For people who play "affordable" ukes.

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I really like Southcoast Medium strings on my mahogany Mainland. Many Ponos are also under the specified "affordable" mark of $500 (as was my used Koaloha). The solid wood ukes I've heard sound best to my ears with greater sustain. This is not news.

I also have a couple of laminate ukes (Kalas) to have handy during the dry winter season.
 
I really like Southcoast Medium strings on my mahogany Mainland. Many Ponos are also under the specified "affordable" mark of $500 (as was my used Koaloha). The solid wood ukes I've heard sound best to my ears with greater sustain. This is not news.

I also have a couple of laminate ukes (Kalas) to have handy during the dry winter season.


to me pono is a nice make i wouldn't put it in the same league as affordable ukes like kala or lanikai its a step up for sure
their very nice. i haven't tried south coast strings yet i feel a bit overwhelmed by their site im not sure where to start
and can't figure out what gauges to get for my tenor and baritone. if anyone can help me figure it out i would consider
trying them...they seem like very high quality just seems very complex to figure out...or maybe im just stupid haha
 
I have a few Mainland ukes and an Eleuke concert solid-body electric. All are decent playing ukes or I wouldn't still have them (life is too short to play something you don't love, regardless of price). I also have an Oscar Schmidt Willie-K 5-string tenor (laminated, but very good nonetheless). It was going to be my "festival" uke but now that I've repaired my long neck soprano KoAloha and converted it to 5-string I will probably sell the Willie-K as the smaller KoAloha will fit on my bike more easily.

One of my best ukes is a blem Mainland mahogany soprano. I'd save it before many of my more expensive ukes (until I bought my PS and BP custom 5-string tenor that hog is the first uke I would have grabbed in case of a fire...before my other KoAlohas, even). That's an exception, though. The Mainlands are excellent value and I'm a big fan of them and of Mike...but I've owned enough of them to know that most are just very good values...they aren't real competition for a "high end" like that hog is.

John
 
I have a few Mainland ukes and an Eleuke concert solid-body electric. All are decent playing ukes or I wouldn't still have them (life is too short to play something you don't love, regardless of price). I also have an Oscar Schmidt Willie-K 5-string tenor (laminated, but very good nonetheless). It was going to be my "festival" uke but now that I've repaired my long neck soprano KoAloha and converted it to 5-string I will probably sell the Willie-K as the smaller KoAloha will fit on my bike more easily.

One of my best ukes is a blem Mainland mahogany soprano. I'd save it before many of my more expensive ukes (until I bought my PS and BP custom 5-string tenor that hog is the first uke I would have grabbed in case of a fire...before my other KoAlohas, even). That's an exception, though. The Mainlands are excellent value and I'm a big fan of them and of Mike...but I've owned enough of them to know that most are just very good values...they aren't real competition for a "high end" like that hog is.

John

how does the 5 string sound? ive heard an 8 and 6 string never heard a 5 string which string is doubled?
im guessing the c?
 
All of the instruments that I have would be considered on the low end.

Makai - UK-55 Soprano ($40)
Cordoba - UP-100 Concert ($100)
Makala - MK-T Tenor ($90)
Oscar Schmidt - OU28T 8-String Tenor ($90)
Eddy Finn - EF-BU1 Concert Banjolele (Most Expensive - $272)

I've only been playing a few months so these suit my needs at the moment. When I get a little better with my playing then I can think about saving up for at least one better instrument and start passing these along to someone else.

As for strings, I've just stuck with Aquila on all of them and they suit my needs for the moment. Aquila seems to work pretty good on laminates.
 
All of the instruments that I have would be considered on the low end.

Makai - UK-55 Soprano ($40)
Cordoba - UP-100 Concert ($100)
Makala - MK-T Tenor ($90)
Oscar Schmidt - OU28T 8-String Tenor ($90)
Eddy Finn - EF-BU1 Concert Banjolele (Most Expensive - $272)

I've only been playing a few months so these suit my needs at the moment. When I get a little better with my playing then I can think about saving up for at least one better instrument and start passing these along to someone else.

As for strings, I've just stuck with Aquila on all of them and they suit my needs for the moment. Aquila seems to work pretty good on laminates.



yep aquilas for my tenor, worths for my soprano and livings waters for my acoustic baritone.

my pride and joy is my solid body konablaster baritone uke in my signature.
(cost 325) not super expensive but for me it took a little while of saving and honestly
its everything i wanted in an electric ukulele.
 
I wouldn't overlook vintage bargains. Solid mahogany Harmony sopranos are nice sounding ukuleles. You can generally find them for around $50.00 on Ebay. I have several with brass frets in the neck, i.e., not plastic fret boards. The brass frets are not crowned, so I crowned them. They play fine.
 
