Showing posts with label long term test. Show all posts
Showing posts with label long term test. Show all posts
22 Jan 2017
3 Apr 2016
3 Apr 2016T11:58
You see, that was quite a big thing back then. Sure, there are lots of ukulele resources on the internet (you are reading one!), but there is something I think most people think is nice in having something in your hand to read. The US has had a printed ukulele magazine for some time, but there had been nothing in the UK. The brainchild of Matt Warnes of Omega Music / Feckless and Fuddle, Matt decided to even the balance. I think at the time he wasn't sure how it would be received. I'm personally glad to see that it is still working, so he must have got something right.
Actually, I know he got something right for the simple reason that I genuinely look forward to my copy arriving. As someone who reads a ridiculous amount of stuff about the ukulele online, impressing me is no mean feat!
It's nicely printed, and it always contains interesting articles. Don't think this is UK centric - we've had articles and interviews with the likes of Danielle Ate The Sandwich, Mike Hind and Jake Shimabukuro, but it's the variety I like. Really something for everyone. Throw in some expert contributions, like tabs from Phil Doleman and you are laughing. I've also loved watching the travels of the famous Bruko ukulele around the UK (watch this space on that one!!)
Now on issue 5, you can get still get back issues, or you can subscribe. I would recommend it! Here's to the next 12 months Matt!
You can get it direct from World Of Ukes HERE, or if you like the convenience of Amazon purchases - it's available there too (Amazon Uke Magazine )
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UKE Magazine - 12 Months Flies By
A little over 12 months ago, I wrote a short review of the first printed ukulele magazine available in the UK. UKE magazine was born, and now with a year gone it seems to be going from strength to strength.
You see, that was quite a big thing back then. Sure, there are lots of ukulele resources on the internet (you are reading one!), but there is something I think most people think is nice in having something in your hand to read. The US has had a printed ukulele magazine for some time, but there had been nothing in the UK. The brainchild of Matt Warnes of Omega Music / Feckless and Fuddle, Matt decided to even the balance. I think at the time he wasn't sure how it would be received. I'm personally glad to see that it is still working, so he must have got something right.
Actually, I know he got something right for the simple reason that I genuinely look forward to my copy arriving. As someone who reads a ridiculous amount of stuff about the ukulele online, impressing me is no mean feat!
It's nicely printed, and it always contains interesting articles. Don't think this is UK centric - we've had articles and interviews with the likes of Danielle Ate The Sandwich, Mike Hind and Jake Shimabukuro, but it's the variety I like. Really something for everyone. Throw in some expert contributions, like tabs from Phil Doleman and you are laughing. I've also loved watching the travels of the famous Bruko ukulele around the UK (watch this space on that one!!)
Now on issue 5, you can get still get back issues, or you can subscribe. I would recommend it! Here's to the next 12 months Matt!
You can get it direct from World Of Ukes HERE, or if you like the convenience of Amazon purchases - it's available there too (Amazon Uke Magazine )
7 Jul 2014
7 Jul 2014T14:37
http://www.gotaukulele.com/2014/03/schoenhut-oak-mahogany-ukulele-review.html
Basically, the Schoenhut is a direct copy of a Magic Fluke Company 'Flea Ukulele' for a tiny fraction of the price of the original. Surprisingly too, when in tune, and some elements are sorted (cheap tuners and terrible strings), it sounds scarily close to a Flea in tone and volume. But after my review a couple of strange and rather worrying things happened.
Firstly, the review (being a negative one) brought out some folks who took great umbrage to my review and claimed I was looking for problems that were not that serious, particularly as it was so cheap compared to a Flea. Granted, I think the Flea is a touch over priced, but people need to bear in mind that the price includes development and design costs, and perhaps more importantly, its a price that reflects the fact it is made in the USA and not China like the Schoenhut. Should that matter? Was I really being harsh on the copy?
The second thing that happened was I started getting email from people saying they liked the idea of the Schoenhut and saw the concept of changing strings and tuners as a bit of a challenge to get themselves a close Flea copy that sounded good. I found myself re-reading my review to see if I had not been clear, as certainly it was never my intention to actually recommend one of these instruments. Far from it.
