Cordoba 25CB & Paulele KBUS Side By Side Full Review
March 26, 2011 at 11:30 pm | Posted in Concert, Cordoba, General, Kiwaya, Paulele, Reviews, Soprano | 3 CommentsTags: bamboo, cheap, Full review, Humidity, Laminate, posts, review, uke, ukulele
Quick preface to this article; I wrote this a long time ago, but the Cordoba ended up cracking before I could finish the review. I have never had an instrument crack before, and I keep the humidity between 40-50% at all times. So if some of this article seems like you have read it before, you have. I took parts of it to get the Kiwaya one done. I now have another Cordoba 25CB and now I am able to get this baby out….with a few edits.
HERE is the Full Review of the Paulele.
What we have is a comparison of two bamboo ukes. The Cordoba 25CB and the Paulele KBUS made by Kiwaya, but first a joke.
A panda walks into a diner, sits down, and orders a sandwich. He eats the sandwich, pulls out a gun, and shoots the waiter dead. As the panda stands up to go, the manager shouts, “Hey! Where are you going? You just shot my waiter, and you didn’t even pay for your sandwich!”
“Hey, man, I’m a PANDA!” the panda shouts back. “Look it up!”
The manager googles panda and reads: “Panda: a tree-dwelling mammal of Asian origin, characterized by distinct black and white coloring. Eats shoots and leaves.”
Sorry, best bamboo joke I found, but since we are thinking about bamboo now, let’s talk about the newest oldest material used for ukuleles!
Paulele Body
If you have been watching the trends in the instrument world you may have noticed that many companies are trying to go “green”. For example Martin is now making a cherry ukulele because it is a plentiful wood that is fast growing. The other material is bamboo. Bamboo has been used for thousands of years for food, building materials, and musical instrument (Mostly wind, and some acoustic). Talk about fast growing! Some bamboo can grow 12-48 inches a day and is so prevalent that the only place you don’t find it is Europe (and do you blame it, who wants to grow in Europe! I kid, I kid)
Using bamboo makes a ton of sense being that it is a hardy grass, yes a grass, it is super strong, looks awesome, and it is pretty moisture resistant. On the tough side I have seen pictures of a guy (G Randal Wright) doing a handstand on a custom Bamboo uke (I would have tried it but 1. They are not my ukes. 2. I can’t do a handstand)
Both use the same tuners
So here is where I am confused…Is it a laminate? A bamboo shoot would not be big enough to make a ukulele so they glue them together, but side by side. So does that mean it is a solid top, sides, and back? Really most ukuleles are 2 pieces that are book matched and they are considered solid top and back. When you use bamboo it is just several pieces joined side-to-side. For arguments sake I will say these ukes are solid bamboo, and I mean almost all bamboo. The top, sides, back neck, fret board, bridge, and lining are all bamboo. The only things that are not are the nut, saddle, tuning machines, and the bracing (I think they both have maple bracing which is a good choice)
In this review I was lucky enough to have them both at the same time and figured I would do a comparison, there is not a declared winner in the end. These are very different and also the same and it really comes down to personal preference. Read on or skip to bottom for scores and final thoughts, and if you have read this far then why not read the rest.
Specs:
| Cordoba 25CB (C for scores below) Concert : 18 Fret Tuners: Open Geared Bone nut & saddle Top: Bamboo Sides: Bamboo Back: Bamboo Neck: Bamboo and Bamboo fretboard String attachment: Tie Finish: Satin Case: Padded gig bag Full Specs: http://www.cordobaguitars.com/25cb |
Paulele KBUS (P for scores below) Soprano : 12 Fret Tuners: Open Geared Bone nut & saddle Top: Bamboo Sides: Bamboo Back: Bamboo Neck: Bamboo and Bamboo fretboard String attachment: Tie Finish: Satin Case: Padded gig bag Full Specs: http://www.kiwayaukuleles.com |
Looks
First look: (C:4 P:4) Although both will stand out in a crowd with the unique bamboo grain I find them kind of boring. They have no zing, zip, pizzazz, and other words like that. My friend Alex nailed it when he said “they should have more contrast. A rosewood or dark stained fret board and bridge would have made it a lot more interesting to look at”. I agree with Alex and I would have like to see a little bling like a rosette around the sound hole. for $200 I would think they might have some decoration.
Fit and Finish: (C:1 P:5) Both look really nice and well made. Both are sporting
Do you see the crack?
a nice matte finish and tight seams, but the Cordoba had some major things that I thought merited a 4 point deduction. Many of the joints have glue sticking out, the second one I received looks like it is also cracked, and it has small pits and scratches all over . You can feel it and see it if you look close. Another thing that sets them apart is how the back bracing is done. The Cordoba has a normal slightly curved back that goes from the butt to the heel and has nice bracing. The Paulele has no bracing and is an arched back, and that is so awesome. An arched back is a really cool thing to have that you see in violins and some guitars that have laminate back. The arched back adds to sound and not having bracing just lets it sing and adds depth to the sound.
YUCK!! Butt Glue!
Sound:
: The Cordoba is a nice clear mellow sound that you would get from a spruce top ukulele. The Paulele is a punch and forward sound that seems to jump out of it as you play. it almost throws the sound in front of the sound hole. Both a preference of the sound you want.
See, No back bracing!! How awesome is that?
Sound Type
Intonation: (C:5 P:4) As you can see the score differ a little bit between the
two ukes. we will start with why the Paulele scored lower. when playing chords that involve the first to the third frets the notes can go sharp if you press all the way down to the fret board. I think this is due in part to the nut being a little high, something that can be addressed by a good music shop. Beside that both are spot on with intonation all the way up. The Cordoba plays like a $250 uke should.
Volume: (C:5 P:5) Here is where we are comparing apple to oranges when it come to these ukuleles. It would be un fair to say that the Paulele is not as loud, it is a soprano and the Cordoba is a concert. both are very loud and should not have any issues being heard. I will say the Paulele is a screamer and may actually be too loud for some people.
Sustain: (C:5 P:5) Long and nice. I think the bamboo might actually have an advantage over wood in this aspect. It just seems to ring longer than my other ukes.
Feel:
String Height: (C:Low P:Medium) The Cordoba was setup with really low action and it seems to not be an issue. Very easy to play. The Paulele is medium, just a regular heith which I think hurts it since the nut is high and messes with playing.
Bamboo Galore!
Neck Radius Depth: (1/2″) Standard neck, Both feels like a normal C Neck.
Frets: (C:4 P:4) This is my “What the Hell” moment for both of them. If I am going to pay $200+ for a ukulele I expect the fret s to not be felt on the sides of the fret board. that is the only issue I see and it is with both. the frets are well done beside sometimes getting caught while strumming with the frets sticking out where the fret board is in the body. Maybe I am too critical.
