Wow, this video caught me a lot of flack and critisicm in early 2022 in a particular Ukulele forum. Remember folks these are just my opinions and if you were to make your own videos on the subject I would gladly watch and listen. If you don't agree with what I have to say thats fine but remember my extensive experience on this subject has led me to have strong opinions of my own.
These days more than ever people just seem to love criticizing everyone else. Thank you so much for this excellent explanation that is really helping me make a decision about which baritone to buy next. I have a more modern-sounding Kala with solid spruce top and laminate ebony back and sides, so I think the next one needs to be all solid koa, acacia, or cocobolo. Mahogany seems a little too warm and muddy for a baritone in my taste.
Not sure what the "flack" comments were all about, nor do I much care. In our social media world any fool is an instant expert (and potentially a nasty @ss hat) if they can click the send button... I can say that 30 years of buying, collecting, teaching and playing ukuleles of all types could entitle me to some small opinion on the matter of tonewoods. My opinion is that I found your comments in this video to be spot on throughout!
.... and this is exactly why I have ukuleles made from all these tonewoods as well as various maples, including flamed, spalted, plain maple, bubinga and even an all rosewood soprano and surprise, surprise I have more sopranos than other sizes!
Over the years I have found that I like mahogany tops on all string instruments. Not because of the darker tone but because it has a very focused tone almost like it's slightly compressed but acoustically.
Really informative video. Thanks. I'm a BIG fan of Kanile'a Koa ukuleles. I love the rich tone. I heard someone once say, "When buying a ukulele, buy one that is better than you." I thought that was great advice.
That is great advice... I actually use that advice from time to time when I see a customer try an instrument and quickly find it's limitations. It's entirely possible to outgrow certain instruments once you develop your own feel and style of play.
I have been very impressed with mango, just started playing ukulele a month ago and the sound of mango really catches me, to the point where I would love to buy a mango acoustic guitar.
SO well done! Thank you! This literally opened my eyes WIDE. Even though I'm pretty much still a beginner/intermediate player, my ear is starting to catch the nuisances of the tonewoods I never heard in the beginning. The first time my ears ever wanted to pop off my head and dance was when I got a spruce top. Even though I pretty much still prefer spruce, I'm slowly starting to appreciate what the classic tonewoods offer. Becoming more aware also helps me to better understand string choices. Bottom line, this video helped perpetuate my level of understanding to a new level and I greatly thank you!!!
Thanks - just discovered this, and as a beginner (4 months or so in) it’s incredibly useful. It definitely explains the different feel between the two solid woods I’ve played - Blackwood (similar properties to mahogany?) and a spruce/rosewood (a very “pure” tone). And I have yet to experience koa or even acacia. I think that has to be the next thing I try.
Wow, thank you Alex! That was so interesting! Never thought about the subject this way. Makes it much easier to find out which one may be the perfect addition without getting completely lost. First thing next: change my low -g to the other Uke and try some of your string recommendations!
This was super helpful, Alex, thank you! As someone who's only played for a few years, I never gave much of a thought to the function of the tone wood and how it could compliment the way the uke is played...or to play in a way that compliments the wood lol. I have a much better understanding of the two groups of woods now...great sound samples to illustrate. Also learned something about my guitar too! :)
My initial experience and growth playing the ukulele was on a Lanikai Concert in solid Acacia. I fell in love with the ukulele playing this. I then got another Lanikai , a Tenor in solid Koa and played this for several years.
By the way love your videos! I like mahogany for my Ohana SK 35 Soprano which I play 80% of the time and have a beautiful sounding Luna sahara spruce top concert which I use when playing Johnny cash or country music. I like ragtime etc playing my Soprano
This is a great sharing of info. I have my first uke that is a solid mohogany concert. I picked strictly for the sound and eventually installed a low g. Im presently looking to upgrade to a tenor. I have watched countless video sound samples. Mostly yours but some others as well. I play really for my own enjoyment but will only choose one that ive played first hand and listened to as someone else plays it as well
This was a very nice basic introduction to tonewoods video Alex. My personal favorite tonewoods are Mango and Mahogany. I also prefer Cedar to Spruce unless the spruce is Englemann Spruce which has a warmer more cedar like sound. I primarily play chord melody arrangements or instrumental classical style pieces and find these woods compliment my playing style. I have worked on lots of of ukuleles so I have had the opportunity to play many different tonewood combinations. I do find there are occasionally magical combinations that go beyond the mere tonewoods /body wood combinations. The SUS Rainbow Cedar Mahogany is one of those rare Instruments. That wood combination with Kanilea's bracing creates, what is to me personally, the nicest sounding Kanilea I have heard. The Ohana TK-42 and CK-42 are like that to me also for Ohana. What you said about performers needs was really good too. I was talking about different Ohana models with a friend of mine that owns an ukulele store and does a lot of performing. I had just done touch work on a couple brand new TK-50 B Stock ukuleles. I mentioned the different cedar top models were my favorite models in the regular Ohana lineup and he mentioned one of the Spruce models was what he chose when he did an event with Ohana a few years ago. I do like Koa too if it is built right to compliment my playing style. My Custom Tomas is amazing. Once I customized my Koaloha KTM 00 to suit my playing style it is really nice too. Keep up the greater work.🙂
One of your best videos, Alex. Thanks! Somehow, I have ended up with classic tonewoods for my two low G tenors (Koa and Akacia) and modern tonewoods for my two high G tenors (Spruce and Cedar). That works well for me. I mostly play dreamy chord melody jazz on my low Gs and classical and more lively jazz and folksy stuff on my high Gs. A topic for another video could be all the interesting things to combine spruce and cedar with :-)
Just my opinion, but if you really can't decide on which tonewood you want, consider standard, run of the mill, straight grained koa. I've found it does everything pretty well.
