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| Moderated by: Tony Provencher, Richard Hefner | Page: 1 2   |
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| Greg Bennett Ukuleles | Rate Topic |
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| Posted: Sun Oct 23rd, 2005 01:55 am |
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1st Post |
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honu Approved
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I recently went to a guitar shop and they had Greg Bennett Ukes - UK50, UK60 and UK70. My question is for the price, is this a good uke? Has anyone played it? It seems to be geared toward a beginner. The UK50 and UK60 sold for less than $60. And the UK70 was about $160. UK50 - nato sides, ebonized fretboard UK60 - mindi wood (Vietnamese Oak), ebonized fretboard UK70 - Spruce top, rosewood fretboard http://www.samickguitar.com/acousticportal_ukuele.html I played the UK50 and it sounded like a Lanikai nato soprano. The UK60 was nicer than the UK50. The UK70 was built like a guitar and was well-made. The UK60 played louder, but the UK70 played softer. I've got a G-String Concert Ukulele. Of course, the G-String is way better. And I would like to buy a least expensive one to trash around at home. Thanks.
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| Posted: Sun Oct 23rd, 2005 03:22 am |
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2nd Post |
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Richard Hefner Administrator 
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Honu, A while back I bought a UK50 and a UK70 and they're both really nice for the money (I think I just paid about $99 for the UK70 though). Seems like the UK50 was only about $40 or so but it played and sounded great. I actually liked it better than the more expensive one. Both of them look really nice and have good geared tuners. I would recommend either one as an excellent value. 
____________________ Richard Hefner MP3 Page: http://www.ezfolk.com/audio/richardhefner Running Blog: http://old-runner.com |
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| Posted: Sun Oct 23rd, 2005 10:37 pm |
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3rd Post |
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Will Approved 
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I own a UK-60, which I bought for about $50. I changed the strings to Aquila Nylgut. It's a loud uke with a nice tone. I use the low-G string, and this concert uke has almost as much low end as my tenor ukes.
____________________ Will http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/297/ Loose Change & Friends http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/245/ http://loosechangeandfriends.com The Earth Tones http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/337/ A Bunch Of Coconuts http://abunchofcoconuts.com |
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| Posted: Mon Oct 24th, 2005 01:17 am |
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4th Post |
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honu Approved
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Thanks for responding. Yes, why is the less expensive one sounded better and louder than the more expensive one - UK70? The lady at the shop claims that the gloss, abalone lining on the the soundbox makes it sound softer. So,does changing the strings have a significant impact on making it sound louder? In some of the previous forums, there was a discussion on whether to choose a matt or gloss finish. The less expensive one had a matt finish. What gives?
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| Posted: Mon Oct 24th, 2005 01:35 pm |
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5th Post |
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Will Approved
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The volume of a uke, as with most acoustic stringed instruments, is a function of how well the top of the sound box resonates. Satin/matte finished tops are generally thinner and resonate more than tops with glossy finishes. There are other factors, of course, that influence volume of the instrument, including the composition of the top (solid wood vs. laminate, the amount of bracing used under the top, composition of the strings, etc.) Both of those Samick Greg Bennett concert ukes use laminated tops, but the UK70 has a rather heavy gloss finish along with the nicer-looking abalone binding, which is a factor explaining why the UK60 is louder than the UK70. The strings that come with these ukes are made of a rather thick clear nylon; in fact, the "C" string was almost too thick for the slot in the nut. I replaced the strings in my UK60 with Aquila Nylgut. Very similar in construction and price to the Greg Bennett ukes are the Oscar Schmidt models, the OU2 and OU3. The OU2E model that has a built-in pre-amp for plugging into a PA or instrument amp. Last edited on Mon Oct 24th, 2005 01:38 pm by Will ____________________ Will http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/297/ Loose Change & Friends http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/245/ http://loosechangeandfriends.com The Earth Tones http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/337/ A Bunch Of Coconuts http://abunchofcoconuts.com |
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| Posted: Mon Oct 24th, 2005 09:30 pm |
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6th Post |
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honu Approved
