Anuenue Moonbird Soprano
Wonderful things are a delight to hold. They defy the category of their “thingness” and are remarkable specimens of human spirit and potential.
The moment I saw the Anuenue Moonbird, I knew I wanted one. It was different. It was bold in a sophisticated and confident way. It’s a very special instrument.
When it was first introduced, the shape was not like any other ukulele. At least not like any I had seen before. I had only been playing for a year or so but it opened my mind to what these little boxes with four strings could become. Since then, there have been many other ukuleles inspired by the shape, but at the time, it opened minds.
The Moon Bird ukulele is from an Indonesian company and was designed in collaboration with Japanese luthier Mitsuta Morihiko. His unique design features, such as the “Mount Fuji–voiced brace design,” contribute to the instrument’s exceptional sound quality.
I have featured a more recent version of the Moonbird as a signature model for a dreamy boy band, but this version with the Moonbird Spruce top and Rosewood back and sides was the flagship model. It comes in all ukulele sizes. Mine is the soprano, but it is unlike many other sopranos. The sound is big and articulate almost like a tenor and certainly as resonant as a concert. I even ordered it with a low G string which is almost unheard of for sopranos but it works well and sounds very balanced despite the small size.
Holding and playing it is pure joy. The rounded edges feel very comfortable and the elegant cutaway makes it very easy to play up the neck, which you will, since every fret feels and sounds delicious.
Every aspect of this instrument is so well thought out. Even the case tells you that you are in for something special before opening.
Not much has changed about this model since it was released, because it is perfect. There have been many other brands adapting some of the features to their models and while good, nothing compares to the original. I still prefer the smaller size as well.
The ‘bird is the word.