The jumping flea:
an appreciation and review of ukuleles

Pono

Again, my decision to buy a Pono was based on some very positive comments on various forums about this brand, I decided to buy a solid-cedar top tenor Pono, cutaway design, with electric pickup. It has solid rosewood sides and back, abalone rosette, ebony tuner heads, sealed Grover tuners, and maple binding. I wanted cedar because it has different sound qualities than spruce. "Warm" is often used to describe cedar: good bass and overtones, lots of sustain.

It is a considerable step above my other ukes in cost. That difference is - or should be - reflected in a superb build quality and stunning tone. This is also my first low-G ukulele and I wanted to see what it was like to play with a different sort of tuning, more like a guitar. I like it! I will order other low-G ukes in future, but I still prefer high-G for most songs I play. It's nice to have both because there are times you really want the lower note in runs or chords.

Pono was my first foray into the ukulele 'big league' over $500, an area I will only visit sporadically. Although I'm nowhere near good enough to really warrant buying an instrument as expensive as this, I decided to treat myself, an early birthday gift. I agonized over it for weeks before making the buy, and was excited, with great hopes for this uke.

But I was somewhat disappointed when it arrived.

First impressions: gorgeous. And sound: rich tone to spare: the cedar really give it projection and wonderful, low but warm overtones. It even has a truss rod in the neck to enable owners to keep the neck straight, the first I'd seen in any uke and an indication of attention to detail. Unlike many other ukuleles he sells, MGM doesn't set these ukes up for customers: they come set up at the factory. That may be one source for my problems.

I plugged the uke into an amp and found it produced feedback fairly easily. I think that's because the soundboard is so good and responsive that it vibrates easily. Unlike the Kala, it has a passive pickup, without a pre-amp, so it has no controls on the uke and you have to set the tone and volume on your amp. I personally prefer this because it means the uke body isn't broken by electronics and there are fewer internal wires to cause buzzing. It shares the same sort of tail button input jack as the Kala.

Nice finish, bindings, good detailing. It felt nice to hold. Sound was stunning. What more could I want?

Well, it wasn't perfect, sadly enough. Build quality initially seemed terrific, but there are some flaws I quickly found. At first I thought the uke had some surface blemishes, but they turned out to be some gummy material that cleaned off fairly easily. But why, I had to ask, would a uke - especially an expensive one - ship out with such noticeable imperfections? They were easy enough to spot and clean.

When I started to play this uke - did I mention its gorgeous sound? - I found the edges of the frets, especially around the 12th and higher fret, a bit sharper on the edge, than on other ukes I owned. To my fingers the fret wires seem to stand out a bit from the edge of the fretboard, particularly on the first string side at the higher frets. Tiny, perhaps, but very noticeable to my fingertips. I worry that these slightly sharper edges will wear away the first string much faster than should be expected from a high-end ukulele. My Kala and Eleuke feel much smoother in comparison. It's also rougher than my electric guitar (but not my steel-stringed acoustic Takamine, which is about the same).

If you look closely at the photos of the fret edges, you can see the filed edges of the higher frets have a steeper bevel, so they stand out more when you are running your fingers along them (you can download and enlarge the photos to better see this). Plus the fret dressing at the sound-hole end of the fretboard has been sloppy enough that the wood has been filed away at the edges between several of the frets, leaving a scalloped impression with the fret wires standing out. This too can be felt on the fingers. It's not this bad further down the neck at the lower notes, where I do most of my playing, however.

There are a couple of small imperfections in the finish, too. Most noticeable are two at the high end of the neck, one on the right hand side of the photo, and another at the very end of the fretboard, just above the sound hole. Neither of these affect play or sound, but again, I expect a better quality control on an instrument that cost me considerably more than $600 to get here (plus $80 in the egregious government tax grab!).

No one on the forums I haunt seems to have had my share of issues with their Pono. Most speak in unstintingly glowing terms about their instrument. So most likely mine was one that simply slipped past their vaunted quality control.

I wrote to the seller and to Pono ukes, and got an immediate answer from both (MGM, as he is known, offered to pay for a luthier to dress the frets properly, even without me asking for any such solution). Pono showed concern and a willingness to work to some mutual satisfaction, even paying for a luthier to do the work, but my problem is compounded by not having a qualified luthier within a two-hour drive.

I was unwilling, however, to send the uke back, and lose it possibly for a long time. So I expect I will have to live with its flaws, chalk it up to the problem of buying something unseen from the Internet. But it did make me reluctant to spend that much on another Pono again. However, I grant them kudos for their attempts to satisfy a customer. Perhaps it's simply a matter of getting used to the neck, or just living with its imperfections, but as much as I wanted to be, I wasn't 100% satisfied with this Pono. Still, it does sound beautiful, so I am not disappointed in that category.

Update: I just received a solid mango tenor Pono, with pickup, again purchased from MGM on eBay. Tuned low-G, but I also purchased a set of Worth CT strings to restring it as high-G once I've played it a bit.

The tone is different from the cedar - not as much sustain, but a little brighter in the bass and not as 'boomy', especially when plugged in. It also projects a little less than the cedar. In part I think the difference comes from the strings (different brands apparently). The cedar top has two wound strings; on the mango only the low-G is wound. It is also not as crisp as my spruce-top at the higher tone range, but offers a stronger, fuller mid-range.

Mango is not a popular tonewood like spruce, mahogany and koa, but it is one of the exotic woods gaining greater popularity among makers. Several manufacturers offer laminated mango: this was the first solid-mango I found (I prefer solid-wood over laminates). I have not read anything on how long it takes mango to 'settle' compared to other tonewoods.

