Uke store in GTA

maros

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Uke store in Toronto

Hi folks,

I am a beginner uke player and I am playing just for few months, but I would like to upgrade my Kala KA-S to a bigger and more serious instrument - either concert or tenor - I am still not sure. That's why I'd like to ask if anybody has a tip for a store in Toronto where I could try
some concert and tenor ukes from middle range?
 
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I'll get the popcorn out. Soprano uke not a serious instrument? This should be a good one! :cool:

I thought the same thing - upgrade . I'll put on a pot of coffee.
 
Oh, this is why I don't usually discuss in forums. More serious in this context didn't meant that I think that soprano is not a serious in general. I meant my concrete model is not serious. I ordered it on internet and just later I realized it has faulty C tuner - it wiggles and it's difficult to tune. That's to expression 'more serious'. Bigger - because I just want another instrument in a different size. That's all.
 
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I would try tightening the screw on the back of the C tuner. Other people have asked similar questions , and by saying "upgrade" or " more serious" have received relpies they were'nt
looking for. Sometimes it gets a lot of people riled up and it makes for great reading.
 
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Like it! That's one for the 'only sopranos are real ukes' brigade. :biglaugh:

However, I can understand wanting to try something else. The Kala KA-S is actually quite a good uke, but there's nothing like a 'real' uke, that's the concert size, even says how serious an instrument it is in its name. :D

Don't let the tenor brigade divert you either, it's too big for a beginner. :p
(Not really, just joshing.)

Baritone also has its own followers too. :)

Welcome aboard - & welcome to UAS.

(UAS = Ukulele Aquisition Syndrome)

Edit: Sorry, forgot to mention, a nice concert uke from Kala, Ohana, or maybe Mainland, should see you on the right path.
 
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Thanks, I will try to play with the screw on the tuner again. When I found out about the wiggling, that was also my first tip, but the screw looked okay. I will double check.
 
98 % of the people here on UU are very nice , this is not like other forums. This site has loads of info on ukuleles , I hope we didnt scare you away.
If you want to play and learn about ukuleles , this is the place. Yes , Welcome Aboard .
 
Well, I kind of understand, badly chosen words from my side could grind some gears :). I am happy that I asked it here, in uke community. At other forum they would me probably eat me alive.
 
:D Just sorry you've not heard from anyone who knows about uke shops in Toronto yet. I've usually bought from reputable online places and had good experiences with that if you end up going that route. What's your budget? There's a huge range available, I find it easiest to narrow by price.
 
I have had good experiences with the 12th Fret on Danforth-- probably the best selection of acoustic instruments in the GTA.
 
Maybe you should start a new thread ' Toronto ukulele stores ? ' The GTA , I thought was Grand theft auto , never thought toronto.
Finding a store with ukuleles isnt always easy , all my ukes were bought online , there are music stores near me but finding one with a ukulele ( I mean a good ukulele ) , it is near
impossible.
 
12th fret as mentioned. There is Cosmo in richmond hill up the 404. Long and mcquade usually has some- mostly lower end. Besides the 12th fret I would be surprised if the others did a real set up.

I find that mid-range and up is hard to find in Toronto. Cosmo usually has kanilea, martin, and kamaka and 12th fret usually has collings and martin (used to have koaloha). I think that the higher end stuff ends up sitting around a lot. I tried a bunch, but ended up ordering from HMS.
 
Thank you guys, seems like I will visit 12th fret over the weekend.

Pirate Jim: my budget is around 500 CAD, but I want to try some uke first and see if I would be actually able to appreciate a different instrument as a beginner. I know that k-brand uke won't fit to this budget. So maybe pono, islander, mainland or kala?

Pukakele Pete: I checked the screw again, but it's not loose. I attached a pic to show you what I mean by wiggling. I can move with the 'peg bar' from right to left about a millimetre. Other tuners don't do that. It feels like the holder, which I labeled with the red circle, is a bit bigger than the one on the other side, so it doesn't hold the 'peg bar' properly. Is it even possible?
tuner.jpg
 
Cosmos Music in Richmond Hill has probably the largest selections of ukes in Canada. Kala, Islander, Flea and Fluke Martin, Kamaka Kanilea and more.
 
Today I have been to 12th fret. They have amazing collection of guitars and some ukuleles. They have few different models of Kala, Koaloha, Martin, Twisted wood and Eastman, I saw also one Kanile'a. Overall, they had maybe 30 ukuleles on the wall. Koalohas are indeed beautiful instruments and they sound so nice (even for my untrained ears and beginner playing). Kanile'as glassy finish was stunning.
Unfortunately those were out of my budget. In my budget were Kala KA-C and few TWs, but I didn't buy anything for now and will try to go to Cosmo next week - would like to see Islanders. I am leaving KA-C (160CAD) as a safe option and still thinking about the Koaloha Opio Concert Spruce Top (630CAD) - not sure if at this point it make sense for my skills to buy such an expensive 'strumming machine'.
The good news is that at least I know that I want a concert ukulele, tenor is just too big for me.
 
Can't go wrong. Islanders are excellent. If you pick the Opio, you'll be very happy. Kala is a good choice too if you don't want to spring for the big-bucks model.
 
Hey Maros, I'm glad you made it out to 12th Fret as it is such a great store, espiecally for guitars. You will find Cosmos has 3X the amount of ukes hanging on the wall. What is your budget for your next instrument, that would help us in making recommendations. If you can afford a Koaloha Opio you will NEVER regret the purchase.

I went from an inexpensive all laminate tenor as my first uke to an all solid koa tenor in the "Opio" price range and the sound was so good it kept me playing and playing and playing. Nothing like a great sounding uke to keep you motivated and hooked on making music.
 
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