I'm pleased to get this ukulele brand back on the site. Quite simply because they've not put a foot wrong for me yet. This is the new, World of Ukes exclusive Millar Yushan Tenor Ukulele.
Matt Warnes at World of Ukes is a big Millar fan like me and has been the key man in getting them into the UK and also working with them on developments (like the simply wonderful Phil Doleman Soprano ukulele). He explains that one of his favourites of theirs that he regularly recommends to his customers is the Millar TM-260WG all solid mahogany tenor. He also found that, whilst it's a superb uke and has it's fans, certain elements have proved a bit divisive with others. He therefore reached out to Millar to make a limited run store exclusive all solid hog tenor with some of those elements switched. The Yushan was born and I will deal with the changes as we go through the review.
SUMMARY VIDEO REVIEW
Yushan I am told is the name of the largest mountain in Taiwan (where Millar are based) and was chosen as a name by Matt. Like the TM-260WG this is all solid mahogany in the body and is in a wonderful rich orangey brown colour which I always like with gloss mahogany bodies. This reminds me of a similar warmth in colour on the Eastman mahogany tenors or old Martins and it's immediately working for me. It looks like a nice piece of old furniture! It's a double bout shape with the more common (these days) rounded modern shape. I love the simplicity of an all mahogany ukulele but it can be easy to make them look bland. With the right staining though and the right finish I think they are beautiful, and that's the case here.
The bridge is a standard tie bar made of rosewood and is very nicely finished and smooth. In a world of pin bridges and through bridges, whilst I may not want a tie bar on a soprano they are just fine on a tenor and just work. That holds a straight topped bone saddle and has a string spacing of 45mm.
The first big change from the 260WG is the binding. Matt explains that whilst he likes the rope binding on that one (as I do) it can prove divisive. I mentioned this in my last review of the Ohana SK-28 - whilst it's a very traditional design element for ukuleles used by many brands, you love it or hate it. Out goes the rope binding and in comes standard rosewood bindings to the top and back. Likewise, out goes the rope around the soundhole and in comes a subtle abalone ring. I personally like both and you now have a choice. Either way, this is done very well as is the gloss on the body which is deep but not gloopy and very well polished.
Inside is very tidy with notched linings and no mess. In another change Matt says he asked Millar to tinker with the bracing pattern on these to give the mahogany a bit more warmth compared to the 260 model. I'll give you my verdict on that when I play it.
The neck isn't specified but I suspect is mahogany. It's in three pieces with joints at the heel and a more well hidden one at the headstock. This part of the uke also gets a change at Matt's request moving from the standard Millar tenor nut width of 35mm to 36.5mm (30mm spacing). As someone who likes wider necks that's a move that falls in my favour. The neck is glossed and I personally think he should have opted for satin.
That's topped with rosewood for the fingerboard which is in great condition and totally even in colour. It has some nice end shaping to the sound hole and is also edge bound hiding the ends of the 18 frets joined at the 14th. These are all dressed very well too. Position markers are regular pearl dots facing out at the 5th, 7th, 10th, double 12th and 15th and you get them on the side too.
Beyond the bone nut is the final change Matt asked for and that's a slot head. My opinion on these is fairly neutral (but I do scream when I see them on sopranos!), but they suit tenors and there is no getting away from how popular they are so I understand his spec change. That's faced in some more dark glossy wood and holds the Millar logo at the top. I do still find slot heads look a bit big on any uke though and I'd probably opt for the original style myself, but that is just me. Aren't these themselves divisive?
The tuners are, naturally, side mounted and are gears finished in a kind of antique brushed bronze colour. They look great and are made by Der Jung so are certainly decent quality. They work well too.
Finishing it off are a set of Worth Brown strings and it comes at an asking price of £549. That's more than the 260 model, but it is a limited run so the cost was always going to be more. I don't actually have any issue with that price regardless and find it reminds me very much of the aNueNue AMM mahogany models which will cost you significantly more. It's good value for the spec, though I would suggest that the lack of a case (soft or hard) at this price would nudge up my value for money score. And as I KNOW I will see such comments - YES - Matt ships internationally!!!
This is one pretty uke with great classic simplicity in the finishing. The build is excellent and, coming from World of Ukes, it's perfectly set up as they all will be. It's a comfortable weight at 665g and balances very nicely when held.
Basics on the sound first and the volume is excellent. So is the sustain but there is more going on with that than just it lasting for a while. There is a harmonic shimmer of a slow warble when you play a strum that shows the instrument is harmonising with itself. That's the mark of an accomplished instrument and means it has a real character to the tone. I'm not sure it comes through on the video, but trust me on this as it's one of the first things I noticed and I immediately fell for.
Whether that is down to the bracing change I don't know, but if he asked for a change to warm it up, it's worked. This has a laid back warm shimmer to the strummed sound that very much reminds me of the Eastman tenors and is a tone I really like. The notes are really clear in any strum no matter the speed and all through you are getting that extra shimmer which fills the sound a bit more. It's lovely to listen to. No it's not punchy or in your face if that is your thing, but if, like me you prefer more laid back. Fingerpicking is similarly laid back with a very pretty ring to the sound and that same shimmer. The good sustain here allows you to add more frills and the character to the tone seems to change depending how you attack the strings. Very clever and very enjoyable.
All in all I love the classy, clean simplicity of this one which ticks my boxes on looks. The magic is in the tone as this has bags of interesting character to the voice no matter how you play it. As I say in my video, it's 'right up my street'.
A very highly recommended uke - get one while you can!
UKULELE SPECS ROUNDUP
Model: Millar Yushan
Scale: Tenor
Body: All solid mahogany
Bridge: Rosewood tie bar
Saddle: Bone
Spacing at saddle: 45mm
Finish: Gloss
Neck: Mahogany?
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Frets: 18, 14 to body
Nut: Bone
Nut width: 36.5mm, 30mm spacing
Tuners: Der Jung gears in antiqued finish
Strings: Worth Brown
Weight: 665g
Country of origin: Taiwan
Price: £549
UKULELE PROS
Classy understated looks
Great build and finish
Comfortable neck
Nice tuners
Great volume
Great sustain with shimmery character
Fair price
UKULELE CONS
Gimme a gig bag!
Do wonder if slot heads divide people in a similar way?
Do wonder if slot heads divide people in a similar way?
UKULELE SCORES
Looks - 9 out of 10
Fit and finish - 9.5 out of 10
Sound - 9.5 out of 10
Value for money - 9 out of 10
OVERALL UKULELE SCORE - 9.3 out of 10
UKULELE VIDEO REVIEW
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