I wouldn't overlook vintage bargains. Solid mahogany Harmony sopranos are nice sounding ukuleles. You can generally find them for around $50.00 on Ebay. I have several with brass frets in the neck, i.e., not plastic fret boards. The brass frets are not crowned, so I crowned them. They play fine.

I want to get a vintage harmony baritone just because it will be an affordable baritone with a nice solid top for a good price.
 
how does the 5 string sound? ive heard an 8 and 6 string never heard a 5 string which string is doubled?
im guessing the c?

I'm pretty well convinced the five string is what God meant the ukulele to be. LOL

Seriously, though, I really do find that I love them. I do a LOT of finger rolls but I've never cared for how they sound on a low G uke. On a 5-string it is the G that is doubled, with one low and one high G. The high G is on the outside so you can do fast finger rolls with reentrant sound, yet if you want a bass run it's pretty easy to pick just the low-G string...and then you get great full-sounding strums, too.

It was the desire for a really good five-string that finally tipped me into ordering my first custom uke...the availability of 5-strings is kind of sparse and the few K-brands that are available would have set me back more than the Boat Paddle that I had Jerry build for me.

Even the Willie-K is decent, though. Overpriced for what it is, but the best laminated uke I've played. If I had to make a choice between playing really nice 4-string ukes or the Willie-K five-string the Willie-K would win simply because of that fifth string.

John


John
 
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I'm pretty well convinced the five string is what God meant the ukulele to be. LOL

Seriously, though, I really do find that I love them. I do a LOT of finger rolls but I've never cared for how they sound on a low G uke. On a 5-string it is the G that is doubled, with one low and one high G. The high G is on the outside so you can do fast finger rolls with reentrant sound, yet if you want a bass run it's pretty easy to pick just the low-G string...and then you get great full-sounding strums, too.

It was the desire for a really good five-string that finally tipped me into ordering my first custom uke...the availability of 5-strings is kind of sparse and the few K-brands that are available would have set me back more than the Boat Paddle that I had Jerry build for me.

John

oh wow best of both worlds low and high G how much was this uke?
i actually am interesting in getting this than sounds really cool!!!!
 
I'm looking to get an inexpensive tenor one of these days, after I buy a sorta spendy soprano. I'd like to be able to afford "nicer" ukes, but I don't see myself paying more than a grand for any uke ever. I'm no professional, just a hobbyist. It seems like the bigger the uke gets, the less the price seems to matter in the sound. At least to me it does.
 
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Note that I was editing my post as you were typing, so there is a little more info there now.

As for cost, I think the Willie-K is a bit overpriced at almost $400 street price. It's got decent electronics and mine came set up almost perfectly even though ordered from Amazon.com - but it's still a laminated uke. I think they'd sell more of them if they'd drop the gold tuners and the abalone purfling and lower the price. If you check my youtube channel (PortlyKnight) I did a video review of the Willie-K back in February or March, I think it was.

John
 
I'm looking to get an inexpensive tenor one of these days, after I buy a sorta spendy soprano. I'd like to be able to afford "nicer" ukes, but I don't see myself paying more than a grand for any uke ever. I'm no professional, just a hobbyist. It seems like the bigger the uke gets, the less the price seems to matter in the sound. At least to me it does.

i recently aquired a amahi snail tenor cost 150 sounds and looks amazing for the price tag in fact elderly music carries the rose wood model
their very good ukes for the price better than kala and lanikai i think.
 
Note that I was editing my post as you were typing, so there is a little more info there now.

As for cost, I think the Willie-K is a bit overpriced at almost $400 street price. It's got decent electronics and mine came set up almost perfectly even though ordered from Amazon.com - but it's still a laminated uke. I think they'd sell more of them if they'd drop the gold tuners and the abalone purfling and lower the price. If you check my youtube channel (PortlyKnight) I did a video review of the Willie-K back in February or March, I think it was.

John

thats not that bad for what it is, honestly i haven't seen anyone make those (at least not under a grand ) so i think its a fair deal.
I'll put it on my 'must have' list.
 
I want to get a vintage harmony baritone just because it will be an affordable baritone with a nice solid top for a good price.

They're all solid, not just the tops. They sound good, too. You might have to adjust the saddle a little, but I've seen them selling for under $100.00 lately.
 
thats not that bad for what it is, honestly i haven't seen anyone make those (at least not under a grand ) so i think its a fair deal.
I'll put it on my 'must have' list.

I think Ohana makes a 5-string uke but without the cutaway and electronics. It's a bit less and is all solid wood. If electronics and cutaway aren't important to you, that is probably the better deal.

John
 
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