Favorite solid wood ukes made of classical guitar tone woods?

E

eternal tinkerer

UU VIP
UU VIP
Joined
Jun 8, 2020
Messages
450
Reaction score
533
As a spinoff of another thread, I'm interested in getting folks' opinions on their favorite or more highly regarded ukuleles made of classical guitar tonewoods. I'm sort of / sort of not (well, yes) shopping for a tenor sized uke made of a light top wood and warmer dark wood back and sides - spruce /cedar and Indian rosewood in particular. The nicer instruments that come into mind are the aNueNue UT200 (spruce / rosewood), aNueNue UT214 (cedar / rosewood), Pono RTSH (cedar / rosewood), and a custom Kimo ukulele (made of similar woods). Thoughts on these and/or additional suggestions? ...Thanks!
 
I am just finishing up a custom tenor with an Alaska yellow cedar top and Indian rosewood back and sides. It is a new combination for me. I will be stringing it up tomorrow, prior to spraying it up. Will let you know what I think after it settles in for a couple of days.
Brad
 
ripock said:
To be honest, this sounds really boring. Why would you pay $2000 or more and get the same old same old?
Click to expand...

That is a very strange and inappropriate comment to make.

Why wouldn’t he pick something that he likes. I have experienced a pile of different ukes and my favourites have alway been a softwood top and hardwood back and sides. Sinker Redwood and curly walnut. Bear claw spruce and curly myrtle. Sitka spruce and Amazon rosewood. Yea I guess I am just boring
 
DownUpDave said:
That is a very strange and inappropriate comment to make.

Why wouldn’t he pick something that he likes. I have experienced a pile of different ukes and my favourites have alway been a softwood top and hardwood back and sides. Sinker Redwood and curly walnut. Bear claw spruce and curly myrtle. Sitka spruce and Amazon rosewood. Yea I guess I am just boring
Click to expand...

Fair enough. I retract.
 
You've already mentioned one of my favorites, the Spruce-Rosewood aNueNue Moon Bird tenor. Another that I really like is my custom Jupiter tenor with Pennsylvania Sycamore back and sides (a hardwood) and salvaged Watertank Redwood top (a softwood). The softwood top and hardwood B&S is a classic combination for a good reason.
 
ripock said:
To be honest, this sounds really boring. Why would you pay $2000 or more and get the same old same old?
Click to expand...

It is the combination used on many Petros and LFDMs. Hardly boring. More like classic, because it works so well.
 
The AnueNue Moonbird would be one on my radar. BuzzBD, that uke sounds nice. :cool:
 
One thing I've tried to do is to get as many different variations in tone woods possible. I'll probably miss a few, but I recall having Mahogany, Spruce, Sinker Redwood, Maple, Eucalyptus, Rosewood, Ebony, Zebrawood, Zircote, Cedar, Mango, and Koa. These are in all combinations of tops, sides, and backs. I love the variety! Now for the boring part, I love the sound of plain old Mahogany and fancy Koa the best. I'm a sucker for a darker, richer sound, so the Mahogany suits me very well. But the Koa has a rich tone, with just a touch more brilliance to it, which probably gives it the edge on versatility. But, I find that each Uke has it's own voice. And I can even pick and choose according to my mood that day. Sometimes I'll pick up a Spruce top instrument, and give it up right away because I can't stand the brighter tone color. Or, vise versa, I may not want to wallow in the depths of those mellow Mahogany tones right at that time. It's nice to have the full range to choose from.
 
Spruce/cedar top and rosewood back and sides are a real winner combo but the sound is very distinct. I have a Moon Bird soprano which I love and I was looking for a Maestro concert with the same woods but the sound was simply too similar. I think the rosewood back and sides result in a very particular type of low-range tonality. Not universal of course but the ukes I've seen/heard with that wood combination definitely sound quite similar to each other.

Additionally, I have a Kanile'a SUS concert which has a cedar top and mahogany back and sides. Not sure if the cedar on it is somehow different but it sounds a lot more sparky than what I expected. It still has a nice warmth to it nonetheless, love it.

I've really began to like these more modern guitar-like tonewoods. They definitely lend themselves to a more dynamic play style. I'm currently looking for something that would be my ultimate concert uke. Something like spruce or cedar top and koa back and sides or something similar from a reputable brand or builder. Haven't been able to find one yet though.
 
I have an Ono with an Alaskan yellow cedar top and that thing is magic. Well balanced, crisp, and incredibly loud. Yesterday I was playing outdoors, in a wind, socially-distanced, and had to hold back not only so I could hear others, but so I didn’t overpower them. Luckily it’s got great dynamic range, too. But whatever you end up with will be a data point in discovering what you like.
 
How about walnut? It seems to be less commonly used?
 
Man, these are some really great replies - thanks! Agreed that the sound coming out of the ukes made out of these classical guitar woods simply "works." The one common feature I like best about these wood combos is the dynamic range - the highs can get sparkly and the lows have a hum that moves your whole body. Yes, the sound indeed is different from koa and mahogany - one with a different mood and purpose. Though having complimentary sounding instruments is like having a variety of food. Life is short, after all - so enjoy 2, or 10, or 100 ukuleles!

