This is the Millar Yushan, an all solid mahogany tenor ukulele. It’s lovely, in every way, with a great sound, lovely playability and handsome looks. That’s this instrument in a nutshell. But what actually is it?

Well… I am a big admirer of Millar in general and am often asked what my favourite model is in a certain size. I do like value for money too, but even so it often surprises people when I say my favourite tenor Millar is their TM-260WG - as it’s cheaper than the spruce, cedar and cypress models they do. I love the even, balanced sound - with its clarity and depth. However, when offering this suggestion, and showing them the uke, it’s distinctive binding always draws one of two reactions… ‘ooh, I LOVE the binding’, or ‘oh, I wish it didn’t have the binding’. The other Millar tenors I mentioned also have a slotted headstock, so there’s sometimes a fan of those who is disappointed that the TM-260WG doesn’t have one of those.

I have had this conversation so many times I decided to ask Millar to make a new model for me, using the supply of excellent quality mahogany they have at their small family firm in Taiwan. Pop on a slotted headstock, and go for plain rosewood binding. In the process I asked them to tweak the bracing, if they could, to tease out a little more mahogany warmth. I then gave it a name, as I am getting old and numbers and codes don’t stick in my head so well. Yushan is the highest mountain in Taiwan, also known as Jade Mountain, which seemed a nice name, and Millar approved.

So, this is a rich sounding tenor ukulele, with slotted headstock, gloss finish and quality Der Jung geared tuners - made for World of Ukes. I should be saying how this is exclusive, and building it up… but to be honest, things which are exclusive don’t always do as well! Models you can see elsewhere too seem to get more traction. So in that sense, it doesn’t make the best commercial sense. But I really wanted this model as I really believed in it. I wanted another mid range option that I could really get behind and wholeheartedly recommend. That’s the Yushan.

Another tweak for the Yushan is a slightly wider neck - 36.5mm compared to a standard 35mm. It’s not wide (which would be 38mm), but does offer a little extra space, a subtle - but noticeable - difference. Millar are great with their set up - of ALL the brands I deal with they devote the most care and attention to how instruments play. I am fussy and still tweak a little, but they play well from the box, and great once once they’ve been on my bench.

At the bottom of the page there’s a series of optional extras that you can add to your order easily. Low G fitting is one (Worth Brown works well to match the rest of the strings), plus strap buttons, bags or cases.

For a video demo of the Millar Yushan, plus a discussion of what it is and how it came about, click additional info below.