The tuners are Grover open-gear machines with chrome heads, utilitarian and functional, but not the nice sealed tuners with their ebony heads on the cedar model. The neck and frets are smooth this time, with no rough edges. Finish is beautiful - very glossy, but possibly a little thicker than it might have been. Otherwise: no blemishes or faults to be seen.

The mango wood is simply stunning. It's got skeins of yellow and orange running through it and the grain is wildly abstract and patchy, not straight. It's speckled like a gecko in some areas. It reminds me of those polished slices of fossilized rock. It makes the cedar and spruce tops look staid and conventional. I really like it, and even Susan thinks its damned attractive. The photos barely capture its beauty, and tend to be redder than the actual wood shows in real light.

The A string snapped almost immediately when I began to tune this instrument, almost right at the nut. It probably got nicked at some point and tightening the string exacerbated it into a tear. Not a big deal: I replaced it with an Aquila, but it's a little odd looking now - the original strings are yellow (Gold Koolau), but now the A is white. I'm not sure if these string brands have such different tones, but as soon as I get a new set of Koolau strings, I'll replace the lone Aquila to find out.

I also took the moment to use a metal bead on the string end instead of the traditional saddle-hugging knot. It's an experiment, but I believe beads will dampen the bridge vibrations less than a knot does. See the photo above. I've read that many classical guitarists string their instruments with a bead rather than tying the string to the bridge. This apparently improves the treble end of the tone. I found a few different types of beads to try at a local craft shop (glass and metal) and will see if there's any noticeable change once I restring an entire uke. There's some discussion of this technique by Peter Kun Frary, Professor of Music at the University of Hawaii and other sites.

It's not a cutaway model, but I don't really have any difficulty reaching the upper frets, at least the ones I generally play on. For all of the ukes I have, playing up above the 12th fret is not as good as on a guitar: the strings are closer to the frets so they can buzz easily if not fingered exactly, and the strings don't have that clear resonance or tone that they have further down the neck.

The passive pickup works well and doesn't provide feedback until I get into the "nuke the neighbours" volume range on my Roland Cube 30X amp. I think the mango top is  a little less sensitive to feedback than the cedar.

Price with case and shipping was $480 USD (plus another $64 in blood money to the government). I can't complain about the quality or sound, but for that price, the gear heads should be a little more upscale, at the very least sealed to prevent dirt and debris from corroding them. I plan to replace them with some nicer Grover or similar sealed tuning gears in the near future (in my experience, open-geared tuners get dirty and corrode faster - I live in a house with four cats and a dog, and their hair gets everywhere). I would have given it a little higher rating but for that - however they don't affect the sound.

This model certainly helped quell my earlier doubts about Pono's build quality after the problems with my cedar-top model. I wasn't sure about ordering another, but was easily seduced by the photos of the wood grain in this particular model. I'm glad I did.

I think because of its more mellow, mid-range sound, this is more a strummer than a picker, but I will know better with more play and a change to high-G tuning.

Both Ponos came with excellent hardshell cases, but they are very snug, with little extra carrying room aside from a small, closeable interior space, but no external pockets and no shoulder straps.

Would I purchase another Pono? Yes.
Would I recommend them to others? Yes, but with caveats about possible build quality issues.
Rating (0-5): ****

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Applause

The Ovation Guitar site has nothing about their Applause line, not the guitars, not the ukuleles. It's almost like Ovation - guitar maker since 1966 - doesn't want to acknowledge them. In fact, the entire Applause line, guitars and all, vanishes from Ovation's promotional horizon like a flatulent relative at a wedding party.

The best I could find about them online was this PDF sales brochure from 2004, hosted on a third party site. All that says about the Korean-made ukes is, "Applause acoustic and acoustic-electric ukes have found their way from World Champion Surfing events to reality television shows. These are no “dime-store” ukes, they’re the real deal." Endorsements like these, I fear, will hardly garner the support of the uke world or even public at large. "Reality" TV isn't exactly aimed at the highest common denominator...

That's a sad comment on Ovation's affection for their little stepchild ukulele, but fortunately not a reflection on the uke itself. The Applause is a fine instrument, although I think it suffers from the schizophrenia of not knowing if it's a small guitar or a big uke.

And big it is, weight-wise anyway. My UA148 tenor tops the scales at 2.4 lbs (just over 1 kg). It's also got a wider body (lower bout) than any other uke I own. You can read some comparison weights in this thread at Fleamarket Music)

Like other Ovation products, it uses the trademark rounded, lyrachord back (it's also written lyracord, which is, apparently, fibreglass, not really plastic). This pushes the sound forward, but offers other challenges, not least trying to hold against your body, or balancing it on a thigh when sitting. But it's somewhat easier to hold in your lap than a Fluke.

The top is laminated spruce. Soprano Applause ukes get solid spruce, so that's a little disappointing in the more expensive tenor (although online comments suggest there is a solid mahogany version available). There are also decorative wooden leaves (exotic wood "epaulets" in Ovation speak) glued around the unusual sound holes (placed to the upper end of the body, on both sides of the neck). Nice as they are to look at, I suspect these epaulets dampen the sound. These are not inlaid flush as they appear to be on recent Ovation guitars, and stand up above the sound board slightly.

The design has a cutaway to allow greater access to the higher frets (it has 18).

The headstock is attractive, albeit a bit tall, although this design might make it easier to hang on a wall peg. The tuners are inexpensive but sealed, with attractive plastic (mock amber) heads. Rosewood fretboard and mahogany neck, which has a satin finish. Frets were nicely dressed and smooth.

