Takumi Ukuleles

Ukador

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Hello everybody !

I am toying around with the idea of buying a Takumi Soprano or Concert Ukulele. TS/TC 1K/3K

There are not many videos but on the few out there they sound very good in my opinion. They also look very good and those that sell it say that Takumi Ukes are built extremely precisely.

Now, they seem to be very good Ukes and still there are hardly any reviews/firsthand reports out there even though the Takumi line is around for almost a year (I think they were introduced on the NAMM 2015).

I wonder why ? Is it that they have to compete with the common K brands ? Is it because they have to compete with their "brothers" from Kiwaya ? Are they too expensive ? Is it because the marketing departement of Takumi is not very active ?

Thanks for your opinion.
 
I saw them at NAMM and was impressed. And the two that HMS has sound lovely. The line is the personal line from the folks that distribute Kiwaya, Loprinzi and Da Silva. So they certainly know quality.
 
Ive never seen a Takumi in person, but I saw the NAMM YouTube videos. I'm guessing they have a similar quality of build and sound as a Kiwaya.

I buy and sometimes sell my ukes, so for me, brand familiarity is key; I'd rather try and resell a Kiwaya than a Takumi by a long shot. Kiwaya has a long, respected provenance since the early 1900s. Takumi since, what, 2013-ish?

That said, for those that don't plan to resell, it's all up to your ears and eyes as to which to select, Ukador. I'm just adding one single factor to consider.
 
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I don't think you hear much about them since they are relatively rare. I have a mahogany soprano 3. It's a very lovely uke! I love the sound of it, smooth and great sustain, but has a great bark when strummed quickly, especially up the neck.

I know I am in the minority here, but I actually don't like particularly shallow necks. Unfortunately, this one has a shallow neck. It's 1 7/16" wide at the nut and has 42 mm string spacing at the saddle, has very low action, but still never buzzes no matter how heavy handed I play it, so it's super easy for me to play, but my left hand aches when playing a shallow neck for just a short while.

I have another mahogany soprano coming for Christmas. I'm actually not sure if the new one has a deeper neck, but if it does and everything else about it works out for me, I may try to sell my Takumi in the beginning of the year. I know you are after a koa model, but let me know if you might be interested. I live in Sweden, so shipping from here to Germany is no biggie. Otherwise, I know the Southern Ukulele Store has a Koa soprano in stock.

Cheers,
Max
 
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Yes I already saw that Takumi at the SouthernUkuleleStore but they too expensive.

1100 GBP + 24 GBP shipping .... thats around 1550 Euro and they do not even add a hardcase.

I already contacted Takumi directly but they ask more than I have to pay when I buy at theukulelesite ... it's a strange world we are living in :)
 
Yeah I know. Takumi prices seem a bit all over the place. I bought mine for less than that from another UK store, even though mine is a 3.
 
So does their lineup go Famous --> Kiwaya --> Takumi?
The Famous line is great for budget entry quality
 
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