This is a review for the eMedia Mahongany Ukulele Pack (EU08171):
https://www.emediamusic.com/beginner-ukulele-pack/mahogany-ukulele-pack.html
Executive summary:
This is a good package for the beginner ukulele player. Value-wise, as long as the price justifies the eMedia software and Shaw's DVD, then it is a good value.
Detailed review:
The trick with buying any package deal is to make sure that the package includes enough useful items to justify its price. Therefore, I've listed this package's items in decreasing order of usefulness:
- eMedia Ukulele Methods lessons software
- Ralph Shaw’s The Complete Ukulele Course DVD-video lessons
- A printed ukulele chord chart
- Ulu all-solid mahogany soprano (more on this below)
- Gig bag
- Extra set of strings
- Intructional booklet.
- Picks
As with any low-cost package, the included "hard" items are low-quality. Therefore, my recommendation is to only buy this package only for its "soft" contents (i.e. eMedia software and Shaw's DVD) and to price it accordingly.
*****
eMedia Ukulele Methods software:
The eMedia Ukulele Methods software seems to have 3 different versions:
- The full version (software only)
https://www.emediamusic.com/ukulele-lessons/ukulele-method.html
- This version with 160 lessons
https://www.emediamusic.com/beginner-ukulele-pack/mahogany-ukulele-pack.html
- A Basic version with 65 lessons
https://www.emediamusic.com/beginner-ukulele-pack/ukulele-beginner-pack.html
The difference between this Mahogany Pack's eMedia software and the full version is that the full version has the grading feature enabled where the eMedia software will listen to your playing and give you a grade. This is a useful feature because many self-taught players can't effectively judge themselves.
I really enjoy the eMedia lessons. Each topic opens with a textual description and video demo. Followed by a play-along (or you can choose backing track only) with adjustable tempo. Finally, closes with a few songs using the new concept/technique. The songs also has both play-along and backing track only selections, all with adjustable tempo.
*****
Ralph Shaw’s DVD course:
The course is pretty basic compared to the coverage of eMedia Methods lessons and runs only an hour. It covers approxiamtely the first 25% of eMedia material. This overlap coverage is very good for a beginner as Shaw provides an alternative explaination and sound to the eMedia tutorials, allowing the student to see/hear things in 2 different ways.
Overall, Shaw keeps this DVD very entertaining and high energy, and I enjoy watching it. I also can play "Hello Ma Baby" pretty well after the DVD.
*****
The printed chord chart:
Although this is only a piece of paper, it is the perfect sized at 6" x 11" (and folded-in-half at 6"x5.5"). Having a chord chart is incredibly handy for the beginner, and I often use this piece of paper. The chart does not have fingering though; it only shows the fret locations (it does indicate barre positions). Generally fingering can be figured out fairly easily, but it would have been nice to have that.
*****
Ulu Ukulele:
A few things about the included ukulele:
- It is not all-aolid as advertised; it is all-laminate.
- Its sound lacks depth.
- Tuners hold tune but not smooth operating.
- Frets are level and setup is at 3mm; no fret buzz.
I think the sound might be improved with better-matched strings; but, as received, the sound quality makes this a strictly beginner instrument. In fact, after hearing better ukulele sounds (or just listening to the included Shaw's DVD), very few players would be satisfied with this ukulele's sound.
So, do not buy this package because of the ukulele. It is serviceable in the beginning, but you'll soon upgrade.
Sound sample of this ukulele:
https://soundcloud.com/user-919961063/emedia-ulu-mahogany-ukulele-sound-sample
*****
Gig bag:
This bag is advertised by eMedia as "Premium, padded, nylon carry bag w/handle and zipper pouch". I guess "premium" and "padded" are relative. This is absolutely the cheapest (as in very, very low quality) gig bag that I have every seen; and, as for padding, if the bag was any thinner, it'd probably be transparent.
It does have a handle and a zippered pouch up front; but the pouch is really small and is just a piece of flat cloth sewn onto the bag. Because the pouch is completely flat on the bag and without any gusset (or whatever it is called to make something flat into a real pouch), this pouch can't hold anything but maybe 3-5 business cards.
*****
Extra set of string:
Normally, you'd think strings are pretty useful. Well, not in this case (and this is why these strings are ranked so low in the "usefulness" department).
These strings are not in GCEA tuning; they are in something else, as each string is labeled with the note name on them (I vaguely recall "Bb" on one of the strings). In other words, these strings are useless to the beginner who follows lessons (even eMedia's own lessons) because the lessons assume GCEA tuning. I suppose you can use these strings and still tune the ukulele to GCEA, but why? Strings are cheap, just buy the correct set and have better intonation (which is more important than using these strings).
*****
Picks:
Unless I accidentally threw the picks out with the (AFAIK empty) packaging, I did not receive any. Most people don't play the ukulele with a pick; and even one that do, picks are a very personal item where you try a bunch to find the types you like best. For example, I think, based on the pictures, the included picks are plastic picks, but many ukulele pick players prefer felt picks. Then there's the different size, stiffness, thickness, etc. Anyway, the vast majority players don't use picks.
