<$25 ukuleles: "Perfectly Good Ukuleles"

Sanfe

Sanfe

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So I have (and I'll confess) paid for some borderline-toy ukuleles. They have been great for my kids to take to school and my wife to keep in her office.

As much as I want to hate them, they're almost 100% functional. The Kala is quiet and less complicated in tone, but it has the "plink." The Ohana, probably the worst I own, sounds pretty lifeless, but it looks great. And this recent blue-colored Kukui, it sort of has the "plink" too but is almost crap: there's something wrong with the neck and its frets, it buzzes on specific frets.

But man, I can coax music out of all of them. When I play before people, they smile and seemed delighted by the "happy sounds from my yuki-lay-lay."

John Hiatt had a song called "Perfectly Good Guitar," and I'm reminded of this song when I play these ukuleles.

So I've changed my perspective on music playing. My goal is to coax some sort of positive emotional reaction from myself and/or from anyone listening when I play. It's not about what instrument I'm playing anymore, but what emotional connection I can make.

For this, I can set aside any superficial, material, pecuniary, etc. snobbery and let the song do its thing: make an emotional connection.

And I have to admit, I wouldn't have been able to come to this concept had it not been for my crappiest ukuleles (the irony). At one point, I thought a "better" or a more expensive ukulele would have made me a better player. But it turns out, playing the song better made me a better player. I've realized playing a song better overrides the crappiness of any ukulele.

It feels good to come to this understanding. Now I know what to focus on which doesn't cost money and doesn't take up more space.
 
Amen brother. The instruments are awesome. But the music, the connection... That's what it's all about, imo.
 
Glad you get a lot of joy from your "lesser" ukuleles.

I have a lot of fun playing my "toy" ukuleles.

My little yellow First Act went on many fishing trips before I got my OU tenor. I would pull it out and play while waiting our turn to launch at the boat ramp or while waiting to pick up our catch at the fish cleaning stations. I got three more First Acts for grandkids to play along with me when I visit them. So far, a yellow Aloha with flowers, a Mickey, a Minnie, and a Hello Kitty are at various houses.

My two Zither Heaven ukuleles are also classified as kids toys or sometimes just folk instruments. They have a unique sound and are really easy on the fingers. They have introduced several people to the idea of taking up the ukulele. I like that they are made in the U.S. One stays in my office. One stays in my travel trailer along with my Canjo, which is a one-string-diatonic-scale made-with-a-spinach-can version of a Merlin.
 
Who woulda thunk it... Moore Bettah and $25 uke threads going on at the same time.

I agree with you about the connection. And it probably does take a better technique to work tone out of an inexpensive "almost " functional instrument.

But... I'm less convinced that there isn't probably a happy medium somewhere between $25 and $$$$ that will provide as much if not more of a connection.

Never-the-less good for you.

John
 
In everything ukulele, I ask myself, is this about music, or is it just about the ukulele? Myself, I'm in it for the music. I'm glad to hear that you are making music with them.
 
Sanfe said:
John Hiatt had a song called "Perfectly Good Guitar," and I'm reminded of this song when I play these ukuleles.
Click to expand...

There is very little in this world that is much better than listening to John Hiatt. Excellent example.
 
70sSanO said:
But... I'm less convinced that there isn't probably a happy medium somewhere between $25 and $$$$ that will provide as much if not more of a connection.

Never-the-less good for you.
Click to expand...

Yeah I cannot but agree with this and cannot advocate such thinking in public where another might be swayed to buy cheap over inexpensive. Having documented blueprinting my smiley ukulele in these forums hes now a player and sounds fine. Until you listen to the $85 KA-SEM bought from the marketplace setup with 3 sets of extra strings and a road runner case. After listening/playing the SEM well smileys sound or lack of a good sound really shows and there is no amount of technique that will add the sonics the plywood body just doesn't produce. Sadly a new player who had zero music training and no ability to work well with their hands or a parent buying a gift for a child would have wasted $30-$40 and quite possibly lost interest with playing any instrument.

