luthier made ukuleles earlier in the year. Even though I ultimately went with a local luthier and a more traditional style of uke, I truly love the designs and also less common woods Marco is offering. Also, his website is one of the better sites for ordering and customizing his ukes and finding all sorts of information about them and him. Top notch. Judging by the website, his build schedule seems to be fully booked until December. No wonder really.

The Sacco reminds me of the amoeba shape that Bonanza makes but obviously with a completely different build. Very quirky. It's often quite hard to judge via Youtube/microphone sound compression but for me the tone sounds a bit fuller and more resonant and less sharp or shrill like your typical soprano. Again, hard to tell via the video but that's the impression I got.
 
The Sacco reminds me of the amoeba shape that Bonanza makes but obviously with a completely different build. Very quirky. Youtube/microphone sound compression but for me the tone sounds a bit fuller and more resonant and less sharp or shrill like your typical soprano. Again, hard to tell via the video but that's the impression I got.

Oh, definitely - it's what I clumsily try to say in the written review - doesn't sound like a soprano to me - definitely more concert, maybe even towards tenor - certainly fuller and rounder than I expected it to be.
 
Wow, this is a very different ukulele! It's exciting to see something that isn't the run-of-the-mill thing. It makes me wish I needed another uke.
 
Oh, definitely - it's what I clumsily try to say in the written review - doesn't sound like a soprano to me - definitely more concert, maybe even towards tenor - certainly fuller and rounder than I expected it to be.

Thanks for confirming that. I was mostly confused about you describing the uke as punchy in your review. I usually associate that with the sharp tone of a soprano but I'm guessing this one has punch and projection in addition to the fuller sound. Nice review overall.
 
yeah - was getting at volume punch. The overall tone is mellow, not sharp or piercing.
 
Count me as a fan of this uke as well. Amoeba is what came to mind, indeed. I like these alternative materials in eco-friendly resins. Good to see that there is a choice as more and more builders research wood alternatives.
I was very surprised when I heard the sound. For me it was definitely more of a tenor sound than a concert, but I don't play sopranos normally, and my only concert is an Enya Nova. So I can't really compare ...
 
Another very interesting review and innovative build process. I found Marcos You tube site and readers will be interested to know Marco does a series of 9 video’s of each process of the build. Videos are short generally under 3 minutes each. Excellent. I want one in tenor.

I think the shape reminded me of the Bonanza shape. I like alternate shapes anyways. The material for the body of the Uke is perfect. Nice to lookout, very eco friendly as is the bio resin and choices of woods. I like the fact you can have laminate or solid wood top. I’d love a red spruce. I have a laminate fluke and added pegheds after I got it. Now, I’m thinking of sending to MFC to get wooden fretboard. I think Marco has a winning build here and uses very good materials. I’d buy a tenor if he ever makes one!

My Pono AT has der jung tuners which are exactly like Grover open back tuners and work well.

Thanks for sharing.
 
Great review, Baz. ( I'm expecting a Libero in August ) I've been a follower of Marco's since your first review of another of his ukes awayz back. It has been clear from the beginning that he wants to produce -not only quality,but- Eco-friendly instruments. So happy to see you emphasize that aspect of his business and value. A visit to his website will give one lots of background on his preferences for local resources.
Thanks Baz.
 
Thanks buddy - yeah - he's a very nice chap with a good compass. He knows that this doesn't affect how I score things of course (and I know he was nervous about this one). All I can say is it's super nice when a well thought and developed uke from a nice chap also translates into a damn good instrument!

Another thing I noted today was some side UK discussion about the price being wrong - I find that really odd. In UK price equivalent it is about the same as or in fact LESS than many of the much revered UK luthiers sopranos even on their standard models. But the UK is a weird place full of odd ukers who are anything but consistent! I actually think Marco could sell this for more than he is asking and I wouldn't change my score.
 
Another thing I noted today was some side UK discussion about the price being wrong - I find that really odd. In UK price equivalent it is about the same as or in fact LESS than many of the much revered UK luthiers sopranos even on their standard models. But the UK is a weird place full of odd ukers who are anything but consistent! I actually think Marco could sell this for more than he is asking and I wouldn't change my score.

I forgot to mention the price myself earlier. I think the Sacco is a steal regardless of which options/add-ons you go for. There are many UK based luthiers who would charge much more for a soprano, even a traditional one. Of course, there are less well-known luthiers who will probably build you a uke for less money as well but those that have increased their status over the last few years generally charge more. Only the Libero is around the same price-level as some ukes from certain more renowned builders. Everything else Marco is offering seems very affordable in my opinion.
 
It looks to be left handed.

It's not. can be strung either way - the curve is not a 'knee rest' curve as one or two others have wondered - it kind of 'is what it is'. (to be honest, i've never used a waist to rest on a knee with uke)
 
I forgot to mention the price myself earlier. I think the Sacco is a steal regardless of which options/add-ons you go for. There are many UK based luthiers who would charge much more for a soprano, even a traditional one. Of course, there are less well-known luthiers who will probably build you a uke for less money as well but those that have increased their status over the last few years generally charge more. Only the Libero is around the same price-level as some ukes from certain more renowned builders. Everything else Marco is offering seems very affordable in my opinion.

Quite agree with all of that!
 
If money where no issue and I could buy all the ukulele's that I like I'd likely have at least one ukulele made by Marco........I've liked his work since first stumbling upon it some time back.....Thanks for the review!
 
Another thing I noted today was some side UK discussion about the price being wrong
The price was lower than I expected.

IMHO this compares class-wise with Klos (CF body + wood neck) and Blackbird (bio-composite). Similar methods and materials plus artisanal luthiery and a wonderfully quirky design (I'm pretty sure that one's a love-it-or-hate-it!)

I can see how he gets there. Material costs should be lower than carbon fiber: Jute is less expensive than CF, and he’s avoided several of the other consumables typically used in composite layup. Now that he has everything sorted out the body may take less active time to make than a traditional one.

The con is that several people can’t tell the difference between composite sandwich construction and injection molding and are comparing with Enya and Outdoor’s offerings.
 
Hooray! I just received this ukulele (the actual one in this review) and love it. Barry has a completely accurate review. Sound is loud, sustained, and pleasing.

Two things I noticed (not bad): One is that the headstock width is more than others, which means your tuner has to open wider. Other is that the length is about 3/4 inches more than other sopranos I own. It is extremely comfortable to hold and play and has an incredibly high esthetic value. Highly recommended.
 
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