Oh Wise One's, I need Your Advice.

Witters

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Hi folks, I wonder if any of you can nail something down once and for all for me.

For those that don’t know, I am a huge fan of the Flea. Never tried a Fluke but I’m sure I would have no issues with that either as only the shape is different.

One of the main reasons for this is because when I started about 2 years ago I had a bad run of buying Uke’s that I just didn’t like. Well known brands but not my cup of tea.
Then I bought a Kiwaya Soprano and that was superb. I like the sound and the fact that it is easy to play (in terms of fingering and action).
It is set very low and is very smooth.

Then I bought a Flea on a whim because I heard one on you tube and that was the same - action set low and easy to play.

I’m now looking to get a Koa Soprano or possibly a Concert size with the same action as the Flea and Kiwaya.
To your knowledge, is there a make out there that produces such a thing?
I think there may be because of my experience of the Kiwaya, but I do not want to order a Kamaka or Kanilea for instance if it is not the same.

Any thoughts?
 
I recommend buying the cheapest POS you can find and practice adjusting the action yourself. Once you're proficient at it, you can set up any uke any way you want. Just a thought.
 
Action can always be futzed with. It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to take some time and learn how to make those minor adjustments yourself. It's not that complicated.
But if you buy from a dealer who's got the know how to do a decent set up in the first place, it shouldn't be an issue. Let them know how you like things set when you plunk the hard green down.

Really I would be thinking more about sound, size and price range.
 
I would think a high end Uke would sond very well, so I'm more interested in how the action is set.
 
Keep in mind that I am new to the uke, just learning. I may have done it wrong, and I not even sure I done it right. When I take my wife shopping I usually sit in the car and wait for her, I am what you call a people watcher so this works foe me.

I had a $50 el-cheap-o uke that the action was way to high, and I never played with it turned out to be a wall hanger. I decide to mess with it I sanded the bottom of the nut to lower the action, changed strings. Now I keep it in the car and practices while wife shops. Nut and bridge material are cheap don’t be afraid to play around with them, if you mess them up they can be replaced and you can try again till you get what you want.
 
Sorry, but I’m not asking how to change the action, I am asking if there are any high end Uke’s out there that are made with as good an action as either the Kiwaya or Flea?
 
I don't think it's easy to generalize about that. With fleas and flukes they are all made in the same mold and all seem to have the same action. With other wooden ukes, each one is a little different since the fret board is wood and metal frets, and there may be very slight differences due to the wood,neck or bridge. Even in a batch of the same factory ukes, some will be better than others. If you are real particular about what you want and feel good about playing, try to visit a good uke shop or uke fest and try them out in person instead of ordering online.
 
Not easily achieved I'm afraid. In the UK we only now have 1 shop in London which does not carry many high end Uke's.

The Kiways all seem the same with very low action so they are obviously all made like that.
 
Not easily achieved I'm afraid. In the UK we only now have 1 shop in London which does not carry many high end Uke's.

The Kiways all seem the same with very low action so they are obviously all made like that.

How many Kiwayas have you played with? I know they are one of the best reputation imported ukes out there.You get a high end uke it should have a low action or at the least a very playable action. I've never picked up a Kamaka, Kanilea, or Koolau that wasn't well made. I did not always like their sounds but they were set up great. Normally you get what you pay for.
 
I've had a Flea, Kiwaya KTS-4, and soprano Lanikai (the solid koa line made by Kanile'a). In my opinion, the feel of the Kanile'a is nothing like the other two. I absolutely love that instrument, but if you're looking for another uke that feels/plays very closely to the Flea and Kiwaya, then I think you can rule out this one. Just keep in mind, this is one person's opinion. :)
 
its not really high end, but my lanikai CK-TEQ has perfect action. Low and easy to play but it doesnt buzz at all, or hit the frets. pretty durable, but the finish has worn down alot. it has aged well i would say. It still sounds great, after 4 years but i still have to be careful with it.
 
John, I have tried quite a few and a few of the whole range.

Natalie, I suspected as much that is why I asked anyone who has personal knowledge on this subject.
I have also tried Pono and Kaloha and they don’t come close although to be fair, the Pono was not that bad. An O’hana I had was virtually unplayable as was the Brueko which sounded awful anyway.

The thing that gives me more brain damage than anything else is the action. I know you can have it altered if you don’t want to do it yourself but why should you have to?

A friend of mine sells $100,000 cars for a living. He let me drive one and I commented that in my opinion the brakes felt a little spongy to what I had been used to. He said that was standard but if I wanted one he would have it altered to what I wanted.

So, when buying a $1000 - $2000 Ukulele, why is there not an option to have this done? Why is it that you have to take it somewhere else or do it yourself?
And why is not a low action standard?. The vast majority want a low action so why do they set it up high?

