|
Oscar Schmidt OU5 Concert Ukulele | 
| Brand: Washburn
Category: Musical Instruments
List Price: $244.90
Buy New: $127.95
as of 9/8/2010 14:40 EDT details
You Save: $116.95 (48%)
Rating:  11 reviews
Sales Rank: 1843
Media: Electronics
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.8
Dimensions (in): 23.9 x 12.5 x 3.6
Model: OU5
UPC: 801128501581
EAN: 0801128501581
ASIN: B000A39GUC
Release Date: January 1, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
| |
| Features:
| ♦ | Select Hawaiian Koa body and top with gloss finish | | ♦ | Abalone binding and rosette on top | | ♦ | Nyatoh neck; rosewood fingerboard and bridge | | ♦ | Grover chrome tuners | | ♦ | Lifetime warranty |
| |
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The OU5 Ukelele features Hawaiian Koa top, Hawaiian Koa back and sides, Abalone top inlay, Rosewood fingerboard and bridge, and Grover tuners. Great instrument overall!
|
| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 11
 Awesome Ukulele November 12, 2007
WT (Durham, NC USA)
20 out of 20 found this review helpful
One night I'm watching Joe Versus the Volcano... and Joe is afloat on his steamer trunks playing the Cowboy Song on his ukulele... and it hits me: I want to learn to play the ukulele just so I can play that song! I've played guitar casually for many years, but I had no clue about the guitar's little cousin. I knew that I wanted something better than a toy ukulele, but also knew I had no plans to play this professionally. After looking around online, I decided to order the OU-5 Oscar Schmidt by Washburn from Amazon.
Summary: I could not be happier. This is a wonderful instrument for both the first time user and the semi-serious amateur. The ukulele is beautiful. The woodwork is gorgeous. Everyone who has seen it says "wow". It sounds just like a ukulele should. And it is a blast to play!
The worst thing about this ukulele is the product description page. The description provided by Amazon is terrible. At the time of this writing, there is no photo of the product (I bought it on faith based on reviews of a couple others here). The product description is a single, incomplete sentence and uses the word "founf"... and the description is so bad, it's not at all obvious that you're getting an OU-5 (look in the item details under model number), but that is what you get. But please, don't be fooled by what may be the worst page on Amazon's otherwise wonderful site... this is a great product.
One user complained about the strings not holding their tune, and I've seen at least one complaint about the tuners. Well, the ukulele comes with nylon strings, and there is a fair amount of stretching before it will stay in tune. My first couple of attempts were frustrating... the top string would be badly out of tune by the time I had tuned down to the bottom string. It took a couple of days of constant tuning before the strings were properly stretched. There's probably some trick to pre-stretching nylon strings, but I just kept at it and eventually prevailed. Now it stays in tune comparable to my guitar. The chrome tuners appear to be of good quality. They are solid and have a good feel.
The Koa wood is stunning, and has a wonderful finish, especially for an instrument in this price range. The detail in the inlay really makes this uke visually impressive.
I grabbed a chord chart off the internet to learn chords and fingering... there are plenty out there. I decided to learn to play songs from movies featuring the ukulele. A quick search and I found the chords (all two of them) for Joe's Cowboy Song... awesome! It sounds great! Tonight You Belong to Me by Steve Martin was next, followed by Forgetful Lucy featuring Adam Sandler on the uke. I suggest looking for ukulele performances on YouTube for inspiration. You haven't really, truly played a string instrument until you've played Rawhide on the ukulele.
Simply Amazing April 4, 2007
Richard L. Steiner (OREGON United States)
15 out of 15 found this review helpful
I can hardly be considered a musician and playing the ukulele is only a pastime involving some enjoyable minutes of strumming through a few cords, but I must say a few words about the Washburn (Oscar Schmidt) OU-5 ukulele I just bought from Amazon.com.
