newbie here, ukulele help please

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imallama

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hey, i just joined the forum and was wondering about what ukulele to get. i play piano and guitar. i don't know if that helps or means anything. i played an ukulele at a friends place recently and he had the lanikai ck-teq or something like that and i found it really enjoyable and easy to play, which is why i am now looking for an ukulele.

being a college student i'm kind of on a budget, and was wondering what would be the best deal for the money. i talked to mgm and he said that i should get a tenor ukulele and recommended the kala ka-t. i was trying to decide which one to get though, the lanikai lu-21t, kala ka-t, or the makala mk-t. are there any other brands out there than i skipped or should look into? originally i wanted to keep the price below $50, but after talking to Fred Miu and looking on ebay, found out that i couldn't one for less than $100 (except the mk-t...but i don't really like the way it looks.) what would you guys recommend and why? thanks!
 
i dont know as much as some other people here.. but if i were you.. i would check out Kala Makala Tenor Ukulele i had one for my first 3 months of ukulele playing.. 79 dollars new.. maybe be able to find cheaper used.. but it stayed in tune all the time.. and i fell right in love with the ukulele! it worked well for me last summer.. i wish i still had it! check it out here..

then after you see if you want to stick with it.. look up MGM on ebay.. and move to better brand.. and use the Makala as your kick around uke..

this worked for me.. if you go watch my first ukulele video.. you will here that uke.. its my cover of a dylan song..
 
Both the Kala and Lanikai are mahogany and I've read a lot of favorable comments on the LU-21T. IMO, both would be a great entry level instrument for the money. It really comes down to sound, playability and comfortablility. You might wanna see this thread for other info.
 
imallama said:
i talked to mgm and he said that i should get a tenor ukulele
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Was there any particular reason that he mentioned as to why he thought a tenor would be best? Maybe because you were coming from guitar and he was figuring you'd want a low-G setup and a longer scale?

Because I'm thinking--based solely on what you've posted so far--that you could certainly get by with a concert for your first uke, which would save you a few bucks. Heck, I don't even see why a soprano would be out of the question.

JJ
 
Don't know about the Lanikai but the KA-T (I have one) and the MK-T are pretty much the same Uke the real difference is the bling (trim) and the tuners on the Kalas are better.

To me the Kala/Makalas play pretty much the same, either way you'll need new strings if it has the GHS on it I like the Aquilla's and the D'Addario Pro-arte's on my KA-T but they sound different. A little deeper tone for the Pro-Arte's.
 
thanks

Kanaka916 said:
Both the Kala and Lanikai are mahogany and I've read a lot of favorable comments on the LU-21T. IMO, both would be a great entry level instrument for the money. It really comes down to sound, playability and comfortablility. You might wanna see this thread for other info.
Click to expand...

thanks for the info! definitely gonna check that out.

freedive135 said:
Don't know about the Lanikai but the KA-T (I have one) and the MK-T are pretty much the same Uke the real difference is the bling (trim) and the tuners on the Kalas are better.

To me the Kala/Makalas play pretty much the same, either way you'll need new strings if it has the GHS on it I like the Aquilla's and the D'Addario Pro-arte's on my KA-T but they sound different. A little deeper tone for the Pro-Arte's.
Click to expand...

so the mk-t and the ka-t are the same? i saw a deal for the mk-t on ebay that comes with a case + free shipping for $80. http://cgi.ebay.com/KALA-MAKALA-TEN...|66:4|65:12|39:1|240:1318|301:0|293:1|294:200

anybody every buy from him? i know mgm is pretty well known and would prefer to buy from him, but for this price...idk if he can beat that. i'm kinda scared to do anything on my own...but yeah. is that a good deal though?

i've never changed strings on an uke...is it hard? i also have a guitar tuner and i think it is a chromatic one. its one of those that you clip on to the top of your guitar head and it tells you what note your string is on based on the vibrations of the guitar. do you think that'll work?
 
imallama said:
i've never changed strings on an uke...is it hard? i also have a guitar tuner and i think it is a chromatic one. its one of those that you clip on to the top of your guitar head and it tells you what note your string is on based on the vibrations of the guitar. do you think that'll work?
Click to expand...
There are several tutorials like this one on changing strings and it's not that big of a deal. Your chromatic tuner will work just fine.
 
sweet

sweet thanks. one final question...i know its kinda petty but...should i buy from mgm or the other seller? like, in other words, is it worth it to have mgm set up the ukulele or to just buy the cheaper one and do everything myself?
 
You should contact other dealers and find out what they do before they ship any instrument. Mike does the things to make the instrument playable when you get it, of course, you may have to tune it. Is buying from Mike worth it? A lot of people will attest to it. The final decision rests with you. Personally, I would have no problems ordering a 'ukulele from him.
 
ukulele

Kanaka916 said:
You should contact other dealers and find out what they do before they ship any instrument. Mike does the things to make the instrument playable when you get it, of course, you may have to tune it. Is buying from Mike worth it? A lot of people will attest to it. The final decision rests with you. Personally, I would have no problems ordering a 'ukulele from him.
Click to expand...

yeah, i know. i just don't want to ruin my new ukulele when i get it eventually. also, do you think it's worth it to go for a concert size instead of a tenor? like the lanikai lu21c vs. the makala mk-t. which one is better and why? they are both around the same price with a $5-10 difference.
 
imallama said:
yeah, i know. i just don't want to ruin my new ukulele when i get it eventually. also, do you think it's worth it to go for a concert size instead of a tenor? like the lanikai lu21c vs. the makala mk-t. which one is better and why? they are both around the same price with a $5-10 difference.
Click to expand...
Really comes down to personal preference regarding size. Myself, I like tenors. As to which one is better, it's best to compare the two of them. You'll know which one is for you once you've handled them. You're in the Bay Area, right? You should take a trip to 'Ukulele Source in SJ and play both the concert and tenor size instruments. That will allow you to get a feel for each of 'em. Not sure as to what else they carry but I know they have Ohana 'Ukuleles. The NorCal Uke Fest is on Apr 26 and they'll have a host of vendors there, another option if you can wait.

Ukulele Source
599 N. 5th Street
San Jose, CA 95112
(408) 998-2640
Store Hours: Tues - Friday 4 to 7, and Saturday from 11 - 5
 
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uk

alright sweet, i might go check that out soon. also, what is the resale value on the mk-t vs the ka-t? just in case i don't like one of them. i'm afraid of buying a ukulele then when it comes time to sell it nobody wants it.
 
I'm not an expert but if I had to guess I'd say the KA-T would have better resell value being that it's more name brand. But honestly, I don't see the point in trying to sell a used cheap (as in inexpensive) instrument. There's way more value in hanging onto it as a beater/loaner uke that you can take anywhere or loan out to friends who are interested in the uke without worrying if it gets damaged or stolen.
 
FourChordWonder said:
There's way more value in hanging onto it as a beater/loaner uke that you can take anywhere or loan out to friends who are interested in the uke without worrying if it gets damaged or stolen.
Click to expand...

Well put!

A decent "cheap" uke will always be a handy thing to have (or to give away).

JJ
 
uk

is there a way to remove the white rings around the whole on the mk-t? do you think mgm can remove it for me? im still torn about who to buy from...mgm or the $80 deal on ebay. on one hand i want to buy from mgm cuz he sets things up and makes it playable right out of the box...but on the other hand...a free soft case + free shipping...dang...
 
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