Kicking off the 2025 year of ukulele reviews, I thought that whilst I regularly feature the higher end instruments from Flight, i'm actually a bit light on the more entry level offerings. To redress the balance a little this is the Flight DUS322 Soprano.
Staying in the more affordable part of the ukulele spectrum this week, and another first for a uke brand on the site. This is the RFU11Z Concert Ukulele from Ortega Guitars.
Ortega are German musical instrument brand with more than ukuleles to their name. As well as ukes you will find Ortega guitars, basses, mandolins, banjos and accessories. I say a 'German' brand, but that's really just the HQ. What they oversee though are ranges of far eastern produced, good value instruments. Nothing wrong with that at all. But together with having a range of instruments, this one comes from only one of a large range of ukulele product lines that they offer. Honestly, I gave up counting how many there are. You can go for the Raven series, the Eclipse series, the Lizard series, the Bonfire series.... and so on, and so on. This one forms part of their 'Friends Series' which appears to comprise a range of scales made from either laminate mahogany or laminate zebrawood. This one is, obviously, the zebrawood variant. I'm not entirely sure what the 'friends series' relevance is.
It's a standard concert scale ukulele with a traditional double bout shape made from that laminate zebrawood on the top back and sides. I've made my views known on this wood before, and that is that I don't really like it. But not only that, I think it's a wood that has been totally over-exposed. A quick search on Amazon for ukuleles will show you what I mean. Zebrawood laminates are ten a penny at the cheap end. The first thing this reminded me was the Caramel ukulele I reviewed some time ago. That one still gives me nightmares, so this does not bode well. I know some of you will like it but sorry it's not for me. And yes, I guess mahogany is just as ubiquitous in the ukulele world, but mahogany is not so, well, 'in your face'.
Thankfully though, the finising on this is better throughout than the Caramel with no flaws, bare patches or mess in the satin outer coat. It's nicely put together, despite me not liking the look. It's an open pore satin so the thing actually feels like wood too which I always prefer. The top, back and sides are all made from pairs of woods and the back has a slight arch.
The bridge is made from walnut and is a tie bar design with a curved plate. Ortega call it their 'Ortega Bridge for easy string change and perfect tune'. That makes it sound like it's something they specially designed, but it really isn't. It's just a regular tie bar bridge. I wouldn't say that was the easiest style to string change at all, and as for 'perfect tuning', I have no idea what they are on about. Never mind, it's a pale bridge and holds a straight top plastic saddle. It really didn't need 'bigging up'.
There is no other decoration on the body which is a good thing. The last thing a wood as gaudy as zebrawood needs is an abalone strip on the top. What you do get, curiously, is a black painted edging to the sound hole. That used to be a 'trick' used by brands to hide the fact that the wood is laminate, but that can't be the case here. Ortega clearly state that the wood is laminate, plus you can see it is because the outer edges are not bound (another trick to hide it). So I'm not sure what it's for, but I think it looks a little weird and out of place.
Inside is tidy, and tidier than many I see at this price. Fairly chunky braces, notched kerfing but no mess or glue drops. Interestingly you see a veneer of zebrawood on the inside of the ukulele too, so the laminate part is the unspecified sandwich wood in the middle between two thin sheets of zebrawood. That doesn't stop it being laminate by the way, as certain other unscrupulous brands have started suggesting in their marketing. But again - fair play to Ortega. It's made quite clear what it is on their website.
The neck is extremely pale mahogany with a joint at the heel and one at the base of the headstock. It's finished in satin too, and whilst it has a typical far eastern rounded back profile, at least the nut width is a more 'standard' concert of just under 35mm with 28mm between the G and A strings. Oddly, the Ortega website specifies the nut width as 36mm, which is patently incorrect. I'd prefer 36mm, and this is a touch narrow for me.
It's topped with a walnut fingerboard holding a concert standard 18 frets with 14 to the body joint. The edges of the board are stained / bound black which still isn't helping the fact that most of the fret ends are sharp on this review model. Badly so too. That's a shame. We get outward dot markers at the 5th, 7th, 10th, 12th and 14th (14th??) and they are repeated on the side in white. An unremarkable neck let down by poor finishing.
