Got A Ukulele Reviews - Ohana SK-39 Soprano

[@jamesking-cj3zm]

Recently purchased the SK390, Koa version, and find the sound to be between the OX and the 39. I’m liking it a lot.

[@GotAUkulele]

I can imagine the Koa will add to the richness

[@jamesking-cj3zm]

My intention was to say the koa seemed to be brighter than the mahogany yet not as bright as the HPL of the Martin soprano

[@lauwu911]

Nice review as usual, very helpful. Thank you! It reminds me the Ohana CK35-G5 I played at a local store and I really liked it. Especially the low g, makes the sound so warm. Some day I might get the 5 strings ukulele to add to my collection :)

[@marieandersson5730]

Thanks for a nice review of a very nice ukulele. I have two Ohana, and I really apreciate I did not have to change the strings from the beginning, because I'm very fond of the Aquila-sound 😊

[@GotAUkulele]

Glad it was helpful!

[@iamshake7778]

Great review sir! I love it when you said "this turns up to 11" it reminds of The Spinal Tap movie . Peace!

[@tucanouke5988]

Thank you for saying that, I also think that Martin fluorocarbon strings are way better than those white Aquila strings. It also makes more sense if you copy a Martin instrument of course ...

[@chuckvt5196]

Great review, and I like most Ohana ukuleles. It is very pretty, but you are right about that "darker" tone. I love a dark tone in my tenors, especially my Ohana TK-35G, but a soprano should have some spark to it. Still, as you said, it is a very nice instrument, and I am sure a string change will only make it much better. Thanks for the review!

[@GotAUkulele]

Cheers Chuck

[@akipachoekie]

What do you prefer ,this sk39 or the Kala ka smhs ,thanks

[@GotAUkulele]

Sorry - never played that Kala

[@franplick]

Thanks for the video, very informative and well done. I couldn't find a review of yours about the Ohana SK-30 with long neck. I'm about to buy my second uke, and I would like your opinion: which one would you choose or recommend, Ohana SK-30 long neck or Kiwaya KSU-1L long neck? Last one is laminated but I've seen better reviews about sound, sustain and volume. Price tag is "similar", and Ohana is solid, but I don't know where it is made (China, for Kiwaya). So, please,which one you would suggest, if you had to choose one of them? Thank you very much in advance from Spain! Kind regards.

[@GotAUkulele]

Afraid i've never played the SK-30 long neck so would be unfair to comment

[@petercnixon]

I like the idea of a soprano with a few extra frets but I didn't like the sound much at all. It was a bit mushy, you couldn't hear the individual strings. I wonder if some fluorocarbons would really make a big difference, it would certainly be interesting to hear. I think I've been spoiled by the Timms soprano and I fall into the trap of constantly comparing the tone of others against it.

[@GotAUkulele]

Sound was a let down for me too

[@Vegvísir7]

Nice review, thank you. For my taste, the fretboard looks much too busy with the stripes and dots and the white aquilas. Really not my taste of look. I like it more clean. :)

[@GotAUkulele]

Suppose it wouldnt follow the Style 3 without it though

[@mmactc]

Great review Barry. I agree with you about the strings,stands to reason that if you are trying to replicate a Martin ukulele then you should use Martin strings. Thanks for the review. Didn’t you get yourself an Ohana sk35 awhile back? How does it compare to the one you bought for yourself?

[@GotAUkulele]

I prefer this in most ways, but then I sold the 35!

[@deusvult6900]

Can you provide a link for good fluorocarbons?

[@moso5324]

Just bought one of these (high G) and I love the looks and tone (I like to play old jazz tunes on a soprano) but I do NOT like the tuners. I watched your videos on what the friction tuners consist of and how to adjust them, and I thought it I could adjust them and play the strings in - nope, after a week they still slip and/or stick and require constant re-tuning. I don't have a reamer, so it has to go in to the shop to be replaced with Gotoh UPTs.

[@edwardpetersen4309]

Maple binding is a nice touch. I can't abide that narrow nut and saddle spacing that seems to appear on every uke out of China. How many factories there make the myriad brands now available? Very few I imagine. When I first took up the ukulele about 2001, there were the Hawaiian built instruments, the Flukes or the vintage U.S mainland built baubles ( should have bought all those Martins for peanuts at that time ) . . . actually I picked up a Bruko in Switzerland back then which sounded pretty tinny but was my first ukulele so I had no comparison. Played it all night smiling. The number of brands now is staggering. Thanks for all the reviews. Enjoy them a lot.

[@ertugrulka.4244]

Edward Petersen Brükos are pretty great though

[@haroldrull4943]

Kinda flat, doesn’t bark at all. Where’s that Martin OXK? Thanks

[@brent__earl]

I recently bought this, like it but the tuners are terrible. Waiting to order Gotoh UPT planetary tuners and switch out the Aquilas for some fluorocarbon strings but I don't know much about tonal difference between the different types. Do, for example, Martin and Worths Clears basically sound the same? Any recommendations on any which ones I should go with?

[@GotAUkulele]

They sound very similar - they differ on the gauges. Martin are a bit lighter and, for that reason, brighter I find.

[@marieandersson6655]

Price?

[@GotAUkulele]

Today, about £250

[@max_petroleum]

When are you doing a tenor ohana? Why only sopranos?

[@GotAUkulele]

It’s not only sopranos - have done concerts and a baritone from Ohana too. But ultimately I review what they send me and don’t dictate

[@Blitztheflatcoat]

Style over substance?

[@raceface_m2579]

I think the uke has its own specs unique to itself. Wouldn't it be a lawsuit if it was fully copied?

[@GotAUkulele]

I’m not suggesting that. It’s a homage

[@GotAUkulele]

Here we go again... four down votes in an afternoon. I think i May take that friend up on his offer who works for KZbin to tell me who the downvoters are...

[@nickiemcnichols5397]

GotAUkulele trolls.

[@GotAUkulele]

Yup..

[@GotAUkulele]

What’s telling is that some downvotes come in so quick. When the video is only made public on my personal Facebook timeline, which leads me to believe at least one of them are actually connected as ‘friends’. That’s when it gets weird. I also know through checking that most are in the USA

[@botecfud]

GotAUkulele great review as always, honest with your taste applied, some people just cannot accept a difference of opinion. Silly internet trolls.

[@Vegvísir7]

Maybe some people think that they "have to" downvote the ukulele if they dont like it and they did not mean your review with it. There may be people using the internet who are new to it or who are too old/young to understand all of the functions in a correct way. So dont worry, you do a great job for us and we all like it! :)

[@handle1974]

We know you don't like Aquila Strings....

[@GotAUkulele]

It’s not so much that I don’t like them - it’s just that 95% of new ukes come with them as standard. On a soprano I really don’t think they suit at all

[@petercnixon]

Aquila strings have their place but not on most sopranos. To be fair to Barry his point was that this is supposed to be their take on a Martin so why not fluorocarbons and I tend to agree.

[@purpleheartscott8553]

petercnixon indeed! I have only ever had fluorocarbon on my Martin and I’m not sure I’m used to anything but.