Hi Alex, and thank you so much for the valuable content you freely share with us ! 🌷 I'm a sucker for tonewoods, and due to that, I have gathered up to 15 ukes, lol. My personal understanding is that we can play with 4 key factors to reach the sound we are looking for : tonewood (of course !), size/built of the instrument (as you said), and also strings, and tuning. As I particularly love a sweet, round and complex sound, with a dark undertone, I usually go for a combination that maximizes that feature. Sometimes I choose strings that complement the tonewood in this direction (like black nylon on mahogany), or strings that tame a bit an undesired feature - in my case a uke that is too straightforward (= too loud and not complex enough) - with strings that sweeten the sound a bit : I recently put clear nylon on a cedar top, and tuned it half a step down. It turned out just perfect ! One of my most "out of this world sounding" uke is an Ohana redwood sinker concert I bought from you : I placed WB strings on it and tuned it a full step down. Gawwwd !! That guy has the most incredible male voice ever : punchy, smoky, deep and dark, ultra resonant, with incredible bass undertones coming from deep inside, that vibrate into your spinal chord and give goose bumps ! I love love love that ukulele ! ☺ My softest and most forgiving uke is a Pono mango pineapple on which I have placed black nylon strings and tuned half a step down : perfect to play at night, lol. And totally amazing for medieval, renaissance and baroque music, due to its fantastic "organic" tone. And my most chiming uke is a modest little mango soprano, that was very sweet, round and standard sounding until I fitted it with Aquila Red Series : this totally transformed it into a loud cristal clear, almost metallic cavaquinho sounding instrument !!... 😄 Both ukes are mango, but incredibly different. Oh well, I could talk for hours about that topic, because there are interesting ways to adapt and transform a ukulele into a very different one depending on strings and tuning. That's why I never got rid of an instrument before I have tried all the possible combinations to enhance its existing qualities, or reveal some hidden ones. Tuning down was a revelation for me (I have a low voice despite being a lady) : I noticed that instruments with conifer wood top - that may lack complexity when too punchy and straightforward - become so much richer when we enhance the bass components with a lower tuning. But it's a very personal preference, of course. 🙂 Thank you so much again : your videos are always so interesting and rich in detailed information ! I learned so much from them, that whenever I browse the internet about a question on ukuleles, I always end up "checking what Alex has said about it" ! 😄... ☺... 🌷🌷🌷
Thank you so much for such a detailed comment. ☺ I'm really glad you enjoy the stuff I do and it sounds like with your own extensive experience with ukes that I should be learning from you! 😁 I love those sinker wood Ohanas. Fantastic choice.
@@UkesWithAlex You bother making very detailed video for the people, so I thought it nice you had a feedback ! 😉 I have also seen the very interesting video you have done about matching strings with tonewood : it was right what I was looking for, hence the choice of the clear nylon for my cedar top ! 😄🌸 Long life to SUS team !
Wow, that was great info. Just came across your RUclips channel. To bad I didn’t see this a few days earlier. I just ordered my very first Ukulele last night. I’ve never even held one in my lap. I’ve just known for the last three years I wanted to learn to play but too many trials kept me busy. Looking forward to a new year and learning the ukulele. I subscribe to your channel to learn more. Once I become proficient in playing, I will definitely step it up to a nicer quality instrument. Your video will be helpful for me then. Thank you and blessings to you. Merry Christmas.
Very interesting. I have a concert, mahogany uke that has a rather sweet, but covered sound. It also just loves to be strummed, while it can be a bit dull when I'm fingerpicking, especially the C string which is inclined to thunk. I'm kind of looking for a lighter C string to counter that because I prefer fingerpicking to strumming. I'm saving for my next instrument, and this was really helpful. Thanks.
Very nice! My favourite tone wood is probably Cedar, it’s got the spruce-like snap for my energetic strumming but it also holds its own in the low mids
Another great video. I find i gravitate towards Cedar and Mango tops. The sound of Mahogany is great on Tenors too, but I always end up getting bored with the look of them and sell them on. In fact the only Mahogany Uke i seem to keep hold of is my Bruko. I'd really like to try a Koa Tenor one day, but never seem to find one i like the look of, so always worry i'd end up selling it on. Had a Lani Spruce top soprano once which was stupidly loud, but sold it on as it was way too brash.
Hello, thank you very much for this tutorial of Ron to lot. I have five ukuleles of different sizes. Obviously the three main sizes are the three main sizes they’re all mahogany. I did purchase a spruce one awhile back but I didn’t like the sound of it so I sent it back to Sam Chapman Sheffield that sells them, but thank you very much. Indeed I’ve learnt more from this video than than anywhere else. I hope this makes sense this, do you not writing this comment because I have to speak into the
I said before that I love the Koa instruments turned out by Kanile'a and I always come back to Koa as my go to. I have a very nice DaSilva Mango Tenor that came from you originally, although I bought it preloved from Sugar SD. It is, to my ear at least, a roller sound profile than Koa is but not as deep and rich as my Cocobolo Tenor which has an almost Baritone sound. The choice of strings as you point out, makes a difference to the way an instrument sounds and the DaSilva was definitely raised in volume and clarity after I fitted it with a set of Fremont Black's. The Cocobolo has a low G set of Worth Browns and having tried others I have come to think that it is best suited to the Worths. On a day to day basis I have reach for one or other of the Kanile'as though, both Concerts but one is Tenor scale and fitted with living water strings, low G. You are absolutely right in that some songs and styles suit one Ukulele more than another though. Anyway that's my excuse for having several and I'm sticking to it. 🤔😉
Great video, as always, Alex. You actually summarized in 20 minutes what took me a couple of years to figure out! This video should be compulsory for anyone considering buying their first uke :) Personanlly, I like my tenors with cedar or Englemann spruce and rosewood/ebony back and sides.