Overall, the sound is much more muted than any other uke I have, with a mellow projection, lots of mid range, and low sustain. It sounds more (dare I say it) like a small guitar than the others. That's not bad, just different. Part of the joy of owning ukes is collecting different sounds and tones. The Applause has its place in a collection for that reason alone. It's somewhat fuller and fatter than the Fluke sound, too, but that may also be because mine is in low-G tuning while my Flukes are high-G, and a difference in strings.

The neck is a bit thicker than any other uke I've owned, but it's not an impediment to playing. The fretboard edge has a single marker for the seventh fret. I would have preferred a full set because I use these markers frequently when playing. Ah, well, a silver permanent marker will add a few dots.

While the rounded back makes the Applause more difficult to hold, a bit like the Fluke, fortunately it has strap buttons, although unlike most manufacturers, Ovation chose not to use the strap button for the cable jack, and added that a little lower on the body.

The built-in pre-amp is a nice package: it has a volume control, built-in equalizer with slider controls for bass, mid and treble tones, a pre-shape and mid shift buttons. My Applause was a trade, so it didn't come with a manual: I'll have to experiment to figure out what these do. Once plugged in, the Applause loses most of its woody acoustic sound and instead sounds much more like am amplified nylon-string guitar. It has more body in its amplified sound than the Eleuke, however. Ovations electronics get good reviews everywhere. And it is in the amplified sound that the Applause really shines.

The pickup is Ovation's own slimline. The soprano uses a passive pickup, not the active of the tenor. I personally like passive pickups because I think the amp should - can can - do the work of shaping the sound and it saves the horror of having a battery die during a performance. But one can't argue about the good quality of the electronics package provided.

Changing the battery is a test of skill. You need the dexterity of a neurosurgeon combined with the patience of the Dali Lama waiting for the Chinese to get civilized about Tibet and the physical agility of a Cirque du Soleil performer.

First you need to open the back port and carefully remove the cover - held in by four obstinate, stiff springy clips. This requires fishing around inside the back with a finger or two while the cover remains stubbornly attached, trying to locate each clip so the cover can be moved and the clip freed until the port comes off. Then you have to sick a hand inside to hold the battery case (attached to the inside back), because it will fall against the soundboard if you don't. Then loosen the battery screw, remove the 9V battery case, slide the cover off, exchange batteries, and replace the cover. That's the easy part.

Replacing the battery pack inside the uke means stuffing your hand into the back through that port, trying to hold the battery case inside against the back (foam side towards the back) with a couple of fingers, without tangling up in all the wires, and feeling for the small screw slot in the case through a screwdriver precariously balanced against the screw head on the outside - all done blind. The screw fits into the case slot exactly, requiring the precision of a Mars lander finding its destination, with nanometer tolerance for positioning.

Expect to attempt this mating of screw head and slot numerous times. The Space Shuttle docks more easily than these two.

Put aside at least 30 minutes to change the battery, and I recommend learning some Latin vulgarities so you won't as easily offend anyone around you when you start cursing (usually about three minutes into the procedure).

The battery placement is the most serious drawback to the Applause, and not one to shrug off lightly if you expect to use the electronics at all. Since there doesn't seem to be an off switch for the electronics, the battery will be draining from the moment it's replaced. Be prepared to change it with annoying frequency, especially if you perform live. Who designed this insanity? Is the science of ergonomic design dead?

The Applause is an oddity. It could be a great performance uke with its excellent electronics and pickup. It looks nice, and it's well made and carries a prestigious name. But the battery placement is discouraging. The unamplified sound is acceptable, if not stellar, and would be greatly improved with a solid top. The action and intonation are very good.

This ukulele deserves more attention from its parent company and some place to shine on the company's website. It needs a redesign for its battery placement and perhaps a few ounces trimmed from its hefty bulk. And if Ovation wants to attract serious uke players, switch the laminate to a solid top. That would make it a much more serious contender in a very competitive market.

I am not disappointed with my Applause, merely bemused by its design. It's nice to play and in the end, that's what counts. Mine came with a padded gig bag made by Hohner, with a single shoulder strap and a zippered outside pouch. Mine was also in low-G tuning and I've left it there until I've had some experience with it (and I heal from my left-hand tendon fracture, which certainly makes playing - and battery changing - a challenge).

Would I purchase another Applause? Not likely unless the design changes.
Would I recommend them to others? Perhaps, but with caveats about the weight, laminated top and the owner-hostile method required to change the battery.
Rating (0-5): ***1/2 for the instrument alone, ** when you factor in the battery changing process.

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Republic

I ordered a Republic Resonator ukulele: a concert scale, metal-body uke, from Guitar Safari, in San Pedro. I spoke with Dirk there and enjoyed the chat enough to give me confidence to buy from him. I expected the uke to arrive in about a week. It took two, thanks to the combined efforts of the US and Canadian postal services, and a few days enjoying the company of Canada Customs.

I've wanted a reso uke for a while to do some blues and maybe some slide pieces, but most are in the premium uke price range, close to and even topping $1,000. That's way outside my budget.

Only two - both Chinese made - are affordable (under $300 USD) to me: Johnson and Republic. Bother are similar - metal body, concert scale. The Johnson is bright and shiny with a pattern embossed in the metal. The Republic most commonly shown is the Reso Relic: artificially aged to look like it was found buried in a barn. Personally I prefer the Johnson's look because I think the "relic" look is an affectation. There are several Johnson uke dealers online, but few selling Republics. Perhaps it's because customers don't like the look, either. The Johnson looks new and spiffy.

I was pleasantly surprised when the Republic arrived: I had expected it to be the "relic" version but it was instead bright and shiny. I hadn't realized Republic made two models. The downside is that the nickel plating shows ever single fingerprint and smudge! But I like this bright, metallic look.

