lessons learned from acquiring ukes

I posted this as a response to the "how many is too many" discussion and then it occurred to me that this topic might warrant a thread of its own: what have you learned from the ukes you have bought and then let go?

I've been playing since... late 2008, I think it was, and haven't had a case of seller's remorse yet. For fun, I decided to try to remember the ukes that have been rehomed and why:

• Ohana SK-10S - first uke as an adult, knew from the start that it was just going to be a tester for me, eventually gave it to a friend.
• 1920s Columbia mahogany soprano - thought I wanted a Martin but couldn't afford it at the time, this was my entry into vintage ukes which I quickly learned were too fussy for me.
• Koaloha Pikake soprano - first "good" uke, loved it but then learned 12 frets weren't enough.
• Kamaka HF-1 soprano - 15 frets, this served me well until a Kamaka HF-2 concert came along, which I loved so much I bought a second one for low G. I played Kamaka twins for a while!
• Kamaka HF-2 concert - of the two I had, one was far superior and I still play it daily. I sold this one to buy a...
• ...Kamaka HP-1 pineapple, which I still play to this day and doubt I will ever sell.
• Kiwaya travel pineapple - bought as a beach/travel/beater uke, but I learned that playing it only made me wish I had one of my Kamakas with me.
• DaSilva custom mahogany soprano - nice uke, and a successful attempt to get a Martin sound in a modern uke, but let's just say I realized I'm not a mahogany fan.
• Kamaka Ohta-San - misguided attempt to get as close to tenor scale as my little hands would let me. I failed to master four- and five-fret stretches without physical pain. Sold it after I bought a...
• ...Kamaka HF-1L longneck soprano. Which I will never sell, and which I should have probably started with in the first place

Two of these purchases were somewhat influenced by putting questions out to UU and being somewhat swayed by the opinions of other members. One was the Kamaka longneck - I had never seen one in person and my local shop didn't get one in for years, but when I asked about them on UU most of the responses I got were really negative. So I avoided buying one until I could see one in person. It turned out to be the most perfect uke for me, and sometimes I wish I had just gone for it sooner - but folks on the forum who had actually encountered them didn't seem to hold them in high regard.

The second was buying a custom. Again, I relied on the opinions of others to guide my decision, as I couldn't try one locally. While there was nothing wrong with the uke, it just wasn't the uke for me.

So I'm including those last two anecdotes as why I feel so strongly about try-before-you-buy. At least for me, it's essential, and now that I know this, it definitely helps keep the problem of "too many ukes" from arising very frequently since I really want to avoid the hassle of re-homing those that turn out to disappoint.

Thanks for this thread Janeray. I read it as "what did I learn about myself after selling so many ukes?"

1. I didn't give some ukes enough time before moving them. I don't know why I was in such a rush.
2. Owning three ukes at one time seems to be my comfort zone.
3. I like knowing the person who made my uke. I appreciate the heart and soul that goes into making them.
4. I'm not really a strummer. My style is chord melody.
5. I'll take my best ukes everywhere so no need for a travel uke/beater.
6. I'd rather give a uke away than sell it. I hate selling them.
7. I really don't need any more ukes. (I know...famous last words)

For me it has been an education in tone and playability. Playability trumps tone as long as the tone is good, doesn't have to be great, but it certainly helps.

I have found I like deep necks, big fretwires, radius fretboards and a lowish action. When I get all of these the instrument takes on a life of its own and I can make music instead trying to play the uke.

I like a resonant guitar like tone with crisp highs and good sustain. Volume isn't everything if it has a pleasing sound. I have bought a number of ukes in the close to 2 years I have been playing and I now know what I want.

when I got better, I realized the ukes I been complaining about I got first were junk.. actually I was junk.. lucky I kept them to find out reality

I've never sold any of my Ukes, though I traded my Ohana 6 string in for a Kala 8 string which I like a lot. Now all my Ukes but one are plywood, and I like it that way.

I put a lot of planning into each Uke purchase. I guess I'm pretty conservative (cheap) so I wanted to get my money's worth, and, as far as I'm concerned, I did. I bought each one with a purpose in mind, but I admit that it didn't always work out. I only have one that I don't care for (the red flea)' but maybe I'll find a use for it. I think I have too many. And wish I didn't, but I'll keep 'em all. Buying and having ukuleles is sorta addictive,

But my UAS is cured--no more. Unfortunately, now I have BAS! Instruments just never stop accumulating.

