Got A Ukulele Reviews - Cordoba 20TM-CE Tenor
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- Опубликовано: 9 июл 2016
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Got A Ukulele Reviews and Buyers Guides looks at the Cordoba 20TM-CE Electro acoustic ukulele - read the full written review here - www.gotaukulele.com/2016/07/co... #gotaukulele #ukulele #review 
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Thanks Barry for the excellent review. You are by far the best at reviewing instruments.
That's very kind - thank you!
Good practical review from a decent player.I was looking to get one of these and I will now try one with your comments in mind. Thanks and keep up the good work.
I actually kept playing this one for quite a while. It's a nice enough sounding instrument, but the weight really started to annoy me. Fine if you play standing up with a strap I guess - so perhaps a good stage ukulele. No reason for it to be that heavy though.
Another great review Baz! I've not yet played a Cordoba uke yet so thanks for sharing your experience here.
Thanks buddy!
I'm looking at getting my first ukulele. I see ones I like in my price range and that are promoted by others. I am always checking in on your channel to see if you've done a review. Thanks for your content, I appreciate how you go over the physicalities of the instrument and of course the sound, all with a no nonsense approach. Thank you :-)
My pleasure - in my experience, be VERY careful with review 'videos' that come across as promotions, or those reviewers who suddenly do a lot of reviews of the same brand and use them in other videos - they are pretty much always paid promotions. Got A Ukulele doesn't work like that - I don't review for money or free instruments. Every review you see on here is fully impartial and I'll only say it's good if it actually is.
Hi Barry! Thanks! I always learn something from your reviews! 8-)
+Peter Forrest pleasure Peter!
Nice review. I had one, though I didn't care for the Aquila strings. Loved it with a mellow low g set. No flaws, was set up nearly perfectly, light, resonant, full sounding, with good projection. Had always intended to install a bone saddle and Grover tuners. The satin finish polished to a rich, low gloss. EQ worked fine. A good uke for the money, especially if you can get one for well under list.
+PhilUSAFRet hi Phil - you say yours was light? Was the pickup different? Because this is one of the heaviest bodied tenors I've played!
What is the name of that song you use to demonstrate the picking? Thanks :-) it's really pretty
Aqwww 😢, I was at guitar store yesterday, I wish I seen this review. I was playing Two Luna tenors, and one Martin and this Córdoba and another cordoba. I v couldn’t decide I was in the store for like 3 hours playing and just chose this one by feeling and purchased it with insurance. Thanks for the reviews! I love your reviews
My pleasure!
Good review, thanks.
Thanks for watching!
You make it so easy. Sounds great what you are doing. 😃
Thanks - they are just simple riffs I repeat on all videos to allow people to compare.
Hi, thanks for the video! I found it very helpfull. You got my sub ^^ I was thinking strongly bout buying this one but the case of balance and body weight that you showed, changed my plans. Could you recommend me some tenor ukulele models with cutaway that you tried and you found them WELL balanced and good for low G tunning?
Have a nice day! :)
Thanks! Any tenor will work with low G - it's not a uke specific thing really. AS for other tenors around this price, this Enya tenor immediately springs to mind! www.gotaukulele.com/2018/12/enya-eut-m6-tenor-ukulele-review.html. There is this Kai ukulele - no cutaway though - it's sublime www.gotaukulele.com/2019/12/kai-kti-700-tenor-ukulele-review.html
Hi i was just about to order the kala ka-s ukulele when I saw the kala ka-15s HI i was wondering if there was any sound difference
Very similar - in fact essentially the same laminate bodies - one with more 'bling' - sound wise I find them indistinguishable.
Hey Barry, I am learning on a Makala tenor and find the neck narrow at the nut. I am looking for a beginner intermediate instrument with a 38mm nut width, and wonder if you can give me a few options. Budget would be up to about 300 Quid. Which brands should I be looking at. Thanks mate. Great reviews and I am learning a lot.
Cor - probably quite a few, but I don't have a database. I'd only suggest you work through my full list - most reviews should mention nut width somewhere. Certainly the likes of Kala wont give you what you want. Where it gets confusing is that some Snails will, but not all. Some flights will, but not all. No real pattern.
Barry, if you could choose this uke, or the laminate Gretsch 9120 tenor, which would you choose?