For the price, this is a classy little instrument. The body is the traditional figure-eight style, wider at the bottom, and nicely proportioned.

The back is plain with a small hump. The uke is very heavy - 2.4 lbs. on my bathroom scale -  and has no tail button for a strap - a major oversight on the designer's part. The weight (most of it in the body so it has poor balance) makes it awkward to hold for a long time and discourages stand-up play. Your standard uke thong won't work on this uke, either, because there's no place to put the hook.

I'd read better things online about the build quality of the Republic than the Johnson, particularly about some sharp edges on the cover plate where the strings attach. I've not been able to determine if the Johnson is made by the same company that makes Johnson harmonicas. If so, then the questionable quality might be explicable. Johnson harps aren't particularly well made, either. But I've been told that the Republics are American-designed and have better quality control.

I have few complaints about the build quality, all of them minor. The fret edges on the upper side (towards your head when you are playing) are a teensy bit rougher than those on the other side (but not as noticeable because you seldom play that edge). The screw heads that hold the cover plate on have tiny burrs. Some of the fretboard markers are non-standard: one is at the ninth fret (not the usual tenth), the marker at the 12th fret is single, not double, and there is a double at the 16th fret.

But the neck is straight and smooth, the intonation seems accurate (see below), there are no blemishes, marks or poorly finished edges on the body: the uke seems well made and well finished.

My uke came with the cover pressed down (see picture above) as if someone had sat on it. Since there was no visible damage to the case, I can only assume the damage was done at Canada Customs when it was stopped and opened. This gave me considerable concern, but I decided to try and fix it myself rather than return it. I removed the cover and was able to pop the cover back into shape with no damage and not a lot of effort. The plating was not broken or marked. The cone, inside, was also slightly dented but easily restored because it's thin aluminum and easy to reshape. However, I am getting a replacement cone for it (see update, below).

Doing this gave me a chance to look inside. There's a wooden brace that runs inside the body. I'm not sure why a metal body (bell brass) instrument would need it, unless it's to help anchor the neck. You can see areas inside and under the cover there the metal as been polished to remove any burrs. I was especially keen to see if the string holes were smooth because on a metal-body instrument, using nylon strings, that's a danger zone. There are online comments about Johnson reso ukes breaking strings there. They seemed to be smooth enough on this Republic, and there's evidence of some polishing underneath. I've read this is a much bigger problem with the Johnson resonators.

The saddle is ""ebony capped maple" but seems to be roughly made and the wood appears dry. The notches for the strings are too small and strings can miss them or slip out easily. I think the bridge and saddle are the areas of weakest quality; the utilitarian design works well enough but it needs a little more effort.

The cone - which sports the bridge and saddle - sits loosely on a rim inside and moves quite easily when the strings are loosened. This is a bit problematic because even with the cover on, there's a small amount of free play in the cone's position. It's easy to slide the bridge as much as 1/8" in any direction, and end up with the bridge on a poor angle or the strings angled down the neck. This, of course, affects intonation and you have to be very careful when restringing to try and position the bridge exactly. Some sort of notch or stop to hold the cone in the right spot and at the right angle would have made sense because you will have to fidget with the cover position every time you change strings. I'll have to ask online on the forums for some engineering solutions (no, you can't glue it because you don't know the exact placement until you have the cover back on...)

I've had a bit of a problem getting it tuned spot-on because of the shifting bridge, but also because the tuners were a bit loose and the strings new. The Republic has friction tuners which may look more authentic but seem to slide a lot and are an annoyance to use until the strings stop slipping. I always prefer modern geared tuners and am seriously thinking of replacing these with geared versions. That way I could also experiment with steel strings.

The knotted end of the strings go into holes on the cover and tighten into small slots. I might try using beads on the ends of my next strings to see if they change the tone. The slot is the danger zone where the metal can cut into the nylon string and break it. The Republic's metal edges seem smooth enough, but when you remove the strings you can feel an indentation on them where they rest against the metal. So far none have snapped, but it's something to keep an eye on, especially if I increase the string tension.

The big question is, of course, the sound. Well, the uke comes strung with black GHS strings, which I think are too soft for a resonator (I have them on a concert Fluke, too, and don't like them). It really wants the tension on the saddle to transmit the most sound to the cone. I personally feel the GHS strings are too light and have ordered some thicker Pro Arte strings to test. Aquilas might work as well, but they're harder to get where I live. I'm almost tempted to try metal strings because the uke should be able to take the added tension, but the tunes wouldn't.

As set up, the reso doesn't live up to what I believe is its potential. A reso should be slightly twangy - almost a banjo sound, bright, but metallic and loud. The Republic is all of those, just not as much of any as I think it ought to be - or what it really could be. Plus the C string seems a bit 'boomy' compared to the others (and it's more the sound I want from all the strings!). That may be because it has the most tension, so perhaps changing the others and leaving it could help balance that out. So until I can change the strings and test it, I would say the sound is only average, but has the potential to be excellent.

Oveall, it's an old-fashioned sound with some echoes of old style blues and even banjolele tunes. That's what I was looking for. Now all I need to do is sweeten it a bit.

I also want to try changing to an open tuning and try some slide playing, bottleneck blues stuff. I think a reso lends itself to that more than the other ukes I have. The Republic comes strung in high-G tuning, by the way. Again, I may change that to low-G just to experiment, especially if I try open tuning.

The Republic came in a well-padded thick foam case that's has a soft plush lining. The uke fits quite snugly in it. The case has two zippered pockets outside and both a handle and shoulder straps for easy carrying. That's another bonus.

