First Ukulele - Help me buy one

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chester_733

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Hello
I wish to buy my first Ukulele and i am really confused on which one to buy. Basically i am an Basic Guitar and wish to learn Ukulele . I am from originally from INdia but stayed and many countries and recently moved to Canada. The market of Ukulele's back home is not that great and we got very very limited options. Now since i am here i wish to buy one from Amazon.
I got long fingers and hence i am confused which is the best one of the below to buy.

Confused on below points:
1. Sophrano or Concert . Which one to take?
2. I am confused between the below choices ,once i figure out point no.1 can figure this too
Sophrano -- Kala Ka 15-s Mahogany Sophrano
Sophrano -- Lanikai Lu 21 sophrano
Concert -- Oscar Schmidt OU5 concert
Concert -- Kala Ka C concert

Please help in above choices or any brand good body,built and good sound. I am open to others as long as i it is under 200$
My budget is 200 CAD.

Appreciate your help.!!

Cheers
 
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What part of Canada are you in? A ukulele is a very personal choice IMO. You have to play or at least strum to hear what they sound like and you can't do that on the internet. You can't know which size is best for you unless you hold it and you can't do that on the internet. But, you can buy just about any ukulele on the internet. So, try it out in person and buy it on Amazon if you must. But, there is a big reason to buy from a local store. They can set it up for you. By exception, there are a few online sellers that always do the setup and test your ukulele for you - like http://mimsukes.com/ ). My point is that you should choose in person. You know how to play the guitar so it should be easy to feel what is right for you. Personally, I don't think there are any ukuleles under 200CAD that are guaranteed to be of great quality. You might find one. Anything over 200CAD is no guarantee either. I had a $450 Kala that was made poorly. I keep hearing on this forum that guitarist like Concert sized ukes to begin with. That might be a good choice as you can easily string it with low G OR high G (low G being more like a guitar). But, in reality, a concert sounds like a concert and not like a soprano. Again, you gotta hear it in person.
 
Hello and welcome to the ukulele!
cyber is right, go to Mim's Ukes site and watch some of her videos, then email or call her.
I've bought 3 ukes from her, and have always been satisfied.
 
cyber3d said:
What part of Canada are you in? A ukulele is a very personal choice IMO. You have to play or at least strum to hear what they sound like and you can't do that on the internet. You can't know which size is best for you unless you hold it and you can't do that on the internet. But, you can buy just about any ukulele on the internet. So, try it out in person and buy it on Amazon if you must. But, there is a big reason to buy from a local store. They can set it up for you. By exception, there are a few online sellers that always do the setup and test your ukulele for you - like http://mimsukes.com/ ). My point is that you should choose in person. You know how to play the guitar so it should be easy to feel what is right for you. Personally, I don't think there are any ukuleles under 200CAD that are guaranteed to be of great quality. You might find one. Anything over 200CAD is no guarantee either. I had a $450 Kala that was made poorly. I keep hearing on this forum that guitarist like Concert sized ukes to begin with. That might be a good choice as you can easily string it with low G OR high G (low G being more like a guitar). But, in reality, a concert sounds like a concert and not like a soprano. Again, you gotta hear it in person.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the response.!!
I Stay in Mississauga,Ontario . I will try to go in person and try out some Sophrano or Concert first and then make it a point to order online. But in terms of brand and above choices what is your take.
 
chester_733 said:
Thanks for the response.!!
I Stay in Mississauga,Ontario . I will try to go in person and try out some Sophrano or Concert first and then make it a point to order online. But in terms of brand and above choices what is your take.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, I don't have experience with those ukes on your list. I do have a solid all mahogany Tiny Tenor by Pepe Romero, a Kala KA AS0V S (soprano), and an Islander AS-4 soprano. Best of luck in your search for a uke. BTW, I started out with a Kala Spruce/Rosewood scalloped Concert. Ended up with the soprano. I like the soprano sound. But, my pride and joy is the Tiny Tenor.
 
I always recommend Kala or Ohana, & concert scale for a newbie. :)

Buy from a dealer who will check it & make sure it is set up right, (unless you can do this yourself).

(Mims Ukes is a good place to start looking.)
 
Don't buy a laminate instrument if you have good ears, go for solid woods...

I have a Kala KA-ASOV-S these are really nice, it's a little over your budget, but if you can find one, they're nice and I've seen them online around $200 USD

https://www.theukulelesite.com/kala-spruce-ovangkol-soprano-asov-s.html

If you want a solid Mahogany instead, look at the Kala KA-SMHS.

Maybe you can find a nice used Brueko here on UU, people sell them here all the time.

Here's their site for Sopranos; (Made in Germany too)

https://brueko-ukulelen.smoolis.com/screen/page/sopran-ukulele
 
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AlohaKine said:
Don't buy a laminate instrument if you have good ears, go for solid woods...
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That is one opinion. Mine differs. It all depends on who is listening. Some laminates can sound better than some solids, depending on the instrument.
 
jer said:
That is one opinion. Mine differs. It all depends on who is listening. Some laminates can sound better than some solids, depending on the instrument.
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Yes, it's been stated on UU many times, that in the right hands, a well built laminate uke beats a poorly built solid wood uke any day.
 
Nickie said:
Yes, it's been stated on UU many times, that in the right hands, a well built laminate uke beats a poorly built solid wood uke any day.
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I didn't explain well, and I certainly get your point. :)

I was just going by the price range that was being discussed, of $200 CAD, which is around $150 USD, which is probably going to be a typical laminate, you get what you pay for, and to say, try to spend a little more and get a NICER solid wood.
 
Here is another thought.
You could get a decent economy laminate, say a Donner or Enya to get started.
In the mean time you can be playing while you decide what you want.
If you have money and time there are often great deals that come up on the used instrument section of the forum.

We have beater/laminates that we don't mind taking out of the house.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M1L6OSX/ref=twister_B01M98G6TS?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
 
Nickie said:
Yes, it's been stated on UU many times, that in the right hands, a well built laminate uke beats a poorly built solid wood uke any day.
Click to expand...
Yeah.
I also even like the more fundamental, with less overtones, kind of sound that comes off of a lot of laminates. Sound quality is just such a personal thing.
 
But if we talking Solid Wood for a Soprano or Concert these are nice ones and the prices are just a little over his/her budget;

Kala KA-SMHS
Kala KA-SMHC

Around $200-$250 USD
 
Thanks All for the responses. Did not expect so many responses. Really appreciate that.
I did an Hands-on experience( that's what they called in my field lol ) on Kala Ka-c , Cordobo 15 CM .I loved the satin matte finish on Cordobo and thought to buy it at first glance. Although upon playing , i loved the sound quality of KALA and got biased towards it. Overall the hold , play-ability and the wood quality i found better that Kala offers.
I may go and buy Kala Ka-c but will explore more options in this weekend before making a final call.
 
My aged brain thinks that you live just outside Toronto - there must be ukulele stores there where you can try out various instruments. Your first decision should probably be size. My first was a soprano and I continue to love that size. I teach a small group at church and they seem to prefer concert or tenor size. When the fingers do not yet have flexibility or the ability to scrunch them say into a D chord, then the larger fret board is a blessing. I have an Enya concert that was on a super sale from Amazon that is going to a beginner.
Having decided on size then look around for something that fits your budget. Do not neglect the Ukulele Marketplace on this site. There are some wonderful offerings that can be very affordable. I would suggest a used Mainland which come from the Chicago area and the people are really nice. I picked up a used concert for $185 and a used tenor for $200 - both mahogany.
Keep looking and find a local community of players.
 
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