The Gretsch
I'm thinking of buying the 20TM (no electric).. do you have any suggestions to others in the same price range that would sound better?
Probably most models from kala will be better. Also check out Snail and Baton Rouge
What do you think about Cordoba ukes in general? I'm planning to buy a Cordoba 15CM as my first uke.
Usually find them nice to look at but heavy and over built.
"gubbins".. great descriptive word lol.
another great review. thanks!
newbie to this instrument , you seem to know them very well ,(gobbins ! ) :) thanks for the review , can you tell me : what is the low G setting ?, are there sets of strings with low G string to replace that double high string thing that Ukuleles have ? thx - billy
A low G is a thicker replacement string for the 4th on a regular ukulele. The thicker gauge is designed to be tuned to G, but a octave below the regular high G
Hi Barry,
Regarding your strumming, do you use all of your fingers or does it just look like it, and if you do does it produce more volume.
Thanks.
Keith
I do sometimes, but not always - does produce a fuller sound - more of a jangle
I bought one 4/20/17. It's only ever in it's case or in my hands playing it and I noticed that the soundboard is cracked near the bridge. Returning it tomorrow!
oh dear!
Whats the name of the song you first started strumming? It sounded really happy, is there a tutorial or could you send us the chords?
ruclips.net/video/rkk9CXQ1AZU/видео.html
Do you think you could get use to the heavy body? I know that is not positive thing..., but i was looking forward to buy this one cause the relation quality price seems one of the I´ve seen. It´s not perfect but i believe that for an intermediate player it´s about right. If not so could you recomend me some other models ? Ty for the great review, Barry!
I couldn’t live with it as it’s uncomfortable, but also because there are plenty of brands at same price point that are not. Kala, Ohana and Snail being obvious places to look
I see what you mean! Thank you so much. And sorry to bother again but do you think the Snail UKT-E598EQ its a better option? Or the Kala KA-CGE?
That's a tough one - they are very much on the same sort of level. I like both brands, but would say that Kala are a bit more consistent.
Can You please do more Cordoba reviews without internal pick up, like Cordoba 23T and such. Thank You and keep up the great reviews!
Bearing in mind Cordoba loaned me this one and that I wasn't particularly glowing about it, I think it's probably unlikely they will send me another. Why are you so taken with Cordoba? I think there are better alternatives for the same money?
I recently purchased Cordoba 23T and absolutely in love with it. Because this was my first ever ukulele I owned, I have no knowledge to compare it with any other brands therefore ,I would like to see someone like you with whole lot experience and knowledge about ukuleles and guitars, to do some review on Cordoba Ukes without internal pickup to reduce that body weight a little bit and see if that will change your initial opinion on Cordoba's ukuleles.
Oh I see - bear in mind that I don't think the body weight in this one is purely down to the pickup. With other Cordobas I have played, I tend to find them quite over built and heavy and that mutes their sound.
Would you please elaborate a little; what would you advise for the same money? Thank you! Enjoyed your review.
Kala, Baton Rouge, Snail
I bought a Mahalo Hano (59 euro) and it's amazing. Very lightweight and it plays really well. It's my favourite now. Maybe you can do a review? Would love to hear your opinion.
I have done a few Mahalos on the reviews. Will look this one out.
GotAUkulele Thanks! A Dutch specialized shop sells and recommends it. They say it's good value for money and I agree. It's a loud uke.
I wish I never bought my Epiphone Les Paul and I even prefer this Mahalo over my Baton Rouge V2-C sun.
I am looking for a tenor ukulele with pickup that costs about 170-240 dollars. Do you have any recommendations?
Best thing I can do is direct you to my list of reviews on link below. Bear in mind that a good dealer can fit a pickup to 99% of acoustic ukuleles, so you dont need to narrow yourself to only the ones that come pre-installed. In fact the pre-installed ones are never as good.
www.gotaukulele.com/p/ukulele-reviews.html
Ok thanks!
Thanks for your review! I just bought the regular 20TM (no pickup) and I'm really surprised and disappointed by how *quiet* it is; it also has very little sustain. i.e. If I graze a string it will barely sound, so I have to strike very deliberately (which makes it hard to play anything delicate). The 15CM I have is WAY louder and feels like it has a "normal" level of sustain, and that's supposed to be a cheaper model. I bought the 20TM off Amazon so I'm wondering if its quality issue or what. Might try to exchange it or just save myself a headache and exchange it for a Kala.