This is my second concert-scale uke and I have to admit I don't like the shorter neck as much as I like tenor scale. Had this been a tenor, I would have been much happier. Unless the new strings change it more in favour of the sound I want, I will likely not play it as much because I really don't like the shorter scale and I find my fingers are sloppy and grab the wrong strings or hit the wrong frets more than with a tenor.

Update: Frank at Republic guitars is sending me a new cone to replace the one damaged in shipping, no charge. That's great customer service! He's also been corresponding with me about string upgrades. If I want to try metal strings, he says they'll work but I'll need to upgrade to geared tuners. Heavier strings, like Aquila, he warns, may snap at the place where their ends meet the cover. So I'm trying to come up with a suitable sleeve to protect the string. Perhaps a small slice from a ballpoint pen refill? And I want to add a glass bead to the string ends as well.

August 13/08: I got the new cone and replaced it this afternoon. I also changed the GHS strings to Aquilas. While the strings were off, I also oiled the fretboard and the bride/biscuit assembly.

The new sound is noticeably louder and brighter, with a slight metallic echo. It sounds very much like a banjo uke to my ears. I even wonder if the Aquilas make it too loud and twangy now. It's a sound you either love or hate, with no apparent middle ground.

I added a glass bead at the end of each string (see above), then used a piece of red plastic air pipe from a can of pressurized air as a sleeve to protect the end from being cut by the metal cover. I was guessing at the length and as you can see by the photo above, a couple of sleeves were cut a bit too long (the cover's colour is a reflection of my dining room walls). The ballpoint pen idea is good, but the barrel of the refill is too wide for the notches in the cover. The air pipe was also  a bit too, but I crimped the tube (with my teeth) after I put it on the string so it fit nicely into the notch.

I had to really tighten the tuner heads to keep them from slipping, because the Aquilas have more tension than the GHS strings. The uke continues to go out of tune after a few minutes' playing, but I trust that will settle down when the strings are properly stretched. My only problem putting this together was with the C string: it's too thick to make a loop around the bead and thread it back through. I'm depending on the knot to hold it in place. I need to find some other beads with just a little bigger diameter hole for future use. But the other strings were easy to set up with a bead and sleeve.

Would I purchase another Republic? Not a concert scale; likely if they ever make a tenor.
Would I recommend them to others? Yes, but  for those who want a specific sound, with caveats about the moveable cone and bridge.
Rating (0-5): ***1/2

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Lanikai

I've wanted a six- or eight-string uke for a while now, to see what sort of sound it had and how it played (I used to play the 12-string guitar too). But I've been reluctant to invest in a good instrument at $500 and up in case I didn't like playing it.

I kept my eyes open for bargains and when I found a "factory second" Lanikai six-string offered at $100, I figured I could buy it, investigate the style of play, and if I liked it, move up to a more expensive model later. If I didn't like it, well I hadn't invested a lot of money to learn that, so I could sell it and not lose a lot.

I innocently posted a question on the Ukulele Cosmos forum, asking what people thought of the Lanikai - build quality, tone, intonation, etc. Immediately two of the more acerbic members dumped all over me in post after post, attacking my intelligence, my judgment, this web site, my personal integrity, my reading skills, my ukulele collection - just because I asked about a ukulele brand they deemed too "cheap" (their word) to be worth a courteous response.

Instead of a thread about the pros and cons of the Lanikai brand and that model, as I asked, the whole thing turned into a vituperative personal attack on me by these two members, an attack that stretched on through eight pages of ichor.

There are those, it seems, for whom anything less than a custom-built uke made from rare, old-growth trees tended from seedling by Buddhist monks, built by a hermit whose output is perhaps one uke a year, and costing as much as a motorcycle or car is an irredeemable sign you are not serious about ukuleles. Therefore you must be deserving of a verbal thrashing for daring to post about anything as trivial as a factory-made instrument.

Such is the way of the Internet. Unfortunately this particular forum allows such attacks, so I don't recommend it to anyone not wearing a flame-retardant consciousness. Other forums keep a tighter rein on their members when such assaults arise.

But in the meantime, a few members did provide a far more courteous and reasonable response, albeit somewhat drowned out in the angry din from the two harridans. Unfortunately for me, the instrument I had originally asked about was sold before I could get a fair response from my question. But the vehemence of the responses made me more curious about the item of their ire, rather than less. After all, if two such annoying people dislike it so much, it's probably worth investigating by the rest of us!

So I hunted online for another bargain and found an eight-string Lanikai, solid spruce top, with pickup and case, for about 60% its retail price. I ordered it and await its arrival in early September 08. Should I like the playing style, I will start looking at an upscale model, perhaps a Pono or Mele. But perhaps the Lanikai itself will prove to be as good as anything I'll ever need.

I will post my thoughts and reviews after the uke arrives and I've had some time with it.

Would I purchase another Lanikai? TBD.
Would I recommend them to others? TBD.
Rating (0-5): TBD

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Diastone

This is a little gem I found at a yard sale, and my only foray into vintage ukes to date (likely my last, given the cost of most). It's a 30 to 40-year-old uke, made by a Japanese company that went out of business in the mid to late 1970s. It is a laminate mahogany soprano, with mahogany neck and possibly fretboard (may also be a lighter rosewood). It says Model 14 on the inside.

Diastone allegedly made instruments for Martin when the Martin company workforce was on strike. Comments on other forums suggest their guitars were quality products and are collectible items today.

It was in good condition, a little worn from the years, but has a straight neck, no cracks, and sounds pretty good for the old strings it still has. New strings would make all the difference.

 
I decided I would sell or trade it to a collector who appreciates vintage instruments. I am not a collector per se, rather someone who simply likes to play, so vintage doesn't appeal to me as much as new instruments.

