New ukulele in the price range ~$400 and other stuff

Elegant.

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Hmpf, I've been a member here for about six hours and I'm really a beginner, so therefore I'd gladly appreciate any recommendations you experienced ukulele players have.

However, to summarize:

I've been playing for fun since October, just trying to get into ukulele playing. Since the time is running faster than ever, I haven't played as much as I expected to.

To the topic:

The ukulele I've had since October is a fairly cheap one (~$50) - an Eagle UK200. Since then and since now I'm just learning with this instrument (right now I'm following the Uke Minutes tutorials - really good), and I'm planning to buy a more solid och nicer ukulele when I'm over the beginner phase.

Therefore I have plenty of time to make a decision (or maybe I want a new ukulele faster? :p).

To my current thoughts:

First: the price range is around $400, excluding cases and other (you mention) necessary stuff. Which ukulele do you recommend? I'll mention what I've looked up further down.
Second: I live in Sweden, in a small town, which means I don't have "access" to any nice music store to test ukuleles, and therefore I'm asking about nice stores that ships worldwide?
Third: when buying the new ukelele, should I buy new strings directly or is it OK to play with the including ones?

What I've looked up:

Hamano Concert H100C:


This one sounds really nice and I really like the tone of it. Since this ukulele was in the first video of an ukulele tutorial I followed, it may have played role for what I'm thinking.

The shop that's selling the Hamano ukulele is:
http://www.justecordes.fr/

Is this music store well-known?

However, you maybe see that I'm a beginner and therefore I want to make this right from the beginning.

Any recommendations, answers or questions on what I've written above?

Thanks in advance!
 
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Welcome to UU! You're going to get a wide range of recommendations because so much is based on personal preference in both sound and appearance. For example, I would never consider spending anything close to $400 USD on a uke stained black. Different strokes. :)

The three most recommended ukulele "stores" here all ship internationally. You will need to contact them for quotes, but I think the range is $50-80 to ship a uke. All three participate on this forum. In addition to providing excellent pre & post sales service, they all make sure a proper setup is done on the uke.

Hawaii Music Supply
Mim's Ukes
Uke Republic


In your budget range, I would suggest buying a solid wood ukulele rather than one with laminate wood. Here are a few ideas:

Pono MC Solid Mahogany Concert
$279 + $60 shipping + $75 for hard case & tuner sound: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlfuyF89XOg

Mainland Red Cedar Concert
$246 (stock arriving "soon")
sound: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHGNX-pbxdg

Kala Solid Acacia Concert

$312 + $48 shipping, foam case included
sound: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ1QwIz9O9Q

Although each wood has different tonal properties, your playing technique and string selection can contribute more to the overall sound. We never see video sound samples of more than one person playing the same instrument. But it is certain that the same uke in the hands of a high-level player will sound very different in the hands of a beginner.

This last one is what I just ordered (hopefully it's in stock) for my dad. If they find the one they're looking for, it will be the last of their stock for another month or so:
Islander Solid Mahogany (concert size)
sound sample is of the soprano size: http://vimeo.com/27179915

Edit: my apologies. I should've looked at the link to the Hamano, which is made of solid mahogany. That video made it look nearly black to me, but it's simply a dark mahogany color. The store does say they do a setup, so that's a good sign. Hopefully Ken Middleton or others nearer your continent will comment on the store and/or the Hamano. I don't recognize either name.
 
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Welcome to UU! You're going to get a wide range of recommendations because so much is based on personal preference in both sound and appearance. For example, I would never consider spending anything close to $400 USD on a uke stained black. Different strokes. :)

I've looked around the whole day about ukuleles and I can tell you I've changed my mind - I (probably) don't want the Hamano ukulele.

The three most recommended ukulele "stores" here all ship internationally. You will need to contact them for quotes, but I think the range is $50-80 to ship a uke. All three participate on this forum. In addition to providing excellent pre & post sales service, they all make sure a proper setup is done on the uke.

Hawaii Music Supply
Mim's Ukes
Uke Republic

That's very nice to hear and thanks for the link about setup.

In your budget range, I would suggest buying a solid wood ukulele rather than one with laminate wood. Here are a few ideas:

Thanks for your ideas! I will deeply consider and try to make a smart choice!

