Table of Contents
Oscar Schmidt Ukulele Review
Do you know? Oscar Schmidt Ukulele is another well-known because of its classical Ukulele which is with nylon strings. In our Oscar Schmidt ukulele review find out why this brand is among the world’s top-selling brands of Ukuleles.
They produce a variety of Ukuleles that you can also choose from. Many musicians swiftly started their musical careers on an Oscar Schmidt Ukulele.
More interesting to know, that a ukulele is less complicated to be taught as in comparison with other stringed instruments. Oscar Schmidt’s ukes come in several varieties and sizes so that you can train your choice all the time.
Oscar Schmidt is always looking for what ukulele customers need to satisfy and fulfill their needs at an affordable price.
About Oscar Schmidt Ukuleles
Oscar Schmidt was established in 1871 and was incorporated in 1911. Around the start of the 1900s, the company had set up 5 factories in Europe and one factory on Ferry Street in Jersey City.
They manufactured several kinds of stringed instruments like; good guitars, high-quality banjos, mandolins, ukuleles, zithers, as well as Autoharps.
The company registered success via the preliminary Nineteen Twenties. Musical instruments from Oscar Schmidt have been sold in numerous rural areas of the country that had no music shops at affordable prices. Salespeople distributed the instruments far and wide making them accessible to everybody. People bought these instruments due to their significant tone and volume.
At this time, a musical instrument from Oscar Schmidt is constructed from premium wood, is characterized by high-quality hardware, and is additionally reasonably priced. They’re tailored to provide you with simply playing comfort and the best tone.
Oscar Schmidt makes ukes in all sizes: soprano ukulele, concert ukulele, tenor ukulele, and baritone. Additionally, they manufacture pineapple models, lefty ukes, 8 strings, and a few models are available in acoustic-electric.
The Oscar Schmidt concert ukulele OU5 is among the most popular models, for the price it sounds unbelievable. In case you are a complete newbie then your best bet is to try one of many concerts or tenors out there, that way you get just a little extra space and sound projection.
In case you must stick with the original size, then after all there are some nice Oscar Schmidt soprano ukuleles.
Oscar Schmidt OU5 Ukulele
We point out before that in today’s article we’re reviewing the most popular model OU5 Ukulele by Oscar Schmidt.
When it comes to ukulele prices, we’d say the Oscar Schmidt OU5 is a mid-range model. Coming from a brand that focuses on hollow, semi-hollow, and acoustic guitars, we expect honest results.
Additionally, the Oscar Schmidt OU5 ukulele is kind of a preferred model. We wouldn’t say it’s a best-seller, but it’s still a safe purchase at a certain price range.
Most Oscar Schmidt ukuleles are made from koa or mahogany. They arrive with mid-range price tags, which equals a budget acoustic-electric guitar.
Following the brand’s concepts, the Oscar Schmidt OU5 is a standard alternative. There’s nothing flashy and nothing crazy on the instrument. As an alternative, it focuses on tried-and-true concepts to present a sober package deal.
I would like to say Oscar Schmidt is a Washburn offspring. As Washburn is already a budget brand, Oscar Schmidt couldn’t be any different.
That’s why you may expect to find lots of bang for the buck when going for an Oscar Schmidt ukulele. Something just like the Oscar Schmidt OU5 additionally has the reputation to back it up.
Nevertheless, the “bang for the buck” isn’t 100% true with the Oscar Schmidt OU5 concert ukulele. The title would possibly read this as a Koa instrument but, in reality, it’s laminated Koa. That’s not a weird choice for uke, however, it will be nicer to find a solid instrument at this cost range.
A laminated wooden would imply a thin layer of the material on top of a cheaper, unbranded wood beneath.
That said, the sound it produces remains to be excellent. More importantly, the performance is kind of friendly for all experience levels.
We would like to add Oscar Schmidt’s ukuleles gained loads of publicity when Jason Castro performed the OU5 model on American Idol about 12 years ago. Read our ukulele review and get more detailed info about this brand instrument.
Jason Castro Somewhere Over The Rainbow American Idol
Oscar Schmidt OU5 Koa Concert Ukulele Bundle features
First Look on Oscar Schmidt OU5
The OU5 is a handmade laminated Koa wood ukulele. It follows the traditional “Hawaiian” aesthetic and sound, complete with its abalone rosette and binding.
Notably, it has high-quality Grover tuners, which guarantee to tune stability during long playing sessions.
Lastly, the ukulele comes with all the needed accessories like a hard case (gig bag), a tuner, a polishing close, Aquila Strings, and a DVD with ukulele lessons.
Built quality
The build’s high quality alone places the OU5 on the top of any chart, even when we didn’t choose it before this review.
For beginners, the design of the OU5 brings probably the greatest playabilities available for instruments of its type. The reason is the OU5 is consistent, light, smooth, and easy to play.
