Review Details
Pono Mango Tenor (MGT 8384) Includes Hardshell Case
Product Rating:
| Price | |
| Quality | |
| Value |
Product Review (submitted on April 14, 2016):
I want to buy everything from Hawaiian music supply. The sincerely most helpful and nicest music store ever.
This is my second Uke after being a professional bass player for over 32 years. I am astounded! First of all Aaron and Andrew were super nice and helpful in our e-mail conversations, I am so impressed by HMS. The Uke is gorgeous beyond my already high expectations. Even with the natural finish the Mango shows shimmery shades of green and gold and the grain pattern is mesmerizing and complex. The satin neck feels awesome and the tone is huge and resonant with lots of sustain and a really nice attack. The is the first uke I've played that obviously opens up the lighter you hold the body. Just exceptional all around. Quality control end-result between Pono and HMS is mind blowing. The setup is just buttery, the frets are super smooth and polished to a chrome-like perfection and I literally can't find one little imperfection on this whole instrument. I've never been so pleasantly surprised by an instrument purchase, and there has been a LOT.
OK now for the things I should have done differently (personal things, NOT HMS or the Uke itself). The action is stellar but I should asked to have it on the low side, I'm a fretting wus. I'm not sure if everybody knows this but even having the option to ask this to be done to a $350 instrument from the re-seller is nothing short of an industry game changer, more amazing HMS. And I asked for, and got, a low G but the combination of it being wound and the massive resonance of the Uke makes it is a bit overpowering so I am going to swap to lower tension nylons.
Playing music all my life I have gotten very used to the game music stores and instrument manufacturers play, yes I'm even a little jaded. Whether is it HMS, the Uke community Uke makers or a combination but color me reformed. What a wonderful experience. Thank you for giving me faith in the true Aloha spirit and I cannot say Mahalo enough.