Tom Karol
Member
Blackbird Farallon: I got the plain vanilla model in High G. Does it sound like wood? No not exactly, but it sounds musically terrific, and it plays like a dream - better than any other Tenor I've ever tried. Construction and set-up are flawless. The Gotoh UPT tuners are wonderful. What a lovely body shape!
It's loud and full sounding, with great projection. Huge dynamic range, great sustain, very even response across and all the way up the fingerboard. Not a dead spot to be found. The key characteristic of this Uke is the note separation. Every note has its own clear voice in the mix.
I would prefer that the strap button on the upper bout was on the underside of the neck heel, but of course this doesn't have a neck heel; no worries. I didn't bond with the stock strings (Oasis Warm High G), so I put on a set of Martin M625s like I use on my Godin Multi Uke (also unique). Bingo!
It took a little while to figure out where and how it likes to be strummed and picked; it's extremely sensitive/responsive to variations in right-hand technique. The fact that every note can be clearly heard individually in a chord voicing makes it better suited to melodic chording than pure strumming - it can sound pretty bright - but varied right-hand techniques can produce different timbres.
And, it doesn't care much about the ambient temperature and humidity!
The KTM-25 FS is equally wonderful but totally different. Both instruments feature unique design and construction. The Blackbird, of course, has no wood in it at all. The KoAloha is made of Koa and Ebony, with a Sapele neck and Tusq nut and saddle. The unique features of the KTM-25 vs other brands are musubi sound hole, proprietary bracing system, concavely curved heel, thinner-than-normal nut, and frets that don't quite extend all the way to the edge of the fingerboard - no chance for fret sprout! It plays beautifully as well, but you have to be careful not to push the 4th string off the edge of the fret when you're playing aggressively.
This one is set up with an unwound Low G (Worth CT-63) - I like that because the 4th string doesn't overpower the others the way a wound one can and doesn't go dead faster either. Its tonal character is completely different from the Blackbird. It's warm but still crisp. It's loud and has great sustain, but not quite comparable to the Blackbird in that regard. Dynamic range is almost as wide though. The tonal balance on this Uke is beautiful; the key characteristic here is the way the notes blend together. I can't imagine a better Uke for vocal accompaniment.
Oh, and it's drop dead gorgeous - the so-called blemish earning it the designation of 'Factory Special' instead of 'Silver Anniversary' is barely discernable and functionally irrelevant.
I also have a Godin Multi Uke (High G) which is unique in its own right. Another great player, although the nut could be a hair wider (the radiused fingerboard helps there though). It sounds surprisingly decent acoustically, but of course is a dedicated electric instrument. Sounds great through the appropriate amp (in my case, a Henriksen JazzAmp112ER or a Henriksen Bud), but is particularly delightful for direct recording. The very high notes project and sustain better than anything else I've ever heard. And it doesn't look too shabby, either!
Wrap up: I've never played any other high-end Ukes - though I have played a variety of obscenely expensive guitars - but in my limited experience, these 3 are all superb each in their own way!
It's loud and full sounding, with great projection. Huge dynamic range, great sustain, very even response across and all the way up the fingerboard. Not a dead spot to be found. The key characteristic of this Uke is the note separation. Every note has its own clear voice in the mix.
I would prefer that the strap button on the upper bout was on the underside of the neck heel, but of course this doesn't have a neck heel; no worries. I didn't bond with the stock strings (Oasis Warm High G), so I put on a set of Martin M625s like I use on my Godin Multi Uke (also unique). Bingo!
It took a little while to figure out where and how it likes to be strummed and picked; it's extremely sensitive/responsive to variations in right-hand technique. The fact that every note can be clearly heard individually in a chord voicing makes it better suited to melodic chording than pure strumming - it can sound pretty bright - but varied right-hand techniques can produce different timbres.
And, it doesn't care much about the ambient temperature and humidity!
The KTM-25 FS is equally wonderful but totally different. Both instruments feature unique design and construction. The Blackbird, of course, has no wood in it at all. The KoAloha is made of Koa and Ebony, with a Sapele neck and Tusq nut and saddle. The unique features of the KTM-25 vs other brands are musubi sound hole, proprietary bracing system, concavely curved heel, thinner-than-normal nut, and frets that don't quite extend all the way to the edge of the fingerboard - no chance for fret sprout! It plays beautifully as well, but you have to be careful not to push the 4th string off the edge of the fret when you're playing aggressively.
This one is set up with an unwound Low G (Worth CT-63) - I like that because the 4th string doesn't overpower the others the way a wound one can and doesn't go dead faster either. Its tonal character is completely different from the Blackbird. It's warm but still crisp. It's loud and has great sustain, but not quite comparable to the Blackbird in that regard. Dynamic range is almost as wide though. The tonal balance on this Uke is beautiful; the key characteristic here is the way the notes blend together. I can't imagine a better Uke for vocal accompaniment.
Oh, and it's drop dead gorgeous - the so-called blemish earning it the designation of 'Factory Special' instead of 'Silver Anniversary' is barely discernable and functionally irrelevant.
I also have a Godin Multi Uke (High G) which is unique in its own right. Another great player, although the nut could be a hair wider (the radiused fingerboard helps there though). It sounds surprisingly decent acoustically, but of course is a dedicated electric instrument. Sounds great through the appropriate amp (in my case, a Henriksen JazzAmp112ER or a Henriksen Bud), but is particularly delightful for direct recording. The very high notes project and sustain better than anything else I've ever heard. And it doesn't look too shabby, either!
Wrap up: I've never played any other high-end Ukes - though I have played a variety of obscenely expensive guitars - but in my limited experience, these 3 are all superb each in their own way!
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