I totally agree that what I try will be just a sample of what's possible using a particular tonewood combination such as spruce/cedar and rosewood. Case in point, I already have three all koa tenors (two are different models by the same company) and each has its own voice. That says a lot about how influential are all the other variables!

As regards particular models, looks like the tenor Moonbird is getting a whole lot of love. Anybody here have direct experience playing both a UT200 and UT214?
 
Last edited:
Well this is a lot like being asked which one of your children you like best?

The same wood combinations sound different depending upon the maker. In no particular order are tenors I own or have owned with one of my favorite wood combinations. Spruce and Rosewood variations. Each one has family characteristics, yet quite unique sound.

Kinnard Series 2: Sitka Spruce/Indian Rosewood; Classical guitar sound, terrific projection, bright, yet sweet.

aNueNue Moonbird UT200: Swiss Moon Spruce/Indian Rosewood; Very light, a little boxy sounding, sustain that goes on forever.

Ono #28: Adirondack Spruce/Bolivian Rosewood; Light, open sound, great sustain and projection, complex sound.

Pono RTC(S)-PC: Engelmann Spruce/Indian Rosewood; Heavy, robust build, classical guitar like sound, nice sustain, very good projection
 
Last edited:
There is a Kinnard tenor Honduran Rosewood with a Cedar top for sale here with a sound sample:
http://www.kinnardukes.com/ukes-for-sale.html

Seeing Kenn2018 mention Kinnard made me think of that one.

Lots of options, though, with lots of different sounds depending on the builder. You probably can't go wrong with any of the ukuleles recommended so far.
 
Dohle said:
I'm currently looking for something that would be my ultimate concert uke. Something like spruce or cedar top and koa back and sides or something similar from a reputable brand or builder. Haven't been able to find one yet though.
Click to expand...

I've seen Kamakas with spruce or cedar tops and koa back and sides. Don't know if that's the sort of thing you're looking for, but if so, keep an eye out for the deluxe Kamakas, which might fit that description.
 
Joyful Uke said:
I've seen Kamakas with spruce or cedar tops and koa back and sides. Don't know if that's the sort of thing you're looking for, but if so, keep an eye out for the deluxe Kamakas, which might fit that description.
Click to expand...

That's one of the very few factory made ukes with that combination of tonewoods that I've been able find as well. Kamaka is a tricky proposition. Their build is very traditional but I'm looking for a more modern type of build. That being said, that type of Kamaka would definitely be on my short list since, as I alluded to, there aren't many such ukes around. The trouble is that even the Kamaka spruce deluxe seems to be rarer than hen's teeth.
 
Dohle said:
That's one of the very few factory made ukes with that combination of tonewoods that I've been able find as well. Kamaka is a tricky proposition. Their build is very traditional but I'm looking for a more modern type of build. That being said, that type of Kamaka would definitely be on my short list since, as I alluded to, there aren't many such ukes around. The trouble is that even the Kamaka spruce deluxe seems to be rarer than hen's teeth.
Click to expand...

Are you looking for tenor? Or?
I like window browsing, (browsing while using Windows?), and if I come across one, I can let you know.
 
Joyful Uke said:
Are you looking for tenor? Or?
I like window browsing, (browsing while using Windows?), and if I come across one, I can let you know.
Click to expand...

Cheers. I appreciate any nod towards my dream uke. Not looking for a tenor however. I'd prefer a concert, soprano is ok as well provided it's on the level of something like aNueNue, meaning that the sound has some decent depth despite the body size. To be honest, this is probably one of the main reasons I'm having difficulties finding the uke I want. Most of these really high-end ukes are tenors. Still, the search is part of the fun, I think. :)
 
Joyful Uke said:
There is a Kinnard tenor Honduran Rosewood with a Cedar top for sale here with a sound sample:
http://www.kinnardukes.com/ukes-for-sale.html
Click to expand...

Joyful Uke -- this one sounds amazing!! Thanks for sharing.

eternal tinkerer said:
Agreed that the sound coming out of the ukes made out of these classical guitar woods simply "works." The one common feature I like best about these wood combos is the dynamic range - the highs can get sparkly and the lows have a hum that moves your whole body.
Click to expand...

eternal tinkerer, you've hit on what I like most.

To add my two cents, the Kremona Coco (they make them in concert and tenor scales) fits this discussion -- cedar top with Indian rosewood back and sides. I like the cedar top combinations because I find it warmer with clarity across a wider spectrum than the spruce top I have.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

casarole45
Your favorite concert neck, solid wood ukuleles?
2
Replies
31
Views
3K
casarole45
casarole45
F
Which is your favorite solid Tenor Ukulele for High G?
2
Replies
21
Views
1K
Voran
Voran
L
Favorite Kala Solid Body (Soprano)
Replies
9
Views
1K
Ukulele Jim
Ukulele Jim
N
High-end Ukulele Connoisseurs: Who's your favorite builder?
2
Replies
38
Views
1K
doctorapatite
doctorapatite
frets alot
Show Us Your Favorite Non-Uke Instruments
2 3 4
Replies
64
Views
2K
Doc Ivory
Doc Ivory
Top Bottom