Unboxing only. Will try to come back & add sound sample after string change has settled.
Excellent, robust packaging, very fair shipping costs, shipped faster than expected (4 days via DHL from Ho Chi Min City to major city on west coast of USA; ordered March 7th w usual eBay name with 1st name abbreviated, got message March 12th requesting full name, arrived at my secure rental mailbox on March 16th). Arrived in a nice ~10mm padded gig bag with single adjustable built-in strap on back.
Initial impression: elegantly & precisely *hand made, solidly built.
This pocket uke is to the Ohana SK21 or O'Nino solids what my trusty Pono RTC-C-Pro is to my Kamaka HF3.
*Hand made in that there are signs this instrument was crafted more by human hands (which all previously mentioned ukes all have) than computer programmed machines... More human hand crafted as opposed to for example, newer Collings, which at times to me seem extremely CNC machine-precise ("too"?) perfect. IMO human hand crafted-ness gives the instrument a more "living" feeling. I like that this uke's body is not gossamer-light so that the weight distribution isn't tilted towards the headstock as are some other sub-sopranos. I can balance this uke on my finger around the 9th fret. Headstock shape & size has enough space for D'addario micro tuner on top.
Cool-to-me features: Arch (single piece)back AND arch top, wide bodied, rounded-off cutaway, with last 5 frets "floating" fretboard over the body. Wood patterns on every part of this uke, Vine pattern on fretboard. I'm pretty picky about bling and thought this had just the right amount. Eight sound holes in the shape of the Eight Islands of Hawaii, with most of the sound coming through Maui & especially the Big Island - fun & sort of nostalgic.
From YT description:
Bruce Wei GUT11-2001. Very pleased with first impressions. Will change out stock strings (needed for tension in shipping) to fluorocarbon fishing line which allows for normal GCEA tuning. After new strings settle, may post sound sample. See bridge info below for details on changing strings.
~~~~~~*Sopranissimo Ukulele~~~~~~
HiG: SeaguarBlue60; 0.740mm 0.029"
C: HiSeasQuattro80; 0.90mm 0.035"
E: SeaguarBlue80; 0.810mm 0.032"
A: SeagarBlue 50; 0.660mm 0.026"
*based on trial/error with two Ohana sopranissimos:
O'Nina ONINA-PL scale length 11" & Teeny Tiny Pineapple TTPK-25G scale length 11-1/16".
~~~~~~THIS Bruce Wei GUT11-2001 Specifications~~~~~~
Scale Length: 11"
Overall Length: 18 1/2" (470 mm)
Body Width: 7" (177 mm)
Fingerboard Width At Nut & 12th Fret: 34 mm & 39 mm
Number of Frets Total: 17 (challenging for those with wide fingers)
Top, Back & Sides Material: Carved Arch top Acacia
Head Plate Material: Solid Rosewood
Stock Strings: Italian Aquila Strings
Neck Material: Solid Hard Maple
Fretboard Material: Solid Rosewood
Nut & Saddle Material: Real Buffalo Bone
Finish: Polished Satin
Bridge Material: Solid Macassar Ebony
.... of note: thru bridge is my favorite style of bridge; may be tricky to change strings if one has wide fingers. I first pushed knotless string thru bridge until string was visible/palpable thru "Big Island" sound hole. Wide finger people may want to use minimum ~5" long tweezers, something like these plastic 4.5" https://ebay.us/TN1bcb. For safest no-scratch results, protect uke with painter's tape before working on it.
Excellent, robust packaging, very fair shipping costs, shipped faster than expected (4 days via DHL from Ho Chi Min City to major city on west coast of USA; ordered March 7th w usual eBay name with 1st name abbreviated, got message March 12th requesting full name, arrived at my secure rental mailbox on March 16th). Arrived in a nice ~10mm padded gig bag with single adjustable built-in strap on back.
Initial impression: elegantly & precisely *hand made, solidly built.
This pocket uke is to the Ohana SK21 or O'Nino solids what my trusty Pono RTC-C-Pro is to my Kamaka HF3.
*Hand made in that there are signs this instrument was crafted more by human hands (which all previously mentioned ukes all have) than computer programmed machines... More human hand crafted as opposed to for example, newer Collings, which at times to me seem extremely CNC machine-precise ("too"?) perfect. IMO human hand crafted-ness gives the instrument a more "living" feeling. I like that this uke's body is not gossamer-light so that the weight distribution isn't tilted towards the headstock as are some other sub-sopranos. I can balance this uke on my finger around the 9th fret. Headstock shape & size has enough space for D'addario micro tuner on top.
Cool-to-me features: Arch (single piece)back AND arch top, wide bodied, rounded-off cutaway, with last 5 frets "floating" fretboard over the body. Wood patterns on every part of this uke, Vine pattern on fretboard. I'm pretty picky about bling and thought this had just the right amount. Eight sound holes in the shape of the Eight Islands of Hawaii, with most of the sound coming through Maui & especially the Big Island - fun & sort of nostalgic.
From YT description:
Bruce Wei GUT11-2001. Very pleased with first impressions. Will change out stock strings (needed for tension in shipping) to fluorocarbon fishing line which allows for normal GCEA tuning. After new strings settle, may post sound sample. See bridge info below for details on changing strings.
~~~~~~*Sopranissimo Ukulele~~~~~~
HiG: SeaguarBlue60; 0.740mm 0.029"
C: HiSeasQuattro80; 0.90mm 0.035"
E: SeaguarBlue80; 0.810mm 0.032"
A: SeagarBlue 50; 0.660mm 0.026"
*based on trial/error with two Ohana sopranissimos:
O'Nina ONINA-PL scale length 11" & Teeny Tiny Pineapple TTPK-25G scale length 11-1/16".
~~~~~~THIS Bruce Wei GUT11-2001 Specifications~~~~~~
Scale Length: 11"
Overall Length: 18 1/2" (470 mm)
Body Width: 7" (177 mm)
Fingerboard Width At Nut & 12th Fret: 34 mm & 39 mm
Number of Frets Total: 17 (challenging for those with wide fingers)
Top, Back & Sides Material: Carved Arch top Acacia
Head Plate Material: Solid Rosewood
Stock Strings: Italian Aquila Strings
Neck Material: Solid Hard Maple
Fretboard Material: Solid Rosewood
Nut & Saddle Material: Real Buffalo Bone
Finish: Polished Satin
Bridge Material: Solid Macassar Ebony
.... of note: thru bridge is my favorite style of bridge; may be tricky to change strings if one has wide fingers. I first pushed knotless string thru bridge until string was visible/palpable thru "Big Island" sound hole. Wide finger people may want to use minimum ~5" long tweezers, something like these plastic 4.5" https://ebay.us/TN1bcb. For safest no-scratch results, protect uke with painter's tape before working on it.
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