According to Wikipedia (several articles conflated):

In 1957 Hoshino Gakki manufactured what would be considered the first of the modern era Ibanez guitars. In 1962, Junpei Hoshino, Yoshitaro's son, opened the Tama Seisakusho factory to manufacture electric guitars and amplifiers. The Tama Seisakusho factory produced a line of guitars that included clones of several popular guitars, including the Martin Dreadnought. At the time they were also manufacturing Star Drums, available in either the Imperial or Royal models. Hoshino Gakki stopped making guitars at the Tama Seisakusho factory in 1966 (but continued making Drums) and from then on contracted outside guitar factories, like there main factory and exclusive one in Japan, FujiGen , to make guitars.

FujiGen started in 1960 with the production of violins and classical guitars. In 1962 FujiGen started production of electric guitars. In the 1970s FujiGen started making guitars (OEM) for companies such as Hoshino Gakki (Ibanez), Kanda Shokai (Greco guitars) and Yamaha. In 1977/1978 FujiGen went into a joint venture with Roland Corporation to produce guitar synthesizers. In 1981 FujiGen opted out of acoustic guitar production to mainly concentrate on solid body guitar production. In 1981/1982 FujiGen obtained the Fender Japan contract which lasted until 1996/1997. In mid/late 1992 FujiGen obtained a part of the Orville by Gibson contract which ended in 1998 and from then on have made Epiphone Japan solid body guitars, some Gretsch models and their own branded FgN guitars. FujiGen still do OEM guitar manufacturing for companies like Ibanez and Epiphone but in much smaller quantities than in the past. FujiGen has 3 factories in the Matsumoto area, the Omachi factory, the Hirooka factory (established around 1992) and the main FujiGen factory. FujiGen has also manufactured Variax guitars for Line 6.

Overall, it wasn't a bad find, although hardly in the class of a vintage Martin or Gibson. Certainly a reasonable price. I sold it on eBay to a collector who I hope will appreciate it more than I. The best it did for me was convince me that I didn't want a soprano. The necks are small, tight and my hands feel big and clumsy on the fretboard. Tenor is the choice for me: the soprano is a bit small for my fingers.

I'm not a collector of old ukuleles, nor particularly moved to seek out vintage instruments. I like modern, and I like to play, not just collect, so the value of this instrument and its heritage was somewhat wasted on me. I was pleased to see that others were more sympathetic to its nature (it was bought by a Canadian with 45 other ukes in his collection).

Would I purchase another Diastone? Unlikely, unless it was another yard-sale bargain.
Would I recommend them to others? Yes, for collectors more than players.
Rating (0-5): ***

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Conclusions

You get what you pay for. That's an old saw, and it's generally still true. However, that doesn't mean you have to spend $1,000 or more to get a good instrument, but you shouldn't buy anything simply because it's the lowest price. Lower-priced instruments are generally laminates, and made on production lines where quantity is preferred to quality. Quality control is an expense that has to be passed along to the consumer.

I am a firm believer in the quality of solid wood versus laminates. Solid wood always sounds better, but is also more expensive. Still, there are always bargains to be had, even some solid-wood-topped ukes at under $100 and several between $100 and $200 that are good. Anything at that price range is probably made in China. That is not bad in itself, but it generally means assembly-line production and limited, if any, quality control.

Nice ukes seem to start at $200 to $300, and premium ukes begin around $500 and escalate into stratospheric heights. Custom ukuleles are about the price of a used car. But as you can read above, my own experience in the entry-premium end wasn't entirely satisfactory. So price alone may not identify the quality you expect, although in general higher prices generally point to better quality control, better woods and materials.

You don't have to spend a large amount on an instrument to get something very good, and it's wise to start conservatively until you find the size and style you like. You can always spend more later (and you probably will... there's that UAS thing again). There are some brands that make good instruments at a reasonable price: Kala, Fluke, Lanikai and Ohana are just some examples of mid-range makers. For other opinions and advice, check the online forums and ask questions first.

Remember: the goal is to have fun and learn. Ukuleles are, first and foremost, musical instruments not status icons.

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Straps

Ukuleles are small and easy to hold, and that means they're also easy to drop. The business of playing music means your hands and arms are always in motion. Sometimes it's preferable to have a strap to hold the uke up. But the traditional guitar strap is wide, and feels like using a Hummer just to drive to the corner store, a block away. It's big and hefty, designed for something much larger and heavier. I found a somewhat smaller strap made from a 3/4" wide strip of leather with a 10" long, 2" wide padded shoulder strap. It's a lot more practical for a uke than a 2" wide strap.

Ideally, a thin strap that tied to the head under the strings and to a pickup jack or strap knob would work the best, although something that went under the body to cradle it might also work (although it would be a bit precarious). I'm told that mandolin straps are workable for ukuleles, too. It should be fairly easy to get some decorative cord or leather to make one of your own.

I managed to find a smaller, adjustable guitar strap that has a 3/4" wide strap with a larger shoulder pad, about 8"-9" long, for comfort. Since the uke is light and small, the pad is really unnecessary. It works well on the Eleuke and Applause since they come with two strap buttons, but many have one or even no buttons.

It's pretty easy to rig up a cord or leather strap that hangs off the pickup jack, but what if your uke doesn't have a jack or a strap knob? I don't recommend anyone but an experienced luthier drill a hole to install a knob.

An alternative is the uke' thong' - a simple padded hook that goes into the sound hole, and a loop/strap that goes around your neck. There are guitar versions of this idea, too, but the uke version is smaller. Plus there are some alternate designs with less cloth. This is not the underwear sort of thong: do not attempt to wear it to the beach!