I really, really wish I had a bigger music room. We shoulda bought a bigger house. My wife's sewing room is also too small ld:

1st was a Lanikai tenor - too big for my hand
2nd an Islander mahogany concert - like Janeray1940 I have realised I am not into mahogany, I never bonded with this pretty uke.
3rd my Kanile's satin concert - still have & love though still not the 'perfect' uke
4th a Koaloha slimline concert - really nice but too cheerful sounding for my taste
somewhere in there was a Kala spruce & rosewood bass which I just didn't play much
Firefly banjolele, which is just such a hoot and I still have & play.
Then my Kamaka Ohta-San, which I loved but was that bit too big for my fingers. Still have seller's remorse but it hurt to play.
A mahogany Kala Bass I sold because I just don't get to focus enough to master it.
Odin maple & spruce concert I have but ...

What I have learned:
A warm, rich sounding concert with great tone that plays well with a low G (and isn't made of mahogany) is what I want - preferably with some nice blingy paua shell purfling & rosette, but the sound & playability are most important.

I am easily swayed by other UUers' posts into wanting a uke. I should stay out of the UU marketplace, HMS, Flea Market, ebay and anywhere else I might see a uke I want.

lessons learned from acquiring ukes... this applies to bass and acoustic as well as electric guitars as far as I'm concerned.

1. Every instrument has a song/style or what some might call the soul locked away in it. Years ago a friend that was an accomplished guitarist picked up my BC Rich Warlock and started playing some really heavy riffs quite unlike anything I had ever heard him play. I asked him where the hell that all came from and he explained that every instrument has a different song locked in it.

2. I like buying things and ukuleles can be quite inexpensive compared to say motorcycles. They also take up much less space. Deals can be had if you wait or hit at the right moment. I once bought a used KoAloha concert here for only $100 from a member. Funny though my most played ukulele is a Kala KA-SEM. Don't rush into buying anything. A few ukuleles I just had to have until they arrived.

3. They all sound different some like my old 20's-30's Harmony really bark while others are more guitar like. Did I mention they all sound different? As inexpensive as they are why wouldn't I own hand fulls?

Besides I hear surrounding yourself with ukuleles will slow or stop the aging process, something to do with alohawaves.

PS I also learned I really only like soprano due to string tension.

mm stan said:

when I got better, I realized the ukes I been complaining about I got first were junk.. actually I was junk.. lucky I kept them to find out reality

Click to expand...

I agree with this, not that either the uke or Stan or I were junk, but it sometimes takes a while to figure out/understand how to setup and play a particular ukulele. After a while there is a bond and both the uke and the player are able to coax out some pretty good sounds.

John

Thanks everyone for the thought-provoking replies, I'm really glad to see the response!

NewKid said:

Thanks for this thread Janeray. I read it as "what did I learn about myself after selling so many ukes?"

1. I didn't give some ukes enough time before moving them. I don't know why I was in such a rush.
2. Owning three ukes at one time seems to be my comfort zone.
3. I like knowing the person who made my uke. I appreciate the heart and soul that goes into making them.
4. I'm not really a strummer. My style is chord melody.
5. I'll take my best ukes everywhere so no need for a travel uke/beater.
6. I'd rather give a uke away than sell it. I hate selling them.
7. I really don't need any more ukes. (I know...famous last words)

Click to expand...

Nice list, and for the most part every point applies to me too. I've only once known the person who made my uke, and while that was nice, I'd say touring the factory where my ukes were made and talking to the workers is a close second (in my case, the Kamaka factory).

DownUpDave said:

...and I can make music instead trying to play the uke.

Click to expand...

It's so true how certain factors really affect playability and make playing easier. And these will be different for different people!

mm stan said:

when I got better, I realized the ukes I been complaining about I got first were junk.. actually I was junk.. lucky I kept them to find out reality

Click to expand...