That was really interesting. I've been learning less than a year and so not sure where I sit on the strummer v fingerpicker scale....Looking for my first solid wood uke tho ..so this was a really interesting watch. Thank you
Where do Maple and Eucalyptus fit in? I'm considering the Flight A10 solid maple tenor and the Ohana 450 Eucalyptus concert based heavily on their looks, though I do love the sound of the A10 Maple. Another I am considering is the Kala Solid Curly Mango Tenor. I know I love the sound of mango but I haven't found very many videos on the sound of eucalyptus on its own or compared to anything though....
Hi Marie, Willow is almost never used as a solid tonewood. I've only ever seen it as a laminate back and sides wood. The Ohana 50wg series is about the only ones I've seen...
Hey Alex, I really enjoy your reviews and perspective on all things related to this beautiful instrument! Lately, I have been thinking about a baritone ukulele with GCEA “octave” ( one octave lower) tuning, using “Guadalupe” strings. What are your thoughts on tone wood for clearer note separation with the lower tones?
Question: how does laminate vs. solid top factor into this? Since the tonewood is glued to the backing wood in a laminate, am I correct in assuming the difference in sound would be less noticeable than in a solid top? Also, what kind of wood (or woods) are most commonly used as the "backing" layer in a laminate top? BTW ... great video! Keep up the good work!
Rarely do you hear much of the tonewood in a laminate. Sometimes i do with back and sides when there is a solid top but you don't really get a flavour for the individual tonewoods when they are laminated
One of your best videos. I’m traveling to a ukulele store tomorrow to get a nice ukulele with low g Hopefully !! Hoping I find something I like. Glad I found this review today 🙂. I am really liking the cedar 🙂
One of my ukes, Kale ka-t, is "all" mahogany! All laminated, mahogany. My other uke, KAI kti700 is "solid" cedar top and bocote back and sides. I'm not. Sure if it is solid Bocote or laminate.
I would like to hear more about myrtle, both as a whole-body wood and as a back-and-sides tonewood with another on top. I understand myrtle grows primarily in Oregon USA, where I live, and in Israel. That, and the fact that it's gaining in popularity, makes it interesting to me.
I love both. Walnut is one of my favourite tonewoods actually. I chose it for a Kanile'a uke and some Millar customs I designed for Southern Ukulele Store. Check out the Kanile'a Manu Hu to see what I mean. Personally I like the look of purple heart but don't like the sound.
Great video as always, thanks Alex! I would love to hear a bit about your thoughts on Acacia in comparison with Koa - do the same descriptions apply in most cases?
I was sure I touched on it in a sentence or two but it's the subject of a video in itself... I think that good Koa is more direct than Acacia. I can personally almost always hear a difference and very early on whenever customers would ask I would say acacia is more Earthy which I think is my descriptive word to describe slightly muddy and less direct sounding. I think that all acacia (regardless of the instruments price) lacks a harp like quality and sweetness that koa has. Acacia has its own benefits though. You could argue that newer acacia instruments have a maturity to them that many koa instruments don't. The KoAloha and Opio Ukes are a great reference point for this. Finally, this could be down to manufacturing but I always associate acacia as being heavier than koa. Lots of great instruments made of koa are light and stiff but expensive acacia instruments feel more 'wooden' aka heavier in the hand.
Hi Alex, thanks for a really fascinating overview of tone woods. In your experience where does Australian Blackwood sit in the spectrum. I'm lucky enough to own a Barron River concert made from Blackwood.
Blackwood is a great wood tonally the Blackwood instruments I have tried have been close to either acacia or in the Barron River ukes I tried, walnut... usually its textured with a sweet attack which suits smaller sized ukes but the barron rivers also had a really unique flat, balanced frequency response like a piano. I've only played half a dozen Blackwood instruments- Cort at the cheaper end and Barron River and Chris Perkins at the high end.
@@UkesWithAlex thanks for reply. I've only had it for a couple of months and really surprised how it keeps developing and becoming more resonant. I'd heard people talking about an instrument improving over time but surprised by how much richer the sound is becoming.
I had a Romero Creations Grand Tenor spruce top with rosewood body that was a monster volume and projection and was nice because not as deep and muddy as the mahogany or koa and notes would ring out forever but it did have a very dreadnought-ish guitar sound that many people didn't like. I wonder what it would sound like without a wound low G and a high G with something like Worth Clears. It would probably not have so much bottom that makes it sound so guitar-ish and even more sustain, brightness and projection.
Ovangkol is a favourite in the bass guitar world because all of those variants of walnut tend to soak up and reproduce bass frequencies really smoothly. I think Ovangkol is great for Tenors and Baritones but can sound swampy on Sopranos and Concerts. Hope that helps?
It completely depends on the manufacturer. Thick poly urethane glosses found on factory made instruments in the far east costing anywhere from £100 to £2000 all have a slightly clicky, filtered sound. The gloss tightens up the tonewood and it gives the sound more attack and usually less sustain. Its not a bad or a good thing... I have seen examples of ukes at the lower price points where the tonewood has no life or guys at all and the gloss has been the main component in making the uke sound lively. A satin or natural finish usually means the sound is more complex and the attack of each note is smoother. The tonewood has a chance to be more of a focus and you often find that the satin finishes have more personality. I probably made this up but could have heard it from a well known player and retained it - a satin finish on a Tenor/Baritone is the sound of American Folk on the ukulele and the glossy sound is instantly the modern Hawaiian sound. The best examples of a satin finish creating a complex sound is modern Kamaka standard models and US made Martin Mahogany ukes... The exception to the rule is something like a KoAloha Pikake which sounds even more untamed and percussive without the gloss to slightly tane the open sound of how they build and brace their Ukes.