Tuning: (C:5 P:5) Same exact tuners on both and they work great, I wish they were friction tuners but really it is what sells to the masses. they tune easily and stay in tune, what else could you ask for.
Comfort: (C:4 P:4) I ding both of them for the exact same thing, heavy head that throws the balance off. I think bamboo is lighter than regular wood so the tuning machines over light friction tuners seem to make them feel head heavy.
Sound Hole Smell: Cordoba: Peanuts and wood. Paulele: the sweet smell of a glue stick that you use to have in your desk in like 3rd grade.
Final Thoughts
When I look at these ukuleles I am torn. On one hand the Paulele is better built and just seems tighter but has issues with a nut that is too high, while the Cordoba is nice and plays well but it has glue marks and seems to crack. I think in the end I would get the Paulele and get it setup, but really that is because I don’t have a loud plucky uke in my collection. Having a Bamboo uke would also be kind of fun an novel to show off. “Look what weird thing that I have!!”
Addition from when I first wrote this: I have played several other Cordoba models and find them to be really awesome ukes, I just think that they need to figure out how to work with bamboo and keep it stable
All Rating on a scale of 1-5
Click here for an explanation of reviews
Cordoba 25CB Paulele KBUS
| First Look | 4 | First Look | 4 |
| Fit and Finish | 1 | Fit and Finish | 5 |
| Sound Type | Clear and mellow | Sound Type | Punchy and forward |
| Intonation | 5 | Intonation | 4 |
| Volume | 5 | Volume | 5 |
| Sustain | 5 | Sustain | 5 |
| String Height | low | String Height | Medium |
| Neck Radius Depth | 1/2″ | Neck Radius Depth | 1/2″ |
| Frets | 4 | Frets | 4 |
| Tuning | 5 | Tuning | 5 |
| Comfort | 4 | Comfort | 4 |
| Sound Hole Smell | Peanuts | Sound Hole Smell | Glue stick |
HD Audio Clips:
Paulele KBUS
Cordoba 25CB
Places to buy on the web:
Elderly: Cordoba 25CB- $249
Uke Republic: Paulele KBUS – $198
Amazon: Paulele KBUS – $198 Cordoba 25CB – $249hello
Gallery:
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Cordoba UP110 Ukulele Pack Full Review
December 28, 2010 at 11:24 pm | Posted in Brands, Concert, Cordoba, Reviews | 9 CommentsTags: Full review, Laminate, mahogany, review, uke, ukulele
Full Frontal
Stop me if you have heard this one; A guy walks into Best Buy to purchase computer stuff and comes out with a ukulele. Funny? No? Don’t get me started about Best Buy selling musical instruments, that I could write a novel about, or at least a really long blog post.
Today I have the Cordoba 10CM, or what you will find on the streets and Google as the ukulele that comes in the UP110 pack. It is a starter ukulele from Cordoba Guitars. I think this is the lowest end instrument from them, and that says a lot as you will see as you read.
Yes you can get it from Best Buy, but there are plenty of other places that sell them like Ma & Pa stores in the burbs of Chicago to many online retailers. Funny thing about getting the UP110 pack from Best Buy was that they were offering it free with purchase of a $400+ guitar purchase as a black Friday deal.
I will tell you right up front this is a great starter uke. I would get this thing for any person interested in ukulele and has not purchased one yet.
So you know, I am comparing this to the likes of the Oscar Schmidt OU-2 and the Mitchell ukuleles that are in the same price range. Read on to get the full story.
Specs:
The Pack
Concert : 18 Fret (they say 19, I count 18)
Tuners: Open geared with Pearl Buttons
Bone nut & saddle
Top: Laminate Mahogany
Sides: Laminate Mahogany
Back: Laminate Mahogany
Neck: Mahogany with a Rosewood fretboard
String Attachment: Tie
Finish: Matte
Case: Gig Bag
Other: Pitch Pipe (Really? who uses a pitch pipe?)
Full Specs:
http://www.cordobaguitars.com/up110
Looks
First look: (5) I have to say that it is striking. Very crisp and simple. The grain is nicely defined and it looks really well made. It is not all blinged out or anything. It has no binding, just a nice rosette around the sound hole. Super even finish that looks silky, not flat like most matte finishes
Dirty Fretboard
Fit and Finish: (5) I gave it a 5, but…and it is a minor but, it has glue marks around almost every fret. it looks chalking and bad. That is my only complaint and to fix it all I did was take a almost dry paper towel and clean it off to make it look perfect. It is the small things like glue marks that can turn some people away. This is a very well made instrument. it has a ton going for it. Since it is in lower range in price I do not expect that the bridge and sides of the nut are as smooth and rounded as they are. Also a small thing that shows that they care is the end of the neck, where it meets the body is flush with the back. The other thing that I don’t even see in some $300 ukuleles is the use of kerfed lining. most ukes in this price range use just a thin piece of wood for the lining. All in all it is solid and every other detail is spot on, even better than most ukes that are triple the price.
Kerfed Lining
Sound:
Sound Type: Bold and clear. Better than the Oscar Schmidt OU-2
Intonation: (4) It is not awful, but not the best. I noticed that if you play a G it is a little sharp. Most people would not notice. As with any uke in this price range it was not setup with the most care in the world. I am just happy that it has a nice low nut so you can play most any chord like an A or F without going completely out of whack.
Volume: (5) Loud for a laminate. Most laminates seem to muffle or mute the sound. This one lets it all hang out. I was very impressed
Sustain: (5) Long and nice. I think the volume helps.
Feel:
String Height: (medium Low) Just right. You have a little travel but it is a nice height.
Neck Radius Depth: (3/4″) Average radius depth for a C shaped neck.
Fretboard Cleaned
Frets: (5) The smartest thing for an inexpensive uke is to bind the fret board. it makes it so there is no way to have frets sticking out the side. This ukulele has that and it is nice. beside seeing glue marks on almost every fret, the frets are dressed perfectly.
Tuning: (5) I have found very few sub-$100 ukes that have friction tuners. These are very nice and don’t make the head of the uke heavy and work really well.
EXTREME CLOSE UP OF TUNING MACHINEBody
Comfort: (5) I am so impressed with how smooth this ukulele is, and I mean like butter. The one thing that I check is if the body has rounded edges, and this has really well done edges. I find it really nice to hold and it is pretty light and balanced.
Sound Hole Smell: Nothing, I blew my nose to make sure. It has practically no smell. Just weird. I don’t know if I would buy a uke that smells like nothing, Just joshing, it is weird though.
Final Thoughts
I hope that all the ukes that are being sold out there are as nice as the one I received. I do have my reservations about a uke that you can buy at Best Buy, but on the flipside I see that it is at least available in places that may not have ukuleles.
