Which ukulele should I buy? (Tenor, $200-$400,)

Hello. I am looking to buy a second ukulele. My first one was a $50 soprano ukulele from my brother for a Christmas present and it has gotten me into ukulele, but I want to get more serious about ukulele playing now. After some research I have decided that I want a tenor that's no more than $400 (it can go a little above if needed) and I would prefer that it has a pickup and a tuner (but those aren't complete deal breakers). I have narrowed it down to 4 ukuleles, but you can show me other options if you think something else would suit my needs. Here are my choices:

-Pono AT-Acacia Tenor (No electronics, but I can have it installed from Hawaii Music Supply)
-Cordoba 20TM-CE Tenor(My cheapest option)
-Lanikai LKS-TEU Solid Spruce Tenor
-Islander-Solid Mahogany MST-4 (again, I can have the electronics installed if I want to)

I really like the sound (from videos) of the Pono. Most people have great things to say about it. The Cordoba is the cheapest ($200) and it has a pickup as well as a tuner. The Lanikai looks nice and it has the ability to plug into a computer directly (not completely needed, but it's a cool thing since I record music in my bedroom and this would get rid of echo from the condenser mic I have). The Islander just has a nice sound. There's nothing super special about it, but I like the sound from it (about as much as the Pono, which is my favorite for sound alone). Again, if you have any suggestions about other ukuleles for me to look at, tell me, but otherwise give me your opinions on these 4. Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for your responses.

P.S. If anyone wants to sell me one of these or knows where I can buy them for cheaper, let me know.

P.P.S. Should I use Hawaii Music Supply to buy my ukulele or is there another place that's better?

If the Pono sounded best to you and it is in your budget that is the one I would recommend. I have not played one, but they get great reviews and have a solid reputation. Other options would be Ohana or Mainland. They are both excellent ukes in your budget.

As for where to buy from, you absolutely cannot go wrong with HMS. If you decide to look at Ohana I would recommend Mim or Uke Republic. And you can get a Mainland from Uke Republic or directly from Mike at Mainland.

Welcome to UU!

I vote Pono from HMS. I've bought several ukuleles, including 2 Ponos, from them and they do a good job with set up, shipping, and answering questions.

ubulele said:

If you want an almost-direct connect to your computer, consider an audio interface like the Behringer UCA202. Or you might want a portable pre-amp/DI box with a USB port for even better sound (tempering the piezo pickup output). Don't base your decision on the uke having a built-in USB interface, which may not perform that well and which might fail in just a few short years; the pickup in such a system may be suspect as well. How long until USB becomes obsolete on computers and similar devices?—cable connections are already becoming passé, and the USB type on the Lanikai is already of an older, slower revision (2.0 vs. 3.0). It's easy to change out an external box; not so much with a built-in unit. You can also use an external box with any other A/E uke.

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Good point about the Lanikai. The usb is kind of a gimmick and I forgot about audio interfaces. I was going to get one several months ago, but delayed it, but I will probably just get the Pono and have HMS install a pickup on it. Then I could get an audio interface. This is more expensive than buying the Lanikai, but the quality will be better in the end.

Thanks for your input.

I have not played a Pono but they receive rave reviews here so I would say that from HMS (free shipping if over $399). Also consider Mainland (Mike's a member here) or Ohana (from MIM). You rarely see the Pono's pop up in the marketplace and when they do, they go quickly, which I consider a good sign.

Personally, I would purchase the Pono.

I've played all the ukes you've mentioned and the Pono was definitely my favorite.

All good choices, and each has its pros and coms. Whichever is chosen, it's still up to the musician to make it sing.

As far as HMS is concerned, have bought from them and was quite satisfied. That being said, there are other vendors who are popular on this site and they are also in the "good guy" category. It's always a matter of who-has-what, who-does-what and who is the most convenient.

If personally visiting a fully-stocked store is not possible, finding and attending a local ukulele group get-together would be helpful. Odds are that someone there will have one (or more) of the OP's choices or at least other instruments of comparable quality/price. Actually seeing/hearing/touching certain instruments before purchase s always better than relying in advertisements and studio-setting demonstrations.

Most of the ukuleles sold in stores around me are made by Kala and I doubt that there is a local ukulele group near me. I live in Toledo, Ohio, which is not exactly known for having many musical groups, especially ukulele groups. But thanks anyways for your input. I'm sure that whichever I choose, it will be a fine ukulele (or at least way better than my $50 one). I think that I'll end up getting the Pono from HMS, but I am curious what other companies are good to buy ukuleles from for the future.

musicaldavid96, I sent you a PM . . .