Thanks Alex I've just acquired spruce top tenor ukulele from amazon made by paisen, it sounds great on the videos I've seen of it being played, although I quite like the sound of the brown one over your left shoulder, what make is it please and how much, thanks, BTW I've subscribed to your channel.
Hi Howard, I believe you asked me this in another video comment today too. It's an Eiichi Sumi Kobo Tenor Ukulele. He doesn't make them with all the inlays anymore, a recent example without the inlays was sold at Elderly instruments for $4000.
I experience in solid spruce has more in slight bright and more in attack in high notes, while in laminated mahogany more in balance notes but not enough. But in my opinion I think I would love the mid range sounds in more in treble note with some sweet notes. So what wood is it a koa ,acacia or mango?
Any of those three woods will do that better than Spruce. I would watch the video and try and narrow down which one you want that way... Something might tick more boxes than the next one.
Very useful thanks.Ive only been playing a uke for 6 months,using a secondhand Tanglewood Itare 3.But feel I could do with a better sounding uke,what would you recommend? I play mainly in 2 clubs.
Hi Graham, honestly the advice I can offer is in the video and it completely depends on your budget. I'd look at a Flight Diana, a Flight Voyager or a Snail BHC-6C or T if you wany something affordable that's good quality and cuts through.
So I have never owned a ukulele…I have played guitar over 20 years… what’s your thoughts on the Kala Bamboo tenor….I Don’t know a lot about ukulele tones I’m kinda liking it but I don’t want to buy on too far from traditional sounding. Looking for a good traditional island sound 200$ budget.
The bamboo Tenor won't give you anything resembling the island sound. I recommend looming at the Kai KTI-100M which is a much better uke IMO than the kala for the same price. If your budget will stretch and you want the island sound, try to find a Flight Phantom or a Pono AT.
Ziricote is kind of like rosewood. It's uncommon to see as a top wood but is a great back and sides wood because it's really reflective and responsive with good bass response. The same can be said of Pao Ferro. As a top wood, it's uncommon because it looks good but you get mixed results from the sound. Not bad, just unpredictable from where I'm sat. Oak is a tough one. I've only ever personally played and seen oak top instruments that were laminate. As a back and sides wood my experience is that its quite muddy.
@@UkesWithAlex Thanks Alex. I've seen Ziricote as a top wood. Looks real nice but had no idea how it might sound. The only decent uke store that might have it is an hour and a half away. Mike
It's not really a tonewood. It's a grass for a start... ukes made of bamboo are perfectly fine but in my opinion they lack something that mahogany variants or a similar abundant wood have. The Aklot and Kala bamboo ukes are fine for a beginner... I don't know of anyone using it beyond that
Then it is most likely some kind of laminate uke anyway. Okume is often stained a brown colour to be used as a mahogany substitute on laminate beginners ukes. I know it's a really soft wood used for electric guitar bodies too. It's usually thinner brighter sounding with short sustain.
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Another really great video, Alex! Thank you for this very helpful information! It demystifies a lot.
Wow, this video caught me a lot of flack and critisicm in early 2022 in a particular Ukulele forum. Remember folks these are just my opinions and if you were to make your own videos on the subject I would gladly watch and listen. If you don't agree with what I have to say thats fine but remember my extensive experience on this subject has led me to have strong opinions of my own.
These days more than ever people just seem to love criticizing everyone else. Thank you so much for this excellent explanation that is really helping me make a decision about which baritone to buy next. I have a more modern-sounding Kala with solid spruce top and laminate ebony back and sides, so I think the next one needs to be all solid koa, acacia, or cocobolo. Mahogany seems a little too warm and muddy for a baritone in my taste.
People get butt hurt over the weirdest things. Rock on man!
Wierd you just layed things out as you see it. I like your videos thanks
Not sure what the "flack" comments were all about, nor do I much care. In our social media world any fool is an instant expert (and potentially a nasty @ss hat) if they can click the send button...
I can say that 30 years of buying, collecting, teaching and playing ukuleles of all types could entitle me to some small opinion on the matter of tonewoods. My opinion is that I found your comments in this video to be spot on throughout!
.... and this is exactly why I have ukuleles made from all these tonewoods as well as various maples, including flamed, spalted, plain maple, bubinga and even an all rosewood soprano and surprise, surprise I have more sopranos than other sizes!
ohhhh the KOA tone just hit me where it hurts.......sooooo beautiful!
Over the years I have found that I like mahogany tops on all string instruments. Not because of the darker tone but because it has a very focused tone almost like it's slightly compressed but acoustically.
Really informative video. Thanks. I'm a BIG fan of Kanile'a Koa ukuleles. I love the rich tone. I heard someone once say, "When buying a ukulele, buy one that is better than you." I thought that was great advice.
That is great advice... I actually use that advice from time to time when I see a customer try an instrument and quickly find it's limitations. It's entirely possible to outgrow certain instruments once you develop your own feel and style of play.
Thanks, Alex, for a 3yo video - I learned so much!
Never thought to tune my tenor down a whole pitch…sounds great 💯
Thank you for the incredibly useful video, Alex!
Just joined your channel )
Fantastic video. Lots of experienced years condensed in a 20' video. Thanks!!
