Well, that was a wild ride! (uke ordered)

I got the notion a couple of weeks ago that I wanted a ukulele, so I spent about a week shopping for fairly inexpensive models on Amazon, reading customer reviews, and watching a few YouTube videos.

Then, last week, I created an account on this site and started asking questions. In no time, I learned that there were far more ukes on the market than I expected, and my eyes were opened to the world of Hawaiian-built, Mexican-built, Asian-built, US-built, custom ukes, solid woods, laminates, composite materials, different scale lengths, Low-G stringing, and LOADS and LOADS of opinions on all of it.

So I scrapped my early plans and looked again, eventually deciding that a Blackbird Clara would be my grail, and started amassing funds.

Then I remembered I have two kids under 2, and I probably shouldn't be spending $1,200 on a ukulele just now, so I scrapped my Clara plans and looked again.

In the past week I've watched nearly a hundred videos (many of them repeats of my favorite models), and read as many reviews and posts comparing everything I could find between $300 and $800. I read loads on the favorite models mentioned here in the forums, and the popular ones listed at The Ukulele Sites (and other retail outlets).

After considering all options, today I ordered a KoAloha Opio Concert with Gotoh planetary tuners, canvas hard case, and a couple of sets of strings for $518 delivered to my door.

I know it's made in Thailand, but I was impressed with the materials used and the reported build quality, and I think it means a lot that KoAloha thinks well enough of this line to keep their name on the headstock. I got the Concert scale because I thought it would sound more like a ukulele than a mini guitar, but I'm also very interested in the Tenor Opio that's due to be released.

A few other great models were on the short list, but I think I got what I was really after with the Opio. I'm not naive enough to believe this will be my only ukulele, but I'm convinced it's a good start. I'll post a ton of pics and a mini review when I receive it.

Anyway, much thanks to all of you for your advice and experience. NO thanks to you for trying to infect me with UAS!

Excellent choice, and may I say I am most impressed by your research and tenacity. I'm looking forward to your arrival post and pix.

Great choice, I own one and love it. Best bang for the buck as far as I am concerned. You were very smart to hold off on the $1200 uke as your first purchase. Very rarely does the first uke end up being your GRAIL uke. As we play more and more our tastes for size and sound will change and mature.

I am still a tenor guy, that is what I started with but I also own concerts and super sopranos. I was high G all the way, then switched my two best tenors to Low G and wanted to play nothing else. I am back to enjoying high G again. I guess the point I am trying to make is you will go through different fazes and different ukes. Holy Grail is only temporary till the next thing grabs your attention.

Enjoy the Opio and congratulations on an excellent first uke.

Congrats on your first uke!

And, as Dave said, it won't be your last!

There is so much to discover once you enter into the uke world: sizes, shapes, strings, woods....this most definitely will only be your launching pad but a good launching pad it is for sure!

fretie said:

Congrats on your first uke!

And, as Dave said, it won't be your last!

There is so much to discover once you enter into the uke world: sizes, shapes, strings, woods....this most definitely will only be your launching pad but a good launching pad it is for sure!

Click to expand...

Speaking of launching pads your Joaquin mango soprano needs a proper NUD now that it is all done and you are playing it.We need pictures, lots of glossy pictures. We have cold and snow on the east side of the continent and need something to cheer us up.

Great choice for a first uke--or any uke, really. I think you will enjoy it. Have fun when it arrives!

Wow, great job on the search and research!
My first and second ukes were total impulse buys. I no longer have either.
I think I own my Holy Grail, less than $300, but I wish the darn thing would stop buzzing....
Then again, maybe I don't have the Most Holy One.
Anyway, early congrats!

That's one excellent ukulele! I've only heard good things about this model, and the Thailand factory has very good reputation. Enjoy!!

Nice. @cptdean, we approach things similarly -- research, evaluate, research, evaluate, then jump in the deep end! ;-)

Congrats. A great example of the "law of diminishing returns"...a great value. Good job

Wow! From everything I've read, that is a GREAT first, second, third.... uke! Congrats!

You've learned well, grasshopper.

congratulations

Congrats on the new Uke. Excellent choice. Now the agonising wait...

Thanks for the support, everyone! I do think I did as much research as I could, which should put me ahead of a coin flip. According to HMS there's a 5-10 day backlog before they get to mine, followed by two days of shipping with FedEx. Very exciting!

Very good choice...you will be happy with the Opio nothing as nice at the price you paid IMO...and you put the right tuners on too....the only weak point were the tuners....
the tenor Opios will be in soon too....

I had a Koalana concert, which was the predecessor to the Opio. From everything I have seen, the Opio is much more neatly done. That being said, the one that I had sounded and played incredibly well. I can only imagine the Opio will be even better, I'm betting performance class. Oh, Worth CM strings sounded best on mine, and enhanced the characteristic and beautiful ring and shimmer the instrument had. Great choice. When UAS strikes again, resist the temptation to sell it to fund the next one.

Have fun playing the uke and coming to this forum (though the latter will cause you UAS)!

If the Opio Concert really rocks, I'll definitely be interested in the tenor Opio. And I'll do my best to hang on to the good ones.