The Cordoba 10Cm in the UP110 pack is one of the ukes that I recommend for people just starting out for so many reasons. One is that you can get it at Best Buy. The others are that it is a really nice ukulele for the price and plays well. I pulled some out at Best Buy here in Normal, IL and found that they are all like mine in every way. The only thing that I think is funny is that they put a pitch pipe in with it, WHO uses a pitch pipe anymore? That is why we have electric tuners. Just saying.
All Rating on a scale of 1-5
Click here for an explanation of reviews
| First Look | 5 |
| Fit and Finish | 5 |
| Sound Type | Bold and Clear |
| Intonation | 4 |
| Volume | 5 |
| Sustain | 5 |
| String Height | Medium Low |
| Neck Radius Depth | 3/4″ |
| Frets | 5 |
| Tuning | 5 |
| Comfort | 5 |
| Sound Hole Smell | Nothing |
HD Audio Clip
Places to buy on the web:
Best Buy $99
Amazon $99
Honestly, if you find it for less than $99 it would be weird. I think that is the static price that everyone is told to sell it at.
Gallery
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- Body
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- The Pack
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- Fretboard Cleaned
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- Dirty Fretboard
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- Back
-
- Full Frontal
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- Tuners
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- Little head
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- Nice flush heel to the body
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- Kerfed Lining
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- Really? Who Uses a Pitch Pipe?
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- EXTREME CLOSE UP OF TUNING MACHINE
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- Showing the layers in the laminate
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aNueNue Concert Papa II Full Review
December 13, 2010 at 3:48 am | Posted in aNueNue, Brands, Concert, General | 6 CommentsTags: anuenue, Full review, laser, posts, review, uke, ukulele
Head
aNueNue (A-New-ee-New-ee) – The rainbow that fills your soul when you see your loved one smile.
The definition of aNueNue is one that I feel fits all ukuleles and was a great name for a ukulele brand. Also the company seems to try to embrace this concept of bringing joy to everyone with their ukuleles. The one that I am reviewing is the Concert Papa II, one of the least expensive of the aNueNue line, but by no means would I call it cheap. If anything sells me on them more than anything else is that they make a signature Gerald Ross Ukulele. If they are good enough for Mr. Ross, then they must be good enough for me, right? Maybe…Keep reading and I will tell you what I think.
Click to enlarge
Specs:
Concert : 18 Fret
Tuners: Grover 9N STA-TITE
Tusq nut & saddle
Top: Laminate Mahogany
Sides: Laminate Mahogany
Back: Laminate Mahogany
Neck: Mahogany with a Rosewood fretboard
Finish: Matte Open Pores
Case: Thick Padded Gig Bag
Full Specs:
http://www.anuenue-uke.com/html_version/#frame_ukulele_13
Looks
First look: (5) I am a sucker for cool graphic statements on a ukulele. The dancing guys on the front are a nice touch. The wood grain and the color are very nice and have a lot of depth. When you move it the color changes a little due to the rich color and nice matte finish. By no means is it a “fancy” uke, but really I would take better sound and playability over the aesthetics.
Close-up of Bridge and dancers
Fit and Finish: (5) I am hard pressed to say anything bad about the workmanship on this ukulele. The quality control of where it was made must be very good. I have been seeing more and more ukes coming out with really bad mistakes and issues because they need to get as many as they can out. I only see 2 things that I would change. The first is the fret board looks like it is missing a fret, not that there is a cut for it, there is room. The other is that the pattern on the front skips the bridge, and that is good, but they left too big of a space and it looks a little weird. These are both small things that are insignificant on a ukulele in this price range. everything else is really well done.
Sound:
Sound Type: Mellow, and not super loud but very clear. I would compare it to an Oscar Schmidt OU-2 but a nicer and clearer sound.
Intonation: (4) It is a hair off as you get to the 12th fret, but really it is not something that the average player would even notice. When you play any chord it sounds right. Unless you are crazy sensitive to it being off at the 12th fret, then you more than likely would not buy a uke like this anyways.
Volume: (4) As I said before, not super loud. but it is not muffled either, it just does not produce a lot of volume. I would think this could be good if it has a pick-up in it, it would reduce feedback.
Sustain: (4) Not the longest in the world, but it rings for a good amount. Again not something that most would even notice or care about. It is just in the $200 price range I would like it to be better.
Feel:
String Height: (medium Low) It is easy to play and there is no buzzing. Since it is not super low it makes it easier to hit the note and not get any buzzing.
Neck Radius Depth: (3/4″)Average radius depth for a C shaped neck.
Fret Markers
Frets: (5) Low and rounded. there are no signs of sanding them down. Also you can run your fingers down the sides of the neck and they are perfectly flush. This is also helped by the fact that they bind the neck.
Tuning: (5) Normally I would say they lose a point for geared tuners, but the ones that are on this uke are very nice. I like the open tuners because it makes it lighter, and they are very stylized. They also work like a dream to boot.
Tuners
Comfort: (5) Not the lightest uke on the block, but not super heavy either. It is very balanced and easy to hold without the head wanting to go to the floor since it has geared tuners. The one thing that I love about it is the rounded edges of the body. Almost all makers of sub-$200 ukes forget to do that, and for me that shows that they really are focused on details and comfort
Sound Hole Smell: Like glue, as most mass produced ukes do.
Final Thoughts
In the end this is one of those things that you ask “What am I paying $200 for?”. Well…Yes it is a laminate, but it is made really well, comes with a nice thickly padded gig bag, and it is really nice looking. In the end if you want to get a well made ukulele that will stay stable forever and is well made with care, then this is a great uke for you. I brought it camping and it went from hot to cold with no issues at all, and I did not have to worry about it. I would say it is a good uke to start or an upgrade to the sub-$100 ukes.
Awesome Orca uke hanger that clips onto any pole. It is on a floor lamp
All Rating on a scale of 1-5
Click here for an explanation of reviews
| First Look | 5 |
| Fit and Finish | 5 |
| Sound Type | Mellow |
| Intonation | 4 |
| Volume | 4 |
| Sustain | 4 |
| String Height | Medium Low |
| Neck Radius Depth | 3/4″ |
| Frets | 5 |
| Tuning | 5 |
| Comfort | 5 |
| Sound Hole Smell | Glue |
HD Audio Clip
Gallery
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- Close-up of Bridge and dancers
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- Click to enlarge
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- Head
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- Fret Markers
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- Awesome Orca uke hanger that clips onto any pole. It is on a floor lamp
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- Tuners
Places to buy on the web:
Amazon – $151.28
ZZSounds – $189.95
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Oscar Schmidt OU-26 Full Review
July 22, 2010 at 9:19 pm | Posted in Concert, Oscar Schmidt | 6 CommentsTags: cheap, Full review, Oscar Schmidt, OU-2, OU-26, posts, review, uke, ukulele
As some know, my first uke was an Oscar Schmidt OU-2 and I still play it. On a whole it is an in expensive ukulele and it is very sturdy. I will admit for a little while OS had quality issues but since they moved the production from China to Indonesia it seems to have solved the issues.
