Anyone played a new Oli uke?

[Rakelele]

‘Oli uses the same bracing as the last Master Series but the body shape and sound hole placement changed affecting tone along with the side port, a little wider on the string spacing and slimmer on the neck depth for the feel we like best, consulted with Corey & Kalei along the way. It’s different than the Master Series but maybe I can do a video about that soon, recording them and getting feedback from the guys.

As with everything in my life, it’s a work in progress. The aim is dream ukes musicians can afford, inspiring in sound and feel, and look of course too. I really love this first batch so it’s exciting. I go back to the factory in April with Ryan and while he works w the builders I’ll be mostly with setup, hoping eventually international dealers can get these from the factory like they came from HMS. Gotta try.

I also want to mention that our support or supply of all the brands and luthiers we love will hopefully be even more robust over time. The goal is to have all the best stuff for you guys to choose from and variety is the spice of life. ‘Oli is another option and all of us here think these first ones are exceptional in voice and value, hope you do too. Still have to list a bunch of them along w new Kamaka, Kanile’a, Ko’olau, Cocobolos, Millars, KoAlanas, Tydes, Ken Franklin, Ono… then I gotta start helping the setup team. I feel guilty just being here.

Oh but also, as far as Chuck Moore, no one ever will be like him. I’m not a next level artist like like that but I’m doing the work the way I know how for this project. Taking pictures, designing in photoshop, going back and forth about wood dye colors etc and eventually adding a unique touch to these. The one on the ebony models with the hanging heliconia I redesigned already though. It was too close in concept to one Chuck had done that I hadn’t seen until a few days ago. We have some coming but after that it will be different. And most of them will change over time. Just did this one for a pineapple I’m working on. Idk, we’ll see how it comes out. Ok. Mahalos and much love to the community here! \m/

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Thanks for providing insight into your new line of ukes as well as everything else that is going on at The Ukulele Site, @AndrewKuker

 

[a green field]

Is the Jake already sold? Not seeing it on their site.

Another Jake on the site if you're in the market https://theukulelesite.com/shop-by/kamaka-jake-edition-tenor-hf-3-d4i-231438-1.html

 

[rainbow21]

You can buy a new custom Ko'olau for $1850 Its seriously the best deal on earth. Just saying

Seems way cheap... do you have a link?

 

[Patty]

You can buy a new custom Ko'olau for $1850 Its seriously the best deal on earth. Just saying

Really?

 

[scrambled_eggs]

My ‘Oli will be arriving in just a few hours! I had it shipped because i dont trust anyone other than TUS to do my setups anymore.

I’ll be posting a review in the coming days along with vids on my instagram which are frequent, but I like it even more than the Pono Master Series, which I loved. The clarity of lattice bracing can be a shock on the ears at first. Like going from a distortion to a clean tone on guitar maybe and then realizing your own tone is what actually needs improving If your first ukulele, I’d recommend maybe going with fan bracing which has good projection and honestly is a bit more forgiving in terms of balancing, softening, and rounding tone. Just less to worry about at first. But if you really want to control your tone and have the sustain of a grand piano, I vote lattice.


That said, I’m still a beginner and a great instrument is the best teacher. My playing has noticably improved with my Pono and it will for anyone who plays and actively listens to their playing, and I’m even more excited to see where i can go with this baritone from ‘Oli. Quick thoughts are the shape is very comfy, arm bevel is awesome, i love side sound ports (or scent holes as i call them because i cant stop sniffing the instrument lol), and I truly have not heard tone more full and beautiful than the lattice stuff from Pono, ‘Oli, and Ko’olau.

 

[Joe Strummer]

There are some interesting videos comparing guitars with lattice and fan bracing: . Lattice may not necessarily mean better tone. I suppose the results will vary by instrument and how it was implemented. I heard the top was also graduated on the ‘Oli, and the sound port is supposed to help. Looking forward to getting mine in a couple weeks.

 

[keenonuke]

Bracing does appear to make a difference - at least to my ears.

While not the same

Here's a video from Matt of Worlds of ukes for Fan vs X bracing

 

[SleepyheadRooster]

This thread is really getting me interested in this topic. I’m getting more and more interested in playing classical music and chord melody on a tenor ukulele. Here is another decent summary of the differences in classical guitars:

Fan Bracing top vs Lattice Bracing top - Guitars From Spain | Online Guitar Store

South Florida best online guitar store for Flamenco guitars and Classical Guitars from Spain. Great Guitar accessories, chek us out today

guitarsfromspain.com

I don’t know how analogous this is to ukuleles. Ukuleles are very much like guitars in some ways, but then they are also different. Even low G tenors don’t need to account more than an octave of a standard guitar’s range.

In the classical guitar world, volume at concerts has always been an issue. More modern classical guitars with lattice bracing gave performers additional volume to fill concert halls. More recent modern guitars have newer innovations like double tops.