You see, aside from strings and tuners that can indeed be replaced cheaply, my bigger concern was one of build quality and the strength of the materials used. More particularly, how long was this thing going to last?
At the time of my review I played the uke on and off for a couple of weeks. In the life of a uke, even a £30 instrument, that is nothing. After the review I set it down and didn't touch it again. Recently though I have been out of the country on holiday and was debating what uke to take that didn't mind air transit, beaches, possibly getting knocked or worse, crushed or lost. I grabbed the Schoenhut. If it went astray - ah well, it was only £30 and a uke I didn't really care for - yet it DID have a good tone. Perfect choice?
During the course of the holiday it got played a handful of times, not a great deal, and really not adding much to playing hours in the life of a uke. Then I noticed something very worrying. In my original review I explained that I felt the plastic strength of the Schoenhut compared to the Flea left something to be desired. Sure, it looked very similar, but a test with the edge of a file on an out of the way part of the fingerboard led me to believe that the plastic was too soft. Incidentally, some people didn't buy that at all. But oh what a bit of play time delivers....
To my horror, after such a short space of time playing the Schoenhut I now have some fairly serious wear marks showing on frets 1-5 (and further down on the A string). They are not so deep as to cause playability issues, but I stress that they are not so deep YET.... With virtually no play (and I would estimate the equivalent of playing it daily for about three weeks) the frets are wearing away.
Frets... Pretty fundamental parts of an instrument wouldn't you say! Now, Flea fretboards have been reported to wear. I have a Flea of about 5 years in age, and it is showing 'some' minor wear. That is a uke I have probably played more than any other in my collection over the years, and yes it has some minor wear. I have a Fluke which is about one year younger and that isn't showing any at all. And then there is the Schoenhut - wear on every fret after about three weeks of play. Take a look at the pictures if you don't believe me.
Oh, and that bridge that I said was lifting on the original review - it's coming away more now. I can only guess which will render this unplayable first - a busted bridge or unplayable frets...
In the interests of fairness here, there is another factor I should mention and that is one of strings. I would wager that if I tried to take the wear up with Schoenhut they may argue that the string change voided the warranty (I am using Worth Browns, with a Clear on the A string). My response to that?
1. What is the point of a uke on which you cannot change strings?
2. If that is the way the Schoenhut works, then please please please, don't ship it with such terrible strings in the first place.
I considered going back to the original review and editing the score, but I don't like to re-write history on my reviews. If I were doing that though, this would pretty much be a zero now. Another month or so of play will render it obsolete as an instrument and that is just not acceptable at any price. They chose to copy, they chose to use the cheapest materials they could find, and it backfired badly. This is not an instrument, it's a novelty.
And as for the Flea? Yes, it is a bit expensive, but the old adage applies - you get what you pay for. And if my original review was not clear enough - please, please don't consider one of these, even as a bit of fun...
STOP PRESS - these are now being sold on Amazon with a changed description. Now using words like 'Children', 'Beginners' and 'Toy'. Take a look. Very sad!
Read More »
Schoenhut Ukulele - Long Term Test - And It's Not Looking Good
Back around three months ago, curiosity got the better of me and I got hold of a Schoenhut Ukulele for review to see what all the fuss was about. I had some issues with it and promised I would give it a longer term test to see how it stood up.
If you didn't read the original review, you can find it here to see what bothered me.http://www.gotaukulele.com/2014/03/schoenhut-oak-mahogany-ukulele-review.html
Basically, the Schoenhut is a direct copy of a Magic Fluke Company 'Flea Ukulele' for a tiny fraction of the price of the original. Surprisingly too, when in tune, and some elements are sorted (cheap tuners and terrible strings), it sounds scarily close to a Flea in tone and volume. But after my review a couple of strange and rather worrying things happened.
Firstly, the review (being a negative one) brought out some folks who took great umbrage to my review and claimed I was looking for problems that were not that serious, particularly as it was so cheap compared to a Flea. Granted, I think the Flea is a touch over priced, but people need to bear in mind that the price includes development and design costs, and perhaps more importantly, its a price that reflects the fact it is made in the USA and not China like the Schoenhut. Should that matter? Was I really being harsh on the copy?
