The Oscar Schmidt OU5 Concert Ukulele

The OU5 is a nice beginner's concert size ukulele. A concert size ukulele is bigger than a soprano ukelele but smaller than a tenor ukulele. This ukulele looks fabulous with a natural gloss finish. Although the sounboard top, sides and back is koa plyboard [as opposed to solid koa], it still looks great especially with the abalone top inlays. It also has Grover deluxe die-cast tuners and a Rosewood fingerboard. For its price, it is one classy-looking ukulele that can look good beside the Kamakas and CF Martins.

The OU5 does not seem to be as resonant as my entry-level Hilo. I have read reviews about the OU5 and they recommended changing the strings. After 2 weeks of using the OU5, I changed the strings to D'Addario J65 Ukulele Strings. The string change made the sound crisper although I still do not notice any substantial change in resonance.

In any case, the OU5 is a good unit to play. The fingerboard is smooth and the fretboard metal strips are nicely ground so there are no rough edges. It stays in tune quite nicely for this summertime. I keep it in our basement where the temperature ranges from about 70-78 degF and it stays tuned for about a week before I start tuning it again. I still have to see how long it stays in tune during the other seasons.

All in all, the OU5 is worth its price. You get a decent ukulele that you can enjoy playing and showing off to your family and friends.