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Thanks, Will! For the excellent info about the laminate tops, the Aguilla strings (I'm going to buy them online) and providing a comparable uke (OU2E) to compare with the Greg Bennett ukes. For the price, the OU2E seems to be the better deal...for an extra $18 from the UK60...I've got an active pick-up. Looks like the music motel has a sale right now on Oscar Schmidt and so does Amazon. http://themusicmotel.com/store/product.asp?id=465 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0002GLMGS/104-9615429-9643141?v=glance Ironically, you must have been reading my mind or you've must have had alot of experience in answering uke questions. My kudos to you. For the last several weeks, I've been interested in acquiring a least expensive uke to trash at home for practice and acquiring separately: a uke with an active pickup to experiment. I got the idea from the Dominator...who transcribes his music on a less expensive uke than his customized Jim Means Glyph tenor. I think he said he uses a Washburn. For anyone that wants to play Jake's music...the Dominator recommends a tenor. I'm saving for a tenor for a future purchase as soon as my uke skills improve. By the way, I live in Phoenix, Arizona. Having very little knowledge about pickups...made it even more difficult and a search via google revealed very little information for ukes. So, off I went to two guitar stores this weekend to investigate my options, since I really believe that it's personal preference on uke brands, and you've got to play it. I had tested a Kamaka several months ago in Hawaii and it sounded terrible to me. The Koaloha Soprano Pikake is the one for me besides the G-String - which I tested at McCabe's in Santa Monica and at PauPau Ukes. I also tried an Oscar Schmidt, but it I can't recall what model it was...but it did sound good. But, that's another discussion. My first option was to mail my G-String concert uke back to the company to install a fishman pickup for $175.00. Unfortunately, I can't part with it for three weeks without another one for backup! The uke is so sweet and the intonation is so good that it makes any player sound better. By the way, it seldom goes out of tune. By the way, a Lanikai is the easiest in my viewpoint to tune, but it doesn't stay tuned after several sessions. The second option was to find a least expensive uke and install a pickup. At the first guitar store, they had the Greg Bennett ukes. So, the next question was: Can you install an active pickup? Unfortunately, the music store doesn't do custom work on ukuleles. So, I was referred to a Sam Ash store. Ironically, they had three Martin soprano ukuleles on hand and I tested one of them out. I was not impressed, although they were around $299.00. The fretboard was sort of small and curved. Small in comparison to my stubby fingers. The soundbox had a matte finish. My initial impression is that it felt like a Hawaiian uke, but it didn't sound as sweet. And in terms of loudness, it was the same as a Greg Bennett UK60. It was also hard to tune. The "g" and "c" was the worst to tune electronically. So, after perusing this weekend...it was back to the drawing board. I finally gave up and decided to ask the 'subject matter experts' at http://www.ezfolk.com. Anyways, in summary, I'm going to purchase the OU2E. The uke fits both my requirements and my G-String concert uke gets to stay home with me. Many thanks.  Last edited on Mon Oct 24th, 2005 09:37 pm by honu |
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| Posted: Tue Oct 25th, 2005 03:58 am |
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7th Post |
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honu Approved
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FYI: I just purchased an OU2E online tonight. Look at this website...Warren Buffet plays an OU2E. Interesting. http://www.warpdrivemusic.com/photopage5.htm
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| Posted: Tue Oct 25th, 2005 02:28 pm |
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8th Post |
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Will Approved
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Glad you found the uke you were looking for. You'll find that the Oscar Schmidt (as with the Samick Greg Bennett) ukes have an unusually wide fret board that makes for easy playing. In reply to your question about installing an active pickup on a uke (just in case you want to use a pick-up for your G-String uke)... There are 2 main styles of pick-ups for stringed instruments: magnetic and piezo. The magnetic style uses an array of magnets and requires steel strings and won't work at all on a uke. On electric guitars, these pickups are visible under the strings; on acoustic guitars, these are found in the soundhole style pickups, such as the Fishman Neo-D, Dean Markley Pro-Mag, etc. The piezo style pickup senses vibrations in the instrument body and is commonly installed under the saddle (i.e. Shadow EQ on ukes, or the one found on the Oscar Schmidt OUE2 ), or its position can be varied using the temporary stick-on type of pick-up (Dean Markley Artist, Bushman Woody). Piezo pickups tend to over-emphasize the mid-range, so it's useful to have some type of tone control (generally found only on the pre-installed pick-ups)
____________________ Will http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/297/ Loose Change & Friends http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/245/ http://loosechangeandfriends.com The Earth Tones http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/337/ A Bunch Of Coconuts http://abunchofcoconuts.com |
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| Posted: Fri Nov 4th, 2005 01:18 am |
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9th Post |
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honu Approved