Beyond the plastic nut we have a distinctive headstock shape also faced in zebrawood. The Ortega logo is a thick screen print in silver which was scraped off a little before I even opened it. Examining it further tells me there is absolutely no way this will stand up to a clip on tuner. It's just not very permanently applied.
Tuners are unbranded sealed chrome gears with small black buttons. They work ok, but are otherwise unremarkable.
Also in the package are Aquila strings and a really rather nice padded gig bag with strong zips and a very well padded handle. Certainly one of the better gig bags I've seen come as standard. And these can be picked up in the UK at least for just under £100 or about $145 in the USA. That's a keen price and one that will surely attract a lot of buyers.
In the hands it feels nice enough (apart from the sharp fret ends) and it's balanced ok too. Setup is a touch high at the saddle, but that is easily remedied and the nut looks just fine to me. Not bad really.
And the sound has impressed me too. Yes, you can tell it's a laminate instrument, but the volume is very good and the sustain reasonably so. It has a very direct and clear sound with the individual notes coming through clearly. It's a bright tone that is quite snappy, and I like it for that. Strumming gives me a bright jangly sound, and picking has a bell like clarity which makes that very enjoyable. Not top end but far from a bottom end sound, and for only a hunded quid. For a player looking to get a first sensible ukulele or a second step up from the likes of cheap Mahalo's, then this would not disgrace you at all.
It's really surprised me as I don't mind admitting that the first look led me to believe that I wouldn't like this ukulele very much at all. It has some issues, but I suppose they are not hugely major - just annoying, and still sounds and plays ok. The looks are not for me, but many will like them. Not a bad ukulele at all really if a little generic. Fair play Ortega.
Generally well built
Good price
Great gig bag
Good volume
Decent enough sound for the price
UKULELE CONS
Not personally a fan of zebrawood
Poor fret finishing and setup
Badly applied headstock logo
Would prefer slightly wider nut as per their website description!
UKULELE SCORES
Looks - 7.5 out of 10
Fit and finish - 8 out of 10
Sound - 8 out of 10
Value for money - 9 out of 10
Another welcome return for a musical instrument brand I have featured before on Got A Ukulele. This time we look at the UKT-528 Tenor ukulele from Snail.
You may recall me reviewing the Snail Rosewood Soprano before on the site, and reviewing it quite positively too. Since then, I have been keen to feature this brand again, and thanks to their UK distributor, Red Chilli Audio, I've been lucky enough to have this one on test for a few weeks.
The UKT-528 is a Chinese made tenor ukulele made from all laminate woods, but those laminate pieces are veneered in striking zebrawood. Snail are actually a line of instruments from parent brand Amahi Ukuleles.
It's a standard double bout tenor shaped instrument with a prominently curved base. That curve on the butt of the instrument is something I am seeing more and more and is a look I really do like. It's just subtly different enough to make the ukulele stand out a little I think. The zebrawood is naturally pretty and is veneered in two bookmatched pieces on both the top and the back. The sides of the instrument are also in two pieces and the back is slightly arched. The whole body is finished in a satin coat that allows some of the wood pores to show through avoiding the 'artificial' look of so many ukes at this price point.
A more detailed word about this laminate though, as I really am quite impressed. A glance at the edge of the soundhole will show you that this laminate is really thin. This is a very good thing! You see, most budget manufacturers tend to use laminate which is little more than plywood and is usually overly thick which just kills the tone and volume. I have said it many times before though - I would take good thin laminate over cheap thick solid wood every day of the week. I understand why cheaper brands have to make their solid woods thick - it's because solid wood is fragile and if you are building to a low budget it's frankly easier (read - lazier) to just make them thick to stop them splitting. With laminate though, it's much, much stronger than solid wood so there is really no excuse to not make them thin and resonant. Snail have certainly done this here, and rap on the top with your knuckles shows you how resonant this one is. Top marks.
In fact that top is so thin, looking at the sound hole edge you could be forgiven for thinking it was solid wood. The use of zebrawood veneer on the inside of the instrument too may confuse some people. It really IS laminate though - just good laminate!
Adding to that distinctive zebrawood grain pattern, we have cream edge binding where the top and back meet the sides, and this is complimented on the top with some black and white inlaid edging. We also have a black/white/black sound hole rosette, but I cannot tell if this is inlaid or a transfer under the satin coat. Either way, it looks neat and tidy.
