Fell in love with a uke

EddiePlaysBass

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So today walked into a music shop, just to see IF they had any uke's hanging around. Saw a terribly cute slim-bodied Leho soprano, and fell in love.

Told myself my next uke would be a tenor or a concert but now I am gassing for a soprano ... I did not buy it (price was ok though) because I really can't even play more than a handful of chords without a cheat sheet.

But damn, I want that Leho now! Any word on the model or this brand? It was new to me but then, I am new to ukulele's :)
 
I'm not familiar with the brand. But it sounds like it spoke to you and is within your means. I'd say try to play a few other brands/sizes and then go with the one that speaks to you the best. The only other point I'd make is buy from a shop that knows how to set up Ukes. There is a shop local to me that has a great selection and is widely admired. They don't do setups unless you ask and even then their setup is really quite limited. This doesn't help a new player much because when we're new we don't know how to check intonation, or what string height we prefer, etc.
 
Googled them and lots of info. A flame maple bodied, solid cedar topped soprano sounds like fun although concert is my preferred size. Not sure what "price was ok" is. Appears they have ukes from entry level all laminate to solids well into the intermediate range. I'm guessing they sound at least as good as the equivalent model Kala.
 
It was EUR 199,- which I thought was a decent price. I really need to play more ukulele and be a little better than I currently am, to justify any kind of uke purchase, though.

Learned "Silent Night" today and had fun. Now see if I can remember it so next time I am in a music store I can actually play something other than a one-finger C-chord :(
 
No, no, if you love it and the price is okay, you should buy it. But that's just me. Happy shopping. :D
 
I buy with my heart. I'm just playing around learning chords etc, haven't really moved on to songs yet - but I still own 4 ukuleles, including a high end Pono, so maybe I'm not the best to give advice!
 
I am on a tablet so can't link you to the thread I found. Go to the search box in the upper right hand corner and just type in leho. It will take you to a list of posts with that word in it. Third from the top is a thread titled "Review : Delightful Leho thin bodied soprano" it is by Ginny T11 who is a very well respected long time member here. She does an indepth review with pictures and a sound sample.

Warning Disclaimer............don't read that thread unless you are ready to buy the soprano you saw. Resisitance will be futile.:p
 
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I happened across a Leho tenor in a local shop a year or so ago. It had a great sound for the money. Ukuleles are made with variations in wood and sometimes in build from uke to uke that are technically the same model. If you happen to find the mass produced uke that somehow came off the assembly line with something special and speaks to your playing, go for it.
 
If it is love, then I say go for it. As long as you won't go hungry after the purchase, LOL. Doesn't matter how many chords you know or don't know. This may be the uke that puts several more chords under your fingers!!!!
 
I would buy something you held and played and loved, rather than something a bunch of strangers on the internet told you to buy.
 
I would buy something you held and played and loved, rather than something a bunch of strangers on the internet told you to buy.

This is great advice. I much prefer trying out an instrument. I remember looking for Jazz Hollowbody guitar. I just went to some stores and started playing them without looking at prices. I ended up liking a cheaper model, which saved me some money. I found myself comfortable playing it. I think sometimes we look for validation and really the only person that needs to be satisfied is you the instrument player.

There was an interesting thread on two vintage baritones. Usually, you see on here everyone promoting the Favilla baritone as the best sounding. Well, most people who replied to thread prefered the Silvertone over the Favilla in a blind hearing.
http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com...e-belongs-to-which-of-these-two-vintage-baris Have a listen on the first page and see which one you prefer.
 
I would buy something you held and played and loved, rather than something a bunch of strangers on the internet told you to buy.

This. I appreciate everyone's advice and brand recommendations but face it: a lot of times these brands are simply not available. As a bass player, I would recommend Ibanez, Cort and Yamaha over cheaper Fenders or even Squiers (and I have played all those brands) but sometimes a music store will only carry certain brands and you simply do not get to try them out.

If and when I do decide to get a new uke (no, I will not be purchasing this Leho just yet) then I will set an upper limit for my purchase and go to a store or two to try out every single uke that tickles my fancy. Could be I end up with another Mahalo for EUR 55,- and come out perfectly happy.

But thanks for all the advice, links and recommendations! Do keep em coming, and yeah I read the review of the same little Uke by GinnyT11 :) Loved that!
 
Leho is Larrivee's recent foray into the overseas construction model. Larrivee is a highly regarded Canadian manufacturer (Vancouver, BC) that also has a more recent production plant in Oxnard, CA in the US, and has been around a few decades. They stopped making ukes around 10-15 years ago, and have recently started up again. I have an older circa 2000 O or P model parlor guitar with a 24" scale, which I am madly in love with, it has a beautiful Sitka spruce top with great silking over quality mahogany back and sides. The guitars are very lovingly made with great attention to detail and top quality woods, and have a unique sound. Many people hold them up there with Martins.

So Leho is to Larrivee as Pono is to Ko'olau, or Islander is to Kanile'a.

If you found a Leho that spoke to you, it should be well made as Larivee is strict on quality control, and now you know it also has a fine pedigree!
 
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