I found the same with this one. In fact I find that a lot with Cordoba - they are quite heavily built and it kills any life in the instruments. They are not a recommended brand by me
@@GotAUkulele Ah, that's good to know. I'm just looking for something casual but I'll have to try other brands. I just received the Cordoba 15TM ($100) and I must say it sounds way better to me than the 20TM ($150), which is surprising. But I don't have much else to compare it to sooo (here it comes)... if you have any suggestions for tenors in the $150 range, I'd love to hear. ;)
I'm looking to upgrade from my epiphone ukulele. Would you recommend it.
Sorry the 23T-CE
Upgrade from an Epiphone Les Paul? Yes hugely. But this is far from the best ukulele in its class / price. Look towards Kala, Snail and Baton Rouge for better quality and value
hello! thanks so much for your reviews! i always come here to listen to the points you make on ukuleles so i can make a choice. And i was wondering what do you think about 6 string ukuleles and would you recommend them? I would also like to see you review one like the Kala KA 6E etc. but thanks for all the things you do. Keep up the good work!
The thing most people mis-understand about 6 strings (and 8 strings) is that they are not adding any extra distinct note courses to the ukulele - it's still a four note instrument essentially, but a couple of the strings are doubled up. The effect is very nice I think - adds a lot more shimmer, depth to the sound and some extra bass. I like them a lot.
thanks! i also have one more question. im thinking about upgrading to a tenor and i cant decide which one and i was wondering which one should i get. Either the cordoba 20tm ce or 24t ce or Kala KA EBY TE. if you could help me i would be EXTREMELY thankful. gained a new sub too!
Hi Barry. In this review you said that you would be more likely to recommend this model if it didn’t have a cut away and if it’s pick up was passive, and I own a Cordoba Ukulele that’s just like that. I’m not sure if you would actually like it, but it’s called the Cordoba 15cm-e and I think it seems to fit what was missing here. Plus from my experience, it’s not heavy, I don’t see many people who review this ukulele and I really enjoy your reviews so if you’re ever able to look into it somehow maybe it’ll be better than the one reviewed here. :)
Yes indeed. Not a bad core uke. The pickup is all wrong though
I bought this use for my son. I'm a Acoustic weekend warrior and I PLAY Martin guitars. The electronics are very important to me to plug in and play. Have no idea if the electrons are up to snuff on this instrument for I do not play UKE YET. but give me some Time It's on m list. Acoustically this instrument does not have as full of a sound as a full bodied UKE just like my acoustic guitars. But I play out mostly amplified.
Not the best pickup in these I am afraid.
So I don’t have this model but I have a similar model 24TCE. Mine had huge volume it also sounds sweeter (spruce top) Personally I don’t think the pickup is a negative. I think it depends how you hold it. For me it sits nicely in my lap and does not budge. There is a demo of this from Cordoba where Carlos is playing Gracias A La Vida. If you position the Uke like this it’s super stable (more so than a strap). I think it’s outstanding value. I would upgrade the tuners but outside of that it’s hard to find a better Uke for the money unless you want a Vanilla Kala.
It's not about the position for me (though that does matter a LOT to left handers). It's about the weight it adds, setting the body off balance. It's also about how ugly they look and the extra wiring (and more to go wrong). A passive pickup is simple and all you need. I can think of countless ukuleles that are better for the money at this point. Sorry!
@@GotAUkulele I think you missed my point :) the way it’s weighted actually helps it sit nicely in your lap. Not sure if you’ve seen the video I referred to above but you’ll see it’s a very comfortable position for finger style. I paid under two hundred pounds for mine. If you want an electro acoustic with a solid top for under two hundred quid you would be hard pushed to find a Uke with a better spec and sound.
@@MissPoshosho No, I get that - it's just that I want a ukulele to suit all types of play - sitting, standing - with a strap, without. That requires balance in the instrument. This is not balanced. And no, I don't think people would be hard pushed to find a better one for the price. If anything, I think Cordoba are a bit over-priced.
