Looking for advice on buying an Ohana Luke

Ukebum

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Hello everyone!

I am looking to trade in my Lanikai LU22TS and upgrade to a better tenor size uke. Ideally, I would love to have a Kanilea because I just love the warm sound that they have. That being said, they are a little out of my ukulele budget right now.

I have pretty much settled on buying an Ohana because they are a little more affordable for a solid wood uke. I feel that they have the same sort of warm sound as the Kanilea. They sell them at my local ukulele store, however the models that I am looking at are out of stock at the moment.

Any suggestions on the best mid range Ohana model? I have been reading reviews on the TK-35G and it sounds like a nice uke. The TK-50G seems pretty good as well. The person at the shop suggested that I look into the TK-15WG. I want to keep it under $400 for sure.

Thank you all in advance for any advice and suggestions!
 
Thanks! I don't know if I'm lucky enough to win a new ukulele though. And by the way, that was a typo in the thread title. It was supposed to read Ohana "uke"...damn spell correct.
 
I bought a TK-70G from Mim. Solid spruce top, laminate maple back and sides. It's a wonderful instrument. Set me back less than $300.
 
I have an Ohana, and can't wait for my next one....Mim's or Uke REpublic are both good vendors....you'll get a good one, and it will be setup prpoerly.
 
While I don't own the model you're looking for, I own 3 Ohanas-a sopranino, a soprano, and a long neck soprano, that are all solid woods and excellent instruments. I don't hesitate in recommending anything they offer. Hell, if they were to sell bricks with their logo on them I'd think, "Wow, these must be the best bricks ever made!" then buy a truckload of them.
 
Some cedar topped solid bodied Ohanas and Mainlands are siblings and sound amazing for the money. They would likely give you a sound closer to the Kanileas than an all solid mahogany instrument
 
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the TK-35G is all solid mahogany and would be a great choice. The others mentioned are not all-solid, I don't think. All solid will most likely give you a better sound, but if you live in a dry climate and/or heat your home, you'll need to keep it humidified. Ohanas are nicely made ukes!

Oops, the TK-50G is all solid. I would think the mahogany would have a little warmer sound than the cedar. At least my cedar is very bright. Not that either one is bad, just whatever you like and like the looks of.
 
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Oops, the TK-50G is all solid. I would think the mahogany would have a little warmer sound than the cedar. At least my cedar is very bright. Not that either one is bad, just whatever you like and like the looks of.[/QUOTE]

If he's seeking to get a sound similar to a Kanilea, all solid mahogany not the way to go.
 
Thanks...I out my entry in to win the free Ohana! So would it be better to look into one of the cedar or spruce Ohanas, as opposed to the mahogany, in order to get that warmer tone?
 
The TK-38 has a nice old Martin style 2 look and is a great player. All solid mahogany.
 
I just went by a ukulele shop that I found nearby and saw a Kamoa E3-T. It was all solid wood, spruce top with maple sides. I didn't care for the gold color and satin finish, but the thing was very loud and had a guitar-like sound. I was wondering if anyone can weight in on the Kamoa E3-T and how it compares to the Ohana TK-35G?
 
Thanks to everyone for all of your input. I just picked up my brand new uke! It's such a great feeling to get a new ukulele.

I had my mind dead set on the Ohana TK-35G. I had done hours of research and I knew that it was exactly what I was looking for. My local shop was putting an order in for a handful of Ohanas and the very nice lady who runs the shop said that she would order a TK-35G for me. The shipment arrived yesterday, and while they were unpacking the new ukes I asked if I could take a look at the TK-50G. I was able to compare the two models and the TK-50G just seemed to have a nicer, richer tone to it.

After a little debating, I ended up going with the TK-50G. All of those hours of research and reading reviews went right out the window. I put a set of Worth brown strings on it and the thing sounds great and looks beautiful. It's a great feeling to have a new uke in my case.

Thanks again to everyone for the feedback!
 
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