The second thing that happened was I started getting email from people saying they liked the idea of the Schoenhut and saw the concept of changing strings and tuners as a bit of a challenge to get themselves a close Flea copy that sounded good. I found myself re-reading my review to see if I had not been clear, as certainly it was never my intention to actually recommend one of these instruments. Far from it.
You see, aside from strings and tuners that can indeed be replaced cheaply, my bigger concern was one of build quality and the strength of the materials used. More particularly, how long was this thing going to last?
At the time of my review I played the uke on and off for a couple of weeks. In the life of a uke, even a £30 instrument, that is nothing. After the review I set it down and didn't touch it again. Recently though I have been out of the country on holiday and was debating what uke to take that didn't mind air transit, beaches, possibly getting knocked or worse, crushed or lost. I grabbed the Schoenhut. If it went astray - ah well, it was only £30 and a uke I didn't really care for - yet it DID have a good tone. Perfect choice?
During the course of the holiday it got played a handful of times, not a great deal, and really not adding much to playing hours in the life of a uke. Then I noticed something very worrying. In my original review I explained that I felt the plastic strength of the Schoenhut compared to the Flea left something to be desired. Sure, it looked very similar, but a test with the edge of a file on an out of the way part of the fingerboard led me to believe that the plastic was too soft. Incidentally, some people didn't buy that at all. But oh what a bit of play time delivers....
To my horror, after such a short space of time playing the Schoenhut I now have some fairly serious wear marks showing on frets 1-5 (and further down on the A string). They are not so deep as to cause playability issues, but I stress that they are not so deep YET.... With virtually no play (and I would estimate the equivalent of playing it daily for about three weeks) the frets are wearing away.
Frets... Pretty fundamental parts of an instrument wouldn't you say! Now, Flea fretboards have been reported to wear. I have a Flea of about 5 years in age, and it is showing 'some' minor wear. That is a uke I have probably played more than any other in my collection over the years, and yes it has some minor wear. I have a Fluke which is about one year younger and that isn't showing any at all. And then there is the Schoenhut - wear on every fret after about three weeks of play. Take a look at the pictures if you don't believe me.
Oh, and that bridge that I said was lifting on the original review - it's coming away more now. I can only guess which will render this unplayable first - a busted bridge or unplayable frets...
In the interests of fairness here, there is another factor I should mention and that is one of strings. I would wager that if I tried to take the wear up with Schoenhut they may argue that the string change voided the warranty (I am using Worth Browns, with a Clear on the A string). My response to that?
1. What is the point of a uke on which you cannot change strings?
2. If that is the way the Schoenhut works, then please please please, don't ship it with such terrible strings in the first place.
I considered going back to the original review and editing the score, but I don't like to re-write history on my reviews. If I were doing that though, this would pretty much be a zero now. Another month or so of play will render it obsolete as an instrument and that is just not acceptable at any price. They chose to copy, they chose to use the cheapest materials they could find, and it backfired badly. This is not an instrument, it's a novelty.
And as for the Flea? Yes, it is a bit expensive, but the old adage applies - you get what you pay for. And if my original review was not clear enough - please, please don't consider one of these, even as a bit of fun...
STOP PRESS - these are now being sold on Amazon with a changed description. Now using words like 'Children', 'Beginners' and 'Toy'. Take a look. Very sad!
9 Jun 2013
9 Jun 2013T12:41
I have had the Koaloha now for about 20 months, and it is regularly played. You can read my original review of it HERE, which as you can see heaped a lot of praise on this little instrument. How have my views changed?
Well, in a word - only for the better. This is an instrument that I just keep going back to again and again. It's fun to play, light as a feather, comfortable, and ohhh..... that sound! Despite its diminutive size, this remains to be one of the loudest and fullest sounding ukuleles in my collection! Even though I have owned it for some time, when I get it out and start playing it always surprises me what a rich loud voice it has.
The build has stood up really well. I occasionally see people questioning how strong they are on account of their unique bracing system, but I can attest that there has been no movement on this uke at all - no sinking in the top, no cracks.