We all see different we all hear and taste differently. Sure you think about it when you hear someone is colorblind but many do not ever have to think about the subtle differences in everyone perception. Working as a tattoo artist I learned early on just because I see a color doesn't mean you see anything much less the same color. Hell watch a few youtube videos many people dont have the ear to tell they are playing way out of tune. Its just possible your ear hears all music the same. Unlike our eyes though it might just be possible your ear needs training to hear the difference like comparison to a slightly better ukulele.

Now having said all that after purchasing my well played well loved Koahola for a song the sound which comes from this ukulele makes my SEM sound as flat as smiley. I still play my SEM mostly but I know the Koahola has a much better sound. I should note the SEM came setup by ukegirl and needed very little tweaking to set to my liking. Any ukulele will benefit from a setup as it is easier to play a well setup instrument and that is where cheap instruments and those bought online may suffer. Sorry if this is a bit long winded and rambling I just took a break from Fallout4.
 
Damn thinking is all over the place today I was supposed to mention something about people making music with fence wire a bottle and a couple of nails, playing spoons, washboards and such other things. Just cant remember where!

BTW: What model Kala sells for $25?

Back off to the wasteland! Wheres muh baby!

~AL~
 
Inksplosive AL said:
I was supposed to mention something about people making music with fence wire a bottle and a couple of nails, playing spoons, washboards and such other things.
Click to expand...

Kind of reminds me of Lee Trevino hustling with a Dr. Pepper bottle, shovel, or what-have-you. Great folklore, but he actually used clubs when he won his PGA tournaments.

But I still applaud Sanfe for getting the most out of his ukuleles. I had a $30 freight damaged classical guitar in college, so I do know that music can be made on a lot of different level instruments. I still have that guitar and it has been loaned out to countless people and has brought a ton of joy. Added... It was also the only instrument I had in some later lean years when my life would fit into a box.

John
 
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There is often an implicit assumption that a better uke will make me a better player. I would venture to guess that many people upgrade a ukulele with the idea that it will change their playing. They may not even realize this. A little more work in technique may be the answer they are looking for instead of purchasing a new uke.

I agree about a happy medium. There are benefits to having a solid wood instrument. I try to reach a middle ground with instruments. I want the construction and setup to be good enough that it will not hinder my playing. Ponos are my middle ground uke.

In the end, it's the player that makes the instrument. I take lessons from my barber in Jazz guitar. The guy has been playing for 70 years. He keeps an old Yamaha acoustic in the corner. I still do not know how he coaxes the sounds he gets out of it. I pick it up and it sounds nowhere near the same.
 
JustinJ said:
There is often an implicit assumption that a better uke will make me a better player.
Click to expand...

I think the assumption is that a better uke will make a better sound.
You play a C chord on shoenhut, and then play a C chord on a Pono, and it's going to sound better on the better uke.
$$$ doesn't always mean better uke, but there's usually some correlation up to a diminishing return .

I think the implicit, is that if you enjoy the music you're making, you play more, and then you play better because you're playing more.

For some people, the purchase of a $$$ instrument is the commitment to playing more.
That's not necessary, but I think it is also something that happens for some people.

Other people.. will just play anything because they love it. That's great too.

Instruments make sounds.. people make music.
 
spookelele said:
I think the assumption is that a better uke will make a better sound.
You play a C chord on shoenhut, and then play a C chord on a Pono, and it's going to sound better on the better uke.
$$$ doesn't always mean better uke, but there's usually some correlation up to a diminishing return .

I think the implicit, is that if you enjoy the music you're making, you play more, and then you play better because you're playing more.

For some people, the purchase of a $$$ instrument is the commitment to playing more.
That's not necessary, but I think it is also something that happens for some people.

Other people.. will just play anything because they love it. That's great too.

Instruments make sounds.. people make music.
Click to expand...

Nicely said. Play what you like. Like what you play.
 