Although each wood has different tonal properties, your playing technique and string selection can contribute more to the overall sound. We never see video sound samples of more than one person playing the same instrument. But it is certain that the same uke in the hands of a high-level player will sound very different in the hands of a beginner.
Yep, that's true, but I guess I learn to deal with it. :D

The time between my first post in this thread and your answer I was spending on explore this section and I actually came up with another ukulele suggestion - Big Island Mango Concert, a $470 ukulele (also from the website you mention above). This means I extend my range to this, but hey, it's quality, I hope. What do you or other here think of this one?

Thank you for taking your time to answer! :)

Comment about your edited section:

Edit: my apologies. I should've looked at the link to the Hamano, which is made of solid mahogany. That video made it look nearly black to me, but it's simply a dark mahogany color. The store does say they do a setup, so that's a good sign. Hopefully Ken Middleton or others nearer your continent will comment on the store and/or the Hamano. I don't recognize either name.

Yeah, I thought so too. It looked like black. :)
 
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The time between my first post in this thread and your answer I was spending on explore this section and I actually come up with another ukulele suggestion - Big Island Mango Concert, a $470 ukulele (also from the website you mention above). This means I extend my range to this...
Uh oh. You, my friend, are on the slippery slope...with the rest of us. :p Now you're getting dangerously close to the high-end (lowest section) of concert scale ukes. I personally still wonder about mango wood longevity since it's relatively new in uke making. Koa and mahogany, on the other hand, have been used for a very long time. This one was discussed not long ago:
http://cargo.ukerepublic.com/product/big-island-honu-koa-concert
 
Uh oh. You, my friend, are on the slippery slope...with the rest of us. :p Now you're getting dangerously close to the high-end (lowest section) of concert scale ukes. I personally still wonder about mango wood longevity since it's relatively new in uke making. Koa and mahogany, on the other hand, have been used for a very long time. This one was discussed not long ago:
http://cargo.ukerepublic.com/product/big-island-honu-koa-concert

Well, at least I'm not there by myself, hopefully. :p

So, the other link you've wrote, is this a more "safer" card in terms of longevity? How long will koa/mahogany last and are there any resources on how well the mango's doing? I understand if this is not your area of knowledge, but I might as well ask and see. I, at least, have no clue. :)
 
Well, at least I'm not there by myself, hopefully. :p

So, the other link you've wrote, is this a more "safer" card in terms of longevity? How long will koa/mahogany last and are there any resources on how well the mango's doing? I understand if this is not your area of knowledge, but I might as well ask and see. I, at least, have no clue. :)
By yourself?!! Hardly that. I'm actually trying to regain my footing, but others happily plunge over the edge and are plummeting headlong to who-knows-where. It's not uncommon to find members with over a dozen ukes.

I have no facts on how different wood factors into uke longevity. I'm not sure anyone does. If it was a matter of a couple of hundred dollars, I'd probably go ahead and risk something new. But when you start pushing the $500 mark I become a bit more conservative. And in my case, I know I like the "koa sound", while I know little about what mango ukes sound like.

Since this will only be your 2nd uke, it's very likely at some point that you will want to sell this and buy another uke. My guess is you will be able to sell a koa or mahogany uke a bit more easily than one made from mango wood...unless mango wood has become popular in Sweden recently.
 
I just talked to MGM (Mike) from Hawaii Music Supply. Apparently they still have the Islander MSC-4 Concerts in stock. It was the Tenors that were out of stock. I couldn't find the sound/video sample earlier, but here it is: http://vimeo.com/33847348
 
The time between my first post in this thread and your answer I was spending on explore this section and I actually came up with another ukulele suggestion - Big Island Mango Concert, a $470 ukulele (also from the website you mention above). This means I extend my range to this, but hey, it's quality, I hope. What do you or other here think of this one?

I have 2 mango ukes, one laminated spalted Kala tenor, and a plain grained Mainland concert. I like them both and they do have a distinctive tone to them that is more mellow than other ukes. The Big Island one looks beautiful, but make sure you are getting the one in the photo. Mango has a lot of different characteristics, so there is a great deal of variety. Color and grain pattern can be very different than the one in the photo, and still be mango. I am sure if you call them, they might even play it for you over the phone.

–Lori
 
Since this will only be your 2nd uke, it's very likely at some point that you will want to sell this and buy another uke. My guess is you will be able to sell a koa or mahogany uke a bit more easily than one made from mango wood...unless mango wood has become popular in Sweden recently.

You are right about this, and I agree. It seems smarter to buy a koa ukulele as my second ukulele.

