Uke Roundup: New Resonator Ukuleles from Kala, Luna, National, Recording King, and More

Full review at www.ukulelemag...
0:04 Beltona Blue Uke #2
0:46 Gretsch G9112
1:33 Gold Tone ResoUke
1:59 Kala KA-RES-BRS
2:44 Luna Uke Tiki Concert Resonator Chrome
3:26 National Style O
4:08 Recording King RU-998 Metal Body Ukulele
One of the things that everyone seems to know about resonator ukuleles is that they’re loud. Play one the way you normally play a wood ukulele and you’ll see that your strumming hand energy is turned into serious volume. That’s because under each circular coverplate is a very thin, rearward-facing cone made from spun aluminum that acts just like a speaker cone. The strings sit on top of a wooden bridge, called the biscuit, making a reso-uke, quite literally, a string-powered speaker cone.
While resonator instruments are known for volume, many people may not know that they also have a uniquely sweet tone when played at lower volumes. Stretch your technique a little and you’ll soon find that well-made resonators have the widest dynamic range of any acoustic ukulele. Play them loudly and you will be heard, but play them softly and you might find a sweetly ringing whisper with an echo-y backing.
This variety of sounds plus, let’s face it, the shiny metal bits, make resonator-ukuleles irresistible. With so many available to players of all financial resources, we couldn’t resist the chance to round up some of the playful ukes available to players today.