New Ukes Day - Which Martin Mahogany Tenor Sounds Best
- Thread starter rhiggie
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@bearbike137 I noticed that your signature indicates you once again possess a Ko’olau. A T100 mahogany w/ a radius fretboard must be fantastic.
I just wanted to say I’m happy for you and am glad to see you once again united with one of Noa’s creations.
Did not mean to hijack the thread. Back to the regularly scheduledshenanigans programming!
I just wanted to say I’m happy for you and am glad to see you once again united with one of Noa’s creations.
Did not mean to hijack the thread. Back to the regularly scheduled
bearbike137
Well-known member
Hey - thank you for the kind note. I really am enjoying the Ko'olau. You may recall that I really messed up my shoulder last year due to a fall. I thought I was done playing ukes, but with the help of a doctor friend of mine, I have recovered fully. This particular Ko'olau was made with century old dark mahogany and it sounds amazing. Thanks for the shout out.
OP
OP
Final answer... with the votes on here and guys in my band listening with their backs turned, the choice is obvious. Obvious that is as in almost a perfect 1/2 liked uke #1 and the other half #2. There is major concurrence that uke 1 is more mello and laid back, and uke 2 bolder and louder. And that just proves beautiful voice is in the ear of the beholder. I might mention that everyone who heard it played live voted for #2, so maybe the recorded voices weren't the same as live. But hey, I tried to make the recordings as equal in playing as I could. Thanks to everyone for your votes, but you didn't help much with my decision of which to keep... Rick
OP
OP
Oh, you might be wondering...
#1 was the IZ model quilted mahogany, #2 was the sinker mahogany.
Kind of funny that Vince Gill did a review of Martin's guitars made from the sinker wood and it's pretty similar. He said the sinker guitars have more "power" and sustain, and he ordered one of every guitar model they made from the sinker mahogany (he's a huge Martin fan).
In the meantime, I'm going to keep playing them both to see if my 1st choice changes. Thanks again for the input!
#1 was the IZ model quilted mahogany, #2 was the sinker mahogany.
Kind of funny that Vince Gill did a review of Martin's guitars made from the sinker wood and it's pretty similar. He said the sinker guitars have more "power" and sustain, and he ordered one of every guitar model they made from the sinker mahogany (he's a huge Martin fan).
In the meantime, I'm going to keep playing them both to see if my 1st choice changes. Thanks again for the input!
Knowing you’re in a band makes all the difference! Mic up the band, make proper recordings of yourself playing both in context, match levels (if using a single condenser mic, make sure to do this at point of recording), and listen back blindly as a group. Trust the most informed, experienced ears. In the room, “louder is better” is going to dominate; this is less relevant in a band unless you play primarily acoustically without reinforcement.
Note that if you use stage monitors or perform small venues, #1 is likely less resonant and better behaved. Just a thought.
EDIT: you might even want to try the above with a few pieces of varying repertoire. That’s how I’d decide anyway; plus it’s always fun to listen back to friends.
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