Oh Stan, I highly doubt you're junk I guess I'm fortunate though in that I never had to deal with trying to make music on a junk uke - even the cheapie I started with was a decent instrument.

Down Up Dick said:

I really, really wish I had a bigger music room. We shoulda bought a bigger house. My wife's sewing room is also too small ld:

Click to expand...

DUD, imagine my reality: I both make music *and* sew, and don't have a special room reserved for either. In both cases, it's called my living room

Katz-in-Boots said:

I am easily swayed by other UUers' posts into wanting a uke. I should stay out of the UU marketplace, HMS, Flea Market, ebay and anywhere else I might see a uke I want.

Click to expand...

It's interesting, I like to think that I'm somewhat immune to this but in retrospect, it's happened - both in favor of going custom (which wasn't really the right choice for me), and also against getting a longneck way back in 2016 or so when I first became aware of them.

Inksplosive AL said:

Every instrument has a song/style or what some might call the soul locked away in it. Years ago a friend that was an accomplished guitarist picked up my BC Rich Warlock and started playing some really heavy riffs quite unlike anything I had ever heard him play. I asked him where the hell that all came from and he explained that every instrument has a different song locked in it.

...

PS I also learned I really only like soprano due to string tension.

Click to expand...

Even after playing for years now I still haven't developed either the ear, or the repertoire, to warrant different instruments (e.g. different tonewoods, or to want to play something else like bari or guitar). In a way I hope this never changes - being able to play everything I like to play on the ukes I have is a good place to be.

As for sopranos - I don't really dislike them, and I still have one, but it mostly comes out for songs that have stretches I can't quite make on my concert ukes. I do love the one I have but I probably won't ever be tempted to buy another one - aside from ergonomics, I far prefer the characteristics of longer scale ukes.

70sSanO said:

I agree with this, not that either the uke or Stan or I were junk, but it sometimes takes a while to figure out/understand how to setup and play a particular ukulele. After a while there is a bond and both the uke and the player are able to coax out some pretty good sounds.

John

Click to expand...

Yes you learn about set ut up, tuning, strings, techniques, fine tuning by ear, alternate tunings etc.
Yup i Blamed my inadequacies and shortcomings on the uke, and kept aquiring better and better ukes, now i grab
My first ones and play them in realization that they actually sound good and i enjoy them too. Yes i got sidetracked but im sure Everyone will reach to this point and comprehend this one day, if not now but in the near future
You can enjoy any uke, sure high end ones do sound and play better, but enjoyment comes from any uke or instrument once you attain the skills ..happy strummings

Katz-in-Boots said:

A warm, rich sounding concert with great tone that plays well with a low G (and isn't made of mahogany) is what I want - preferably with some nice blingy paua shell purfling & rosette, but the sound & playability are most important.

Click to expand...

Which wood types would provide this? On some days, koa strikes me as too bright, and mahogany as a little "muddy", and I kind of would like something in between, possibly the same sound you're after. I'll probably get an Opio Concert next month, both to experience a quality concert and to see if the mixture of KoAloha brightness and mahogany (sapele) might not give me the tone I'm after. If that experiment works, tone-wise, I might snatch up the two other Opio sizes too before the sapele is discontinued (they're switching to acacia for the Opio line). At least the soprano because I sat down on my one soprano that I had, and I feel I should have one.

But the concert first, because as a size it seems to combine the aspects I like about the smaller and bigger sizes, and I would be most thrilled if that turned out to be the size I'm really and fully satisfied with (this is tricky because as I gain more experience and observe what others do with their instruments, my ukulele interests also shift and morph).

As to the lessons learned ...

I haven't gone through a lot of ukuleles yet, especially not costly ones, and I feel I'm still exploring, but what I have learned is that for me it's impossible to predict what I'll like or dislike until I give it a try, and that I need a longer time with an instrument to properly evaluate it. I also learned that really a lot depends on my ability (or lack there of) as a player, and that it might have been a good idea to stick with my first decent instrument for at least half a year, if not a year, before buying anything else.

By trying out too much (sizes) too soon, I ended up confusing myself quite a bit. If I was into the whole buying-selling thing, and preferably lived in the US, that would probably be different as selling and buying there is much easier, especially once you get into the $500+ region.

