Review Details

Pono Mango Tenor (MGT 8384) Includes Hardshell Case

Product Rating:

Product Review (submitted on November 1, 2014):

Firstly, I love the tone of my Pono Mango Tenor (The video of Corey from HMS playing this on Vimeo is an accurate representation of the tonal qualities: http://vimeo.com/82941281)
If you are a finger-style player you will love the tone, sustain and resonance as well. This is a picker's uke, hands down. I am a finger-style blues guitar player with 23 years of experience.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the beautiful depth and diversity within the wood grain. This uke shimmers in the light, even though it is a satin finish .

The Ko'olau Mahana strings produce a mellow yet nicely projected sound. On that note. the strings might take some getting used to, they are very thin and tightly strung. These end up working well with Pono's larger than average frets. (Which might take some getting used to as well)

What does this mean? With this string and fret combination, the musician has to apply much less pressure to produce clear notes. It is remarkable how well the notes sing out without much effort. This uke will take some getting used to but once you know this instrument it will do exactly what you want it to do.

All that being said, I would call this a "musician's" ukulele. It is a professional instrument at a very accessible price.
The added truss rod; the professional quality strings; the large, raised frets (Think Stevie Ray Vaughn's #1 with bass frets as a reference) all scream quality instrument.

If you are ready to step up from a laminate to an all wood instrument, I would put Pono at the top of my list for quality, price-point and professional play-ability.

Happy strumming,
Johnson =)