Ohana SK-38 soprano ukulele

Hi I started the uke in 1969 at a time when few were available in the UK. My how things have changed!

I took delivery of my SK38 a couple of years ago and was not disappointed. It is beautifully made, perfect fretting, sweet sounding and looks superb.

I'm not going to write a elongated review here other than say.. If you are looking for a professional style Martin style pro instrument for very reasonable cost then this is for you.

As a player of over 50 years I am pleased to give this five stars.
*****

I have concert and tenor ukuleles but recently I've come to really appreciate the looks of traditional smaller soprano ukuleles, complete with friction tuners, and this ukulele is very like classic vintage Martin ukuleles. When I first took it out of the box I couldn't believe how light it was and compared to the tenors that I usually play it also seemed very small.



However, it does play OK even for my big man-hands and it is quite loud for such a small ukulele, with the warm, woody sound associated with mahogany ukuleles but at a higher soprano register. The white friction tuners work fine and I love its understated look with the cream binding, bone nut and saddle and dark wood stain giving it a real vintage vibe. I've seen reviews that say it has a 'distressed finish' but mine didn't have this, just a thin semi-gloss finish with the grain showing through, which I find very attractive. Everything is very well-finished - the fret ends and the bracing inside the body - and although It doesn't have strap buttons it's so light that holding it isn't a problem, even for long periods.



I love the uke's looks and sound but I was a bit worried that I would struggle to play it but this hasn't been the case, the neck is the same width as my tenors and after a day or so I'd got used to it and now its my go-to uke for playing around the house. For the money this is an excellent ukulele and a much cheaper alternative to a Martin.