What I am glad about is that I discovered that I like the KoAloha sound. That tamed my curiosity and limited the options I'm interested in, which is a good thing as it allows more focus and gives an idea where to look, and what for. It also helps that I don't value bling highly, and actually prefer plain instruments, so the ukuleles I would like to explore are at least affordable for me. I feel that I'm probably happiest with instruments that don't go over a thousand dollars.

Oh, and I also bought a vintage instrument, a Lyon & Healy soprano from the 1920s. This one taught me that vintage is not for me. It is a lovely instrument, but I worry too much about damaging it, so I treat it more like a collectible. There is also the aspect of maintenance which I probably worry too much about, but I just don't want to fuzz around with old stuff that is irreplaceable, and I don't want to collect ukuleles (or anything else).

What I learned from owning multiple ukuleles is that they're all different and all somehow fit some need. Even the el cheapo ones I can let my kids take to school, lend 'em out to people, etc.

The better ones, they're all great in different ways. But one thing I noticed is that the more I play one, my ears adjust to it and the others sound rather different, sometimes bad, until I play another long enough for my ears to adjust again.

So it looks like I have a tendency to adjust to whatever I'm playing and enjoy it. So, really, what's the point of having more than one, right?

Well, the point of having more than one for me is being delighted that I own multiple ukuleles that I love and can hear the differences when I have them all out of their cases. Then an evil materialistic side of me is just proud that I own them, hehe.

Mivo said:

What I am glad about is that I discovered that I like the KoAloha sound. That tamed my curiosity and limited the options I'm interested in, which is a good thing as it allows more focus and gives an idea where to look, and what for. It also helps that I don't value bling highly, and actually prefer plain instruments, so the ukuleles I would like to explore are at least affordable for me. I feel that I'm probably happiest with instruments that don't go over a thousand dollars.

Oh, and I also bought a vintage instrument, a Lyon & Healy soprano from the 1920s. This one taught me that vintage is not for me. It is a lovely instrument, but I worry too much about damaging it, so I treat it more like a collectible. There is also the aspect of maintenance which I probably worry too much about, but I just don't want to fuzz around with old stuff that is irreplaceable, and I don't want to collect ukuleles (or anything else).

Click to expand...

Substitute Kamaka for Koaloha and I could have written that first bit

I know a few people with vintage Martins (including a 5K) and they take them out and about like any other uke - which I think is great. But they always seem to have issues with cracks developing, or bridges popping off, or whatnot - so yeah, maintenance as you said. I don't think I had my vintage uke long enough to have to worry about any of that, but the darned thing just wouldn't stay in tune and at the time my ear wasn't keen enough to compensate. I figured that learning to play was challenging enough, so the least I could do for myself was get a uke that stayed in tune!

I've confirmed that I've gotten in way deeper than I ever expected, but have also found joy and added back some lost passion into my life.

I learned that I will always love learning new things, but that I don't really need to go head over heels in acquiring new things while learning. It's been such a kick though! I really enjoyed experiencing so many different brands and tonewoods. I also ended up with a case of GAS but that has been fun too. Same journey, but it takes up way more space.

I learned a lot about how these instruments are built and how they work, because along the way I had to study how to assess condition and issues before purchasing and fixing up some of them, but as yet haven't tried taking apart or building. I learned a lot more of that with the guitars though.

I learned to buy well enough to sell for what I paid or mostly make a profit.

In searching out examples of people playing ukes I learned that I liked a lot more types of music than I originally figured, and that led to learning about many new to me artists past and present, so it broadened my musical taste and deepened my knowledge. I learned I love the blues. I got deeper into folk and bluegrass. Country, well I have been a diehard fan since 1978.

I learned I would get more out of my instruments if I studied theory and proper technique. In that process I learned I didn't want a 12 fret soprano anymore. I'm down to a circa '40 Martin 3M with 17 frets, and two wall hangers I still really like. One is a little solid mahogany, spruce topped Bobby Henshaw; with phenomenal purfling and rosette with real abalone, and a soft burst, missing it's 12th fret wire and with a long back crack that closed up in my local humidity, but that thing is so loud and ringy! And I got it for $23 plus shipping on eBay. I just love looking at it.

