what is truly the best ukulele?

Always go with the instrument that has the sound you like best, and the feel/playbility you like best. You will always find an instrument with a combination of sound and feel/playability which you are drawn to. Once you find it, don't worry about the name on it.

If the maker is following well known design and construction practices, then the instrument will be respectable. The rest is about time and the specific pieces of wood from which any given instrument is made.

Wood is a curious thing. Generally it's tone gets better with age, but not always. Some pieces of wood will never open up over time regardless of the name on the instrument or the price paid. Other pieces of wood will age beautifully and become rich and vibrant (regardless of the name on the instrument or the price paid).

In the end you need to like how it sounds, and you need to like how it feels when you play it. If you have found that combination, then you have found the best instrument for you.
 
Yep. And which one is "the best" will probably change over time. I actually haven't taken my Mainland out of the case in four or five days. For some reason the Makala is just doing it for me this week.



:agree: Or they may look at it and say "whoa, that guy's making that $40 Makala sound awfully good!"

--Mark

Thanks for showing Makala some love! +1
We have a Makala Concert and a Makala Tenor that we just love,too.;)
Ron and Jeanne
 
When I was out to buy my first K brand, I played a KoAloha soprano and a new Kamaka soprano and the decision took me 5 seconds. The KoAloha was much louder and sweeter sounding than the Kamaka and I completely fell in love with it.
The next time I was out to buy a uke, I played a Kamaka that was built in 1996 and was very worn in and I had never heard anything more beautiful. I believe the aging of the wood has a lot to do with the way the uke sounds. See if you can find a used K brand. It might not be as pretty as the new ones, but it sure will sound better.
 
I have bought over 30 ukes and all but 3 were ordered online, including a few K-brands and several customs. I don't think I have been really disappointed with any, whether it's a Makala or Kanile'a. I try to do enough due diligence on each purchase and set my expectations accordingly, so I don't expect a Kala to sound like a William King, etc. It has worked out pretty well for me, but of course nothing beats actually trying the ukes out in stores. But even trying out ukes in stores isn't the ultimate test to see whether a particular ukulele is for you. Sometimes a uke start to sound better to you after several days or even months of playing (I'm not talking about the wood "opening up", as I don't really know if I've ever actually been able to hear that happening). I had a Honu concert I ordered online that I was initially not all that excited about. After a couple of months and a few string changes, it became one of my favorites at the time. Even my William King ebony/spruce concert was initially not what I expected in terms of sound. But after some playing I began to hear the difference and it's by far the uke I reach for the most now.
 
A uke that you enjoy playing and can afford.:D Everyone has their own opinion of the best uke. As you get better, you'll be able to tell what's best for you.:shaka:
 
I know what you, OP, mean about the Cordoba though ... I always go back to it and find that it has a really nice sound. I’ve tried different strings on it and have setlled on Worth Brown medium tensions ... the thing sounds so good.
 
The best uke is one that is comfortable for you and suits you best as a person :]
 
Couldn't have said it better. :)

What's the best "anything" depends on your own tastes. My husband insists I buy only Best Foods mayo. Some might prefer another brand or even Miracle Whip.

This is right on the money!!:agree::agree:
 
Last year, I was at a uke fest in Oswestry, UK, and there was a little boy (5/6 ish) rushing around with a red Makala "Dolphin" in his hands. He was using it to hit his sister with, and didn't seem to realise it was a musical instrument. I asked him if he could play. He shook his head. I asked if I might play his uke. He handed it to me. I tuned it, played it, and he showed an interest. It was a surprisingly good little uke, for a cheapie.

I told the lad I would be playing on stage later that afternoon, and asked if I could use his uke - if his parents agreed. They did, of course, and it all went very well. I did my full set on the Makala, and it was fine. The boy's face was a picture!

That was definitely the best uke that afternoon.

Ukantor.
 
okay, this question isn't to see your opinons (well, it is), but i'm really confused!

so before today, i have never played a k brand ukulele (kamaka, kanilea, koaloha, the sort) so i went to a local ukulele store and got my hands on a kanilea.

you see, i have a beginner's lanikai 21 tenor, and it's fine, but it sounds like a toy now. but when i played the 700 dollar kanilea, it didn't sound significantly better. ?? seriously, it may have had a 15 percent more volume but not much sustain..

now the confusing part is, i went to guitar center and played a concert cordoba ukulele. cordoba makes classical spanish guitars (?). and man, that cordoba just melted me. you see, the cordoba's sound seemed to melt into one beautiful harmony. the kanilea sounded good, but it was like individual strings sounding off, instead of the cordoba, where it sounded one and united.

i'm really confused, cause' i thought the k brands were the top dog.

oh btw, they didn't have a kamaka at the store, so i'll be waiting about a week or so when the shipment of kamakas come in.

are kamakas still good? i'm really nervous about playing them, cause' after listening to the kanilea, i don't know what to expect.

Best ukes, in this order (I think):

1. Fully custom Kamaka
2./3. Maui Music
3./2. Moore Bettah
 
No Miracle Whip for me. I like my ukes with a good slathering of Helman's Mayonnaise!! A dash of salt & pepper :drool:

Of all my ukes, I find myself grabbing my Kala spruce top more often than not. Since I put the Worth CL's on it, it is a sweet uke to play. I will take that one to the grave with me!
 
I know what shores&hammocks means about the Cordoba.

I was killing a little time today at Guitar Center. Most of the ukes there really are not very good (for many reasons). But I tried a solid mahogany Cordoba tenor . It sounded pretty awesome, very similar to my new K-1 SC Kanilea. The floor model was a little beat up, maybe it had been around there awhile. That probably enhanced the sound. Great sound for 1/3 the price of a Hawaiian uke. I still prefer the Kanilea but....
 
This thread was incredibly helpful to me! I'm in the market for a new uke and I had the exact same question.

Awesome.
 
80% player, 10% set up, 10% build. The higher up the food chain you go, the greater chance you have of getting the last 20%. Mass produced ukes like Mahalo and Samick still have some pretty decent ones every few thousand, other higher end models can have duds too. But remember, 80% player! I learned this from James Hill when after one of his shows, he did serious damage on a guys 20$ Hilo I'll never forget! I think it was an Irish fiddle jig of some kind. The sound was plenty amazing in his hands.
 
Best ukuele???? MINE. Especially my Kumalae... or is that my Koaloha... Anyways, my old Northern is good too... like my Koa Pili Koko that I can bring to the beach...... Ah... stop psyching me.... UAS is around the corner..... (next best ukulele.)
 
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