My previous ukulele was a nice low end soprano box that served me well for several years. It looked OK, it stayed in tune and sounded fine to me. However, I wanted something a bit better and the concert sized OU-5 caught my eye. I researched the heck out of ukuleles in the same price range and decided the Washburn OU-5 was the best.
When the ukulele arrived I opened the box and was absolutely amazed. The uke was a beautiful thing--a work of art. Its highly lacquered finish and distinctive Koa wood construction was stunning. I was looking at a true musical instrument. At that moment I knew my old ukulele was a piece of junk--a toy. I suddenly hated it.
The OU-5 sounds ten times better than my previous ukulele and the somewhat larger size makes it easier for me to "play" and move about the fret board. The mellow and resonant tones that come from the OU-5 are stunning. I know my judgment about that is not based on a lot of musical know-how, but the contrast with my old uke was certainly remarkable. I can recommend this Washburn ukulele to anyone who appreciates fine workmanship, a great sound and wants an fine instrument at a bargain price.
Oh, one other thing--the picture of the Washburn OU-5 ukulele in the Amazon.com description is not a picture of the OU-5 with the Koa wood top. The illustration is probably (a mistake) the Washburn OU-13 with a spruce top. Don't be put off by this apparent error. The product is indeed a Koa wood OU-5.
Husband LOVES it! March 13, 2007
MG (USA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I bought my husband this uke for Christmas,2006, and he absolutely LOVES it! The abalone inlay around the edge is very attractive. He did have to keep retuning it every so often, as the strings stretched, but now it's just fine. He just has to "tweek it" once in a while.
I had looked at a simalar uke at our local guitar center, but they wanted $149 and that was without the abalone inlay. My husband and I both agree it was a "super buy'!
great tone and "bombproof" May 17, 2009
crabtrap (Sunnyvale trailer park)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
i have played classical guitar for 25 years. most my guitars are high-end classicals and electrics ($1000 +)
so when i wanted a uke i did'nt want the $40 toy.i wanted something to last me a life time.i bought the ou-5 after much research.i have read comments from other dime-store "experts" say "oh you should forget the oscar uke and go for the solid woods bla bla".....nonsense.
the intonation was perfect on my OU5 (checked with digital tuner not my lying ears) the fit and finish is beutiful.as for the build quality,i have a unique perspective;see my house caught on fire and exploded a few months back and after digging through the collapsed ceiling in my destroyed bedroom i found my OU5 with a fist sized pick-axe hole in the side from a fireman searching for wall fires. just today i rounded out the new "soundhole" in the side with a dremel and put some martin strings on.the old ones had melted off because there was charcoal from the burning ceiling in the sound hole/body of the OU5. the OU5 has perfect intoniation and even WITH a huge hole in the side sounds very good.i will replace with worth strings soon as they REALLY bring out the sound and nice tone.i will be buying a ohana CK-50 but keep this OU5 as a trusty great sounding $140 uke.
5stars
MAKE SURE TO SCRAP THE original GHS STRINGS FOR SOME QUALITY "worth "or aquila strings
(NOTE the OU-5 is NOT a solid KOA uke.it is a laminate with KOA veneer)
buy it you won't be sorry
quick edit: ALL NYLON STRINGED INSTUMENT STRINGS FALL OUT OF TUNE UNTIL "BREAK_IN" this is NOT a problem with the instument.my $1200 Takimine classical gtr does the same thing as do all nylon strings
Its pretty good January 26, 2010
Lito (NY)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
My Uku does not look like the one pictured. It has more details. It sounds great, its easy to hold, it was easy to tune, it keeps the tuning and yes it sounds great!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 11
|
|
|
CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON SERVICES LLC. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED ‘AS IS’ AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME. Shop with confidence! We've teamed with Amazon.com to provide you with the most secure, reliable, and enjoyable shopping experience.
Terms | Privacy Policy | Contact Us
©2008 - 2010 Benefito Inc. All Rights Reserved. | |