I just talked to MGM (Mike) from Hawaii Music Supply. Apparently they still have the Islander MSC-4 Concerts in stock. It was the Tenors that were out of stock. I couldn't find the sound/video sample earlier, but here it is: http://vimeo.com/33847348

Is this a new recommendation? I saw it for around $250?

I have 2 mango ukes, one laminated spalted Kala tenor, and a plain grained Mainland concert. I like them both and they do have a distinctive tone to them that is more mellow than other ukes. The Big Island one looks beautiful, but make sure you are getting the one in the photo. Mango has a lot of different characteristics, so there is a great deal of variety. Color and grain pattern can be very different than the one in the photo, and still be mango. I am sure if you call them, they might even play it for you over the phone.

Thank you for that info, that's nice to hear.

Why not try Jam in Stockholm (jam.se)? Speak to Oskar.

Well, I checked this website, and apparently they didn't have that variation of high-end ukuleles I was looking for. Maybe I'll check them out later. :)

However, it has appeared new ukuleles that I wonder about (since I have decided to skip the Big Island Mango variant) and they are:

http://cargo.ukerepublic.com/product/big-island-honu-koa-concert and http://cargo.ukerepublic.com/product/big-island-honu-koa-deluxe-traditional-concert

What I wonder now is if you have any thoughts or recommendations about these two (or the other Islander posted above)?
 
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The 2 ukes are the same both the same model I think he got a glitch and reactivated the old ad.
the first ad with the hard case I am sure is the latest adv. they have been out of stock for some time. My opinion great uke its my easy chair player and the nicest looking uke i've seen. The Koa on mine is spectacular
.http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/f...concert-first-impressions&p=736314#post736314
this was a quick write I did. I would not trade this particular uke for any i've seen or heard. it is correct for me,site ,sound etc are what i was after. We all have different values and desires this fits mine. I liked it so much I bought a tenor last month.
 
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The 2 ukes are the same both the same model I think he got a glitch and reactivated the old ad.
the first ad with the hard case I am sure is the latest adv. they have been out of stock for some time. My opinion great uke its my easy chair player and the nicest looking uke i've seen. The Koa on mine is spectacular
.http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/f...concert-first-impressions&p=736314#post736314
this was a quick write I did. I would not trade this particular uke for any i've seen or heard. it is correct for me,site ,sound etc are what i was after. We all have different values and desires this fits mine.

Well, okay. They seemed to identical so that was what I suspected. Thanks for the link and it's nice to know that other people here like the ukulele(s) I'm looking at. :)

Another one I've looked into today is this:



Is this something I should consider? I mean, I have about $400-$450 range so I would rather buy a good one than a (maybe crappy) $300 dollar ukulele.
 
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I just talked to MGM (Mike) from Hawaii Music Supply. Apparently they still have the Islander MSC-4 Concerts in stock. It was the Tenors that were out of stock. I couldn't find the sound/video sample earlier, but here it is: http://vimeo.com/33847348
Is this a new recommendation? I saw it for around $250?
If you scroll back to my first response, you'll see this was probably my main recommendation. I just did not link to the correct video.

Are you now looking at tenor ukes? IMO the sound can be quite different from a concert. The Kala acacia you looked at is big sister to the one I also mentioned in my first reply. I think the tenor sounds better, but that's mostly because Corey is a better player.


I think any of the ukes already mentioned (starting ~$250 from a trusted source) will be a significant jump in quality from what you are currently using. The Big Island/Honu koa ukes ($400s) are a smaller jump from the $250s ukes.

Big Island makes a few different lines of koa ukes. Some of them have slightly smaller bodies. Mike at Uke Republic doesn't seem to have any video samples of the Big Island koa ukes, but here's one of a Kelii (similar price):


My own journey towards my very first uke went from the $250s solid mahogany ukes => $500s solid koa => $750+ solid koa. I did not spend much time considering the mid range. Once I had made the leap over $500, I basically said what-the-heck.

As I said before, it's a slippery slope. A very icy & steep slippery slope. But what a ride! :cool:
 
If you scroll back to my first response, you'll see this was probably my main recommendation. I just did not link to the correct video.

Yeah, I realized that, but I mostly thought of the price, like if I can get a "better" ukulele with $100 dollar more.

Are you now looking at tenor ukes? IMO the sound can be quite different from a concert. The Kala acacia you looked at is big sister to the one I also mentioned in my first reply. I think the tenor sounds better, but that's mostly because Corey is a better player.