The OU-26 is basically an OU-2 with 6 strings. The C and A Strings have an octave string with them (C is up and octave, A is down an octave) Other than that they are identical.
Specs:
Concert
Body: Laminated Mahogany
Saddle : Bone
Nut : Bone
String : Aquila
Peg : Closed Gear chrome
Looks
First look: (4) The newer laminates from OS seem to be more red than before. I would almost say that the color is more of a cedar red. It is obvious that it is not an expensive uke since it has a plain white silk screen logo and it says “Aloha” at the top. I wish they would leave that off, it is really cheesy. One of the things that I think shows that it is at least of some quality is the binding on the fret board and the fret markers are actual inlays. The satin does not do much for it either. I have seen much nicer looking ukuleles. The fact that it has 6 strings will make most uke players pick it up above all other aspects.
Fit and Finish: (4) For the price it is really well made, saying that, it is a tank. The finish is very smooth and there are no glue marks or weird wood patterns that you may find on some other cheaper ukuleles. The laminate they use is very thick and makes it a bit heavy but sturdy. I would give this to any kid and not worry about serious damage. With a basic 3 piece neck with a nice smooth finish it is nice to play. The saddle could use a little work, it seemed kind of rough to the touch. One of my big gripes is that the edges are very sharp, not like a knife, but if you play it for an extended period it will leave a crease and become uncomfortable to play. Over all it is straight and all the parts that you would want someone to pay attention too are taken care of such as the nut and saddle are really well done and the frets are nice and dressed. I know that having the instruments setup in the USA helps with the end product.
Sound:
Sound Type: Fuller than any 4 string ukulele. The extra 2 strings make it almost lute sounding and give that base note that helps round out the sound without having to have another instrument like a guitar helping to boost the sound or having to have a low G string.
Intonation: (5) Intonation is perfect. The compensated saddle may have something to do with it. Also OS is constantly improving their ukes. Tom Ferone seems to always be tweaking the different ukuleles in the OS line to make them the best production ukes he can make.
Volume: (4) With the extra strings it is louder, but still not as loud as many of my other ukuleles. I think the thicker top is to blame for volume.
Sustain: (5) I like the way that it sings. The Wrapped A it seemed to die sooner than the others. Not a big deal.
Feel:
String Height: (Medium) Very playable. The neck is nice and straight so the strings are at a really good height
Neck Radius Depth: (3/4″) Average radius depth for a C shaped neck.
Frets: (5) I really like it when the fret board has binding on it. It is a cheat in some ways, but you can’t feel any frets on the side of the neck. All the frets are dressed nicely. Not too low or high.
Tuning: (4) This is one of those instruments that if one string is off you will notice right away. Since there are an extra 2 strings it is harder to tune and only hit the one string you want to tune. I ended up using a pick to hit each string.
Comfort: (4) HEAVY but you almost don’t notice it. Unlike the OU-2 it is very balanced. Usually the geared tuners make the head really heavy but not on this one. I think that since you know it has 6 strings you excuse that it is heavy. What bugs me is how the edges are not rounded at all. It can make it uncomfortable to play for an extended period of time.
Smell: (Elmer’s Glue)
Final Thoughts
I think that anyone who wants to have some fun and have a very different uke then this is a great addition to any ukulele players collection. I would not recommend this as a daily player though. I found that there are many songs that don’t sound right when played with it, like most songs. I really liked it for a list of Beatles songs like Let It Be, but beyond that it takes some trial and error to find the right songs to use it for. The other thing that I found is that I had to use a felt pick to get the full sound out of it, otherwise I was not hitting the low A and it sounded weird. Other than that I did like it a lot, too bad I had to give it away.
I figured that not very many people would be super excited about an Oscar Schmidt uke as a give-a-way so while I was checking out the Bluestone Folk Schools Uke building class I met Spencer, Joni’s son. Joni was nice enough to let me stay at her house so I would not have to rush home that same day. Her son Spencer is very talented and the night I stayed over we pulled all the ukes I brought to show people, I brought 6 in total, and Spence seemed to gravitate toward the OU-26. So the next morning I got up and took some pics of the ukulele and then handed it over with the promise that he would make a video. The rest is history.
All Rating on a scale of 1-5
Click here for an explanation of reviews
| First Look | 4 |
| Fit and Finish | 4 |
| Sound Type | Fuller than a 4 String |
| Intonation | 5 |
| Volume | 4 |
| Sustain | 5 |
| String Height | Medium |
| Neck Radius Depth | 3/4″ |
| Frets | 5 |
| Tuning | 4 |
| Comfort | 4 |
| Smell | Elmer’s Glue |
Places to buy on the web:
Elderly Music : $75
David S. Gill Ukuleles
July 19, 2010 at 8:05 pm | Posted in Brands, Concert, D.S.Gill | 4 CommentsTags: cheap, Concert, D.S.Gill, Divid Gill, fest, festival, Gill, Pineapple, Play, posts, Solid, Spalted, uke, ukulele
Accounting System
Every so often you find something that seems too good to be true. You may find $20 on the ground or you get something for half off and you feel lucky. When I found D.S.Gill ukes at Weed Patch Music in Nashville, IN I could not believe that there was a guy making ukuleles in his garage out of solid wood for only $350, and they sound awesome.
Please don’t get me wrong, they are not made of super high grade lumber that is purchased from a high end luthier woodshop, but they still look, sound, and play like most any high end ukulele that you will find. At $350 I am hard pressed to find anything in the $1200 range that has the quality and sound that his ukes have. I will get into more about the wood, but first a little about David S. Gill.
David holding my baby
I first met David during the Ukulele World Congress (UWC). It was kind of by chance that I was able to meet him. The Saturday morning of the UWC is left open so people can explore Nashville and buy ukes from Mike at Mainland. I decided to go into town to eat breakfast and to find Weed Patch Music; I was told that there were these great ukuleles that they had that are made in Columbus Indiana. So after some searching I found the place and was absolutely amazed. I played a soprano and then picked up a mahogany concert pineapple; I said to myself “this would be great if it had a spruce top”. Also at the time I did not have $350 to spend on a new ukulele (that and my wife would kill me, 15 ukes is her limit). I went back to UWC and ran into a few friends that also played a few of the Gill ukes and told them that I love the concert pineapple but would love it with a spruce top. By chance one of my friends had called David Gill to see if he made tenors (He does not……Yet) and said I should call and ask, so I did, and he did have a concert pineapple with a spruce top at his shop. Now I did not have $350 to buy it and I figured that he would not have one, but I had to at least see it. I asked if my two friends and I could come and see it and also his shop, he said “Yes, I love when people come by and talk uke” and away we went on our 45 minute drive. We get there and we see a sign that says Handmade Ukuleles and an electric car out front.