One thing that those who are completely precious about their instruments may want to know - that satin finish (I prefer the satin on the Koalohas to their gloss) has started to buff to a shine where it has been rubbed with my playing arm (see picture below). I actually love that it has done that - it makes the ukulele mine and shows that it has been played.
It's accuracy in the setup has remained spot on, and intonation all over the neck is perfect. And what about those tuners? Well I do know that many of my readers don't like friction tuners, but the pegs on this uke are just brilliant. Not only do they look great, they move like butter and keep the instrument bang in tune. I can put this uke away for a few weeks and I know it will be perfectly in tune when I pick it up again. Strings wise, I know that Koalohas ship with a variety of Worth Clear strings, but I have since re-strung this with Ken Middleton's Living Water strings which work very well on this uke.
In my initial review you will note that I was a little disappointed with the finish on the fret markers when this uke arrived. That issue still niggles me, but less so since I applied new fret marker stickers to the neck which I think look rather good!
So in summary, it's a uke that has the looks, the build and the sound. I honestly can't speak highly enough of how much I like this instrument. It sits firmly in the 'never going to be sold' camp in my collection.
Highly recommended!
Read More »
Long Term Test - Koaloha Pikake Soprano ukulele
Time for another 'long term test' of one of my ukuleles with a look again at the Koaloha Pikake Soprano uke. I think long term tests are helpful as they show whether my views have changed having had a ukulele with me for a considerable period. (You can read my other long term tests on my Reviews Page)
I have had the Koaloha now for about 20 months, and it is regularly played. You can read my original review of it HERE, which as you can see heaped a lot of praise on this little instrument. How have my views changed?
Well, in a word - only for the better. This is an instrument that I just keep going back to again and again. It's fun to play, light as a feather, comfortable, and ohhh..... that sound! Despite its diminutive size, this remains to be one of the loudest and fullest sounding ukuleles in my collection! Even though I have owned it for some time, when I get it out and start playing it always surprises me what a rich loud voice it has.
The build has stood up really well. I occasionally see people questioning how strong they are on account of their unique bracing system, but I can attest that there has been no movement on this uke at all - no sinking in the top, no cracks.
One thing that those who are completely precious about their instruments may want to know - that satin finish (I prefer the satin on the Koalohas to their gloss) has started to buff to a shine where it has been rubbed with my playing arm (see picture below). I actually love that it has done that - it makes the ukulele mine and shows that it has been played.
It's accuracy in the setup has remained spot on, and intonation all over the neck is perfect. And what about those tuners? Well I do know that many of my readers don't like friction tuners, but the pegs on this uke are just brilliant. Not only do they look great, they move like butter and keep the instrument bang in tune. I can put this uke away for a few weeks and I know it will be perfectly in tune when I pick it up again. Strings wise, I know that Koalohas ship with a variety of Worth Clear strings, but I have since re-strung this with Ken Middleton's Living Water strings which work very well on this uke.
In my initial review you will note that I was a little disappointed with the finish on the fret markers when this uke arrived. That issue still niggles me, but less so since I applied new fret marker stickers to the neck which I think look rather good!
So in summary, it's a uke that has the looks, the build and the sound. I honestly can't speak highly enough of how much I like this instrument. It sits firmly in the 'never going to be sold' camp in my collection.
Highly recommended!
21 Feb 2013
21 Feb 2013T08:21
I intend to run a number of long term tests on instruments I have kept, as often the long term views can be more illuminating than the initial impressions. (See my REVIEWS PAGE for other long term tests I have done). So for this one - the Makala Dolphin, a uke I first came across nearly three years ago now. You can read my initial review of that instrument HERE. The Dolphin is an absolute entry level soprano ukulele made by Kala. This model featured the one piece moulded plastic back and sides.
So, how has it been? Well, the Dolphin is a cheap starter uke, and as you will see from my reviews I have since owned (or still own) a range of instruments with far bigger price tags since then. But you know what? The Dolphin still gets played on almost a daily basis.
Here is one of my dolphins today (yes, yes I know, it's not red, its purple, but I bought two when I wrote that review, and the red one has been gifted to my young nephew since then - this is the one we kept and gets played - same vintage!).