I have been very impressed with mango, just started playing ukulele a month ago and the sound of mango really catches me, to the point where I would love to buy a mango acoustic guitar.
SO well done! Thank you! This literally opened my eyes WIDE. Even though I'm pretty much still a beginner/intermediate player, my ear is starting to catch the nuisances of the tonewoods I never heard in the beginning. The first time my ears ever wanted to pop off my head and dance was when I got a spruce top. Even though I pretty much still prefer spruce, I'm slowly starting to appreciate what the classic tonewoods offer. Becoming more aware also helps me to better understand string choices. Bottom line, this video helped perpetuate my level of understanding to a new level and I greatly thank you!!!
Yay! Well I am happy to have helped.
Thanks - just discovered this, and as a beginner (4 months or so in) it’s incredibly useful. It definitely explains the different feel between the two solid woods I’ve played - Blackwood (similar properties to mahogany?) and a spruce/rosewood (a very “pure” tone). And I have yet to experience koa or even acacia. I think that has to be the next thing I try.
Wow, thank you Alex! That was so interesting! Never thought about the subject this way. Makes it much easier to find out which one may be the perfect addition without getting completely lost. First thing next: change my low -g to the other Uke and try some of your string recommendations!
This was super helpful, Alex, thank you! As someone who's only played for a few years, I never gave much of a thought to the function of the tone wood and how it could compliment the way the uke is played...or to play in a way that compliments the wood lol. I have a much better understanding of the two groups of woods now...great sound samples to illustrate. Also learned something about my guitar too! :)
My initial experience and growth playing the ukulele was on a Lanikai Concert in solid Acacia. I fell in love with the ukulele playing this. I then got another Lanikai , a Tenor in solid Koa and played this for several years.
By the way love your videos! I like mahogany for my Ohana SK 35 Soprano which I play 80% of the time and have a beautiful sounding Luna sahara spruce top concert which I use when playing Johnny cash or country music. I like ragtime etc playing my Soprano
Koa, then cedar (especially Redwood), then mahagony for me.... when I become as good as James Hill, maybe I'll try the spruce!
So helpful. I love my Koa tenor and planning on a cedar concert as my next purchase.
This is a great sharing of info. I have my first uke that is a solid mohogany concert. I picked strictly for the sound and eventually installed a low g. Im presently looking to upgrade to a tenor. I have watched countless video sound samples. Mostly yours but some others as well. I play really for my own enjoyment but will only choose one that ive played first hand and listened to as someone else plays it as well
This is about the best description of the properties of the different tone woods I've yet to hear. Excellent analysis!
Thanks very much
This was a very nice basic introduction to tonewoods video Alex. My personal favorite tonewoods are Mango and Mahogany. I also prefer Cedar to Spruce unless the spruce is Englemann Spruce which has a warmer more cedar like sound.
I primarily play chord melody arrangements or instrumental classical style pieces and find these woods compliment my playing style. I have worked on lots of of ukuleles so I have had the opportunity to play many different tonewood combinations.
I do find there are occasionally magical combinations that go beyond the mere tonewoods /body wood combinations.
The SUS Rainbow Cedar Mahogany is one of those rare
Instruments. That wood combination with Kanilea's bracing creates, what is to me personally, the nicest sounding Kanilea I have heard. The Ohana TK-42 and CK-42 are like that to me also for Ohana. What you said about performers needs was really good too. I was talking about different Ohana models with a friend of mine that owns an ukulele store and does a lot of performing. I had just done touch work on a couple brand new TK-50 B Stock ukuleles. I mentioned the different cedar top models were my favorite models in the regular Ohana lineup and he mentioned one of the Spruce models was what he chose when he did an event with Ohana a few years ago.
I do like Koa too if it is built right to compliment my playing style.
My Custom Tomas is amazing.
Once I customized my Koaloha KTM 00 to suit my playing style it is really nice too.
Keep up the greater work.🙂
Great comment.i really enjoyed reading that.
One of your best videos, Alex. Thanks! Somehow, I have ended up with classic tonewoods for my two low G tenors (Koa and Akacia) and modern tonewoods for my two high G tenors (Spruce and Cedar). That works well for me. I mostly play dreamy chord melody jazz on my low Gs and classical and more lively jazz and folksy stuff on my high Gs.
A topic for another video could be all the interesting things to combine spruce and cedar with :-)
Just my opinion, but if you really can't decide on which tonewood you want, consider standard, run of the mill, straight grained koa. I've found it does everything pretty well.
It's worked for 100 years for a reason...
Hi Alex, and thank you so much for the valuable content you freely share with us ! 🌷
I'm a sucker for tonewoods, and due to that, I have gathered up to 15 ukes, lol. My personal understanding is that we can play with 4 key factors to reach the sound we are looking for : tonewood (of course !), size/built of the instrument (as you said), and also strings, and tuning. As I particularly love a sweet, round and complex sound, with a dark undertone, I usually go for a combination that maximizes that feature. Sometimes I choose strings that complement the tonewood in this direction (like black nylon on mahogany), or strings that tame a bit an undesired feature - in my case a uke that is too straightforward (= too loud and not complex enough) - with strings that sweeten the sound a bit : I recently put clear nylon on a cedar top, and tuned it half a step down. It turned out just perfect !
One of my most "out of this world sounding" uke is an Ohana redwood sinker concert I bought from you : I placed WB strings on it and tuned it a full step down. Gawwwd !! That guy has the most incredible male voice ever : punchy, smoky, deep and dark, ultra resonant, with incredible bass undertones coming from deep inside, that vibrate into your spinal chord and give goose bumps ! I love love love that ukulele ! ☺
My softest and most forgiving uke is a Pono mango pineapple on which I have placed black nylon strings and tuned half a step down : perfect to play at night, lol. And totally amazing for medieval, renaissance and baroque music, due to its fantastic "organic" tone. And my most chiming uke is a modest little mango soprano, that was very sweet, round and standard sounding until I fitted it with Aquila Red Series : this totally transformed it into a loud cristal clear, almost metallic cavaquinho sounding instrument !!... 😄 Both ukes are mango, but incredibly different.
