mrUKETOBER
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better quality
Uke recommendations??????
- Thread starter evanL777
- Start date
evanL777
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CILUxjnzTCk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRgmGOZgD0o
Tell which one you guys like better?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRgmGOZgD0o
Tell which one you guys like better?
haolejohn
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Check out www.meleukulele.com for an excellent uke in your price range.
Solid wood uke sound way better than a laminate but they generally cost more. I have owned a kala mango and it was a great uke. I just prefer solid wood. I am a fan of kala but as a last resort. I would recommend mainland as well. Ultimately you make the decision but there are better options out there. I have bought from Mele and I received my uke in 2 days. Since you live on east coast check out www.ukerepublic.com he has some sweet deals and he's on east coast.
Às far as woods go... Each wood has it's own sound. Koa is traditional hawaiian ukulele wood. It is a beautiful wood that is pretty expensive. Mahaghany might be the best all around wood. Mango is becoming ever the most popular because it is sweet. I own three solid koa ukes, two solid mahaghany ukes, one spruce top, and two laminates. I'm saving for either an 8 string or a solid mango.
Solid wood uke sound way better than a laminate but they generally cost more. I have owned a kala mango and it was a great uke. I just prefer solid wood. I am a fan of kala but as a last resort. I would recommend mainland as well. Ultimately you make the decision but there are better options out there. I have bought from Mele and I received my uke in 2 days. Since you live on east coast check out www.ukerepublic.com he has some sweet deals and he's on east coast.
Às far as woods go... Each wood has it's own sound. Koa is traditional hawaiian ukulele wood. It is a beautiful wood that is pretty expensive. Mahaghany might be the best all around wood. Mango is becoming ever the most popular because it is sweet. I own three solid koa ukes, two solid mahaghany ukes, one spruce top, and two laminates. I'm saving for either an 8 string or a solid mango.
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mrUKETOBER
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i agree.. id get a mainland for that price ! mainland you cant go wrong with ! theyre beautiful and beautiful sounding
haolejohn
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Mele has a solid koa top solid mahaghany back and sides for $329. That will kick any other imports butt.
evanL777
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where can i find mainlands? I dont think mgm sells them?
mrUKETOBER
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KC8AFW
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bnicholas26
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i think koa for $300 you'll end up with a koa laminate which means thin koa on top but mahogany inside. solid koa is the only koa to get but it's prohibitively expensive, $800 and up.
If you can wait a little while longer, you could hold out for a Mainland Mango solid wood uke. Expected to be available in August.
I still love my Kala Tenor Mango laminate. If you get a mango, put clear Worth's Strings on it to bring up the treble.
–Lori
I still love my Kala Tenor Mango laminate. If you get a mango, put clear Worth's Strings on it to bring up the treble.
–Lori
ichadwick
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No. A pickup is neutral and doesn't affect the sound when unplugged. Yes, a uke sounds good through an amp. How good depends in great part on the quality and settings of your amp.
For that price range, you won't find much, if any, koa and the mangos will all be laminates. Look at mahogany, spruce and cedar. Get a solid wood top, not a laminate. Spruce and cedar are bright, with good projection. Mango tends to be more mellow.
The only disadvantage is that you'll start wanting a $300-$500 uke afterwards. Then a $500-$750 uke. Then a $750-$1,000 uke and so on.
Yes, in the same way all cars drive the same. But in that same metaphor, even though they share similarities in physics (as do all ukuleles), there are great differences in style, handling and performance between, say, a sprightly Toyota Yaris, a luxurious Audi, a lumbering SUV, and a sporty Corvette. So it is with ukuleles.
Kala makes nice ukuleles in that price range. Give Mainland a look, too. They won't disappoint you.
Kala makes nice ukuleles in that price range. Give Mainland a look, too. They won't disappoint you.
Pippin
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Ian is correct in this. Koa and Mango are laminated in Kala's lineup and in that price-range, it is the same with just about every maker. You should look at the solid mahogany ukes from Kala if you want a more traditional uke sound. If you like bright, loud ukes, look at the solid spruce-topped ukes. If you want a mellower, sweet tone that will get sweeter with age and has good volume (not as loud as mahogany or spruce, but loud enough), look at the solid cedar-topped Kala ukes.
Kala has several models that are in your price-range.
Kala has several models that are in your price-range.
haolejohn
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Everyone has given you great advice but biased. We tell you to get what we have or want. You can get solid koa under $800. As stated earlier in a post a solid koa top solid mahaghany handmade mele ukulele is $329. That is an anniversery sale price. There are different classes of imports and the high level imports imo are honu, pono, and mele, there is a japanese import too but not sure of name but it might be kiwaya. Anyways the whole purpose of the uke is to be different right? Getting a kala is ok. Getting a mainland is better but getting a mele is the best in your price range. Btw uke republic carries mnainland.
Sigmund
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I'm planning my next purchase once the Fall semester gets going and paychecks start coming in again. I've made some decisions (at least about this purchase) but still have some to make. In short, I need some suggestions.
Decisions: Solid wood, Concert size, probably a Kala (trim and wood selection have driven this decision)
Help needed: Which wood? I'm leaning toward mahogany or lacewood but could be convinced otherwise (price is a consideration). Mahogany is traditional, known to be stable, and not flashy. Lacewood is attractive, but I don't know much more about it. The spruce tops on the Kala lacewood models appeal to the guitar player in me. Can anyone help me with information on stability and tonal quality, especially in comparison to mahogany? Acacia is also a possibility, but I'm sort of holding that for an eventual tenor (no, I don't really have a good reason for that, it just seems right at the moment). I'm also open to other suggestions if anyone has a favorite wood that I haven't thought of.
Decisions: Solid wood, Concert size, probably a Kala (trim and wood selection have driven this decision)
Help needed: Which wood? I'm leaning toward mahogany or lacewood but could be convinced otherwise (price is a consideration). Mahogany is traditional, known to be stable, and not flashy. Lacewood is attractive, but I don't know much more about it. The spruce tops on the Kala lacewood models appeal to the guitar player in me. Can anyone help me with information on stability and tonal quality, especially in comparison to mahogany? Acacia is also a possibility, but I'm sort of holding that for an eventual tenor (no, I don't really have a good reason for that, it just seems right at the moment). I'm also open to other suggestions if anyone has a favorite wood that I haven't thought of.
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