I learned the names and reputations of many companies, sellers, and luthiers, and got to experience many of them first hand from my own buys or a generous friend who let me try theirs.

I learned to hear everything that is in a song a lot better from trying to play the bits and pieces of it. The different instruments, the technical skills of the musicians, the phrasing, and the names for what I was hearing happen.

My basic takeaway from all the experience is that:

I prefer quality, so generally higher end ukes. I'm sensitive to my environment so I feel the difference. Fit and finish and setup and the feel of the neck and fretwire size is important. My Collings UT-2 would be perfect if the fretwire was fatter. However I always got a kick out of my Makala Dolphin and vintage plastic ukes.

I like 'em light; I want to feel it vibrate all the way up to the headstock when it responds on its own to a plucked string on another close by uke or guitar.

I like arched or rounded backs, but I don't like sloped sides because the uke is less stable to hold seated.

I love side ports. I also really like the paisley soundholes on my Tacoma C1C Chief and my Tacoma Papoose guitars.

I love the built in arm curves or slots on the bass side of the lower bout but don't have a uke with one.

I like a radius because of the old "baseball break" on my fretting hand ring finger, but I can adjust back and forth.

I adore pineapples but I prefer tenor and baritone size ukuleles, so I only have one left, which is a flawless long scale concert in myrtle and spruce.

I have contemplated the Pono Nui, I am however over larger tenor guitars.

I specifically prefer solid all mahogany and all koa tenors. And rosewood topped with cedar or spruce. And that Oregon myrtle is a super tonewood. I am not opposed to carbon fiber, I own a Composite Acoustics Cargo guitar. Love it!

Not too much bling. I like wood on wood, not much shell but I love refined and elegant wood inlay; the body wood should be the hero. I love wood that is stripey (especially on the fretboard) or flamey or highly figured. Bling I like on the 1900-20s parlor guitars, especially the higher end Brazilian rosewood models. I own two.

I learned that some big name boutique builders are way over-rated and some small builders are really top notch.

Mostly I decided not to worry about how many I have (I just did an inventory) and I have sold as many or more as I have now, and I have chosen what to sell next to reduce by 50%.

I DID learn not to rush a sale. I sold a few good ukes because the set up was flawed, and I struggled with them. When I finally played a Ko'olau and then later a Collings it blew me away. Neither one was exceptional to look at but the setup was perfection! (MY Collings is gorgeous). So I make sure the set up is right on. I give an instrument several string changes and lots of time to settle them, and many different play sessions and compare it several times to the current keepers before I kiss it goodbye. Strings and humidity changes make a big difference so I make allowances now too for that. I am still a little bit sorry I sold an older chocolate and honey colored all solid koa Mele tenor a few years ago, and that when I saw it on CL a year later at half what I sold it for, I didn't make the drive to go get it back.

As said in another posting, my first purchase was really 3 different sized ukes so that I could find the ideal scale size for me, (I don't have transport or a local store where I could try them out).

This has shown me that I am not a tenor fan, therefore not baritone either, because they are too big for my liking.

I have also found that the concert scale is better for me than the soprano, though I have both, I will concentrate on the concert scale.

I doubt that I will ever purchase a high end uke, as I don't see/hear enough of a difference to justify the prices.

I like a more mellow tone rather than the sharp sound of some sopranos, more toward a mahogany sound.

I have also discovered that I quite like electro acoustic & electric ukes.

But, I think, the most important thing I have found since starting learning the uke is this forum & the many people who play ukes nowadays.

Great thread! I've been playing since '03 but obsessively for only the past 3 years. All this is in my humble opinion.

A new uke for me has to have a rounded edge where the top meets the sides. If it's more squared off, it really bothers my forearm. I like low action. Even good friction tuners are kind of a pain but I'll live with them. Fluorocarbons and Aquila Reds sound better than nylons and super/nylguts, but I want to try Aldrine's new mint greens when they're ready. Nut width, I adjusted to the wider Kanilea when I played it, but I prefer the standard.

At this point I've owned all solid ukes of mahogany, koa, acacia, mango, and laminate. I've liked the tone of all, and would get them all again except perhaps acacia. At this point I want to try cherry (RIP Martin 3C), and softwood/hardwood combos.

