Loprinzi Owners Club

[tomthebaptist]

Don’t know if there is a Loprinzi club, or not. If not, Lets start start one. I have three Loprinzi. A Model A Tenor Cheery, a custom Mahogany Concert with peg head tuners, and a custom Soprano with Spanish cypress back and side and spruce top. Donna makes a great ukulele at an affordable price. Thank you Donna for your hard work.

If you are a Loprinzi owner join the club.

Tom

 

[unrealdark]

I have 2 Loprinzi. I got them from France.

1- Soprano Nova. Mahogany. Hight G. Living water.
2- Tenor Model D. Koa. High G. Living water.

It is a delight to play classic or finger picking. Not too much volume but not quiet. Perfect for me. It has great expressiveness whether you play delicately or with character.

One of my friends, renowned Spanish luthier (flamenco and classical guitars from Seville) was quite impressed when I showed him my Loprinzi. He didn't know anything about them (Donna/Augustino) but he knew that whoever built that instrument was a great luthier.

 

[tomthebaptist]

I have 2 Loprinzi. I got them from France.

1- Soprano Nova. Mahogany. Hight G. Living water.
2- Tenor Model D. Koa. High G. Living water.

It is a delight to play classic or finger picking. Not too much volume but not quiet. Perfect for me. It has great expressiveness whether you play delicately or with character.

One of my friends, renowned Spanish luthier (flamenco and classical guitars from Seville) was quite impressed when I showed him my Loprinzi. He didn't know anything about them (Donna/Augustino) but he knew that whoever built that instrument was a great luthier.

Yes. Both Donna and her father, Augustine are great luthiers, IMO world class luthiers. Loprinzi ukuleles May be the best kept secret int the Ukulele World.

 

[Nickie]

I sold my Loprinzi to my bestie, she plays it way better than I could. But I know Donna and Augie. Loprinzi was the 1st sponsor of TBUS, 10 years ago. They've donated a new uke to TBUS for our TBUG raffle every year.
They are great ukes, and one day I may have Donna build me another. She is trying to shape a lousy neck on a cheap banjouke I own.
There are at least 10 Loprinzi uke owners around here, and many more guitar owners. Now, Donna builds 10 ukes to one guitar. She and her assistant, Butch, stay very busy.

 

[balzac]

I have a custom mahogany concert. It's a wonderful instrument. It's definitely a tier above my other ukes (Kala, Islander) in the richness and complexity of the sound. Easy to play. I hope to one day acquire another one.

 

[bunnyf]

Love my walnut soprano! I've had it for maybe 7 yrs. or so. It's the instrument that put an end to my UAS. I'm completely satisfied. Great tone, beautiful craftsmanship and understated good-looks.

 

[Joyful Uke]

I think that LoPrinzi ukuleles are a great bargain.
A little on the quiet side, (which is fine for me), but great sound, great intonation, and easy to play.

I bought mine used, but had a question, and Donna very quickly got back to me and was very helpful. She seems like someone I'm glad to support.

 

[Kenn2018]

I bought a used 2017 Loprinzi FM-Custom Mahogany tenor not too long ago here on the UU Marketplace. I like it very much. In fact I took it to the GMUG festival this weekend and was asked by several ukulele players: "Who made it?" With comments about how nice the solid "quilted" Mahogany body was. Those that tried it out, liked playing it a lot. The wide 1-7/16" nut and the shallow D neck seemed comfortable to most, but a couple of players did comment that it was a little wide for their smaller hands. It's light weight and beautifully made.

I agree with Unrealdark that it isn't the loudest Mahogany tenor I have, not quiet, but not in your face loud. It has a complex, well-balanced sound, and is one of the few tenors that I prefer with re-entrant strings. I especially enjoy it for learning fingerstyle playing. It sounds great strummed as well. (I have Living Waters strings on it.)

All-in-all, it's a terrific tenor.

 

[Tonya]

Put me in the LoPrinzi club, please! My first ukulele, one I was with monogomously for almost 10 years, was a LoPrinzi spruce/mahogany with red accents/skunk line. It was made by Augie, when Donna was just getting "officially" involved at their shop. It was a surprise birthday gift from my husband the year I discovered ukulele: 2003. I'd met Augie at the UkeExpo in August 2003 (at the Rhode Island School of Design) and fell in love with his instruments. Mark found the file I had on my hard drive, "Ukes to dream for..." and tracked down Augie and the ukulele. It was one perfect little soprano--and really sang out with a lovely tone.

