Mainland Ukes - are they really that good?

shalomjj

Active member
Joined
Jul 6, 2012
Messages
33
Reaction score
0
I am looking to buying a good concert uke and may try out a cedar top Mainland Uke. What are your opinions on this brand? Thanks!!
 
They are built and play way above their price point. They are an excellent value, and Mike the owner does a great job with inspection and setup. You may want to contact him directly at Mainland, in that he occasionally has slightly blemished 2nds, which he sells at a reduced price. Good company with a good, honest product.
 
I am looking to buying a good concert uke and may try out a cedar top Mainland Uke. What are your opinions on this brand? Thanks!!
I have a Mainland Mahogany concert with a MiSi Pickup. Most of the year it is my one and only. I get along fine with it and have not wished that I had gotten something else. I consider it the working man's ukulele. You get a lot for your money with a Mainland. I don't have a lot of experience with any other ukuleles, so I couldn't do a comparison.
 
I don't have a concert or a cedar top. But! My mainland tenor is super. I recommend Mainland...highly.
 
I have a Mainland tenor and my good friend has a Mainland concert. They're both cedar topped and are great ukuleles. I teach ukulele at the local community center and have recommended Mainland uses to three people and they are very satisfied.
 
I have a cedar soprano and a mahogany baritone and both are excellent instruments. Can't say enough good things about them.
 
My wife has a Mainland concert - rosewood body and red cedar top - and its an amazing uke. I swapped out the Aquila strings for Martin 600 fluorocarbon strings and it is a sweet, chimey, great sound. Recommended. One of the nicest sounding concert ukuleles I have heard.
 
I bought a mainland Red cedar top concert at our last Blackwater uke fest in sept 2016 and it is now one of two reenterant tuned ukes that I perform with all the time. Great intonation, tone balance, and overall volume. Nice feel and playing balance. Very pretty looking with rope style binding and such, but thats not what I bought it for (to look at). If something happened to it I would buy another. Great price for such a nice uke. I really like the sound of a cedar top.
 
I have both a mahagony Mainland tenor and baritone both of which I love dearly. Recently I attended the SCIUC (put on by Two Harbors,MN Uke Group) and several attendees were able to play both instruments. The unanimous response was the unbelievable tone and intonation for these instruments. Absolutely consider purchasing a Mainland. And Mainland Mike is a great person to deal with.
 
My mahogany Mainland tenor has been bringing me joy since spring. I love the timbre and sustain.
 
My daughter picked up a Mainland Red Cedar Pineapple super soprano (red cedar top and rosewood back and sides) last weekend. We picked it up at Uke Republic. It was easily the best sounding uke in the shop at that price point. Abigail absolutely loves the way it plays, and the tone is super sweet without being brash.
It is also an absolutely beautiful instrument. I suspect it's value will grow significantly within the next 20 years.
 
They are built and play way above their price point. They are an excellent value, and Mike the owner does a great job with inspection and setup. You may want to contact him directly at Mainland, in that he occasionally has slightly blemished 2nds, which he sells at a reduced price. Good company with a good, honest product.

What stevejfc said!
 
My good buddy Ramille has a Mainland that she loves. I've played it, and if I needed another uke, it would probably be a Mainland. Go for it!
 
I consider it the working man's ukulele.

Ooh I like it. A new motto for Mainland. I have a classic mahogany tenor cut-away and my wife has a concert. It is the only uke I play. I won a new Mahogany tenor at the Silver Creek Uke carnival last weekend. I am going to give that one to my brother-in-law.
 
I have two Mainland ukes, a Mango Concert and a Cedar/Rosewood Tenor, and I love them both.

I think Mainlands are the best value on earth for solid wood ukuleles! :cool:
 
I second Steedy on Mainlands being the best value for a solid wood uke. Mike is great to work with, and quality control is second to none! I purchased a Mainland mahogany soprano which was sold as a discounted second. I'm pretty particular, and really had to look to find the blemish. I've owned several ukes quadruple the price; many of which I've parted with. Quite honestly, I wouldn't part with my mainland to save my life! They are fantastic instruments for the money!
 
Last edited:
I have a cedar soprano and a mahogany baritone and both are excellent instruments. Can't say enough good things about them.

i have the opposite pair: mahogany soprano, cedar bari. I loved the soprano so much I barely blinked an eye before deciding to drive nearly 3 hours one way to get one of Mike's seconds, the baritone. He had several cedar topped instruments hanging on the wall. I'm sure I must have played a concert (I played them all!) Highly recommend!
 
I've spun through at least 20 ukuleles and the Mainland Tenor Mahogany is the only one I really regret getting rid of. They're definitely worth their dollars. Great value. Definitely recommended.
 
Top Bottom