"router"
We had heard that David is very unique. When we got there we did not know what to expect. We heard that he had not purchased gas in several years and he drove a golf cart everywhere, and both are true. David has not purchased gas in 3 years. He has geothermal heating and cooling and his “car” runs on electric, and this works for him just fine. He does not need to go very far for anything. Mostly people come to visit him, like us. David is a retired injection engineer which makes sense why his ukuleles are so spot on in every way. Every piece is precisely measured and he has jigs for every part to make sure that it is made just right, down to the micro-meter. His 2 car garage is filled wood working equipment, jigs, and wood. One of the tools he uses to make the dovetail joint for the necks and cut the body pieces is this weird looking router thing that he used to own the patent on that he invented in the 80’s. How it works is still a mystery to me, I could have asked but figured that I had too many other things I wanted to ask.
Davids Car
One thing that many do not know about Gill ukes is that they use to be sold by Bushman under the name of Bluebird and a few other models. They were new wood ukes unlike the ones he makes currently. I actually played a bluebird and loved it, but I could not afford a $400 ukulele at the time and had to pass. But it was very nice. In the end John Hall did not want to sell them anymore and stopped.
Lineup
My Spruce Top Concert Pineapple
That brings me to my ukulele. Yes I did buy it; it just was another trip a few weeks later. But we went to his basement that he has the ukuleles that he has finished. I picked up the spruce top concert pineapple (They are rareish, you can find them from a few makes like Mele and Oscar Schmidt, but you will not see many concert pineapples) It was love at first play. It is light as a feather even though it has geared tuners and it sings. Basically I love it. I am hard pressed to find anything wrong with it. What you will notice is that it is not super decorated with nice purfling or binding; this is because David feels that it weakens the joint. He also does a few other things that most builders do not do. The lining is put in backwards to add stability and he also has thinned out the bracing so that it will vibrate more with the top. Also he makes a 3 piece neck. Not in the way that most do, but it is one continues neck out of one piece but he cuts it in half and puts a strip of walnut between to reinforce the neck. He builds like an engineer and less like an artist like Geoff Davis of Hoosier ukes and the Bluestone Folk School (BSFS). Geoff will make a Ukulele and fine tune as he goes, always adjusting and trying to work with the wood. David knows every aspect of what the size will be and how each part fits and can guarantee it is made exactly to spec.
As I mentioned earlier, the wood that David uses for his ukuleles is a little bit different than most ukulele builders. For the most part David does not buy wood for his ukes, it is all recycled or reclaimed in one way or another. The mahogany that my uke was made with comes from old patterns. (A pattern is a large piece of
Aromatic Cedar Uke
wood that is carved to make molds for casting things. Mahogany was popular since it is so stable) the spruce is from some furniture, I think, and the walnut stripe in the neck if from another pattern. Some of the other woods I saw were the aromatic cedar (That uke smells awesome) that he gets from a place that makes veneers and he gets the pieces that cannot be sawn any thinner due to limitations of the machine, and they come about 1/8 of an inch thick, so perfect start for any instrument. Another place he gets wood is from is friends who happen to find really neat pieces like the spalted maple that he is looking at making into the sides and back of a pineapple.
One of the funny things about David is that there are no models per say. Yes he makes sopranos, concerts, and concert pineapples but the woods that he uses are on a whim. He loves to experiment with woods, like the spalted maple, to see how it will sound. Good or bad that is how it is. For the most part you will find he works in African mahogany and is currently on an aromatic cedar kick.
Spated Maple
In the end if you are looking for an awesome one of a kind ukulele that is made in the USA, then this is the one I would recommend. Visit Weed Patch in Nashville, IN ASAP to experience a true gem for very little money.
HD Sound Sample:
Side
More Pics
The 3 Piece NeckBackNice Butt!
Nice Butt!
BackNice Butt!
Eleuke Concert Full Review
March 23, 2010 at 3:28 am | Posted in Brands, Concert, Eleuke, Reviews | 37 CommentsTags: BugsGear, Electric, Eleuke, Full review, posts, review, Solid, Strap, uke, ukulele
Full Front View
Imagine if back in the day when Led Zeppelin was forming and Jimmy Page decided that his main instrument would be a ukulele!!! If that did happen, and Eleuke was making these ukuleles, he would have played it. I think Led Zeppelin would have been even bigger than they were!…….. Maybe not, But it would have been cool to see.
When someone says ukulele most think of the standard design of a 3 inch deep hollow box with a wood neck, with the wood grain showing, and friction tuners. They don’t think of a 1/2″ thick solid sparkle blue ukulele with a cut away body, geared tuners, no sound hole, and 3 jacks in the end. But why NOT! Uke players can rock out with the best of them gosh darn it!!! (Gotta keep it family friendly) And with the personal MP3 player input you can rock out along with the best of them without disturbing the whole house when you use the built in amp with your headphones plugged in
Eleuke was nice enough to send me a concert sized eleuke a few weeks ago and below is the full review, enjoy.
Specs:
Full Rear View
Model: CCK100BL-MP3
Concert : 19 Fret
Bridge & Saddle : Rosewood
Nut : Rosewood
Pickup : Eleuke original
Output : 1/4″ Phone Jack, H/P output
Input: MP3 Input with connection cable for your MP3 player to play along with backing track.
String : Aquila
Peg : Closed Gear chrome
Bag : Softbag Included
Looks
First look: (4) Its Bright blue, you can’t miss it. My 2009 Honda Civic is the same color (Atomic Blue) I like it because it makes a statement. For some it may not be to their liking, but you can get these in a pineapple, natural wood (Really cool looking since they do strips of different wood), and they also come in purple and red. One of the details that is really hard to photograph is the sparkle in the paint. It looks like car paint, which is not uncommon and means that it is a really sturdy finish. With the mother of pearl binding around the edge of the body and fret board it makes it look like a well made instrument that people took care in making.
My only real turn-off is with the headstock. It has mother of pearl inlay around the body and the position markers, but the headstock logo and design is screen printed on in a flat gold. Just takes away from the overall look.
Headstock
Close-up of the paint
Fit and Finish: (5) When making and instrument there are telltale signs that it is quality. One of them is smoothness of the edges. Every edge has been rounded (Except the bridge where you want it to be crisp). The paint is perfect with no weird blotches. I will say at first I was worried about the paint because it will look kind of dark at the edges when you look at it at an angle. I think this is a two part thing with the sparkle and major thick gloss finish they use.
Other things like the fret board are also just great. The frets are filed back with no edges to catch on. Every joint and part that is not suppose to have paint on it was handled very well. You can tell that it was taped because you can see a small micro space around the fret board at the body from the tape. Not noticeable unless you A) have your face an inch away looking for it , or B) just too picky and expecting a sub $200 ukulele to not have any tiny finish flaws. Either way top notch.