70sSanO said:
Who woulda thunk it... Moore Bettah and $25 uke threads going on at the same time.

I agree with you about the connection. And it probably does take a better technique to work tone out of an inexpensive "almost " functional instrument.

But... I'm less convinced that there isn't probably a happy medium somewhere between $25 and $$$$ that will provide as much if not more of a connection.

Never-the-less good for you.

John
Click to expand...
yep, a pro can make even crap sound good, but Mr. Hiatt's song tag line is ," It breaks my heart to see those stars, smashing a perfectly good guitar." I don't think he was implying you go out and buy a cheap guitar, he was pointing to the idiocy of some musicians to smash up their instruments onstage, or at least poking fun at it. Mr Hiatt prefers vintage Gibsons, they ain't perfect, but they ain't $25 junk either. I have some ukes I paid less than $40 for, they are playable. What do I play the most, my Koaloha tenor, it ain't perfect, but it's perfectly good.
 
Last edited:
Inksplosive AL said:
BTW: What model Kala sells for $25?

~AL~
Click to expand...

Looking inside, the label says "EA-P" or "KA-P." It's a pineapple-shaped one.

A kid saw me playing and so he gave me this Kala (wtf, right?). I couldn't take it being that he was like a young college kid and I was a working adult, so I gave him $20. It sounds pretty thin with no bottom-end response. Man, I attack those strings and the thing just doesn't get any louder either. Whereas I have one that really barks when I hit the strings and almost gets too loud.

But, when this Kala is the only ukulele I have access to, my ears adjust, and it sounds fine. I can still make myself and others smile with it.
 
There definitely is....and it's called, making your own :) It's some work but satisfying in the extreme. I made one out of a plastic ham box a 2X1 and some leftover siding. The only money I spent was super cheap guitar tuners and fret wire. She plays very nice!


70sSanO said:
Who woulda thunk it... Moore Bettah and $25 uke threads going on at the same time.

I agree with you about the connection. And it probably does take a better technique to work tone out of an inexpensive "almost " functional instrument.

But... I'm less convinced that there isn't probably a happy medium somewhere between $25 and $$$$ that will provide as much if not more of a connection.

Never-the-less good for you.

John
Click to expand...
 
Thank you for replying. The reality is you own a $70-$90 Kala with the KA-P you just got a great deal on it. My SEM was a very quiet ukulele for the first year or so, yet I can swear that recently it has opened up in volume. I know I didn't think laminate ukuleles would change much from playing but it is louder.

I put on a reentrant set of Aquila reds a year ago and haven't looked back. Best $5-$6 spent and they make the white Aquila strings feel/sound odd once you get used to them.
 
A lot of what you say is so true. But then again...sometimes it's just darn fun to make a cheap uke sing. Plus, as you said, we all have different likes. I had a Koaloha pineapple, really did NOT like the sound at all. Now I love the sound of my Moodyville Tenor and my Gary Gill Tenor and my super cheap Lanikai with low GCEA Guadalupe strings. Sounds like a bass :)

Inksplosive AL said:
Yeah I cannot but agree with this and cannot advocate such thinking in public where another might be swayed to buy cheap over inexpensive. Having documented blueprinting my smiley ukulele in these forums hes now a player and sounds fine. Until you listen to the $85 KA-SEM bought from the marketplace setup with 3 sets of extra strings and a road runner case. After listening/playing the SEM well smileys sound or lack of a good sound really shows and there is no amount of technique that will add the sonics the plywood body just doesn't produce. Sadly a new player who had zero music training and no ability to work well with their hands or a parent buying a gift for a child would have wasted $30-$40 and quite possibly lost interest with playing any instrument.

We all see different we all hear and taste differently. Sure you think about it when you hear someone is colorblind but many do not ever have to think about the subtle differences in everyone perception. Working as a tattoo artist I learned early on just because I see a color doesn't mean you see anything much less the same color. Hell watch a few youtube videos many people dont have the ear to tell they are playing way out of tune. Its just possible your ear hears all music the same. Unlike our eyes though it might just be possible your ear needs training to hear the difference like comparison to a slightly better ukulele.

