thewallylama
New member
- Joined
- Nov 18, 2014
- Messages
- 3
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First off, let me issue my "disclaimer" by stating that I work at a music store (The Folk Shop, in Tucson, AZ) that sells these. But we don't sell them online, just in the store. My goal here is not to advertise or promote. I BELIEVE I am following good forum etiquette--if not, moderators please let me know! I know that when I was looking for reviews on this, I could not find much (other than Ian Chapman's well written blog) so wanted to share what I have found.
Features:
Solid mango top, back and sides. Mahogany neck, sealed tuners, rope binding and rosette. Came with bone saddle and nut, Aquila Nylgut strings.
Sound:
Very distinctive sound! It is bright and lively.. I would describe the sound as between koa and maple. To my ear, it has some of the happy but warm sound of koa and the shorter decay and clarity of maple. I actually switched out the Aqulla strings it came with to D'Addario J54's to slighly mellow the "maple" brightness of it. The sound is well balanced across the strings. I felt that soundwise it worked well both strumming and fingerpicking. I pick (and strum) with nails because of my guitar style. This can be a challenge on ukes but seemed to work a little better on mango than other tonewoods i've tried. The sound is sort of soprano or concert like in its tone and brightness, but with the volume of a tenor (and playability).
Playability:
This came with a great setup. Very well done--other than choosing to switch out the strings, I thought it was just right: low enough for easy playability but not too low to buzz. The first stage of production is overseas (I believe Indonesia) but the bridge, tuners and setup is done in the US at Mainland's shop in Indiana. The care of the setup is obvious.
Finish and appearance:
The rope binding is extremely attractive and very well done. The mango on this one is not at all spalted but quite straight grain like mahogany can be. If the light catches it a certain way, you can see a nice swirl. Matte finish on this one; all looked good. The tuners are sealed, without a name on them; they seem to be of very good quality and work well. Nice looking logo--seems inlaid/screened and not a decal, if not it fooled me! I could not find any blemishes or irregularities.
Support:
I've had no reason to need follow up support on this, can say that my dealings with Mike at Mainland Ukes have been very positive.
Conclusion:
This is a lovely to look at, easy to play and good (while unique) sounding ukulele. The mango is not for everyone, as it is notably brighter than mahogany or even koa. I think it is a good choice for someone who likes the happy bright sound of a soprano or concert but wants easier playability AND wants to fingerpick as well as strum. I am attaching a link to a YouTube video I did for the store. It focuses on the positive and I am a somewhat new convert to ukulele from guitar (so my playing is not advanced), but I think it will be helpful just as well.
Thanks!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LIxXm11nKE
Features:
Solid mango top, back and sides. Mahogany neck, sealed tuners, rope binding and rosette. Came with bone saddle and nut, Aquila Nylgut strings.
Sound:
Very distinctive sound! It is bright and lively.. I would describe the sound as between koa and maple. To my ear, it has some of the happy but warm sound of koa and the shorter decay and clarity of maple. I actually switched out the Aqulla strings it came with to D'Addario J54's to slighly mellow the "maple" brightness of it. The sound is well balanced across the strings. I felt that soundwise it worked well both strumming and fingerpicking. I pick (and strum) with nails because of my guitar style. This can be a challenge on ukes but seemed to work a little better on mango than other tonewoods i've tried. The sound is sort of soprano or concert like in its tone and brightness, but with the volume of a tenor (and playability).
Playability:
This came with a great setup. Very well done--other than choosing to switch out the strings, I thought it was just right: low enough for easy playability but not too low to buzz. The first stage of production is overseas (I believe Indonesia) but the bridge, tuners and setup is done in the US at Mainland's shop in Indiana. The care of the setup is obvious.
Finish and appearance:
The rope binding is extremely attractive and very well done. The mango on this one is not at all spalted but quite straight grain like mahogany can be. If the light catches it a certain way, you can see a nice swirl. Matte finish on this one; all looked good. The tuners are sealed, without a name on them; they seem to be of very good quality and work well. Nice looking logo--seems inlaid/screened and not a decal, if not it fooled me! I could not find any blemishes or irregularities.
Support:
I've had no reason to need follow up support on this, can say that my dealings with Mike at Mainland Ukes have been very positive.
Conclusion:
This is a lovely to look at, easy to play and good (while unique) sounding ukulele. The mango is not for everyone, as it is notably brighter than mahogany or even koa. I think it is a good choice for someone who likes the happy bright sound of a soprano or concert but wants easier playability AND wants to fingerpick as well as strum. I am attaching a link to a YouTube video I did for the store. It focuses on the positive and I am a somewhat new convert to ukulele from guitar (so my playing is not advanced), but I think it will be helpful just as well.
Thanks!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LIxXm11nKE
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