It burned up when our home burned in the Camp Fire in November 2018. Sigh. While I'm fortunate to own two Moore Bettahs, I'd love to find another little soprano made by Augie. The photo below was at the MidWest Uke Fest in October 2005--Augie strummed my little soprano and even he was surprised at the lovely tone it had developed!



P.S. If anyone is interested, I have a number of photos of Augie and his ukuleles back in 2003+. Our son did one of the LoPrinzi early website iterations and Augie gifted him with a custom guitar for his work.

 

[MarionUke]

Hi, I have a LoPrinzi Concert Koa and love it. Her name (haha) is Lola. Bought it from a violin music store in New Jersey. Haven’t been able to figure out what the meaning of ‘Special’ on the label means. Anyone know?

 

[CYN]

I have an all maple LoPrinzi concert with pickup. It has a very clear bright voice but not too bright. Great sustain and harmonics. I also have a Sailor all cherry concert which is made by Donna for Uke Republic. I absolutely love that uke for sound and feel of the neck. The neck is slightly thinner and shallower that the LoPrinzi maple. Both are great ukes and are great quality. Would recommend them to anyone.

 

[Tom51251]

I recently purchased a LoPrinzi Tenor Ovangol/spruce ukulele with ebony

 

[Lonanczi2]

I love LoPrinzi ukes!
I have a cherry tenor and it's maybe my favorite of all. Don't tell anyone, but I think it sounds equal to or better than the much more high end ukes that I own. I first discovered the brand in a music store outside of Boston and at the time I thought it was out of my price range, but I kept dreaming of it. If there is a LoPrinzi club, sign me up.

 

[bunnyf]

My walnut (model B) soprano is my forever uke. I think I’ve had it for about 7 yrs and I will always keep it. It’s also cured any UAS I may have had. I have, in fact, just treated her to new Gotoh plan.tuners.

 

[Tom51251]

I love LoPrinzi ukes!
I have a cherry tenor and it's maybe my favorite of all. Don't tell anyone, but I think it sounds equal to or better than the much more high end ukes that I own. I first discovered the brand in a music store outside of Boston and at the time I thought it was out of my price range, but I kept dreaming of it. If there is a LoPrinzi club, sign me up.

I agree with you. I’m seriously thinking of putting my Kamaka HF-3 up for sale and having Donna to build me another custom. By the way, how do you like the Larivee Parlor guitar?

 

[Lonanczi2]

I agree with you. I’m seriously thinking of putting my Kamaka HF-3 up for sale and having Donna to build me another custom. By the way, how do you like the Larivee Parlor guitar?

The Larivee is a sweet parlor. I did all kinds of research for really small bodied guitars in the under $1K range about 10 years ago - and this was one of the best.

I’d love another LoPrinzi too. Go for it!

 

[jaybeetwo]

Are Augustino Loprinzi ukuleles 100% made in USA in Florida? Not partially assembled in Asia? Some of their models are under $500. Not saying there is anything wrong with ukuleles made in Asia or Mexico. Just curious if the lower end models are made off-shore.

 

[Nickie]

LoPrinzi Guitars and Ukuleles are 15 minutes from here. I've never heard of an under $500 model, nor a Chinese model. They are all built right here.

 

[rubykey]

For a brief while I owned a loprinzi Maple concert. It had a unique tobacco stain with black binding and didn't fit any of her ABC lines or however she categories them. I asked her how that ukulele came to be and she said sometimes she just likes to makea few for fun. Trying something new or different. So that might be what special means. Or else maybe it's a special order that someone else specified. I'm just guessing here it was a beautiful ukulele built like a jewel box. Thin fast easy neck the tone was spot-on but we didn't bond. I have a maple soprano that I just love and I couldn't forgive that loprinzi for not having a similar chime. So now I only flirt with ukuleles I encounter, but never take them home with me. Ain't Misbehavin I've got all the ukes I need

 

[Squirrel40]

I just ordered a custom concert and excited to get it in a few weeks. I wont have anything to compare it except an Ibanez beginner uke. I have read nothing but good about them and they sound great on the videos. The price seems really fair.