*****
Well, there you have it. If you buy this package only for the eMedia software and Shaw's DVD, then you'll likely be very happy and satisfied.
https://www.emediamusic.com/beginner-ukulele-pack/mahogany-ukulele-pack.html
Executive summary:
This is a good package for the beginner ukulele player. Value-wise, as long as the price justifies the eMedia software and Shaw's DVD, then it is a good value.
Detailed review:
The trick with buying any package deal is to make sure that the package includes enough useful items to justify its price. Therefore, I've listed this package's items in decreasing order of usefulness:
- eMedia Ukulele Methods lessons software
- Ralph Shaw’s The Complete Ukulele Course DVD-video lessons
- A printed ukulele chord chart
- Ulu all-solid mahogany soprano (more on this below)
- Gig bag
- Extra set of strings
- Intructional booklet.
- Picks
As with any low-cost package, the included "hard" items are low-quality. Therefore, my recommendation is to only buy this package only for its "soft" contents (i.e. eMedia software and Shaw's DVD) and to price it accordingly.
*****
eMedia Ukulele Methods software:
The eMedia Ukulele Methods software seems to have 3 different versions:
- The full version (software only)
https://www.emediamusic.com/ukulele-lessons/ukulele-method.html
- This version with 160 lessons
https://www.emediamusic.com/beginner-ukulele-pack/mahogany-ukulele-pack.html
- A Basic version with 65 lessons
https://www.emediamusic.com/beginner-ukulele-pack/ukulele-beginner-pack.html
The difference between this Mahogany Pack's eMedia software and the full version is that the full version has the grading feature enabled where the eMedia software will listen to your playing and give you a grade. This is a useful feature because many self-taught players can't effectively judge themselves.
I really enjoy the eMedia lessons. Each topic opens with a textual description and video demo. Followed by a play-along (or you can choose backing track only) with adjustable tempo. Finally, closes with a few songs using the new concept/technique. The songs also has both play-along and backing track only selections, all with adjustable tempo.
*****
Ralph Shaw’s DVD course:
The course is pretty basic compared to the coverage of eMedia Methods lessons and runs only an hour. It covers approxiamtely the first 25% of eMedia material. This overlap coverage is very good for a beginner as Shaw provides an alternative explaination and sound to the eMedia tutorials, allowing the student to see/hear things in 2 different ways.
Overall, Shaw keeps this DVD very entertaining and high energy, and I enjoy watching it. I also can play "Hello Ma Baby" pretty well after the DVD.
*****
The printed chord chart:
Although this is only a piece of paper, it is the perfect sized at 6" x 11" (and folded-in-half at 6"x5.5"). Having a chord chart is incredibly handy for the beginner, and I often use this piece of paper. The chart does not have fingering though; it only shows the fret locations (it does indicate barre positions). Generally fingering can be figured out fairly easily, but it would have been nice to have that.
*****
Ulu Ukulele:
A few things about the included ukulele:
- It is not all-aolid as advertised; it is all-laminate.
- Its sound lacks depth.
- Tuners hold tune but not smooth operating.
- Frets are level and setup is at 3mm; no fret buzz.
I think the sound might be improved with better-matched strings; but, as received, the sound quality makes this a strictly beginner instrument. In fact, after hearing better ukulele sounds (or just listening to the included Shaw's DVD), very few players would be satisfied with this ukulele's sound.
So, do not buy this package because of the ukulele. It is serviceable in the beginning, but you'll soon upgrade.
Sound sample of this ukulele:
https://soundcloud.com/user-919961063/emedia-ulu-mahogany-ukulele-sound-sample
*****
Gig bag:
This bag is advertised by eMedia as "Premium, padded, nylon carry bag w/handle and zipper pouch". I guess "premium" and "padded" are relative. This is absolutely the cheapest (as in very, very low quality) gig bag that I have every seen; and, as for padding, if the bag was any thinner, it'd probably be transparent.
It does have a handle and a zippered pouch up front; but the pouch is really small and is just a piece of flat cloth sewn onto the bag. Because the pouch is completely flat on the bag and without any gusset (or whatever it is called to make something flat into a real pouch), this pouch can't hold anything but maybe 3-5 business cards.
*****
Extra set of string:
Normally, you'd think strings are pretty useful. Well, not in this case (and this is why these strings are ranked so low in the "usefulness" department).
These strings are not in GCEA tuning; they are in something else, as each string is labeled with the note name on them (I vaguely recall "Bb" on one of the strings). In other words, these strings are useless to the beginner who follows lessons (even eMedia's own lessons) because the lessons assume GCEA tuning. I suppose you can use these strings and still tune the ukulele to GCEA, but why? Strings are cheap, just buy the correct set and have better intonation (which is more important than using these strings).
*****
Picks:
Unless I accidentally threw the picks out with the (AFAIK empty) packaging, I did not receive any. Most people don't play the ukulele with a pick; and even one that do, picks are a very personal item where you try a bunch to find the types you like best. For example, I think, based on the pictures, the included picks are plastic picks, but many ukulele pick players prefer felt picks. Then there's the different size, stiffness, thickness, etc. Anyway, the vast majority players don't use picks.
*****
Well, there you have it. If you buy this package only for the eMedia software and Shaw's DVD, then you'll likely be very happy and satisfied.
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