The thong has the advantage of being light and simple. However (and there's always a however...) the hook creates a fulcrum point. Your uke can tilt to either side and fall down, or fall forward if you let it go. Dropping a musical instrument is never a good idea. The thong doesn't hold the uke up as much as it gives you a little more freedom of motion, especially your right strumming/picking hand, because your arm doesn't need to hold the uke as tightly. And of course that means fewer fingerprints or arm prints on the surface to clean later.

The downside is that the hook is held on at the soundboard. To get the fullest and loudest sound, the soundboard must not be restricted, and using the thong dampens the sound - noticeably so. So it's a good for practice, but may work against you in performance. I have one: I am not enthused with it, but I sometimes use it when I am playing around the house, just to give me a little more freedom of movement. It isn't as good for Flukes either, because of the angled plastic shell, but it's still usable with them.

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Books, DVDs and learning tools

Like with guitars, there are dozens of resources to help you learn and improve your ukulele playing: books, DVDs, YouTube videos, song books and online tabs, teaching books, chord finders and more. Here are a few I've picked up, with some notes. You can often simply take a guitar song book and play the chords on a ukulele, appreciating the increase in pitch. But often ukulele arrangements take into account the instrument's differences.

There are several different styles of music presentation. Some songs are just lyrics and chords. Others include the musical notation (requiring you to read music). Some include tablature (tab) - the string and fret being identified in an easy-to-read format. I personally prefer chords and tabs because I read music slowly.

The Complete Ukulele Course, by Ralph Shaw (DVD, 2003). You have to like Ralph: he's so bubbly and has so much fun playing and teaching, it's contagious. This is one of those basic packages that start from  scratch - what is a ukulele? - and lead the viewer through tuning, simple chords, strumming and the most rudimentary level of playing. Calling it complete is misleading. It has nine chapters all aimed at non-musicians. If you have no background in musical theory, and have never played a guitar, and you're new to the uke, then this DVD is a great place to start. It's a pretty plain presentation, all business with no distractions. If you have experience with a guitar or mandolin, you might find this a little too elementary. Ralph has other DVDs that may interest you including Essential Strums (see links, below).

"Jumpin'" Jim Beloff has a lot of books out, mostly song books. You can pretty much pick one that suits your tastes in music. Some of these are good, but others are questionable. I picked up Jumpin' Jim's 60s Uke-in: 25 Really Groovy Songs Arranged for the Ukulele (Hal Leonard, 1999) because the 60s was my time. But this collection disappointed me. It's not just the collection, which I think is a weak selection from a great era, but a lot of the chord arrangements just don't work for me. The songs are presented with uke chords, lyrics and musical notation. I would have preferred tablature or plus tablature. The whole thing feels like it was tossed together without a lot of thought about the time it is supposed to represent.

The book comes with a basic chord list and some notes on tuning, transposing and uke sizes, all of which are useful. Jim's books are generally good additions to your collection, but you may find other arrangements to these and other Sixties songs online that suit you better. Jim is also the man behind the Fluke (Flea Market Music), and publishes some great collections of arrangements by performers who are all considerably better than I will ever be. Don't judge his efforts by this book alone.

Ukulele Fretboard Maps, by Fred Sokolow and Jim Beloff (Hal Leonard, 2006). This is a step beyond the beginner level, and includes a CD with 59 tracks from simple tuning through strumming styles to play-along songs. It's a bit of a mixed bag of styles and songs, techniques, strumming style and music theory. It mixes musical notation with tabs, so you can use either according to your level. While the song collection is a bit meandering - folk, Hawaiian, blues, rock - overall, the book is a great learning package for people who have graduated beyond the beginner level and want to learn more.

Fingerstyle Solos for Ukulele, by Mark Kailana Nelson (Mel Bay, 2006). An intermediate level book mixing musical notation and tablature. Comes with 27 tracks on CD. It's a bit difficult to follow Mark's written notes on technique and style without listening to the CD at the same time. He comments on numerous measures in the notation, but assumes the reader can pick them out - I would have marked the annotated measures more clearly for novices. However, this a good package for moving up to the next step in technique. It assumes you have the basics down, but it's not advanced enough to scare away determined novices.

Treasury of Ukulele Chords, by Roy Sakuma (Roy Sakuma Productions, 1998). You should have a chord dictionary with your uke. This one is a fairly basic guide, aimed at the novice to intermediate player. It doesn't give as many alternate chord fingerings as a more advanced player might like. You can a download one and two-page chord charts online that give all the basics, but Sakuma's book will take you a step further until you're ready for something more comprehensive. One of the things that sets this chord dictionary apart is Roy's categorization of chords by emotional terms. Not necessarily accurate, but entertaining.

For more comprehensive reference guides, look to the Hal Leonard Ukulele Chord Finder (Hal Leonard, 2005) or similar Mel Bay books. Hal Leonard's little book shows more than 1,000 chords arranged by key, with three positions for each chord. It also includes a few introductory pages on musical theory and chord construction. It is also inexpensive, small and fits into a uke case with room to spare.

A lot of other uke books are available through online booksellers, and often through eBay sellers who specialize in ukuleles.

YouTube and Web sites are great sources for tutorials, song tabs, arrangements, chord diagrams, MP3s, and techniques. I will cover some of these in more detail shortly. In the meantime: SEARCH. Use Google and YouTube to find what you want. Check the forums and the links below (Curt Sheller has a page of video links). There are a lot of free resources online you should explore.

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Strings

Strings are ornery topics for most uke players. You can start an argument (or to be civilized, a heated debate) among uke players by simply asking what strings they prefer. Uke players will also argue over the quality of various tonewoods, but not quite as readily. Strings are also very personal and affect a player's style and expression.