Now having said all that after purchasing my well played well loved Koahola for a song the sound which comes from this ukulele makes my SEM sound as flat as smiley. I still play my SEM mostly but I know the Koahola has a much better sound. I should note the SEM came setup by ukegirl and needed very little tweaking to set to my liking. Any ukulele will benefit from a setup as it is easier to play a well setup instrument and that is where cheap instruments and those bought online may suffer. Sorry if this is a bit long winded and rambling I just took a break from Fallout4.
Click to expand...
 
This reminds me of the debate on various straight razor shaving sites about the ability to work your butt off on getting a good shave from a $12 chinese razor (the infamous Gold Dollar razor) vs a decent $100 Dovo or Broker razor. Yes, the Gold Dollar will work - with lots of effort on the user's part to grind / hone etc to get the razor to work, vs a 'ready to use' razor from a good vendor.

In my experience with ukuleles (I started with a plywood Kala, then a Martin CK1 and a Mainland, now on the build list for a May Moe) you DO need to pay a bit more. the Kalas we have around the house are still fun, and sound decent, but my Martin and the Mainland (especially my wife's Rosewood / Cedar concert) are leagues different. I still pull an el-cheapo Kala laminate soprano off the shelf once in a while....but our better ukes make us smile more....

I DO agree with RichM above - play what you like and like what you play. Spending more will get you a better sound....but its diminishing returns. My wife's Mainland is probably the sweetest sounding concert uke I have EVER heard... its hard to beat the sound for why we paid for it. Will my May Moe be xx times better? Hard to say.... but it will be built to my specs, and I am anticipating the 'inspiration' to play more than ever.

Bman
 
I have some fairly spendy ukuleles and some inexpensive ones. I will admit that the nicer ones are easier to play well, and I think that makes them sound better.
My $99 Les Paul does not sound anywhere near as pleasant as my Pono, but I still enjoy playing it!
And here in Hawaii that Les Paul is pretty rare so even folks with their high dollar customs get a smile out of it.
Nice thread, it is all about creating joy for others.
 
Sanfe said:
So I have (and I'll confess) paid for some borderline-toy ukuleles. They have been great for my kids to take to school and my wife to keep in her office.

As much as I want to hate them, they're almost 100% functional. The Kala is quiet and less complicated in tone, but it has the "plink." The Ohana, probably the worst I own, sounds pretty lifeless, but it looks great. And this recent blue-colored Kukui, it sort of has the "plink" too but is almost crap: there's something wrong with the neck and its frets, it buzzes on specific frets.

But man, I can coax music out of all of them. When I play before people, they smile and seemed delighted by the "happy sounds from my yuki-lay-lay."

John Hiatt had a song called "Perfectly Good Guitar," and I'm reminded of this song when I play these ukuleles.

So I've changed my perspective on music playing. My goal is to coax some sort of positive emotional reaction from myself and/or from anyone listening when I play. It's not about what instrument I'm playing anymore, but what emotional connection I can make.

For this, I can set aside any superficial, material, pecuniary, etc. snobbery and let the song do its thing: make an emotional connection.

And I have to admit, I wouldn't have been able to come to this concept had it not been for my crappiest ukuleles (the irony). At one point, I thought a "better" or a more expensive ukulele would have made me a better player. But it turns out, playing the song better made me a better player. I've realized playing a song better overrides the crappiness of any ukulele.

It feels good to come to this understanding. Now I know what to focus on which doesn't cost money and doesn't take up more space.
Click to expand...

Yes! This is important! You can make lemonade from lemons!

That doesn't mean you never get a really good uke, but it means that each uke gets a chance to sing and be loved. We don't all have great singing voices, but we still should be allowed to sing if we want to!

Yeah, weird maybe, but if it brings joy to folks, that's what matters.
 
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