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Here's an update for those of you that would like to know. Again, thanks for all your valuable advice. Last weekend, I returned to the local music store and they lowered the price for a UK60 from $50 to $35. Out the door with tax it was $37 and some loose change. That same day, I looked up the Oscar Schmidt website and found a local store that happened to have OU2s. They only had a OU2 and OU3, but no OU2e. I played both ukes and I didn't notice a difference in sound between the UK60 and OU2. So, I purchased the UK60 and cancelled my previous order of the OU2e. The UK60 is being used for practice, so it wasn't necessary to have an acoustic pickup..but it would have been a 'nice-to-have'. My wife will have a RISA Ellie showing up at our door in mid-December, so I'll have one to play around with. In a nutshell, neither of the ukes can beat the G-String ukulele's 'sweet' sound. Even if I played lousy on some days..the G-String holds the sound quality. As for G-String Concert that I own. I tried to see if the authorized local fishman store could install a matrix II. Unfortunately, they didn't know how to install the battery holder in the soundbox or should I say...soundhole..let alone work on a uke. So, I contacted G-String and explained what had happened. After reviewing my options, I finally realized that I should go for sound vs. cost. Also, as per the advice in this bulletin board, a guitar repairer doesn't make a very good uke repairer. I am now purchasing a G-String tenor with a fishman pickup. Fishman makes a special under the saddle pick-up customized for G-String ukes. It'll be my Christmas gift to me. Anyways, five valuable lessons that I've learned and hope to pass along: (Not in particular order) 1) You get what you pay for. 2) Definitely play the ukes prior to purchase. 3) Don't let a guitar repairer touch your uke! Go to a uke luthier! 4) If the music store has not heard of Jake Shimabukuro...then you know you are in trouble. 5) Don't hesitate to ask the experienced players on the bulletin boards. It'll save you time and money. (This is really true) I usually carry a Jake CD with me when visiting the local music stores in my area. They don't have a clue why there's a been a recent demand for ukes...specifically Tenors.
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| Posted: Mon Nov 7th, 2005 10:40 pm |
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10th Post |
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honu Approved
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As per my original reply above. If I had to start over again, knowing what I know now. 1) Purchase a concert size ukulele around the $ 300 range - to fill the gap from beginner to intermediate level. 2) Purchase a tenor size ukulele with fishman pickup from intermediate on. or Purchase a tenor ukulele with fishman pickup as the end-all! Last edited on Fri Nov 11th, 2005 04:18 pm by honu |
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| Posted: Fri Nov 11th, 2005 03:47 pm |
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11th Post |
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honu Approved
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11/10/2005 Update  I've taken everyone's advice on this bulletin board and added Aguila nylgut strings to my Greg Bennett Samick uke...wow! What a huge difference! I was getting discouraged and could emphatize with uke players who quit because they purchased less expensive ukes because it sounds terrible. I've read on this bulletin board that the Aguilas are the best. From the bulletin board feedback, the longevity of the strings is an issue. I'll let you know. So, my $35 Greg Bennett uke now sounds just as good as a $300 uke! It's a very lively and has a very loud sound...the Aguilas are the strings to get. I would definitely dump the OEM strings. Lesson learned. Although, I still stick to my previous uke purchasing analysis in this thread, there's hope for buying a less expensive uke. I also found out that the Hilo Black strings is considered the standard for ukes. That's probably why Jim Beloff uses Hilos for the upgraded Fleas and Flukes. It still doesn't beat a G-String, but it definitely sings to me! I bought the Aguilas from Mike Atkins at: http://www.alternatetunings.com So, thanks everyone on the bulletin board for the following feedback! 1) Buy a uke with a matt finish. It's louder and lively! Correct. 2) Replace the OEM stock strings with better strings. Aguila nylguts! Correct.
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| Posted: Fri Dec 2nd, 2005 06:34 pm |
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12th Post |
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honu Approved
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12.2.2005 Update The Aquila nylguts have been in for the last several weeks. It goes out of tune. Realized that the pegs were not keeping the strings in line. So, I've got $40.00 pegs being installed. The uke does sound brighter due to the strings. Total Investment so far: Approximately $100.00.
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| Posted: Fri Dec 2nd, 2005 10:05 pm |
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13th Post |
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Will Approved
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honu wrote: 12.2.2005 Update I realize you've already purchased a new set of tuning pegs, but I own the same model Samick uke as you, and I've never had any trouble getting my Nylgut strings to hold their tuning once the new strings had stretched out. It's possible that the set screws (usually a Phillips head screw) just needed to be tightened on the tuning pegs, so that the tension of the strings don't cause them to lose tension. Hang onto that old set of tuners; they might come in handy if you come across an old fixer-upper instrument in the future. Enjoy the new strings. Last edited on Fri Dec 2nd, 2005 10:05 pm by Will ____________________ Will http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/297/ Loose Change & Friends http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/245/ http://loosechangeandfriends.com The Earth Tones http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/337/ A Bunch Of Coconuts http://abunchofcoconuts.com |
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| Posted: Wed Dec 7th, 2005 03:51 am |
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14th Post |
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honu Approved
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Thanks for replying! Yes, I'm going to hang on to the old peg tuners. My teacher even tighten the phillips screws and it still didn't work. I'll let you know when I get it back on Thursday if the new tuners remedied the problem.