Oh well, I could talk for hours about that topic, because there are interesting ways to adapt and transform a ukulele into a very different one depending on strings and tuning. That's why I never got rid of an instrument before I have tried all the possible combinations to enhance its existing qualities, or reveal some hidden ones. Tuning down was a revelation for me (I have a low voice despite being a lady) : I noticed that instruments with conifer wood top - that may lack complexity when too punchy and straightforward - become so much richer when we enhance the bass components with a lower tuning. But it's a very personal preference, of course. 🙂
Thank you so much again : your videos are always so interesting and rich in detailed information ! I learned so much from them, that whenever I browse the internet about a question on ukuleles, I always end up "checking what Alex has said about it" ! 😄... ☺... 🌷🌷🌷
Thank you so much for such a detailed comment. ☺
I'm really glad you enjoy the stuff I do and it sounds like with your own extensive experience with ukes that I should be learning from you! 😁
I love those sinker wood Ohanas. Fantastic choice.
@@UkesWithAlex You bother making very detailed video for the people, so I thought it nice you had a feedback ! 😉
I have also seen the very interesting video you have done about matching strings with tonewood : it was right what I was looking for, hence the choice of the clear nylon for my cedar top ! 😄🌸 Long life to SUS team !
Wow, that was great info. Just came across your RUclips channel. To bad I didn’t see this a few days earlier. I just ordered my very first Ukulele last night. I’ve never even held one in my lap. I’ve just known for the last three years I wanted to learn to play but too many trials kept me busy. Looking forward to a new year and learning the ukulele. I subscribe to your channel to learn more. Once I become proficient in playing, I will definitely step it up to a nicer quality instrument. Your video will be helpful for me then. Thank you and blessings to you. Merry Christmas.
Good luck with it!
I think I like the contemporary mango with spruce/cedar. Some of the Hawaiian ukulele sound amazing also.
Very interesting. I have a concert, mahogany uke that has a rather sweet, but covered sound. It also just loves to be strummed, while it can be a bit dull when I'm fingerpicking, especially the C string which is inclined to thunk. I'm kind of looking for a lighter C string to counter that because I prefer fingerpicking to strumming. I'm saving for my next instrument, and this was really helpful. Thanks.
So glad I discovered your channel, Alex. Thanks for the fantastic content 🙂
Such a difficult matter to describe: however such a great informative vid'/explanation. Brill !
Wonderful advice Alex! Thank you! xx
Thanks Alex! Your wood tone descriptions really helped me with my purchase today. Acacia! Gratitude!
Happy to help. 😊
It's strange I love playing koa and mahagony but prefer listening to cedar and spruce most days
Great video as usual. Tons of useful information in here. Thanks a lot! Looking forward to your fingerstyle course.
Very nice! My favourite tone wood is probably Cedar, it’s got the spruce-like snap for my energetic strumming but it also holds its own in the low mids
Good choice!
Another great video. I find i gravitate towards Cedar and Mango tops. The sound of Mahogany is great on Tenors too, but I always end up getting bored with the look of them and sell them on. In fact the only Mahogany Uke i seem to keep hold of is my Bruko. I'd really like to try a Koa Tenor one day, but never seem to find one i like the look of, so always worry i'd end up selling it on. Had a Lani Spruce top soprano once which was stupidly loud, but sold it on as it was way too brash.
Hello, thank you very much for this tutorial of Ron to lot. I have five ukuleles of different sizes. Obviously the three main sizes are the three main sizes they’re all mahogany. I did purchase a spruce one awhile back but I didn’t like the sound of it so I sent it back to Sam Chapman Sheffield that sells them, but thank you very much. Indeed I’ve learnt more from this video than than anywhere else. I hope this makes sense this, do you not writing this comment because I have to speak into the
I think I understand.
the oldie ukes were maple body with spruce tops from the Portuguese makers long before they came to Hawaii. Just Sayin !!!
Another great video :) great work Alex and all the humble people of sus ;)
Excellent video, Alex. Cheers from the San Francisco Bay Area. - Tim
Thanks Tim. I've had some wonderful days in San Francisco. Take care.
I said before that I love the Koa instruments turned out by Kanile'a and I always come back to Koa as my go to. I have a very nice DaSilva Mango Tenor that came from you originally, although I bought it preloved from Sugar SD. It is, to my ear at least, a roller sound profile than Koa is but not as deep and rich as my Cocobolo Tenor which has an almost Baritone sound. The choice of strings as you point out, makes a difference to the way an instrument sounds and the DaSilva was definitely raised in volume and clarity after I fitted it with a set of Fremont Black's. The Cocobolo has a low G set of Worth Browns and having tried others I have come to think that it is best suited to the Worths. On a day to day basis I have reach for one or other of the Kanile'as though, both Concerts but one is Tenor scale and fitted with living water strings, low G. You are absolutely right in that some songs and styles suit one Ukulele more than another though. Anyway that's my excuse for having several and I'm sticking to it. 🤔😉
Having an excuse is half the battle 🤣
Great video, as always, Alex. You actually summarized in 20 minutes what took me a couple of years to figure out! This video should be compulsory for anyone considering buying their first uke :) Personanlly, I like my tenors with cedar or Englemann spruce and rosewood/ebony back and sides.