Tenor size is not for me. I can play it fine without pain but the fingerstyle I like is faster and easier on concert and soprano. I'll stick with those going forward.

UAS. Sometimes I get tired of myself thinking about new ukes all the time. On the one hand it's an awesome hobby down here. I love playing and wouldn't quit. But UAS is frustrating when I can't order easily and securely to this country, or try before I buy. I agree with Janeray about the value of trying before you buy. I made a rule of that.. and then recently ordered a new one unseen. So it's fingers crossed once again.

Someday I'll take my family on a classic American summer vacation road trip and hit Elderly etc on the way, try everything, and then my knowledge of the Force will be complete. And back to Hawaii. And while I'm dreaming, does anyone ever think about this? To end my UAS, what if I save up and shoot the moon and just get a 5k or a DeVine, and let that be the end of it, and never think about a new uke again because I have the top of the line?

I agree with Dave about finding out your perfect playability. Thanks to Lenny I found mine in a Mya Moe. As soon as I picked it up I could tell it leveled up my playability. I may never own one. But that type of neck is something I'll talk to luthiers about in the future.

Response from a quality instrument is real! A Kanilea left me going huh and then with a big smile. It really gave me more when I asked it to. I didn't realize I was doing it. I played the way I always do. But I began to notice some character to the notes coming out. What a cool thing!

When I'm in the act of playing, I don't think about UAS. So concentrate on that, me. Also ukes rule!

For me it's been finding out what I really like. I've bought some ukes after trying them and others over the internet and gradually passed on those that I'm not keen on, mostly cheaper ones. I've ended up with three Brukos, Three Risa solid (one stick and two Uke'Ellie), a Flea and a Fluke all of which are keepers. I also have two cheap ones, one of which lives in my car boot (aka trunk) and one which is a loan uke for my uke group. I have a banjo uke and a U bass both of which I'm intending selling as I'm not playing them. Then there's the one I won in a raffle which is a soprano tuned ADF#B which I rarely play now but which I am reluctant to pass on for sentimental reasons.

I keep thinking I would like a --------- then after giving it some thought decide that actually I'm not really that bothered so I think I've reached a kind of equilibrium at the moment. I have eight that I play regularly in different circumstances, three that I play less often for different reasons but I am keeping - for now at least - and two that I need to sell on when I get round to it.

What have I learned? This is going to be long, but the lesson is short.

I have 4 ukuleles. I bought 5, returned one. My first was a Kala KA-S, a birthday present given to me in December 2010. At first I thought I would strum and sing with it. But it turns out I don't like to hear myself sing, LOL. This uke is fine for strumming but really no good for fingerpicking, its tone and intonation were lacking (I have played other instruments for years before getting a uke, so I have a decent ear). That leads me to my next one....

Second uke was my first attempt at a purchase, another soprano: a LoPrinzi model A mahogany. I had a strange feeling when I opened the case, a sense of disappointment. And I could see no reason why, right off the bat. The uke was lovely, beautiful wood and impeccably finished. It turned out my weird first impression was right, though, as I noticed a little while later that the neck had a twist. I posted about it here, got some good advice and off it went back to the seller. I was very very very sad to box it back up, and felt extremely discouraged about the ukulele in general. Until the next uke...

Third uke (though I really think of it as my second one): Kelii all koa concert. I bought this in February 2013, right after the LoPrinzi was returned, and very soon after it was revealed that Kelii's production had shifted from all-Hawaii construction to part-Hawaii, part-China. I got a great deal on it, and it has particularly beautiful koa for such a lower-priced model. Though I was really thinking more along the lines of a soprano with more than 12 frets (in fact, a big selling point of the LoPrinzi soprano was the fact that it joined at the 14th fret, though it wasn't a longneck), I found that I could handle the concert size quite well. This Kelii has about a 15.5 inch scale, slightly longer than the usual concert scale, slightly less than a Kamaka Ohta-San. It has a thick neck, and it is overall a very substantial ukulele. I wouldn't call it overbuilt, the top is thin and has a small belly, but it's solid and with the neck so thick it's a bit heavier. This has all led to it sounding beautiful when strung low G, which I really resisted for quite a while; in fact it was only after I got my next uke that I really gave it a try. I have wound G and C strings--Fremont Soloist and Thomastik-Infeld CF27--and E and A are Living Waters. I think it sounds a lot like a tenor. But I wanted a nicer soprano...

