I'm almost ecstatic about my new Ukulele, but it's not just about the uke. So if you're here for a NUD report, you may want to skip this long post.
I have bought ukes from HMS and Mim in the past and have asked for low setups, and even with their great setups I still had arthritic finger problems that stopped me from enjoying practicing/playing for any length of time. I'm talking about having to bandage my 4th finger to hold down the pain. It's amazing how pain can motivate one when playing chord/melody to find chords that get the job done without using - or use very little of - the pinky.
However, I wasn't ready to give up thinking I could play tenor although sometimes stretching to hold a fret produced a lot of pain. So, I decided I would buy another tenor and called HMS to explain my problem, figuring if it were possible to solve/ease the problem, they would be the ones to do it. As always, they didn't rush me, listened and gave their advice. I called three different times and was lucky enough to speak with three different people.
The first call was answered by Andrew (not at all usual, but it happened). We talked for a while about what I wanted and agreed that for the sound I was looking for and what I was willing to spend on this "test" meant either an Opio 10S (my first thought) or a Pono ATD-SP. He said they were both great ukuleles, but thought I might be happier with the Pono because I wanted that "chimey" sound on the higher notes and the Pono was aimed more in that direction than the Opio, which focused a little more on the mids (middle strings in this case). Since I knew little about the Pono model, I said I would check it out.
After checking the Forum and every place else I could find for Pono ATD-SP info, I was intrigued by the 12-16 compound radius of the Pono, but still couldn't decide. On the second call Veronica transfered me to Joel. I explained my problem and told him I wanted to challenge his ability to create a very, very low setup without buzzing. I said I didn't mind losing some volume and the low setup was most important. When I told him I was interested in an Opio, he said that could be a problem for what I was asking. The reason was that to lower the saddle on the Opio as much as I wanted, he would have to work on the bridge. He even went into the warehouse to find the exact uke I liked and said the bridge would have to be modified. Since I didn't want anyone grinding on my new ukuklele's bridge, that was enough to tip the scales in favor of the Pono. Joel said the two ATD-SPs they had were not yet listed on theukulelesite.com, and he would send me pictures of them for me to choose.
After choosing the uke I liked best, I called again and this time Corey answered. He told me that he and Joel had talked about what I wanted and he tried the Pono I chose and liked the sound. We chatted for a few minutes and for the third time in the last couple of years, Corey took good care of me and made sure my order was processed correctly, including having Joel do the setup. All that was left was waiting for the uke.
It arrived. It's even better than I imagined! I love it! The combination of the radius fretboard and the extremely low setup makes it so incredibly easy to play, my pinky has never had it so good! I'm sure all of this has added a few more years to my enjoying playing the ukulele. I'm already thinking of selling a few ukes in order to save up for another radiused uke from HMS with Joel's setup.
I'm still amazed at the time they took with me, how they were willing to listen to me, and the care they took to make what I wanted happen. I have become an HMS Fanboy for life.
I have bought ukes from HMS and Mim in the past and have asked for low setups, and even with their great setups I still had arthritic finger problems that stopped me from enjoying practicing/playing for any length of time. I'm talking about having to bandage my 4th finger to hold down the pain. It's amazing how pain can motivate one when playing chord/melody to find chords that get the job done without using - or use very little of - the pinky.
However, I wasn't ready to give up thinking I could play tenor although sometimes stretching to hold a fret produced a lot of pain. So, I decided I would buy another tenor and called HMS to explain my problem, figuring if it were possible to solve/ease the problem, they would be the ones to do it. As always, they didn't rush me, listened and gave their advice. I called three different times and was lucky enough to speak with three different people.
The first call was answered by Andrew (not at all usual, but it happened). We talked for a while about what I wanted and agreed that for the sound I was looking for and what I was willing to spend on this "test" meant either an Opio 10S (my first thought) or a Pono ATD-SP. He said they were both great ukuleles, but thought I might be happier with the Pono because I wanted that "chimey" sound on the higher notes and the Pono was aimed more in that direction than the Opio, which focused a little more on the mids (middle strings in this case). Since I knew little about the Pono model, I said I would check it out.
After checking the Forum and every place else I could find for Pono ATD-SP info, I was intrigued by the 12-16 compound radius of the Pono, but still couldn't decide. On the second call Veronica transfered me to Joel. I explained my problem and told him I wanted to challenge his ability to create a very, very low setup without buzzing. I said I didn't mind losing some volume and the low setup was most important. When I told him I was interested in an Opio, he said that could be a problem for what I was asking. The reason was that to lower the saddle on the Opio as much as I wanted, he would have to work on the bridge. He even went into the warehouse to find the exact uke I liked and said the bridge would have to be modified. Since I didn't want anyone grinding on my new ukuklele's bridge, that was enough to tip the scales in favor of the Pono. Joel said the two ATD-SPs they had were not yet listed on theukulelesite.com, and he would send me pictures of them for me to choose.
After choosing the uke I liked best, I called again and this time Corey answered. He told me that he and Joel had talked about what I wanted and he tried the Pono I chose and liked the sound. We chatted for a few minutes and for the third time in the last couple of years, Corey took good care of me and made sure my order was processed correctly, including having Joel do the setup. All that was left was waiting for the uke.
It arrived. It's even better than I imagined! I love it! The combination of the radius fretboard and the extremely low setup makes it so incredibly easy to play, my pinky has never had it so good! I'm sure all of this has added a few more years to my enjoying playing the ukulele. I'm already thinking of selling a few ukes in order to save up for another radiused uke from HMS with Joel's setup.
I'm still amazed at the time they took with me, how they were willing to listen to me, and the care they took to make what I wanted happen. I have become an HMS Fanboy for life.
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