Pono nylon string tenor guitar?

[fox]

http://vimeo.com/81702431

[Dolamon]

I think that's a baritone uke. Even the chord forms look that way. I have to admit, that's not only a great looking instrument, it sounds terrific.

[fox]

Yes but a 23" scale uke with a much bigger than normal body ... When does a uke become a guitar?
Surly is a pretty instrument whatever you call it!

[Jayyj]

According to Pono this is actually intended to be a nylon string tenor, not a baritone uke. This is from the Acoustic Guitar Forum:

"Traditionally a tenor guitar has been a "parlor" size body, with four steel strings, similar to the top four strings of a steel string guitar. And a narrow neck.

We decided to redesign a traditional tenor guitar to accommodate nylon strings. To do this, bracing needed to be a fan style, and for ease of finger style playing, the fingerboard needed to be wider (1 3/4" at the nut).
And then breaking from strict classical design, we decided to radius the fingerboard. To add something interesting, the headstock is slotted.

Tuning is optional, with a scale length of 23"
We set up our tenor guitar the same as a baritone ukulele, DGBE, with the D and G being wound and B and E plain nylon."

[RAGZDADDY]

Yea Pono did this one to accommodate Bartone ukulele players ease of switch. This unit is WAY over priced and never mind the reality that Pono has some extremely sketchy quality control. Best to try one in a store before one dives in on a Pono.
Pono is the import line of the Ko'olau ukulele. Ko'oalu ukes are quite nice. But equally way over priced in general.

To my understanding, the Pono tenor guitar was suppose to MAP at around $800. Personally, you lose me pretty quick in most anything import production at that price reange. But hats off to them for going with fan bracing to make way for nylon strings. But the projection on these things is about that of a tenor ukulele. ZERO PUNCH and less than a parlor classical.

[Steve Zawacki]

Pono's idea of nylon-string tenor guitar isn't a bad one, but it is a little pricey. i've got a Pono Pro Classic tenor ukulele strung CGDA and it sounds super as a "17-inch scale TG" , even beside my Blueridge 40T also strung CGDA. I'm planning to put an under-the-saddle pickup on the Pono, and beimg amped should solve any "punch" issue.

[RAGZDADDY]

Pono's idea of nylon-string tenor guitar isn't a bad one, but it is a little pricey. i've got a Pono Pro Classic tenor ukulele strung CGDA and it sounds super as a "17-inch scale TG" , even beside my Blueridge 40T also strung CGDA. I'm planning to put an under-the-saddle pickup on the Pono, and beimg amped should solve any "punch" issue.

For what it's worth, here is a sound sample of the difference in sound of nylon versus steel strings on a tenor guitar. But do KNOW this. Recording and post recording setting are identical for both stringings as far as EQ does. For the nylon strings it took a rock solid full on 12db of gain to get the nylon strings to even sort of be heard for the sake of the string test. lol

For sure a pickup will hide some of that but your gain levels will be so high that your possibility of feedback is through the roof. Especially with an under saddle pickup. YUP, while under saddle pickups are tried and true for quick and dirty easy install, they are ALL STRING AND SADDLE FOR TONE.

Might wan to consider something a little smoother for tonal range and actually instrument tone like internal bridge plate mounted K and K Pure Mini if you really plan on having any tonal balance to be note worthy of what the instrument actually sounds like acoustically. Installing a pickup to "solve" any problems, even punch, is NEVER a resolve. My guess is that it will be such a feedback beast and poppy whisky sounding before you get any tone that playing much over normal acoustic volume even with the under saddle pickup will be a out it for that setup.

But again, Pono is so far left and right with tonal balance and quality from one instrument to another even on identical models, it's pretty,, well........... it's just sad. But it varies about as much as a Lanakai to be honest. Sad to report.

For reconciliation here, one of the somewhat known ukulele shops bases on a volcano once did one of the most biased and baseless pickup videos ever posted online. They used 5 of the exact same model Pono ukulele and 5 different pickups. The alleged idea was to give people an ukulele pickup review. Sounds normal and valid doesn't it ?