Sound
Sound Type : Depends on where you have the tone knob. All the way down it is mellow and muted, all the way up sharp and tinny.
Intonation: (4) The intonation is not perfect, but I have yet to find a ukulele that is perfect from the factory. With a professionals help it would take a little time to shape the saddle to make it perfect. The only people that would notice are those who are crazy sensitive to pitch. No matter where you play on the fret board it will sound really awesome and right.
Regular Jack, Headphone, MP3 Player in
Volume: (NA) How big is your amp? Unplugged you can hear it, kind of, it is a solid body electric. If you plug this baby into a Marshall double stack and crank it, you could level a house, if that is how you roll. Don’t forget that this has one really unique feature, A built in personal amp. Just plug in some headphones and turn the volume up to make it as loud as you want without disturbing anyone else.
Sustain: (5) Beside the fact that it is an electric, and you can hear the sound as it degrades for longer, it has really good sustain. The Aquila strings have a lot to do with the sound and sustain.
Feel
String Height: (Medium-High) Both the nut and saddle are higher than I would like. Not slide guitar high. The nut could come down a mm or two, and the saddle has room also to come down a bit.
String Height
Neck Radius Depth: (3/4″) Average radius depth for a C shaped neck.
Frets: (5) I measured the fret spacing and found that they are perfect. Along with the frets they are very well dressed with no issues. For the price I was surprised to not to be able to feel the frets from the side of the neck. This is something that shows that great care was taken on the fret board.
Tuning: (4) I know I will get flack for this, but I think ukuleles should come with friction tuners. The ukulele stays in-tune after the strings have settled. Tuning it is very easy with the geared tuners. Perfect ratio for tuning a ukulele. small turns make small changes.
With a Strap
Comfort: (5) The rounded edges, no frets sticking out the side, and the fact that it is very small makes it very comfortable to play. It can sit on your knee while you are sitting. Also has a strap button/amp jack lets you put a strap on it, you just need to tie it to the head on the other side. Very comfortable to play and nothing gets in the way with the cut-out in the body so you can hit the highest notes.
Final Thoughts
I own a Risa solid soprano, so this is not the first electric uke I have played. I love the volume and tone knobs. Very useful when you are playing and need to adjust the sound. The Eleuke is bigger and less compact, but it comes with a great padded clothe case (No kidding at least 2 inches of padding on both top and bottom) and also easier to hold if you don’t want to strap it on. Just a really well made instrument for anyone who wants to play on stage, practice without having others hear it, or just being loud for loads sake.
IF this was my instrument I would take it in to have the action lowered. The way I got it was totally playable, I just am really picky. I would also buy some more fun knobs like these that got to 11. The last thing I would do is put a strap button behind the neck where it meets the body.
If anyone asks me what solid body ukulele to buy, I would say that this is my top choice.
All Rating on a scale of 1-5
Click here for an explanation of reviews
| First Look | 4 |
| Fit and Finish | 5 |
| Sound Type | Depends |
| Intonation | 4 |
| Volume | NA |
| Sustain | 5 |
| String Height | Medium-High |
| Neck Radius Depth | 3/4″ |
| Frets | 5 |
| Tuning | 4 |
| Comfort | 5 |
Papas Boxes Concert Build: The Build
December 31, 2009 at 4:03 am | Posted in Brands, Concert, Papas Boxes | 1 CommentTags: cigar, cigar box, DIY, home made, laser, learning, posts, uke, ukulele
ITS ALIVE!!!!
Well here I am ending the year with a built, and by no means finished cigar box ukulele. In all this project took me a few more weeks than I thought it would. Part of it was life and part of it were things that I did not expect while building this crazy thing. Below I will talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly. (Most of it good with the ugly things stemming from my issues)
Finish
As I said in my last post I would start with the finish I used on the box and the neck. Just like with the whole build I do not have the tools to do the awesome finishes that you might see on professional grade instruments so I went with the best one I know, Traditional Tung Oil Finish from Formby’s. It is simple, I think it looks great, and it is really hard to mess up.
Body Hung by its Jack. The painters tape is coving the area that the fret board is glued to
All I did was hang the body from the pick-up jack that I installed (I think this only works because it is so light) and the neck by some wire strung through one of the screw holes. I used a little painters tape so I would not get it in the top of the fret board (It is not recommended to finish the top of a fret board, I only did the sides). Tore up an old t-shirt to wipe on the Tung oil finish (not actually all oil, I used a modified Tung oil so it has some polyurethane in it)
After a regimen of 6 thin coats of Tung oil, sand with 400 grit sandpaper, another 3 heavy coats of Tung oil, sand with 400 grit sandpaper, followed by 6 thin coats of Tung oil, sand with 400 grit sandpaper , then 600 grit sandpaper. ending with 1 last really really thin coat of Tung oil (Just enough to make it shine and remove sanding marks) I was done. Took about a week to do, but there were issues.
The neck is perfect, no issues, it was with the body that things turned out a little ugly. As you can see in the pictures there are spots. I tried sanding them out but I can only conclude that it is glue from the “plywood” top that seeped through and there was no way to remove it. It is only visible in certain lighting situations. If It was a professionally made instrument it would have been scrapped or thrown away for such defects but I just figured I would soldier on with the build and roll with it and report my issues.
Back Issues. You can see the same type spots that are on the front
- Front Finish Issues. You can see the Spots on the left side by the mouth.
Assembly
A Closer look on how the Neck and Body are Joined
I could bore you with how good I am at following directions, and they are pretty good, I will only touch on what I did and note some interesting things that I encountered.
I will start with attaching the neck to the box. Unlike a normal uke neck that is glued on, the only thing glued to the body is the end of the fret board. The actual neck is held in place with an L bracket and two screws. The beauty of this design, if you follow the templates given, it gives you the ability to adjust the action, kind of acting like a truss rod in a guitar, And I used it to get the best action possible.
The other place of note that I have is with the optional tuning block (I would not do this kit unless I had it). Since the box is a bit shallower that a normal cigar box I had to shorten it about 1/8th of an inch to make it flush with the bottom of the box. With that I also rounded all the edges and did a few coats of the Tung oil. Beyond that I attached it as center as possible, this time I used the extra fret wire to make sure the strings don’t dig into the box.
Tuning Block
Beyond that I put the strings on and slipped the bridge into place, and tuned it. From there it is just some minor adjustments of moving the bridge for intonation (If you look it is a little crooked, that is to compensate for the minor differences that are needed between the G and A strings), and tightening the screw that attaches the neck to the body to lower the strings a little bit.
Final Thoughts
I have a long way until I would say that this ukulele is finished. I want to tweak it until I am absolutely happy with it, don’t get me wrong I could stop here but that is not my style. My plan is to change the strings to either Worth or Aquila, install some strap buttons, and make sure the strings don’t pop out while playing.