@@GotAUkulele If you check well known UK sites for Ukes you’ll see in the price range 180 pounds most Ukes have laminate bodies or mahogany (not spruce). I’d be interested to know which is comparible (genuinely) as I’m looking for a low G Uke.
I understand what you mean by heavy. In comparison to my soprano uke, it doesnt have that super portable uke feel. However, I picked this up with an amp that compliments it so it is more like a mini guitar to me. So good looking for us, my friend. I would like to get Uke lessons from you.
Yeah. Not stupidly heavy, but with ukes we are down to fractions. There are some ukes out there which are featherweight, and when you have played one of those, the weight becomes noticeable.
The back of my uku is not flat ! :( Is it bad?! It is also a Cordoba 20TM CE :(
Not necessarily - some are designed with a curve in them for sound projection
GotAUkulele Well thanks! I mean it is almost unnoticeable, just a little bump on the back, but I was thinking about returning it in case it was a bad thing. :S
Nice review. I thought it sounded very nice, but your great playing probable had something to do with that as well. Why didn't you plug it into an amp and let us hear the pickup and onboard eq? If you have a Hawaiian Band with an electric Lap steel, the pickup could really come in handy. Thanks...
Never do with electro acoustics - too many amplifier variables. My amps are fairly decent and somebody plugging in to a cheap battery box won’t get same result
Shame you never plugged it in in your review, I have a Cordoba Baritone and have fitted a Schaller Oyster internal pick up, transducer, and it sounds really good, compared to the £10 transducers and stick on the top type.
Always difficult to give a fair rep on plugged in instruments on a review - as you are using a microphone to record a speaker. Saying all that - the ukulele itself as a core instrument is where the focus should be. A pickup cannot turn a poor instrument into a good one. The pickup this one comes with is pretty cheap and heavy sadly - but that aside, still found the core instrument a little uninspiring.
What is your favorite ukulele or which one do you find yourself playing the most?
Just curious
I don't keep most of them - they are mainly just loaned to me. Of those that I own, my favourites are either a Kanile'a Tenor, a Beltona Resonator or a Kiwaya Soprano. I used to own about 50 of them, but now have a much thinner collection of about 15
GotAUkulele ah i see
You have quite a collection, haha
GotAUkulele now, i have another question a bit off topic from what we were talking about
Im just a little unsure about the strumming techniques... does using the index finger produce some kind of sound that the other fingers can't? Why is the index finger used for strumming? I tend to use all my fingers simultaneously.
I use all my fingers too. Experiment - different fingers create different sounds. In fact different parts of the same finger create different sounds. Most professionals I know DON'T only use the index finger
GotAUkulele Right. That's true. I'll have to experiment.
I just started playing the ukulele so I have so many questions but let me just end it with one last question:
What are your thoughts on Cordoba ukuleles? I was originally going for the Luna tattoo ukulele but after watching your review on it, I changed my mind right quick. Instead, I ordered a Cordoba 24T because I tried playing it and it felt good in both size and sound.
thanks!!!!!!!!
If I got this uke for 81 dollars, and I didn't care about the weight thing, would you say it was a good buy?
It's certainly a better price, but it still has issues. The weight is only part of it - the sound is a bit lackng too.
I have the Córdoba 20cm Concert and it was limited edition when I first bought it, but I bought it with a warranty. It was absolutely beautiful and sounded amazing. My brother broke it, though so I used the warranty. The one I got as a replacement, though, is hideous. The grain is ugly, which isn't really that big of a deal, but the fingerboard and head are much wider, the instrument is heavier, the nut isn't even with the sides (it juts out about half a centimeter on either side) and its far too high, to the point that I can only play bar chords if I have a capo on the first fret. Their ukuleles are gorgeous and that edition is beautiful, but I'm really disappointed in them.
That kind of explains my issue with Cordoba - extremely variable quality control. Hard for me to recommend them for that reason.
I don't like straps either on my ukulele. I only like them on my bass guitar because I can't stand up and play it without one. With a ukulele, you can play it standing up without a strap.
You can - but some people struggle. I’m not against people using whatever they like to help them
Barry. Could we get some TABS on the riffs you play?
The strummed pattern is from a song called I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate, and the picked song is Radioheads Creep in the key of C (C, E7, F, Fm repeated). The rest is just noodling.