But here lies the problem with their video and why it was biased....

It was intended to pump the Pono ukes and the LR Baggs Five O pickup. The LR Baggs Five O is pretty sweet.
The two true blue variances of that video that make ZERO sense to those paying any attention applied to a little knowledge and experience is, that in knowing the Pono ukes are ALL OVER THE BOARD with sound quality, and even in the video, the comment was made that the EQ was left EXACTLY THE SAME FOR ALL FIVE UKES. PPffftttt.

What really took place there was that the Five O pickup was used to EQ for the video, then 4 other ukes with different pickups were expected to sound better or equal. Well, I gotta tell ya. Even a 1st day small church sound man wouldn't buy into that setup. But then again, the unfortunate thing about the current, and again temporary ukulele craze is that as expected. On the front end of the mob scene is a ton of people with little to ZERO music exposure seems to be slinging like 1st year gun fighters chasing being noticed.

IMHO, all the pickups in that video sounded good and so did all the ukes. But the marketing strategy was a farce.
But then again, when we follow the beliefs that all things good, from apples to oxygen, and from ukulele' to the universe were invented on a big volcano to accommodate obnoxious rich people by leaving a tiny instrument on the pillow as if they were pillow mints to reach fame, then we have really entered into wisdom. lol

Enjoy your Pono. They are decent built and tough. But for real...... Go to a little extra trouble and put a Pure Min by K and K in there and bring out it's full capabilities of tonal range and balance.

Here is a link to a sound byte of both nylon and steel strings on a tenor guitar. I did this test because a zillion people a minute were emailing, texting and calling me wanting to know what I thought about nylons on the new Kala Tenor guitar. So I bunred a few sets of string to make a point. But again, don't forget the gain boosting was about 225% on the nylons to even remotely get it to be heard. (yes, the gain boost need is in part due to the Kala has x bracing designed for guitars while the Pono has fan bracing. but results are equal to mass versus.

Good luck.

https://soundcloud.com/ragzdaddy/set...a-tenor-guitar

p.s. It's kinda like this....... Most of us have either been told and or heard the age old adage, "Breakfast should be your BIGGEST meal of the day". This is NOT true. Breakfast should be your MOST NUTRITIONAL meal of the day.

Yet we have taken a wise saying about nutrition and turned it into a thought about VOLUME as we do most things in mob rules society. Me? I have an all organic, almond milk, strawberries, peaches, mango, green super food and organic yogurt smoothy for breakfast. Then my blender died. Now what am I gonna do? roflol

[RAGZDADDY]

Then again all this is why I prefer the much broader range of available dynamics of resophonic instruments and prefer to steer clear in most cases of the limitations of the standard wooden box. But of course the resophonic instrument offers yet another huge stand of amplification challenges. But where there are challenges, the limitations are lifted.

But what I REALLY don't get, it all the effects in usage. All that energy expended into acquiring acoustic perfection, only to omit the effort with playing a 4lb instrument through 50lbs of effects. My my my. SMH. rodlol

[RAGZDADDY]

Pono's idea of nylon-string tenor guitar isn't a bad one, but it is a little pricey. i've got a Pono Pro Classic tenor ukulele strung CGDA and it sounds super as a "17-inch scale TG" , even beside my Blueridge 40T also strung CGDA. I'm planning to put an under-the-saddle pickup on the Pono, and beimg amped should solve any "punch" issue.

Question: Is your Pono Pro Classic strung CGDA strung nylon or steel? If I may inquire !

[Steve Zawacki]

Question: Is your Pono Pro Classic strung CGDA strung nylon or steel? If I may inquire !

Nylon. I haven't seen a uke yet that can safely take the tension of steel strings. Steel would have the saddle flying off at a heckuva force, and always when you least expect it.

Putting nylon strings on an instrument designed and built for steel strings (to me, anyway) is like putting street tires on a top fuel dragster. Nylon is not going to drive a soundboard braced for steel worth a darn. For the pure fun of it (just bored one day) I put nylon on an old A-style mandolin - it worked, but was so muffled that finger-snapping drowned it out.