Decrotive Hindges
The kits from Papa’s Boxes are the best I have seen around. You can go to places like Mainland Ukes and buy a premade neck and then figure out the bridge, or even go and make a neck yourself. Both are just other paths to go. I don’t have the tools and expertise to do those, that is why this kit rocks. The neck is made, the bridge is done and since it is floating it is forgiving on placement.
Please do not get me wrong, this is a serious kit, you can screw it up if you are not detailed oriented. The best rules to live by for this and any other project is:
1. Measure, Measure, and re-measure
2. Dry fit before you commit. Don’t glue, drill, or screw until you are sure.
3. You are never done. You can always go back and correct or at least cover up your mistakes. Sometimes the worst things can turnout good if you put your mind to it.
The next post on this will be next year. Expect it to follow a few others, but it will be on how I made it better or at least how I tried.
Enjoy my video below.
HD Audio Sample
Links to the first 2 parts of the build
Papas Boxes Concert Build: The Box
December 22, 2009 at 2:22 am | Posted in Brands, Concert, General, Papas Boxes, Products | Leave a commentTags: cigar, cigar box, DIY, home made, learning, posts, uke, ukulele
Current Dry Fit
Being that the cigar box is the main part of a cigar box ukulele I felt I had to make it really interesting and fun. Since I used a box that never held a cigar in its life I also had to make it look like a cigar box, but how to do that is a challenge. On the other hand since it was not a real cigar box it gave me a great opportunity to do whatever I wanted, so I did!
The first thing I did was separate the top from the bottom by removing the hinges, they would not let the box close and I knew I would be gluing it shut anyways.
AnaRosa Guitars logo on the Top of the box
Since all cigar boxes have a logo or brand on the top of the lid I had to find something that would do the same thing. I toyed with a play on Ukeeku, or my last name, and then I remembered that I have the perfect logo, a small guitar import company that my friend started called AnaRosa Guitars. It is really nice, and I have used the logo for a few other ukes that I customized. Now how do I get the logo on the ukulele? I could have painted it on, bought some transfer paper that I printed it on, but in the end I laser etched it on, essentially burned it on. The really awesome people who work in the signs and promo area at the school I work at agreed to burn the logo on the back and whatever other design I had for the front.
Laser engraving the top design, on its first pass
Basically it is a laser engraver that can etch metal, wood, stone, just about anything. The one issue was that it was not powerful enough to cut through, no big deal. So I gave them the .eps file of the logo on the back and the design for the front. It took 3 passes to really carve the designs into the box. This type laser is found in most awards and trophy places. It is how they engrave the plaques and stuff. I have found that they will like you better if you give them the design in a vector format like an .EPS or illustrator file. That way they have to do a lot less work to prep your design to be burned on to the wood.
UKEEKU.COM pattern in the tiki
The top is a tiki, obviously, but I used UKEEKU.COM as the texture in the tiki to give it some interest and to promote my blog (Sorry, had to get my site on there somewhere). I had the line for the mouth cut in by the laser but I had to go back in and cut it out with a little coping saw (not fun). I refined the sound hole with some rasps. One note of issues that I had at this point: Since the box is plywood it kind of splintered inside around the mouth. Not a huge deal.
T block before it was glued in
Now for Bracing. The last time I made one of these I was confused by this step. This time I read the directions several times and I referenced this book: Ukulele Design and Construction by Henry Wickman. Since the top was thick I figured that I would need less bracing to keep it flat, hence the single brace near the sound hole. Where I messed up my last build was with the T block that you use for the side the neck will attach to the box. On my first cigar box uke I glued the top of the T to the top of the box. When really what that is for is to be a brace for the side of the box so it has more structure for when you attach the neck.
Close up of the brace glued to the top
As you can see I modified the bracing by cutting some wood off and making it more like regular bracing you would see in a professionally made instrument. I even rounded off all the corners that were not going to be glued down. I then glued the end blocks in and the bracing in the middle. As you can see I used 2 basic clips with a small piece of wood on the outside part of the box so I did not dent it. The bracing in the middle I just held in place with my hand for an hour. (I don’t have a clamp that would work that did not tip it on its side)
Lable on the inside.
- Top with clamps holding the end blocks in place
GRRRRR. Pickup plug damage
The last thing I did, before gluing the box shut, was to install the pickup, should have been easy. I figured out where to put it, marked the hole, and then drilled what I thought would be the right size hole, I was really wrong. The hole was way too small and I do not have a bit big enough to make the hole any bigger. So I fudged it a little, but that only lead me to realize that the pickup plug is too shallow to make it all the way through the side wall. At this point I was pissed because I accidentally chipped the wood on the outside when I drilled the hole. I ended up carving out the hole on the inside to a depth that I could secure the end (See picture to see the damage).
Pickup glued and taped down
I then glued down the pickup and taped down the wire, so it wouldn’t buzz, with Gorilla tape.
After everything was burned, the sound hole cut, supports in place, pickup installed, and box glued shut I started to sand. One of the things that I look for in a nice instrument is how it was finished. I am not just talking about the lacquer, but if the person making it thought about comfort. Since you hold most ukuleles up by wedging it between your body and arm, the edges need to be rounded. In general I like no hard edges at all. I rounded every corner on the box with some rough 80 grit sandpaper (DO NOT SAND THE TOP OR BOTTOM, YOU COULD SAND OFF THE DESIGN). I then moved to a 400 Grit to sand the rest of the box and the edges I sanded down. The box was pretty smooth when I bought it so not much sanding was needed.
Box in bondage
This is already long enough. Thank you for sticking with me this far, I am currently working on a tung oil finish for the neck and box. That is where I will start in the next post when I am assembling the thing.
Papas Boxes Concert Build
December 4, 2009 at 7:16 pm | Posted in Brands, Concert, Papas Boxes, Products, Reviews | 2 CommentsTags: cheap, cigar, cigar box, DIY, home made, learning, posts, tuners, tuning pegs, uke, ukulele
New Kit from Papas Boxes
A month or so ago the kind folks at Papas Boxes sent me an e-mail saying that they were back to taking orders again. On a whim I e-mailed them and told them about my blog and they responded really quickly and asked what size, I went with concert. Not very many people have seen the soprano cigar box ukulele that I made 2 years ago, but I found the kit on EBay and it was basically a fret board, rough neck, floating bridge, and zither pins for tuning, Very basic and well-made kit. It played ok and the tuning was a little hard to do, so I bought the tuner kit and also replaced the bridge that came with it with a Grover 4 string banjo bridge. Now it plays really well and is a ton of fun. That is one of the best things about the kit. You can either put it together and play, or keep changing it and adjusting it until it is what you want.