When you’re not too excited about spending over $100 on a ukulele, think about it can yield a longer lifespan than an entry-level model. And due to its construction, this uke will sound better as the years go on.
The laminated Koa on the wood ages, and because it ages, the sound turns richer and clearer.
That said it is a Concert-sized ukulele. These have a bigger body than most, which implies a stronger output, a fuller sound, and extra versatility.
It also has a 22’ scale length, 17 frets, and a flat 15’’ neck radius.
For tonewoods, it has a Hawaiian Koa top, sides, and back. Koa wood is the authentic material for this instrument.
Then, it has a nato neck plus a smooth and simple rosewood fingerboard.
Back on the body, you’ll discover a seamless abalone binding plus an elegant abalone rosette to accentuate the design.
In General, the OU5 appears to be nice. It’s not one of the best or most premium ukuleles available in the market, however, its excellent craftsmanship and tonewood combination can still impress anybody.
Sound quality
Oftentimes, people can’t tell the difference between the sound of entry-level and budget-line uke. And, truthfully, there’s not a lot of difference.
When searching online, perhaps an important quality of the ukulele is the brand. A name like Oscar Schmidt delivers sufficient security to believe in the instrument.
Moreover, there’s not a lot of difference in design except for the size of the ukulele instrument. Even so, most ukuleles are Concert models, so this isn’t the differentiating factor either.
When you pick up and take a look at the OU5, you’ll notice what comes with the additional charge in comparison with budget models.
The sound is mellow, sweet, rich, and with fair projection. It has all the positive characteristics of the Koa wood, even if it’s a laminated Koa model.
Due to its concert size, it additionally enjoys an even bigger sound than most ukuleles. This means it’s ready to play live in case you select to use a PA system.
Keep in mind the ukulele won’t sound or feel too good when you bring it out of the box. Such is the issue of ukuleles: you have to go through a break-in period while the strings achieve proper tension and the wooden ages a bit.
After some time, though, you’ll get a great-sounding ukulele. Still, different mid-range models may feel and sound better out of the box.
How Does Oscar Schmidt OU5 Concert Ukulele Sound?
Fast Look at
Concert sized
The concert size ukulele is right between the soprano and tenor ukulele models, which provides it a bit deeper tone and extra volume than a soprano however still has that characteristic sweetness of the standard ukulele sound.
Choose Hawaiian Koa top, back, and sides
Hawaiian Koa is among the premier woods for making ukuleles. It offers a vibrant tone and is similar in quality to mahogany. George Leonard Chaney mentioned in 1879 “The koa is the Hawaiian mahogany. It takes a polish like gold or diamonds. In the hands of foreign workmen, it might be made as ornamental as precious marble.”
Nyatoh neck
Nyatoh is a tropical hardwood that’s much like Teak with a cherry-ish finish.
Abalone Binding and Rosette
The actual shell accents the binding and the rosette, deliver just a little bit of sheen to the uke without being too glitzy or distracting from the attractive finish of the Hawaiian Koa wood.
16 Frets
16 frets offer you just a little wider range in sound and ability versus the Soprano ukulele that typically has only 12-14 frets. Most Concert ukuleles have 14-17 frets.
ABS Nut & Saddle
ABS plastic is a recycled plastic that’s sturdy, long-lasting, and very hard. It makes for a durable, high-quality nut & saddle that won’t crack or fall apart with age. ABS can also be BPA-free.
Natural Gloss Finish
A gloss finish helps protect the wooden from moisture as you play, and in addition, makes it simpler to play by lowering friction on shirtsleeves and whatnot. It additionally helps the appearance and actually brings out the grain of the wood.
Tuners: Grover Chrome
Grover makes some of the most well-made machine heads and have incredible popularity for the uncompromising quality of their products.
Lifetime warranty
Washburn warrants in opposition to defective materials and workmanship for the lifetime of the uke. Simply hold your proof of purchase available! It is a great guarantee, most ukes are only warranted for about 5 years.
Oscar Schmidt OU5 Koa Concert Ukulele Bundle features
Conclusion
There is extra affordable uke, however, you can’t know how much they could last.
You may additionally discover better ukuleles, however, maybe you wouldn’t tell the difference when it comes to sound quality. In any case, most ukuleles carry a Koa construction.
Having said that, the Oscar Schmidt OU5 is pretty enough to catch your curiosity. It’s additionally strong, great-sounding, and simple on the fingers.
Extra importantly, 5 years from now, it’ll sound even better.
The OU5 ukulele is the type of instrument you’ll need to play all the time. It’s pretty, it sounds sweet, and it’s super friendly to play with.
You wouldn’t be losing something, and in case you have some budget to purchase a reliable ukulele you might use for recording a track, the OU5 is a good choice.
