Cascade Premium Tenor Ukulele (Model 1 UC - CTET)

Ukuleles are relatively 'new' in the musical instrument category, having been only developed in the late 1800s. The concoction we now know as the Ukulele or "jumping flea" is credited, by legend, to three sailors traveling aboard a ship named "Ravenscrag" in 1879 who combined features of a couple of other small stringed instruments popular in Europe at that time. There is a lot of information on Ukes available, including interesting stories about their use, their popularization (especially in Hawaii, but on the mainland as well), personal tales of celebrities who have been attracted to their small size and easy playability (George Harrison, Dick Van Dyke, Buster Keaton, Steve Martin, Tony Tim and John Lennon to name only a few), ready portability and genuinely fun sound. Just a tad more general background and then on with the review:

Ukuleles ordinarily come in four basic sizes. The original size, the smallest and still the most popular by a long shot (and the type most commonly sold as souvenirs in the ABC Stores in Hawaii) is the Soprano or Standard. A little larger one was soon developed to add depth to the sound. It is called, simply, the Concert size. Next up the size ladder is the Tenor (created in the 1920's) and, finally, the Baritone - the largest and most resonantly rich of them all. There are 'hybrids' of these basic four - and the Uke at hand is one of them.

Most have four strings, but both Tenors and Baritones can be made to accommodate six. Some, in fact, are built like mini-guitars and are tuned like them. Otherwise, Ukulele tunings are varied and unique to the instrument, most commonly, G,C,E and A, also known as the 'standard' tuning. Now you know a little bit about the instrument in general. With this information in hand, you will be better able to appreciate the quality, appointments, construction, genuine value and overall quality of this Cascade Model 1 UC-CTET, currently available only from COSCO via their website.