The reason it gets a lot of play is twofold. First, this kind of became my daughters ukulele. She is between three and four years old, so this uke is almost as old as she is! For that reason it sits in the living room, always on hand, and whenever she gets it out, I end up having a play too. But the second reason is because it really is just so good. In fact picking it up today it never ceases to amaze me how full and loud a sound these things can deliver. In that respect, what I said when I first got one still stands today.
And another plus point. Because this uke has been in the hands of a toddler, it stands to reason that it has been dropped, trodden on and generally abused. It is chipped and dinged in all sorts of places (that Dolphin thick glossy finish does chip easily I have found) but it still plays just fine.
So I will happily find myself still strumming this when at home - perhaps more than I do some of my other instruments. The tone is good, nothing offensive at all. I have even busked and played it publicly. Can't give it a much better endorsement. Friends in the band have also bought them as 'travel ukes' (the sort of instrument you won't shed a tear over breaking or being stolen) and band members have taken these to the far east and Australia last year!
As such, this retains its position as about the best starter ukulele I can recommend to people (for those wanting to spend next to no money). But my advice still comes with a couple of provisos.
1. Buy from a reputable shop. Southern Ukulele Store stock these, but going back to my original review I bought mine from Nigel at Highly Strung in Wantage. Ask him to check the setup - in fact, ask any shop to check the setup) A well setup Dolphin is just great, but at this price there WILL be duds.
2. I am not sure what strings they are now shipping these with, but you really want to try Aquilas on them. I know I don't like preaching about strings, and that you should experiment, but these have quite thick tops and the Aquila power can really drive them to get a good tone and volume.
And that is about that - highly recommended, even after three years. Also childproof!
Read More »
Long Term Ukulele Test - Makala Dolphin
Time for another long term test review of a ukulele that has been with me for some time. The Makala Dolphin.
I intend to run a number of long term tests on instruments I have kept, as often the long term views can be more illuminating than the initial impressions. (See my REVIEWS PAGE for other long term tests I have done). So for this one - the Makala Dolphin, a uke I first came across nearly three years ago now. You can read my initial review of that instrument HERE. The Dolphin is an absolute entry level soprano ukulele made by Kala. This model featured the one piece moulded plastic back and sides.
So, how has it been? Well, the Dolphin is a cheap starter uke, and as you will see from my reviews I have since owned (or still own) a range of instruments with far bigger price tags since then. But you know what? The Dolphin still gets played on almost a daily basis.
Here is one of my dolphins today (yes, yes I know, it's not red, its purple, but I bought two when I wrote that review, and the red one has been gifted to my young nephew since then - this is the one we kept and gets played - same vintage!).
The reason it gets a lot of play is twofold. First, this kind of became my daughters ukulele. She is between three and four years old, so this uke is almost as old as she is! For that reason it sits in the living room, always on hand, and whenever she gets it out, I end up having a play too. But the second reason is because it really is just so good. In fact picking it up today it never ceases to amaze me how full and loud a sound these things can deliver. In that respect, what I said when I first got one still stands today.
And another plus point. Because this uke has been in the hands of a toddler, it stands to reason that it has been dropped, trodden on and generally abused. It is chipped and dinged in all sorts of places (that Dolphin thick glossy finish does chip easily I have found) but it still plays just fine.
So I will happily find myself still strumming this when at home - perhaps more than I do some of my other instruments. The tone is good, nothing offensive at all. I have even busked and played it publicly. Can't give it a much better endorsement. Friends in the band have also bought them as 'travel ukes' (the sort of instrument you won't shed a tear over breaking or being stolen) and band members have taken these to the far east and Australia last year!
As such, this retains its position as about the best starter ukulele I can recommend to people (for those wanting to spend next to no money). But my advice still comes with a couple of provisos.
1. Buy from a reputable shop. Southern Ukulele Store stock these, but going back to my original review I bought mine from Nigel at Highly Strung in Wantage. Ask him to check the setup - in fact, ask any shop to check the setup) A well setup Dolphin is just great, but at this price there WILL be duds.
2. I am not sure what strings they are now shipping these with, but you really want to try Aquilas on them. I know I don't like preaching about strings, and that you should experiment, but these have quite thick tops and the Aquila power can really drive them to get a good tone and volume.