Fourth uke is something I wanted from the start: a Kamaka pineapple, purchased in October 2014. I love this uke. It is indisputably my favorite. I bought it new from The Ukulele Site, and though I had seen pictures of it before it arrived, when I opened the case it was love! I can't really explain why. It just sounds so Hawaiian to me, and it loves jaunty chord melodies and fast strumming. I still haven't found "the" strings for it, but there are quite a few left to try, LOL. It's a wonderful uke, and the intonation is fantastic. But like all sopranos, it's a bit lacking in the sustain department for some solos I like to play, ones that go high up the neck, so I wanted a high G instrument with good sustain up to at least the 10th fret...

Fifth uke is from a builder I long admired: Allen McFarlen of Barron River. I have a mahogany concert uke, one of two built at the same time (YorkSteve owns its sibling). It had been sitting unsold on the website for a while, and mountain goat/Jon put up a YouTube video on a now-defunct channel. So I was able to actually hear a uke being played before I bought it!!!! Anyway, I had been wanting a tenor, but was worried about how my short fingers would handle it. So when I saw that this concert was available and the Australian dollar wasn't doing so hot against the US dollar, I snagged it. It has a very classic uke sound, it's a lightly built instrument, strung with Fremont Blackline mediums, and just rings. It's my high G fingerpicking instrument. And now I am--really, truly--not looking for another ukulele.

What have I learned?
Each ukulele has its own personality. Don't make it do what you want, let it tell you what it wants to play. It will sound its best if you listen to it. Give it time.

Katz-in-Boots said:

What I have learned:
A warm, rich sounding concert with great tone that plays well with a low G (and isn't made of mahogany) is what I want - preferably with some nice blingy paua shell purfling & rosette, but the sound & playability are most important.

Click to expand...

Mivo said:

Which wood types would provide this? On some days, koa strikes me as too bright, and mahogany as a little "muddy", and I kind of would like something in between, possibly the same sound you're after. I'll probably get an Opio Concert next month, both to experience a quality concert and to see if the mixture of KoAloha brightness and mahogany (sapele) might not give me the tone I'm after. If that experiment works, tone-wise, I might snatch up the two other Opio sizes too before the sapele is discontinued (they're switching to acacia for the Opio line). At least the soprano because I sat down on my one soprano that I had, and I feel I should have one.

Click to expand...

It's not a particular wood you're after, it's a luthier. Jake Maclay of Hive can build a warm sounding spruce and maple uke, my Kelii and Kamaka koa ukes are warm, full and rich--it's not the wood, it's who makes it.

Mivo said:

On some days, koa strikes me as too bright, and mahogany as a little "muddy", and I kind of would like something in between, possibly the same sound you're after. I'll probably get an Opio Concert next month, both to experience a quality concert and to see if the mixture of KoAloha brightness and mahogany (sapele) might not give me the tone I'm after.

Click to expand...

wayfarer75 said:

It's not a particular wood you're after, it's a luthier. Jake Maclay of Hive can build a warm sounding spruce and maple uke, my Kelii and Kamaka koa ukes are warm, full and rich--it's not the wood, it's who makes it.

Click to expand...

Mivo - a couple of thoughts on this. Personally I think the reason I favor Kamaka over Koaloha is exactly this - I've owned two Koalohas and while the volume, clarity and playability were all fantastic, I felt there was something lacking in the bottom end - maybe warmth and fullness might be what I hear more of in Kamakas. So I tend agree with wayfarer75's assessment that it may not be specific to the wood.

I can't recall which strings you have on your koa uke but one idea might be to try Worth Browns, which some of the Koaloha players I know tend to favor as they tend to produce a warmer sound. I don't think I ever tried them on mine, but in retrospect perhaps I should have...

Teek said:

.....but have also found joy and added back some lost passion into my life.

Click to expand...

This is the most import thing for me with regard to picking up a ukulele. The rest is just personal preference and indulgence (which I am comfortable with).