Strings used to be made from gut, but now are made out of nylon (i.e. GHS, Ko'olau), nylgut  (i.e. Aquila) or fluorocarbon (i.e. Worth). The low-G strings are usually wound (wrapped in a metal - aluminum or silver - sheath, although Kala Reds are apparently nylon wound). Some manufacturers are also using a wound C. These wound strings produce a more mellow, bass-oriented sound. However, wound strings can be harder on the fretboard and will wear down the plastic frets of some ukes.

In general, thicker strings have more tension, so they are louder, but can be a little more difficult to play and don't bend as easily as thinner strings (for new players, thicker strings can be more painful until the callouses grow in). Thinner strings are more flexible, but not as loud and sometimes prone to buzz on a uke with low action. Personally, I prefer a slightly heavier string for more projection. Long-necked ukes like my Ohana, above, need thinner strings for the lower tension.

For resonator ukes, you may want thicker strings with more tension to transmit the most sound to the cone. My Republic came with thin GHS strings, which are fine on a wooden uke but not the best choice for a reso.

Soprano and concert strings are usually the same diameter, concert strings sometimes being a bit longer to allow for the greater scale length. Tenor strings are a bit thicker to handle the greater tension on the strings, and baritone strings longer and thicker than the rest.

Diameters vary with manufacturers. For soprano and concert strings I have seen a ranges of: A: 0.020-0.024"; E: 0.026-0.033"; C: 0.036-0.041"; high G: 0.020-0.028". For tenors: A: 0.028-0.029" ; E: 0.033-0.036 ; C: 0.035-0.041; high G:  0.029-0.032. Low G (wound) will be around 0.035". Check the sizes on the packages your favourite strings. You can generally use those thicknesses as a rule of thumb for replacements, but keep in mind that nylon strings are generally a bit thicker than the same string in fluorocarbon.

You can use guitar strings for ukuleles, if you have the right string gauge. Some more inventive players even use fluorocarbon fishing line (check the forums for threads on this subject: here and here).

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Playing music

The whole point of a ukulele is playing it. Hanging an instrument one on the wall rather than playing it strikes me as a waste of money. You want  a wall hanging, there are plenty of velvet Elvis paintings available.

Playing is one pleasure, but making the music your own is another. I like tinkering with songs, tweaking their structure, and finding alternate chord patterns. It's even more fun to actually write and publish a piece of music, if you have that aptitude. However, it is also a lot of fun to take a guitar song and rework it for a ukulele, especially a standard (re-entrant) tuning.

Here's my first song arrangement: When the Red Red Robin Comes Bob Bob Bobbin Along (PDF). Not an original song, but I made an arrangement that I liked. And I also made a chord wheel that can be used for chord transposition, and has the circle of fifths/fourths for easy reference. I'll post more song arrangements when I work them through. Please feel free to share them. Here's an mp3 version of the song, performed by Al Jolson (public domain).

My latest arrangement is Hoagy Carmichael's great song, Georgia. I'm posting a PDF of my work on it to date - it's got a few unnamed chords as of yet, and needs some tweaking, but I think it's okay. I started with an existing arrangement in F and simply tweaked it to sound more like the song that was in my own head. Comments appreciated.

Tuning is critical. And thanks to modern technology, you can buy a simple, clip-on, battery powered uke-specific tuner for $10-$20. That sure beats trying to tune with a pitch pipe (how 20th century!) or even a tuning fork. There's no excuse not to be in perfect pitch with these instruments so easily available. Tuning with one of these little wonder devices is a snap. All digital, they are so accurate it's scary. The only drawback: they're battery powered and seldom accept rechargeable batteries (and the batteries are often inconveniently located). But they're so inexpensive you can carry one in each of your cases.

Nylon strings, especially new ones, stretch - even the ones sold as 'pre-stretched'. That means they go out of tune a lot until they're 'broken in'. A good tuner won't prevent that, but will help you keep the strings in tune while you're breaking them in. Expect to tune your uke several times each time you play it, for a few days, until the strings settle.

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Community

There are numerous sources of music, information, teaching, advice and history online. The ukulele community is not as large as the guitar community, but it's loud, active and growing.

I recommend you look into join several of the ukulele forums (see list, below). They have some overlap in members and topics, but not all. If you have questions, comments or simply want to read about ukes, these are the places to go. There's an amazing amount of support to be had in these forums on everything from fingering chords to figuring out songs to luthiery and making videos.

But, unfortunately, like most online communities, there are wingnuts and angry people on the forums whose sole role seems to be to hurt others or start fights. A simple novice's question like "what does anyone think about this ukulele model?" on one ukulele forum will bring you pages of grief: insults, personal attacks and vituperation. Llurk and read a while before you join, to make sure you're not stepping into the virtual snake pit instead of a fun, friendly and supportive forum. I recommend those listed below.

Some forums are ukulele specific, others like Ezfolk mix other instruments (banjo, guitar, dulcimer, etc. I'm not sure what  Ez stands for - perhaps its founder was named Ezra? Ezekiel?). I've grouped the forums together in the links section, below. Please take some time to visit them and join those you believe will best suit your playing. Some also have regional interests that may appeal to you and help bring you together with other local ukulele players.

Look for old songbooks in yard or garage sales or used-book stores. I've found many songsheets and songbooks with ukulele chords in them. They offer you a chance to learn some great old songs, and many are rather challenging to play. Besides, it's fun to resurrect some of these old tunes. And look online for the old songs, too - there are several sites that have turned old 78 records into MP3 files you can download for listening and practice.

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Sources and Links

This is merely a sampling of what's available online and any absence or omission is in no way a criticism of that site, merely an oversight on my part. Please email me with any suggested links to include for a future update.