Can't go wrong with a powerful top and powerful back and sides - lovely and clear.
I'm all for them teaching this video in schools 🤣
That was really interesting. I've been learning less than a year and so not sure where I sit on the strummer v fingerpicker scale....Looking for my first solid wood uke tho ..so this was a really interesting watch. Thank you
Could you tell me the models of the uks your are playing in this video? TY! Great video.
Thanks, Alex!
Where do Maple and Eucalyptus fit in? I'm considering the Flight A10 solid maple tenor and the Ohana 450 Eucalyptus concert based heavily on their looks, though I do love the sound of the A10 Maple. Another I am considering is the Kala Solid Curly Mango Tenor. I know I love the sound of mango but I haven't found very many videos on the sound of eucalyptus on its own or compared to anything though....
I learned a lot thank you!
Thank you so informative
Thanks for a very nice video
Hi Marie,
Willow is almost never used as a solid tonewood. I've only ever seen it as a laminate back and sides wood. The Ohana 50wg series is about the only ones I've seen...
@@UkesWithAlex The Ohana sk 50 wg is the one I have 🙂 I'm surprised to hear no other brand give it a try. The sound is lovely 🙂
Super odcinek. Może lot widokowy prywatnym samolotem w jakimś ładnym miejscu 🙂
Hey Alex, I really enjoy your reviews and perspective on all things related to this beautiful instrument!
Lately, I have been thinking about a baritone ukulele with GCEA “octave” ( one octave lower) tuning, using “Guadalupe” strings. What are your thoughts on tone wood for clearer note separation with the lower tones?
Question: how does laminate vs. solid top factor into this? Since the tonewood is glued to the backing wood in a laminate, am I correct in assuming the difference in sound would be less noticeable than in a solid top? Also, what kind of wood (or woods) are most commonly used as the "backing" layer in a laminate top? BTW ... great video! Keep up the good work!
Rarely do you hear much of the tonewood in a laminate. Sometimes i do with back and sides when there is a solid top but you don't really get a flavour for the individual tonewoods when they are laminated
One of your best videos. I’m traveling to a ukulele store tomorrow to get a nice ukulele with low g Hopefully !! Hoping I find something I like. Glad I found this review today 🙂. I am really liking the cedar 🙂
One of my ukes, Kale ka-t, is "all" mahogany! All laminated, mahogany. My other uke, KAI kti700 is "solid" cedar top and bocote back and sides. I'm not. Sure if it is solid Bocote or laminate.
I would like to hear more about myrtle, both as a whole-body wood and as a back-and-sides tonewood with another on top. I understand myrtle grows primarily in Oregon USA, where I live, and in Israel. That, and the fact that it's gaining in popularity, makes it interesting to me.
I'd look into Breedlove's product videos on myrtle wood. That's one of their main woods they source.
Great advice. Thanks Ashley 👊
thanks for the comprehensive summary on tonewoods. On the rare/contemporary side, do you have any thoughts on Walnut and Purpleheart?
I love both. Walnut is one of my favourite tonewoods actually. I chose it for a Kanile'a uke and some Millar customs I designed for Southern Ukulele Store.
Check out the Kanile'a Manu Hu to see what I mean.
Personally I like the look of purple heart but don't like the sound.
Great video as always, thanks Alex! I would love to hear a bit about your thoughts on Acacia in comparison with Koa - do the same descriptions apply in most cases?
I was sure I touched on it in a sentence or two but it's the subject of a video in itself...
I think that good Koa is more direct than Acacia. I can personally almost always hear a difference and very early on whenever customers would ask I would say acacia is more Earthy which I think is my descriptive word to describe slightly muddy and less direct sounding. I think that all acacia (regardless of the instruments price) lacks a harp like quality and sweetness that koa has.
Acacia has its own benefits though. You could argue that newer acacia instruments have a maturity to them that many koa instruments don't. The KoAloha and Opio Ukes are a great reference point for this.
Finally, this could be down to manufacturing but I always associate acacia as being heavier than koa. Lots of great instruments made of koa are light and stiff but expensive acacia instruments feel more 'wooden' aka heavier in the hand.
@@UkesWithAlex thanks for your detailed reply. I have never had the opportunity to try a Koa instrument but now I know what to listen for. Thanks.
Hi Alex, thanks for a really fascinating overview of tone woods. In your experience where does Australian Blackwood sit in the spectrum. I'm lucky enough to own a Barron River concert made from Blackwood.
Blackwood is a great wood tonally the Blackwood instruments I have tried have been close to either acacia or in the Barron River ukes I tried, walnut... usually its textured with a sweet attack which suits smaller sized ukes but the barron rivers also had a really unique flat, balanced frequency response like a piano.
I've only played half a dozen Blackwood instruments- Cort at the cheaper end and Barron River and Chris Perkins at the high end.
@@UkesWithAlex thanks for reply. I've only had it for a couple of months and really surprised how it keeps developing and becoming more resonant. I'd heard people talking about an instrument improving over time but surprised by how much richer the sound is becoming.
I had a Romero Creations Grand Tenor spruce top with rosewood body that was a monster volume and projection and was nice because not as deep and muddy as the mahogany or koa and notes would ring out forever but it did have a very dreadnought-ish guitar sound that many people didn't like. I wonder what it would sound like without a wound low G and a high G with something like Worth Clears. It would probably not have so much bottom that makes it sound so guitar-ish and even more sustain, brightness and projection.
I think you are probably right
What ukulele ist the one with gloss finish and nice inlays ? Thanks for Info ! Regards from Bavaria ! Roland
Sumi Kobo - Sakura Tenor
This is great information! What tone woods do you think sound best with a cedar top?
