Forest Ukuleles FUZZ-S Tenor - REVIEW

bazmaz

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Brilliant review, thank you Baz.

I'm trying to figure out how the FUZZ-S sounds, compared to e.g. the aNueNue UT200.

Flipping back-and-forth between the two reviews leaves me suspecting that the latter may have more low-down body -- would that be an accurate characterisation?

It seems as if the FUZZ-S has a thinner -- albeit still very appealing -- sound.

Unless there have been some changes in your recording equipment since 2016?
 
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I think the FUZZ has very slightly less range - there is definitely a fuller range on the Moon Bird. Same recording equipment exactly btw.

But.. theres the thing. The Moon Bird is way more than twice the price. I don't think the tone is more than twice better. At all.

I found this one remarkable for the money
 
Thanks for the review. I would pay $580.00 for this ukulele, but not double for the Moon Bird. I think that's kinda pound foolish. I'd have a passive pickup added, amped up, no one would be able to tell the difference, I'd wager. Sometimes I think spending big bucks for a uke is just plain showing off. A lot of the performers I know pay way less for their ukes than I have, and my spending has NOT made me a better player.
I know a guy who has 5 Chuck Moore "Moore Bettah" ukes, and he's a better player than I, but not that much better.
 
When you posted the teaser photo of the headstock its shape put me in mind of 1920s / 1930s furniture, but I wasn't 100% taken with it and couldn't quite decide why. Seeing the whole thing makes it much clearer: it's the bright metal of the tuners, as you say. It'll be interesting to see how the black UPTs fit with the overall look; almost certainly much more in sympathy with the rest of the styling.

And what a beautiful sound! It actually makes me glad I don't play tenor or else I fear this thing would be the cause of some domestic strife.
 
I think the FUZZ has very slightly less range - there is definitely a fuller range on the Moon Bird. Same recording equipment exactly btw.

But.. theres the thing. The Moon Bird is way more than twice the price. I don't think the tone is more than twice better. At all.

I found this one remarkable for the money

Sounds like it is an excellent value for the money.

However, am very surprised about your comment about the "tone not being twice better" That is rarely true of anything of quality or value, including ukuleles. Is this uke five times better sounding than most $100 ukes?

The following thread is a much better discussion on whether going from a $250 instrument to one costing $1,000 or more is "worth it". Your reviews and posts are highly respected here and elsewhere. You may have fallen short with this comment.

https://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?146984-Sound-of-a-1000-uke
 
I think the FUZZ has very slightly less range - there is definitely a fuller range on the Moon Bird. Same recording equipment exactly btw.

But.. theres the thing. The Moon Bird is way more than twice the price. I don't think the tone is more than twice better. At all.

I found this one remarkable for the money

Thanks Baz -- I really appreciate your first-hand perspective!

I look forward to trying the FUZZ myself. From your comments, I strongly suspect that the The Uke Room has hit the sweet spot with the FUZZ.
 
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Sounds like it is an excellent value for the money.

However, am very surprised about your comment about the "tone not being twice better" That is rarely true of anything of quality or value, including ukuleles. Is this uke five times better sounding than most $100 ukes?

Oh, totally agree with you - not meaning to suggest otherwise. If pushed though, I don't think the tone of the MoonBird is better enough to justify the price over this
 
That does look quite nice. And I am in the "love it" camp for the headstock, except that I would rather omit the two cutouts. They might drop the weight a bit, and add interest, but I can't help but look at them and think they introduce an unnecessary potential weak spot if the instrument were ever dropped or fell off its stand.

DSCF8991.JPG
 
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That does look quite nice. And I am in the "love it" camp for the headstock, except that I would rather omit the two cutouts. They might drop the weight a bit, and add interest, but I can't help but look at them and think they introduce an unnecessary potential weak spot if the instrument were ever dropped or fell off its stand.

DSCF8991.JPG

I didn't test that resilience!!

(More seriously - no more or less than any other open frame headstock I would wager..)
 
Baz's pic of the FUZZ's interior pushed me over the line, and I am now eagerly waiting for my new FUZZ-T to arrive in October.

There are a few options when it comes to FUZZ-themed T-shirts -- but none of them ukulele themed!

What does Matt's "FUZZ" moniker refer to? Is it an acronym?

Forest Ukuleles ZZ-top model? :music:

Forest Ukuleles Zig-Zag?

I would have been tempted to call it the FUZZZ: Forest Ukuleles Ziricote Zig-Zag!
 
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Ha ha! Love this! Thanks Matt!
 
I like reading these reviews but find it frustrating that many of the ukes being reviewed are (like this one) available UK-only, even if understandably so. It makes me wonder why bazmaz seemingly never posts news of his reviews on the UK's own ukulele forum, Ukulele Cosmos.
 
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We post worldwide. This one isn’t U.K. only. :)

I think Cosmos isn’t used very much nowadays so it’s probably not worth Barry posting there.
 
Posting links to Barry's reviews on Ukulele Cosmos often results in quite an aggressive backlash. There are a few members there who either have odd personal grudges or else seem to believe that the forum is above such things as reviews. It's a strange atmosphere.
 
I like reading these reviews but find it frustrating that many of the ukes being reviewed are (like this one) available UK-only, even if understandably so. It makes me wonder why bazmaz seemingly never posts news of his reviews on the UK's own ukulele forum, Ukulele Cosmos.

This IS available worldwide. In fact I can't think of 'many' of the ukes I have reviewed in last six months are UK only?

Harley Benton, Flight Fireball, Kala Bamboo, NFC, Antica Ukuleleria, Ibanez, Fender Fullerton, Snail - all available worldwide? Only one I can think you may be referring to are the Uluru's done by World of Ukes - but I think even he ships worldwide? (EDIT - checked - yes he does).

Which ones were you thinking of which are not available outside UK to come to a view of 'many'?

Am genuinely confused!!
 
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You are correct. I had in mind that those ukes generally do not have a USA-based dealer. Shipping costs to Hawaii from UK are ~$100 or more so that, if I buy a uke from there, the total uke+shipping costs would get me much more bang for the buck by buying from HMS n Hawaii or Aloha City Ukes (ACU) in Chicago. In other words, those UK ukes are not available to me at anything near to the prices listed in your reviews.

(By the way, HMS store is not open, at present -- they are strictly mail order, for now -- but intra-Hawaii shipping by HMS is free. ACU's shipping is always free.)
 
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I like reading these reviews but find it frustrating that many of the ukes being reviewed are (like this one) available UK-only, even if understandably so. It makes me wonder why bazmaz seemingly never posts news of his reviews on the UK's own ukulele forum, Ukulele Cosmos.

I was, repeat was, a poster on Ukulele Cosmos. I posted quite a few of Baz's reviews on it, just to make things more interesting.
Well it became a little more interesting than I bargained for.
There was such a backlash from two damned old codgers that I quit, and left. I will never bother with Cosmos again, it's just a good ol' boys club.
I do NOT need their crap.
Nuff said.
 
... ...There was such a backlash from two damned old codgers that I quit, and left. I will never bother with Cosmos again, it's just a good ol' boys club. ... ...
My attitude toward folks of that sort is the same as my dog's attitude toward a telephone pole.
 
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