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| Posted: Fri Dec 9th, 2005 04:13 am |
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15th Post |
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honu Approved
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12/08/2005 - Recd the ukulele tonight and what a difference! The guitar shop installed Ping geared standard gold guitar tuner pegs. The pegs have really added a lot of weight. With the Aguila nylguts and the new pegs...the uke doesn't have that much of a buzz...it's still loud. What has improved? It's keeping tune and the resonance has improved. My teacher tells me that the new pegs adds "mass" to the uke strings and thus the resonance improves. Ping tuner pegs: $40.00 Labor: $15.00 Total cost of uke with new tuner pegs and Aguila nylguts: $98.00 The Aguila nylguts have really settled down with the new pegs. Overall, I'm very satisfied with the uke. Although, it still doesn't beat my G-String (approx $700). It'll do for practicing. 12/09/2005 - I later found out that the Ping tuner pegs for ukes are least expensive than the Guitar tuner pegs above. Check out e-bay. Oh well...it's a $20.00 mistake. Last edited on Fri Dec 9th, 2005 09:11 pm by honu |
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| Posted: Fri Dec 9th, 2005 06:24 am |
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16th Post |
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cheeba Approved
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hmm...a couple bucks more and you couldve had yourself a new flea or something, but hope youre happy with your uke now
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| Posted: Fri Dec 9th, 2005 08:46 pm |
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17th Post |
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honu Approved
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Yes, Cheeba, that's very true about purchasing a Flea or something else. We already have a Fluke, which I know it is not the same as a Flea. I'm sure you've had the same experience as I did. After reading most of the recommendations and biases on this bulletin board on specific uke brands - I came to the realization that most of the uke players here have more than two ukes: One to practice in or transcribe chords and the other uke for performing. Each uke player had their reasons for having more than one uke....whether it was for collecting, trashing, driving while playing, ruining the soundboard while strumming, etc. So, how do I purchase a uke? Okay, I've heard go to the store and play it...if you like it...buy it. I also read on the bulletin board about personal preferences to Washburns, Jennys, etc and the reasons why it's the best. Okay, so there's no one central place to review ukes that other players have played. And the reviews are not standardized to some criteria. There's no stores geographically close to me. So, what's the next best thing? My main reason was to practice with a less expensive uke, so I won't feel guilty if it was trashed. So, off I went to find a 'practice' uke with specific requirements: (1) Concert size with at least enough frets to play Jake's music, (2) Must sound loud (3) Good Intonation (4) Some Resonance (5) And of course, it's got to be cheap. At the same time, I wanted to find out for myself if it's possible to purchase an inexpensive uke and upgrade or was it better to purchase a more expensive one? Before I started on my trek, I had one main principle and that was to obtain input from the bulletin board, so as to minimize my costs. Well, less than $100.00 wasn't too bad. I could have saved more on the tuner pegs, going on e-bay using uke pegs instead of guitar pegs. (About $20 difference or more) It could have been significantly more, if I had not paid attention to the board participants and I had engaged them in the appropriate timeframe. I did meet some very helpful people on this bulletin board and that was an added plus. I'm very grateful for their valuable help, patience and understanding. Thanks, Will and Richard! This thread or journey started as a Greg Bennett Ukulele inquiry on whether to purchase, transformed to an analysis or review of a very inexpensive uke, and to an eventual upgrade project. So, if I had a wish list for Christmas for this bulletin board...
Last edited on Sat Dec 10th, 2005 01:28 am by honu |
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| Posted: Sat Dec 10th, 2005 04:02 pm |
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18th Post |
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cheeba Approved
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4th peg has a decent review section
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| Posted: Tue Dec 13th, 2005 08:30 pm |
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19th Post |
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honu Approved
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Cheeba, Thanks. Is there a website for 4th peg? I'm just being lazy.
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| Posted: Tue Dec 13th, 2005 08:35 pm |
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20th Post |
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cheeba Approved
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http://www.4thpeg.com/parlor_room/index.php?sid=b9a838677dbf3b525bdace4bc9ec0fb8
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