Mango for depth. Rosewood for projection
Thank you so much for a wonderful explanation. Any experience with ovangkol? How does it compare to the other woods discussed in the video?
Ovangkol is a favourite in the bass guitar world because all of those variants of walnut tend to soak up and reproduce bass frequencies really smoothly. I think Ovangkol is great for Tenors and Baritones but can sound swampy on Sopranos and Concerts.
Hope that helps?
On a soprano, I’ll never have anything except mystery wood layers 🤠gotta have that cheap kid instrument sound when camping lol
Damn... why aren't they marketing laminate ukes as 'mystery wood layers!?!?!' That's much better and not even a lie!
Awesome video! What are your thoughts about sound differences between satin vs semigloss vs gloss stains? Thanks
It completely depends on the manufacturer. Thick poly urethane glosses found on factory made instruments in the far east costing anywhere from £100 to £2000 all have a slightly clicky, filtered sound. The gloss tightens up the tonewood and it gives the sound more attack and usually less sustain. Its not a bad or a good thing... I have seen examples of ukes at the lower price points where the tonewood has no life or guys at all and the gloss has been the main component in making the uke sound lively.
A satin or natural finish usually means the sound is more complex and the attack of each note is smoother. The tonewood has a chance to be more of a focus and you often find that the satin finishes have more personality.
I probably made this up but could have heard it from a well known player and retained it - a satin finish on a Tenor/Baritone is the sound of American Folk on the ukulele and the glossy sound is instantly the modern Hawaiian sound.
The best examples of a satin finish creating a complex sound is modern Kamaka standard models and US made Martin Mahogany ukes... The exception to the rule is something like a KoAloha Pikake which sounds even more untamed and percussive without the gloss to slightly tane the open sound of how they build and brace their Ukes.
Thanks Alex I've just acquired spruce top tenor ukulele from amazon made by paisen, it sounds great on the videos I've seen of it being played, although I quite like the sound of the brown one over your left shoulder, what make is it please and how much, thanks, BTW I've subscribed to your channel.
Hi Howard,
I believe you asked me this in another video comment today too. It's an Eiichi Sumi Kobo Tenor Ukulele. He doesn't make them with all the inlays anymore, a recent example without the inlays was sold at Elderly instruments for $4000.
I experience in solid spruce has more in slight bright and more in attack in high notes, while in laminated mahogany more in balance notes but not enough. But in my opinion I think I would love the mid range sounds in more in treble note with some sweet notes. So what wood is it a koa ,acacia or mango?
Any of those three woods will do that better than Spruce. I would watch the video and try and narrow down which one you want that way... Something might tick more boxes than the next one.
Very useful thanks.Ive only been playing a uke for 6 months,using a secondhand Tanglewood Itare 3.But feel I could do with a better sounding uke,what would you recommend? I play mainly in 2 clubs.
Hi Graham, honestly the advice I can offer is in the video and it completely depends on your budget. I'd look at a Flight Diana, a Flight Voyager or a Snail BHC-6C or T if you wany something affordable that's good quality and cuts through.
If you have small hands - Kala or Ohana are good brand choices and perhaps stick to a Cincert size.
So I have never owned a ukulele…I have played guitar over 20 years… what’s your thoughts on the Kala Bamboo tenor….I Don’t know a lot about ukulele tones I’m kinda liking it but I don’t want to buy on too far from traditional sounding. Looking for a good traditional island sound 200$ budget.
The bamboo Tenor won't give you anything resembling the island sound. I recommend looming at the Kai KTI-100M which is a much better uke IMO than the kala for the same price.
If your budget will stretch and you want the island sound, try to find a Flight Phantom or a Pono AT.
@@UkesWithAlex the mango or mahogany? It pulled up both with the same model number
The mango is a kti-30
I've recently seen some uke's made with Ziricote and Oak. What's you're opinion on these?
Ziricote is kind of like rosewood. It's uncommon to see as a top wood but is a great back and sides wood because it's really reflective and responsive with good bass response. The same can be said of Pao Ferro.
As a top wood, it's uncommon because it looks good but you get mixed results from the sound. Not bad, just unpredictable from where I'm sat.
Oak is a tough one. I've only ever personally played and seen oak top instruments that were laminate. As a back and sides wood my experience is that its quite muddy.
@@UkesWithAlex Thanks Alex. I've seen Ziricote as a top wood. Looks real nice but had no idea how it might sound. The only decent uke store that might have it is an hour and a half away. Mike
You often see it as a laminate top too.
@@UkesWithAlex Thanks Alex
What do you think about bamboo?
It's not really a tonewood. It's a grass for a start... ukes made of bamboo are perfectly fine but in my opinion they lack something that mahogany variants or a similar abundant wood have.
The Aklot and Kala bamboo ukes are fine for a beginner... I don't know of anyone using it beyond that
Mine says it's Okoume. Any opinion on that?
Then it is most likely some kind of laminate uke anyway.
Okume is often stained a brown colour to be used as a mahogany substitute on laminate beginners ukes.
I know it's a really soft wood used for electric guitar bodies too.
It's usually thinner brighter sounding with short sustain.
What is that song you played halfway through? I recognize it but can't place it.
It's my own piece Dreaming of you that I've been showing off for about a year from my fingerstyle course.
@@UkesWithAlex Wow, it's beautiful.
these videos are great....just very long...for what's required....don't mean to criticise!!
Um... OK.
Let me know when your fingerstyle lesson is up.
The piece I play in this video is on my fingerstyle ukulele course at ukeswith.com
The solution is to have one Cedar and one Koa ukulele
In each size 😊
And
size does matter
:(