Pono is smart, in that becoming the "nylon string king" may corner the market of folk wanting to transition from ukes to guitars, or perhaps some classical guitar guys may want a tenor for fun, and already prefer nylon. Pono has a good uke name and can capitalize on that. However, it would seem that their TG would have a better market appeal if it came with pickup/preamp as standard.

I would not be surprised to see that if Pono's TG sells well, that one of the very inexpensive uke/guitar (e,g, Rogue or such) who already make an inexpensive baritone uke also decide to market a low-end nylon-stringed TG. It would make for an interesting purchase, even if only for its experimental value.

[RAGZDADDY]

Nylon. I haven't seen a uke yet that can safely take the tension of steel strings. Steel would have the saddle flying off at a heckuva force, and always when you least expect it.

Putting nylon strings on an instrument designed and built for steel strings (to me, anyway) is like putting street tires on a top fuel dragster. Nylon is not going to drive a soundboard braced for steel worth a darn. For the pure fun of it (just bored one day) I put nylon on an old A-style mandolin - it worked, but was so muffled that finger-snapping drowned it out.

Pono is smart, in that becoming the "nylon string king" may corner the market of folk wanting to transition from ukes to guitars, or perhaps some classical guitar guys may want a tenor for fun, and already prefer nylon. Pono has a good uke name and can capitalize on that. However, it would seem that their TG would have a better market appeal if it came with pickup/preamp as standard.

I would not be surprised to see that if Pono's TG sells well, that one of the very inexpensive uke/guitar (e,g, Rogue or such) who already make an inexpensive baritone uke also decide to market a low-end nylon-stringed TG. It would make for an interesting purchase, even if only for its experimental value.

Totally agree. Some string cowboys called Southcoast is putting together steel string sets for uke. Worse than bad idea IMHO. Time will sure tell though. Lol. Id say a few nylon string TG's will sell on the front end as a market tickler. But they really just sound like a baritone. And the baritone pretty much is the ukers TG already. Seems to many ukers alreadt whine about the fret span on a bari. Lol.
Will be intersting to watch develop. But I'm thinking the nylon TG pono is a wild risky venture at $800 targeted the emporium uker that is already saturated with UAS. LOL

I do know my next $800 will go to a tenor reso guitar with man strings. Lol. Don't get me wrong though. My primary instrument is tenor reso ukulele with nylons. But the tensions I run are double most ukes.

Man, I just love all the options and to know that, "to each his own" is so still alive.

RDB

[fox]

I notice the Pono is for sale in the Uk, there seems to be two models in stock, one with a spruce top http://www.southernukulelestore.co.u...pruce-Rosewood
The spruce model is expensive at £950 ($1500) but, what really puts me off is the 45mm nut! That is six string territory!

[Kellahan16]

really puts me off is the 45mm nut

Hmm. I wonder if they have got that right..I have a Pono BN-30 DA...and the nut on it is around 35mm ie 1 3/8th inch.

[fox]

Yes I think you are right, so that just leaves the price barrier for me then!
How do you find your 30 DA performs, does it feel and look like quality instrament?
The store I linked, only has the spruce top model in stock now and it has a small ding on the soundboard so there may be some leeway in the price.

[Beanzy]

Putting it in perspective for me is that I could buy a vintage Gibson TG for that spruce version money in the UK

[fox]

Yeah I know but, I have been bitten by the nylon bug!
I have had two quotes to have one custom made but they are in the £2+k region.
I have one I made myself & I just love the sound, it is tuned FCGD with a 22.5" scale & three wound strings.
However I am not a professional builder & I doubt if my efforts would be as good as a pro built version.

[Steve Zawacki]

As a compromise, restrung my baritone uke to GDAE (G3-D3-A3-E4). Tried a G2 and didn't like it - too deep and just didn't respond well. Went to "reentrant G" with the G3 and was pleased with the sound. With my Blueridge 40T strung CGDA, it makes a nice tuning switch.

The pono tenor uke I mentioned in Post #6 never did get reworked, but was traded for other stock.