As I said the Flea is perfect and so is the Kiwaya. I just thought that I would try something else and as I have to buy online I thought I would ask opinions on other well know Uke’s.
 
Witters you have a great point when you say why can't I get one that way. It comes down to customer service I guess. I play a Mele and the action is sweet. So most of the Kiwayas have great action? If it is a norm stick with that company. I stick with Mele (even though I want a KoAloha and will get one eventually) b/c there set up and sound and price is so great. It does suck buying online. Makes a consumer weary of trying different products.

How low of action are you looking for? You could probally contact a dealer or shop and ask them to adjust the action for you. When I played guitar I was told before that many manufactuers leave the action at a mid height to allow the players to adjust to their height of preference. Not sure if the salesman was blowing smoke up my butt or not but that is what he told me when I asked how come the Taylor had a higher action than the Dean I was looking at.
 
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Thanks for that John and thanks for the info Nikolo.

All the Kiwaya's I have tried are low and superb instruments. There are a couple of reviews on youtube, one by Ken Middleton on the Soprano.
They are not cheap though but they are good. The company has been going for nearly 100 years or so.

There is a shop not too far away that can change the action for me. I spoke to the guy who works there and he told me he does it all the time for his Guitar customers and he recommends having it done to new players to make life easier.
I agree with him on that because the Flea for instance makes a big thing about it being easy to play and the Flea is recommended especially for new players.

I am not a fast strummer and most of the stuff I play is slower songs that I try and jazz up a bit.
I even slow up songs like 5 foot 2 - not much just a bit.
So a nice low action suits me and that is why I like the Flea. But I would like to get a traditional Koa because of the sound, but at as good an action or very nearly at least.
 
So, when buying a $1000 - $2000 Ukulele, why is there not an option to have this done? Why is it that you have to take it somewhere else or do it yourself?
And why is not a low action standard?. The vast majority want a low action so why do they set it up high?

For the mid-range Factory `ukulele (Kamaka, KoAloha, Kanile`a et al), the supposed reason the action is set a little higher is so that you can set it low yourself. Its a factory instrument, and it has to work everywhere. When humidity dries out and the neck moves, action may be changed. Easier to lower the action, than to raise it. At that range, its still a factory instrument, and very general in every sense.

Of course, get Casey, Paul or Joe to build it, then you wouldn't be asking the question of why you have to have it done - it'll already be there. No spongy brakes, there.

Seems you need a custom, since you're already talking high end anyway.

Then again, you get sellers like MGM, who will touch almost every saddle that leaves his hands, and he's not a builder. I say "almost", because I know he doesn't touch any saddle that he gets from me, or other custom builders. On the customs, he doesn't touch anything, usually, not even strings. I've done a few finish touch ups, but that just goes to show that nobody is perfect, although some are better than others (again, none perfect).

-Aaron
 
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If it is a given fact that every Uke made, is made on the understanding that any buyer does so with the knowledge that he/she will have to have it altered to suit, then fair enough.

But I didn’t know this and I doubt that many do - well relatively new players at least.
Of course, I can understand someone getting a Uke and then deciding that he does not like the set up so fiddles with it, but this is the norm in most hobbies.

This makes me very reluctant now to go for something very expensive. Book matched and nicely decorated means very little to me because all that is cosmetic. To me that is a bonus rather than a must have.
My idea of Uke heaven is something that is well built, sounds good, and has a nice playing action. I know that exists with the Kiwaya at least.
 
When negotiating with a seller, it's worth trying to get them to throw in an action adjustment. If you tell them you like the instrument but the high action is a deal-breaker, they might hook you up.
 
I recently purchased a used Kiwaya KTS 6 soprano and this is the finest uke I have ever played or heard. The action seems fine for me but I am not sure if thats the way it came from Kiwaya. Apparently the KTS 6 was discontinued as being too close to the KTS 7. I got a good deal on this one but I think its worth it to buy a higher end instrument as you can afford I think it actually encourages the player because of its quality and sound.
 
My idea of Uke heaven is something that is well built, sounds good, and has a nice playing action.

Then get a KoAloha. They're wonderful. Action on mine is perfect. It's extremely well-built and it sounds gorgeous.
 
All the Kiwaya Uke's are superb as I said before. Even MGM states on his website that these are the finest production made instruments he has seen - that statement is written about one of the Kiwaya's he is selling.

Sukie, glad you like the KoAloha, personally I don't and I have tried 1 Pineapple and 2 Soprano.
High action, buzzing, and broken tuners didn't help. Compared to the Kiwaya they are not very good at all. Just my opinion though of course.
 
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