And that is about that - highly recommended, even after three years. Also childproof!
12 Jan 2013
12 Jan 2013T13:17
The Kanile'a K1 Tenor was my first step into the upper end of ukuleles, and I originally reviewed it very favourably back in August 2011. It has therefore had some 17 months of play since then (and I can assure you this one has had a lot of playing!)
When this one arrived I was immediately impressed by the build, the looks and the killer tone that it projects. It really is a first class ukulele, crafted from fine solid Koa in Hawaii.
The tone really is to die for, but I suppose when you are at this high end you do find yourself perhaps getting a little over critical on things - looking for issues that may not be there. The sound of the Kanile'a is definitely earthy and woody. Nothing wrong with that, but after a few months playing I decided that I wanted to try to get a richer harmonic chime out of it and set about going through countless string brands to try to get the tone I wanted. Nothing was working, and I think I tried pretty much every brand available on it. Don't get me wrong - with each string brand the tone is still superb, but still a little too woody for my liking (just a personal thing). That was until I put a set of Ken Middleton's Living Water Strings on it, and that changed everything. They really brought out a rich singing chime to the strings, whilst retaining the naturally woody tone that for my ears, makes this without a doubt the nicest sounding ukulele I own. I now don't use any other strings but those on this.
Has the sound changed? (Bring on the whole 'wood opening up debate') - Well, as I always say in those discussions, how can you tell? I can't remember exactly what it sounded like when it arrived, and even though I have early recordings, my style and competence has changed also, so it can only ever be subjective. All I can say is that it sounds as warm, rich and accurate as it ever did!
As with most high end products, the K1 went through a period of being cossetted by me on account of it's price, but it was just too good to leave in a case and it gets played daily. I have gigged with it acoustically many times, recorded it and it is the usual uke I take to weekly band jams. It's just so playable and tactile to hold.
All of that playing has taken it's toll though, and one thing that does not seem to be the greatest on the Kanile'a is that hand rubbed finish. It doesn't stand up to dings or scratches from strumming all that well and pretty soon I started to develop quite an amount of wear on the top where I strum. That really doesn't bother me, as I prefer a uke to look 'played', but it's something to be aware of. The finish generally can also go quite dull and dry looking after a while, but I try to keep it spruced up with a very light application of Axe lube which gives it a nice sheen. The way to avoid that on a Kanile'a is to get their highly acclaimed gloss finish on the same model, but I just don't really go in for gloss all that much. In fact one of the reasons I bought this was the simple understated looks.
To assist with gigging I also fitted a strap button which was pretty painless and on the first photograph you will see that I didn't go down the route of adding a button to the heel of the neck, and attach my strap to a Martin strap adapter looped on to the headstock. That's not to say it's difficult to hold without a strap - it isn't, but on extended gigs it's just easier to have your hands free between songs to grab a beer!
All other fittings on the uke are doing just great, and those open Grover tuners are just sublime. This thing holds it's tuning like no other ukulele I own. It needed no nut or saddle adjustment and intonation and tuning have been bang on since it arrived suggesting nothing in the build is (yet) starting to move.
I still love the look of the bridge pins which really set this apart from many ukuleles, but the downside of overly fiddly string changes remains - just an extra layer of faffing that I don't really like. Oh well.
So do I still recommend it? Well, as I say, it gets played daily and I would need to be facing a catastrophe to consider selling it. It probably just about sits as being my favourite instrument. If you get the opportunity to obtain one, don't hesitate.
STOP PRESS!! What happened next with this uke was heartbreaking, but then, eventually, heart warming! Read all about it here! https://www.gotaukulele.com/2019/10/a-big-got-ukulele-thank-you.html
Read More »
Long Term Test - Kanile'a K1 Tenor
Time for another long term test of a ukulele, one that is quite dear to me. I felt it would be helpful to not only review ukuleles as I received them, but for those I own to let you know how they have stood up to a life of being played.
The Kanile'a K1 Tenor was my first step into the upper end of ukuleles, and I originally reviewed it very favourably back in August 2011. It has therefore had some 17 months of play since then (and I can assure you this one has had a lot of playing!)