Elsewhere on the top we have a standard shaped rosewood bridge plate in a tie bar style, holding an uncompensated bone saddle.
A look inside the instrument is pleasing too. We have the makers logo on a wooden plate glued to the back, notched kerfing and really delicate looking thin bracing adding to that light touch on the build and hopefully the resonance. There is no mess, no glue drips and no wood shavings. Good quality control in evidence.
Moving up to the neck, this is made from mahogany and in three pieces with a joint at the heel and one at the headstock. It is similarly finished in satin and I love the exaggerated shaping to the heel which is satisfying to touch.
Topping this is an evenly coloured rosewood fingerboard which is nice and dark but does have a couple of finish marks in the face at the body end. Fitted to this are 18 nickel silver frets with 14 to the body joint. They are generally well finished, but the upper frets down the dusty end of the neck could do with a little more tidying. They are not the sharpest fret ends i've ever seen on a ukulele, but worth mentioning. The fretboard edges are not bound, so you do see the fret ends, but they are partially hidden by some wood stain.
Fret markers are provided on the face of the fingerboard in pearloid inlays at the 5th, 7th, 10th, 12th and 15th spaces, with the 12th being a double spot. Sadly there are no side position markers. An easy fix for Snail to consider I think.
The other thing I would point out on the neck is that it is slightly wider at the nut than most Chinese ukuleles at this price point. It's about 36.5mm across, so whilst not the widest nut out there, it's certainly wider. A more standard Chinese nut width is about 35mm. Believe me - if you find your fingers get cramped on certain chords, you WILL notice this extra width and be thankful for it.
We have a bone nut before the attractively shaped Snail headstock. It's little things like the shaping of that headstock, the curved base and the shaping of the neck heel that I like and makes you think that this isn't just a generic cheap ukulele that came off the same production line as so many others. The headstock is faced in more zebrawood veneer and the Snail logo is engraved.
Flipping it over we have another smaller Snail logo engraved in the back, together with a serial number. The tuners are unbranded sealed gears, with all the hardware treated to a gold finish. They work ok, and they have a satisfying stiffness to them with no play. Sadly one of themseems to have a bit of corrosion or staining starting around the cover plate and on the front washers. No biggie though.
Finishing the package is a decent padded gig bag with front pocket, shoulder strap and an embroidered Snail logo. The strings provided are Aquila. And for that, the package will set you back between about £110 and £120 depending where you shop. That is a really attractive price.
Construction feels solid and well made all over the instrument with no issues that I can see. But that thin top and delicate bracing means that it feels anything but over built. This is lightweight, and perfectly balanced at the 12th fret when in the hands without a strap. A very nice ukulele to hold.
The setup on this review model was just as I would like it, particularly at the nut which is the more difficult one to fix. No complaints here.
The first two things that struck me about it on playing was the great volume / projection and the pretty decent sustain. This is definitely one of those instruments that gives you a nice vibration into your chest when you play it. This is of course all down to that choice to use thin woods in the construction and I wish more entry level brands would do it.
It's also very clear across the strings. At first you think it is all brightness and zing (and it certainly has does have a punch to it), but there is bass coming through too creating a satisfying mix of tones. It feels comfortable and suited to both strumming as to picking, although slightly more on the side of strumming for me. Whatever I throw at it, it always sounds crisp and never muddy. Trust me, this is a very satisfying ukulele sound.
Of course it isn't a first class tone that you would get from a professional level instrument, as it lacks that sort of character and shimmer, but this is leagues above most other instruments at this cheaper laminate end of the market. And for a shade over £100 that is pretty remarkable.
I think this Snail is one of those nice things from China that occasionally appear - an instrument maker that knows that laminate doesn't need to be thick and cheaply put together and can sound great with a bit of care an attention. I'd take this one over a host of solid wood ukuleles that are marketed at the same sort of price. In fact I'd take this over a host of solid wood ukes marketed at quite a bit more than this.
I think this makes an excellent first ukulele (and yes, this is the sort of price you should be considering for a first instrument that is serious), and certainly a step up for those of you getting frustrated with your cheap Mahalos and the like.
It's an attactive, well made, punchy, light instrument and deserves your attention. This one really pleased me and I'd buy one!
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