Like you see, I'm not very familiar with this and therefore I'm changing a lot every hour. That said; I know to 99 percent that I want concert or tenor size, soprano seems too small and baritone too big. I did not point that out at the time of this thread's creation since I didn't had any clue of different size names and so on. :p

I think any of the ukes already mentioned (starting ~$250 from a trusted source) will be a significant jump in quality from what you are currently using. The Big Island/Honu koa ukes ($400s) are a smaller jump from the $250s ukes.

Yep, that's what I hope.

My own journey towards my very first uke went from the $250s solid mahogany ukes => $500s solid koa => $750+ solid koa. I did not spend much time considering the mid range. Once I had made the leap over $500, I basically said what-the-heck.

I'm almost going the same road, although I haven't played much at all with my "cheapy" ukulele.

However, after researching this day too, my choices have come down to the following ukuleles:

Kala ASAC-T: This one sounds really nice (probably because the guy who is playing is really great). Looks great too.
Big Island Honu Koa Concert: This one was hard to get a sound sample on, but I find someone on YouTube that played on this ukulele. Sounds sweet as well and it looks fantastic. It's Koa wood which I treat as a sort of top notch thing in this industry.

Can't really decide my primary choice between the two mentioned above. :confused:

Islander Solid Concert- MSC-4: This one is the cheapiest of all my alternatives, maybe I'm unsure because of that. Looks good (not as great as BI or the Kala), but I don't care about the "look" that much. I think (maybe just me) that it doesn't have the "jingling" sound I'm after. I treat this as an outsider.

Any new thoughts about what I've written?

Anyway, thank you for having patience and time to answer my posts. I really appreciate it. :)
 
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Koa and acacia are much more striking in appearance compared to mahogany. They are also brighter in sound, though the tone of a mahogany uke can be brightened up with certain strings. I think the Islander was strung with Aquilas. Any of the fluorocarbons will give it a brighter tone.

The Kala acacia tenor really sounds great. I think there have been some very positive reviews here. One of the video reviews on YouTube (after the one you embedded was finished) mentioned some cosmetic issues with the one he bought. Of course that can happen with any manufacturer, but Kala probably has the poorest quality control of the three brands you are considering.

Tough choices, but I think you'll be happy with any of those ukulele.
 
...Kala probably has the poorest quality control of the three brands you are considering.

Boom! There I was back on 50/50 between the Kala and BI. Kala maybe have fixed this issue now, or not. :p However, it's gonna be someone of these two now, I can feel it. Now it's just up to me to decide. After all, I'm a beginner and I want nothing more than getting more serious and enjoy my playing. :)

Another thing I was thinking about, is plectrum tabu in ukulele? :p
 
Hmm...you might want to read this thread and ask Daysailor to elaborate on his comment:
http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/f...4-Tried-the-Islander-MT-4&p=831907#post831907

I think if you call or email Mike at Uke Republic, he can answer any questions and concerns you might have about the two ukes you've narrowed it down to. You could even ask his opinion on which particular uke sounds and looks the best. It's likely he has more than one of each to choose from and wood grain especially can vary.
 
Hmm...you might want to read this thread and ask Daysailor to elaborate on his comment:
http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/f...4-Tried-the-Islander-MT-4&p=831907#post831907

Hmmm, another thing to consider, although there maybe are factors we don't know about.

I think if you call or email Mike at Uke Republic, he can answer any questions and concerns you might have about the two ukes you've narrowed it down to. You could even ask his opinion on which particular uke sounds and looks the best. It's likely he has more than one of each to choose from and wood grain especially can vary.

I'm probably going to do that, but I will first wait and see what HMS answers on my wonderings. :)

Anyway, time to go to bed. I may have to sleep on it. :p
 
Well, I've got an answer from Andrew at HMS recently. They will make sure that the Kala ukulele is quality checked and that is gonna have around 30 minutes of setup work. Now my purchase feels even more safer and nicer. I'm certainly gonna buy it sometime in the next coming days. I'll also buy the beginner package so I'll get a nice start. :)

Thanks for helping me out guys!
 
Elegant,

Not to make your decision more complicated, especially since you've received some excellent advice, but I have and love a Hamano soprano. I can't speak for the concerts, although I imagine their tone would be similar. It's the one (so far anyway) I can't bear to sell even though I've since purchased more higher quality ukes.

Best of luck with your search.
 
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