When this one arrived I was immediately impressed by the build, the looks and the killer tone that it projects. It really is a first class ukulele, crafted from fine solid Koa in Hawaii.
The tone really is to die for, but I suppose when you are at this high end you do find yourself perhaps getting a little over critical on things - looking for issues that may not be there. The sound of the Kanile'a is definitely earthy and woody. Nothing wrong with that, but after a few months playing I decided that I wanted to try to get a richer harmonic chime out of it and set about going through countless string brands to try to get the tone I wanted. Nothing was working, and I think I tried pretty much every brand available on it. Don't get me wrong - with each string brand the tone is still superb, but still a little too woody for my liking (just a personal thing). That was until I put a set of Ken Middleton's Living Water Strings on it, and that changed everything. They really brought out a rich singing chime to the strings, whilst retaining the naturally woody tone that for my ears, makes this without a doubt the nicest sounding ukulele I own. I now don't use any other strings but those on this.
Has the sound changed? (Bring on the whole 'wood opening up debate') - Well, as I always say in those discussions, how can you tell? I can't remember exactly what it sounded like when it arrived, and even though I have early recordings, my style and competence has changed also, so it can only ever be subjective. All I can say is that it sounds as warm, rich and accurate as it ever did!
As with most high end products, the K1 went through a period of being cossetted by me on account of it's price, but it was just too good to leave in a case and it gets played daily. I have gigged with it acoustically many times, recorded it and it is the usual uke I take to weekly band jams. It's just so playable and tactile to hold.
All of that playing has taken it's toll though, and one thing that does not seem to be the greatest on the Kanile'a is that hand rubbed finish. It doesn't stand up to dings or scratches from strumming all that well and pretty soon I started to develop quite an amount of wear on the top where I strum. That really doesn't bother me, as I prefer a uke to look 'played', but it's something to be aware of. The finish generally can also go quite dull and dry looking after a while, but I try to keep it spruced up with a very light application of Axe lube which gives it a nice sheen. The way to avoid that on a Kanile'a is to get their highly acclaimed gloss finish on the same model, but I just don't really go in for gloss all that much. In fact one of the reasons I bought this was the simple understated looks.
 |
| Wear on the solid Koa top |
To assist with gigging I also fitted a strap button which was pretty painless and on the first photograph you will see that I didn't go down the route of adding a button to the heel of the neck, and attach my strap to a Martin strap adapter looped on to the headstock. That's not to say it's difficult to hold without a strap - it isn't, but on extended gigs it's just easier to have your hands free between songs to grab a beer!
All other fittings on the uke are doing just great, and those open Grover tuners are just sublime. This thing holds it's tuning like no other ukulele I own. It needed no nut or saddle adjustment and intonation and tuning have been bang on since it arrived suggesting nothing in the build is (yet) starting to move.
I still love the look of the bridge pins which really set this apart from many ukuleles, but the downside of overly fiddly string changes remains - just an extra layer of faffing that I don't really like. Oh well.
So do I still recommend it? Well, as I say, it gets played daily and I would need to be facing a catastrophe to consider selling it. It probably just about sits as being my favourite instrument. If you get the opportunity to obtain one, don't hesitate.
STOP PRESS!! What happened next with this uke was heartbreaking, but then, eventually, heart warming! Read all about it here! https://www.gotaukulele.com/2019/10/a-big-got-ukulele-thank-you.html
4 Aug 2012
4 Aug 2012T15:15
My first long term test looks at my Fluke ukulele, first reviewed here in October 2010.
It's nearly two years since I brought this baby home and it has been a regular player for me ever since. I actually bought this one slightly used but in top condition. So how has it gone since buying it?
Well the Fluke still is the instrument that I like to grab now an again despite owning more higher end instruments now. I still love the tone and the volume that the ukulele brings, and it is just one of those fun shapes that feels great to play. Add to that, the flat bottom means this uke sits beside my sofa for when I feel I have a quick urge.
Over the last couple of years I have tested a few string types on it, and have settled for Worth Clears as being my favourites on the uke. I still love the low action and accuracy the setup brings. It isn't (by far) the sweetest sounding uke I own but it is a reliable war-horse of a uke. I can leave this for weeks and know when I pick it up it will be bang in tune. This has also become my 'go to' ukulele for gigging in situations where I either expect it may get knocked, or where we are outdoors and I may expect rain - as it will stand up pretty well to those.