I suspect one type isn’t superior to the other. They’re just different. I think what you want to use the uke for and what you want to sound like matters. Are you playing solo? Are you accompanying singing?

Do you really want to be louder than everyone else in your recreational ukulele group?

I don’t personally need more volume. But Corey’s playing and his reaction to that spruce/rosewood model was impressive! UAS is a thing.

 

[a green field]

Seems way cheap... do you have a link?

I think they are pointing to the ko'olau electric guitar. It's gone from the site now.

 

[RafterGirl]

Is X brace the same as lattice brace?
The ukulele video above is comparing fan bracing and X bracing. I'm familiar with X bracing with my aNueNue Moon Bird.

 

[scrambled_eggs]

Is X brace the same as lattice brace?
The ukulele video above is comparing fan bracing and X bracing. I'm familiar with X bracing with my aNueNue Moon Bird.

X is different than lattice, but the 'Oli bracing is actually a modified X bracing done with lattice from what I have read. Combined with the graduated top, which I feel like is even thinner on the 'Oli line (like porcelain thin, I can see sunlight through the wood) and robust back and sides it's like a speaker on top. The strings are so lively that I have really had to work on my left hand sensitivity so as not so squash the tone--I kind of try to hold it the same way you'd want to hold down a cats tail! And my lord the the sustain and built in reverb! No reverb added to these samples, just an iphone recording.

Anyway, here is a quickie sample from the other day as I'm learning to ride this stallion--and a picture of the porcelain-esque top.

 

[Pyewacket]

Anyone played a new Oli uke?

Particularly interested in folks that have played one head to head with a Pono Master Series. I know they were mostly just listed this week so this may be a little early.

forum.ukuleleunderground.com

Oh man I wish I could play half as well ...

 

[ookooleilei]

Long time lurker, here! Just actually joined to post a similar question I’m loving the look and sound of these ukes, but having a hard time pulling the trigger on something that hasn’t passed the test of time! Is it a brand new brand? Having trouble finding much info….

I just got my 'Oli cedar and acacia tenor a couple of days ago, and it's a real beauty -- the fit and finish are top notch -- it sounds lovely, plenty of volume, love the neck shape -- it's just a really, really nice instrument -- very happy with it.

 

[rainbow21]

I assume 2257 indicates that the build year is 2022. This one sold for $2295 (probably in 2022):

Ko'olau Koa Tenor (T1 2257)

This is a beautiful Hawaiian tenor ukulele from Hawaii's original custom shop, Ko'olau. Most of these impeccable instruments are custom orders that go out as soon as they come in. This is a rare treat to be able to offer this beautiful koa tenor. The design is classy and the build quality is...

theukulelesite.com

 

[scrambled_eggs]

Anyone played a new Oli uke?

Particularly interested in folks that have played one head to head with a Pono Master Series. I know they were mostly just listed this week so this may be a little early.

forum.ukuleleunderground.com

Oh man I wish I could play half as well ...

Thank you my friend! Don't sell yourself short-- some of the most meaningful musical info I heard was "if you can hear it in your head you can play it [eventually]." The rest is just playing and practice! Skate Play or die!

 

[Keith5523]

Nice job scrambled_eggs. Beautiful instrument.

 

[hands_on_lanzon]

nice playing @scrambled_eggs ! So cool that you got a chance to grab one with that limited edition headstock!!

 

[wy_uke]

New video from HMS: Sampling Pono & 'Oli Ukulele with Matt Dahlberg & Corey Fujimoto

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[rainbow21]

New video from HMS: Sampling Pono & 'Oli Ukulele with Matt Dahlberg & Corey Fujimoto

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From the notes on the youtube link:

Before starting the Pono Master Series and now ‘Oli with luthier Ryan Condon, I had tried a lattice braced custom uke that sounded loud but strident to me, and then ones from other builders that sound big and warm with rich overtones that I absolutely loved. The Pono MGTD is fan braced and the Master Series (MS models) and ‘Oli line is lattice braced, but generalizing bracing is like generalizing woods. It’s ok to a point but there are so many factors in the overall build. A Pono will sound different than a Ko’olau will sound different than a Kamaka, than an Enya, than a Moore Bettah. They all have fan bracing but even if they were made from the same block of wood they would have very noticeable tonal differences.

All aspects of design are factors. Body shape, sound hole placement, bracing size and scallop, top thickness, graduation, ports and all kinds of other things will make differences along with woods. I view the overall build as the voice and the wood as the microphone that colors that voice. But the more I learn and experience over the years the less I put things in a box or assume based on general specs. My advice is to find the sounds you are drawn to and then review that builders woods and other options for their tonal variances within their line. Personally I like a variety. Let us know what you like, think, and with any questions. Mahalo!

 

[DJ Mango]

'Oli in da house