Rubin RP-400 All African Mahogany 17" sopranino Pocket Ukulele For Travel

Wasn't sure about just how playable this teeny tiny thing was when ordering, reviews went either way, toy/novelty or real instrument. It is the latter. Looks very nice, good mahogany veneers. Built pretty well, small but solid, not as thin as the pictures made it look. Sounds better than some reviewers implied but I tuned it to CFAD, if it isn't tuned that high maybe the sound suffers; mine sounds like a decent soprano with a capo, sort of but with its own little tone too, I like it. Sufficient volume for me. Intonation actually ok, not perfect. A little hard to play, I'm a guy with normal size hands I guess and I can do it but if you have bigger hands then I dunno; it's easy enough to hold but the frets are small (surprise, surprise!). It would probably make a good travel uke or an ok kids instrument, or like mine a cool, useful and fun addition to my ever growing ukulele collection, obviously not a good starter uke though. But yeah, it is fun when people laugh at its itty bitty size and then kind of marvel at how it plays and sounds. 35 dollars well spent. PS: see YouTube video: "Teeny Tiny Ukulele Meltdown; Rubin 17" Pocket Uke Demo." Also: just got a 2nd one to give to someone as a gift (25 dollars). Both are tuned to CFAD. Intonation on 1st one: top string is off 10 cents (5%) from the C note at the 12th fret while in tune open, other strings are in perfect intonation. 2nd one: same as the first except the low string (F) is the only one off, again by 10 cents. That's close enough , not gonna try any setup on either one. They both stay in tune fairly well after about 2 weeks, these are Aquila nylguts, not Supernylguts, gotta give 'em time to break in. Can't say I disagree with anything another buyer stated in his extremely long and detailed review except: he said this uke sounds like a banjolele. To compare this pocket uke's sound to that of a little old banjo uke go to Youtube search engine, type in "banjolele owl", watch that and then the above mentioned video. No, it doesn't sound like a banjolele, sorry dude, that's crazy talk.

Here's a professional assessment of this instrument. I have been playing stringed instruments for over 40 years and have worked for a major instrument manufacturer for 25 years. I know that instruments of Asian origin can be fantastic values but was a little worried that this one was too good of a deal. Do not worry. BUILD QUALITY: Predictable use of laminate woods. People tend to look at "laminate" as a negative but their use is common and many expensive and quality instruments utilize them. It is how manufacturers achieve value. The wood is attractive. Decorative sound holes are precision laser cut. Top, back, and sides are well put together, with rim lining and without excessive glue. Simple and unadorned construction. I am impressed with the neck. It is solid and straight. Well-made. My one gripe is that the tuners are very inexpensive and not of the highest quality. However, they are geared tuners and don't slip. Better than friction pegs. This s a minor complaint as they areexactly what I was expecting. PLAYABILITY: The nature of this tiny instrument is that it is small, only 12 frets and a small fretboard. But it is very playable and to my surprise and delight, it is almost perfectly intonated, so it plays in tune. String height is comfortable and consistent. Quality materials in the nut and saddle, plus Aquila Nylgut strings. This is a real instrument that I would take onstage. SOUND: Normal ukulele tuning is G-C-E-A and it sounds OK in normal tuning, but it really comes into its own and rings tuned up a step to A-D-F#-B. I will never tune it any other way now. The tiny body restricts its volume and sustain, but it has very good tone all things considered and, as a piccolo instrument, its sound is unique. VALUE: A similar instrument from domestic suppliers runs $125-$175. So this thing is a hot bargain. Even if you spend $20-$30 to upgrade the tuners you have a great value. I am going to live with the tuners it came with. I will mention quick shipping from China, a week and a half I think it took. IT FACTOR:I wanted a sopranino uke to see what they sounded like, but didn't want to spend $150 to find out. So this perfectly suited my needs. There are some things I can play on this tiny pocket uke that are not easy to play on a larger uke, it is great fun to play. The butterfly soundhole pattern is as cute as, well, a bug. My family thinks it adorable, so it would make a nice toy-like beginner's instrument for a child. And, they would have a playable instrument instead of a plastic imitation. For less money than the toy. If you are considering this but a bit skeptical about the price being too good and the origin, you have little to be concerned about. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do.