Thank you, Barry. I appreciate it!
GotAUkulele what is the finger picking pattern
Varies every time!
GotAUkulele thank you, i think ive about figured out from watching this video
Got one of those Cordoba Bamboo soprano models.... and was blown away. Not too keen on their mahogany entry level ukes - a bit overpriced if you ask me.
Yes I think a lot of their range is a bit over priced. They are well put together though, I will give them that.
What Uku would you recommend with solid Top, and pickup ..in the same price range?
Why does it have to be a solid top? At this price point you are spoiled for choice with Kala instruments that are usually far better than this one. Whether laminate or solid wood.
I tought all solid tops were better than laminates, but my goal is just to get a decent instrument at this price range, with a pickup .
Not necessarily - this is the myth that people perpetuate. A good laminate (and I mean pro grade musical laminate, not plywood) can be as good as or better than solid wood. In fact I'd take a good well made laminate over a cheap solid uke every day of the week.
It's good to know !, some recommendations for laminates with a price under 250? Concert & with pickup? I really appreciate your help man!
When you rule out the difference between solid and laminates - best I can do is direct you to my full list of reviews - there's all sorts there and these are really the only instruments I'm qualified to talk about. They are in price order and anything with a score of 8 out of 10 or more gets my vote. The pickup complicates things as I don't tend to like any ukes with pre-installed pickups - prefer to retro fit better ones to ukes I like the sound of acoustically.
The full list is here - www.gotaukulele.com/p/ukulele-reviews.html
Can you get shocked on one of these? I have an electric acoustic Cordoba tenor and this is the first time i ever had a uku. with a pick up. I was shocked pretty bad years ago (not on an instrument ) and i'm not sure if its just in my head or if i'm getting zapped with this thing.
No - there is no real power on the ukulele - or only battery power.
ok Thank you!
Bd Price?
Sorry?
Nope same...I guess it depends on what one compares it to. My other tenors are lighter, but they are all solid, and of higher quality.
True - and I should have said - that this is not the only example of a heavy pickup making a body heavy I have seen. I suppose though, my ideal is an instrument that is still balanced even with a pickup added. Passives add virtually no weight.
Yeah, I bought an external eq/pre-amp for my passive pickups for that reason.
The designer hasn't thought about the weight and it doesn't sound to much like a ukulele and yet again the price is to much for an instrument with laminate back and sides
The price I was less concerned with to be honest, but the weight is really annoying
***** I would say that the designer is more of a guitar player than a ukulele player
Yes, I think that is probably accurate. You get the same sort of issues with ukulele from Fender and Ibanez.
Barry, love your actual reviews but... please consider removing that loud jarring chord strum you have before each review. Yuck!
ha ha - I once did a poll on that very subject - people overwhelmingly wanted it to stay. What most people don't know is this - if the ukulele I am reviewing is going to be a negative review, it get's a minor chord - if positive, it's a major..
Ha! Good to know, will save me time. ;>)
But it's not even a ukulele strum, is it?
Nope! It was just a hangover from the earliest videos - that's why I did a poll on the site, it was bothering me too. The majority said they recognised it as a Got A Ukulele review - so it's now kind of stuck. For what it's worth - i dont like it either.. but the people spoke!
gobins?.....................lol
English term - sorry. Means unnecessary extra bits.
I removed the pickup and it sounds much better
Not sure what difference that would make?
sound is clearer
"Big heavy body" ... WHAT?
Ukuleles vary in construction. Generally though you want a ukulele to be light and thin. Building them that way makes them resonant and project well. It also requires some care in the build such that they don't break but that isn't a reason to avoid it. Sadly every Cordoba uke I have thus far played has been, what we call 'over built'. That is to say the body woods are too thick and so is the construction (bindings, braces etc). It makes the uke 'safe', but it also kills volume and tonal character.
When I say this has a 'heavy body' that's what I mean. It's not a postive attibute i'm afraid.
All this knowledge and he only knows that one song
Or maybe (just maybe!!) it’s deliberate to allow a fair comparison between different reviews?
Original comment misses the point. Comparison, comparison, comparison. MikeInMinnesota
I really like mine. No complaints at all. MikeInMinnesota