Neck
I do not have the tools to make a full ukulele at my house which is why I bought the first kit. The new kit I received from Papas Boxes is a major upgrade from the first one that I made. The fret board has really nice light wood inlays and it is already glued to the neck. Another big thing that they did that I like with the neck is the little head piece. If you use a clip tuner this makes it possible to clip it to the head and not on the floating bridge. The L bracket is still there but recessed along with the floating bridge. I did not go with the zither pins for tuners on this kit and got the tuners and they also included the pickup (I think they make the pickups, looks kind of steam punk inspired). They also sent a cigar box but I really wanted to find something that was all wood and did not sound so dead. I ended up finding out that almost no one makes nice sounding cigar boxes big enough to make a concert sized ukulele, so I ended up buying a plain box at a craft store. Trust me the box will not look plain Jane when I am done with it!
Bridge, L Bracket, and Drill bit
The great thing about the kits that I have received from them is that they come with everything except the drill, screw drivers, and saw. The drill bits, templates, and many other little doo-dads are included so you can make the best instrument you can. How far you take the build is up to you.
The build will be several posts in the next few weeks, hopefully done by Christmas, and will begin with prepping the body (cigar box) then putting it together, and ending it with tweaking it. My end goal will be a full review and then next summer giving it away at a ukulele festival.
Stay tuned.
Other Pics.
Dry Fit of Bridge and Neck
Pickup and Another Drill Bit
****UPDATES****
The building of the box is posted!! Click HERE
The Post on final assembly and a video is posted! Click HERE
Mango Fluke Full Review
July 18, 2009 at 5:09 am | Posted in Brands, Concert, Magic Fluke, Reviews | 8 CommentsTags: fluke, Full review, Mango, review, uke, ukulele
The Mango Fluke
I want to start this out with saying that this is a fun instrument……..but it could be better. I received a Fluke and Flea from The Magic Fluke Co. a few weeks ago, thank you Dale Webb for being the first to send me instruments to review. I have played them a few times and have seen many of them at different fests and shops. Many people play them for their looks and the fact that the basic ones with the plastic (Yes I know polycarbonate, but plastic is shorter to type) back and fret board, along with a laminate top, they are almost indestructible. I read a story about a person that actually had to use their fluke as a paddle because they lost the oars on their boat and it was still playable!! I digress; read the full review below.
Specs: Concert size, Australian Hoop Pine top, mango colored (Comes in and ever changing array of colors, designs, and woods), injection molded body, polycarbonate single piece bridge, Maple neck with an Injection molded Polycarbonate fret board with frets part of the mold, Grover non-geared tuners, and Hilo Black nylon strings
Looks
Unique Head stock of the Fluke
First look: (4) The first thing I said when I saw one was “That looks like a boat paddle. Cool!!”. You know a fluke when you see one. One of the things that I like is that the only place that you see the brand is the label on the inside of the instrument, very classy and minimalist. I think the headstock design is just as much a logo as any you see on many ukes like Martin or Bushman. I gave this one a 4 because it is a plain boring mango, they have much cooler looking ones. If I had to pick one it would be the surf fluke with the rosewood fret board.
Fit and Finish: (4) The construction on this instrument is tight. Every bit is sanded with no discoloration in the finish. The neck is smooth with not a single hard edge. Where I ding it is in 3 places. The fret board is slightly smaller than the neck, so there is a slight ridge. The second
Glue under the Bridge
thing that I can see is the glue under the bridge where the strings slide in. My last issue is that the wood on the top sits lower in the body, leaving a ridge which makes for some uncomfortable playing when it digs into my arm. All are very minor items that are not noticeable to most people.
Sound:
Sound Type: Bright and punchy.
Polycarbonite Molded Bridge/Saddle
Intonation: (3) The intonation is not that bad, but it cannot be fixed. With a combined bridge/saddle it cannot be adjusted. Many times the A and the C need to be slightly altered at the saddle (As with this instrument), and that is not an issue for many instruments. With this one, if you go too far there is no way to replace the saddle. you will never notice any issues unless you play past the 9th fret.
Volume: (4) Like all other molded back instruments, it is loud. It can be loader with strings like Aquila or Worth.
Sustain: (5) Notes rang out loud, clear, and long. A very hard plastic fret board and a thin top let it ring. It breaks down very nicely. I think that having the frets molded into the fret board helps the sustain when you are using a vibrato technique (Where you wiggle your finger on the string on the note you want to keep going).
Feel:
String Height: (Medium) The 0 fret design always helps with making the strings very low. One of the nice parts about having molded parts is that they were able to have consistent string height.
Neck Radius Depth: (3/4″) It might be a pretty standard depth, but it far from standard. The neck is the same thickness from the headstock to where it meets the body. The back of the neck is flat; making bar cords a little easier to play. The neck feels very thick, even though it is not.
0 Fret and fret board closeup
Frets: (5) The frets are part of the mold when you get the plastic fret board, so they are very consistent. Very easy to make a solid note or cord. I really like the way that they are very low so sliding from one note is like butter. An interesting feature that many ukuleles don’t have is the 0 fret. makes it nice to have the strings start out so low to the fret board.
Tuning: (4) Friction tuners are my preference, but many people like geared tuners. The tuners did slip at first so I tightened them and they stayed. I did have some small issues though. One of my issues was with the C string, it would catch at the nut causing me to go sharp as soon as it let go. It would be an easy fix if I owned the instrument. Just take a file and loosen it up. By the second week the strings stretched at it stayed in tune.
Comfort: (4) With the composite parts and the laminate wood top, this is a very light uke. I could not weigh it, but is light and also balanced. It almost balances at the 13th fret. One of the other things that I really like is the flat back on the neck along with the consistent width all the way from the first fret to where it meets the body at the 11th fret. My only issue in the comfort area is that it really digs into my arm where I am holding it on the body. I leaves a really deep indentation in my arm. This is due to the top being set in lower into the body, leaving a ridge where my arm holds it. I don’t notice it unless I play for at least an hour or more.
If this was my instrument I would upgrade a few things. 1. Go with a wood fret board. 2. Different strings. 3. Have a design on the body (Very few ukuleles have that option). All in all I really do like the fluke. I think I would use it more for stage use and also a travel instrument because it is bullet proof, so it can take a beating and change in climate and still keep rocking.
All Rating on a scale of 1-5
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Comes with a really nice padded bag
| First Look | 4 |
| Fit and Finish | 4 |
| Sound Type | Bright and Punchy |
| Intonation | 3 |
| Volume | 4 |
| Sustain | 5 |
| String Height | Medium |
| Neck Radius Depth | 3/4″ |
| Frets | 5 |
| Tuning | 4 |
| Comfort | 4 |
Places to buy on the web:
Direct from Flea Market Music store (The only place you can customize the snot out of it) As reviewed $195, Custom can get over $400.
Elderly has it for $189
Hope you enjoyed this full review. Please comment.
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