Mainland vs Mele vs Kamoa

Claralana

New member
Joined
Jun 3, 2017
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Hi!

I'm new to playing ukulele and was wondering which soprano ukulele to buy.
It's between Mainland, Kamoa and Mele.

Advice?
 
I am partial to Mainland.
 
A good spread price wise. Hard to compare brands without comparing specific models. I think Mele will top them both easily, but may cost twice as much or more than that Mainland. I'm a huge fan of the "law of diminishing returns." Mainland cedar top is a huge bang for the buck. Kamoa very "model dependent." I always wanted to try that grand concert. I have two Meles, both fantastic. Got rid of a gorgeous Mele soprano I got cheap because I wasn't impressed with it's sound (maybe that's why I got it cheap)...I think it may still be getting "passed around." Sometimes it's hard to compare apples to apples, etc. when it comes to instruments let alone apples to oranges.
 
If the only information I had to go on were brand, of those three I would say Mainland.
If you are able to supply model names, it may change.
Kamoa Q.C. is not great, so buying one sight unseen is risky.
I have played some awesome Mele ukuleles and some that were just OK.
I love the way my Kamoa grand concert plays, but it does have some build issues.
Mainlands are consistently good though!
 
If I had to decide between those three brands, I think I'd steer towards Mainland. However, I'd also recommend looking at the KoAloha Opio line or Pono. They are either in a similar price range than the brands mentioned above, or well worth saving up a little longer.
 
Soprano's are tricky as build quality is perhaps a little more important than for larger ukes. You don't have the larger sound chamber to amplify sound. Listen carefully to the soprano fans/owners. I got a Kamaka soprano at a dead "steal" and it's now my go-to soprano. If you have to watch your budget and want it now, I'd go with a cedar topped Mainland. I've also seen some great deals on the Ohana SK-35. A lady in my uke group just got one for an amazing price and it sounds very nice.
 
I own a Mainland pineapple soprano and love it. I play it much more than my Kala tenor. I read on UU to ask Mike at Mainland if he has any 'seconds' and sure enough, he did and I saved $50. The 'second' is barely noticeable. It's really a wonderful little uke, and very attractive, too.
 
Top Bottom