It isn't all good news though - perhaps it is my vigourous strum style but the top finish of these ukuleles is really not very sturdy at all and I have worn through to the wood - both from the bad habit of finger placing on the soundboard when picking, and from plain old fingernail wear and tear from strumming.
Not long after getting the Fluke I fitted a pickup to it (a K and K Bigshot ) which was easy to do as you will see on the link - the point with the Fluke is that with no removable saddle, the a piezo strip is not an option, so this has a transducer pad stuck under the soundboard. It works very well, though does pick up a bit of body noise. The other downside with a pickup on this uke is that the natural place to put the jackpin is not really an option as you then lose the ability to set the ukulele on it's butt to stand it up. This means I fitted it on the side of the uke. This is great for a trailing cable, but makes using a strap on it a bit tricky. Still - it works.
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Long Term Test - Fluke Ukulele
A new feature for Got A Ukulele. I have reviewed many instruments, but it struck me that it is one thing writing about what I think of an instrument in the first few weeks of ownership, but what about how the instrument has stood up longer term - do I still stand by my original thoughts?
My first long term test looks at my Fluke ukulele, first reviewed here in October 2010.
It's nearly two years since I brought this baby home and it has been a regular player for me ever since. I actually bought this one slightly used but in top condition. So how has it gone since buying it?
Well the Fluke still is the instrument that I like to grab now an again despite owning more higher end instruments now. I still love the tone and the volume that the ukulele brings, and it is just one of those fun shapes that feels great to play. Add to that, the flat bottom means this uke sits beside my sofa for when I feel I have a quick urge.
Over the last couple of years I have tested a few string types on it, and have settled for Worth Clears as being my favourites on the uke. I still love the low action and accuracy the setup brings. It isn't (by far) the sweetest sounding uke I own but it is a reliable war-horse of a uke. I can leave this for weeks and know when I pick it up it will be bang in tune. This has also become my 'go to' ukulele for gigging in situations where I either expect it may get knocked, or where we are outdoors and I may expect rain - as it will stand up pretty well to those.
It isn't all good news though - perhaps it is my vigourous strum style but the top finish of these ukuleles is really not very sturdy at all and I have worn through to the wood - both from the bad habit of finger placing on the soundboard when picking, and from plain old fingernail wear and tear from strumming.
I am not overly bothered about the way it looks (and have applied a layer of clear coat to the top to try to slow down the damage) but am surprised how quickly it started to wear down. Oh well, it shows I play it. Another gripe is with the plastic fingerboard. Despite never using wound strings, the plastic frets have started to develop grooves in most of them up to about the sixth fret. That amount of wear in two years leads me to believe that if I keep playing it as much as I do, I will need a fingerboard replacement in about a years time - perhaps not the sort of shelf life you would expect for what is a relatively expensive instrument. The new fingerboards are not hugely costly, but it will be a hassle to fix. If I was buying a fluke again I would certainly now consider the wooden fingerboard with metal frets.
The back of the uke has stood up very well (not that you can tell that easily as it has become a magnet for ukulele stickers!)
Not long after getting the Fluke I fitted a pickup to it (a K and K Bigshot ) which was easy to do as you will see on the link - the point with the Fluke is that with no removable saddle, the a piezo strip is not an option, so this has a transducer pad stuck under the soundboard. It works very well, though does pick up a bit of body noise. The other downside with a pickup on this uke is that the natural place to put the jackpin is not really an option as you then lose the ability to set the ukulele on it's butt to stand it up. This means I fitted it on the side of the uke. This is great for a trailing cable, but makes using a strap on it a bit tricky. Still - it works.
So in summary - am I still happy with it - yes I am. It's still the war horse I expected it to be. I am concerned at how quickly the finish and frets wear down, but the former is just cosmetic and the uke sounds as good as it ever did. I have not dropped it down the stairs yet, but I still think it would come out of a tumble unharmed.
Would I buy it again if I lost this one. Yes, without any shadow of a doubt (though I would plump for the wooden fretboard)
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