Price versus quality - would like thoughts from experience

I'm looking to buy a new solid wood tenor uke. I currently have a soprano Flea.

I want to purchase something with a 1 3/8" wide fretboard at the nut. To the best of my understanding, this limits the brands to: Kala, Kelii, Koolau, Kamaka, Honu, G-string.

The price of these instruments varies widely, and that is where I begin to run into some issues...

My ear is pretty picky, and it bothers me to have a fretboard with intonation that is off. I can tell when the the intonation is off 5 cents. I also appreciate good build quality, but don't care about bling. However, funds are tight.

Is there enough of a difference in the accuracy of intonation and build quality between a Kala and a Koolau that it would be worth saving for the Koolau?

Koolau's, and other $500+, aren't available where I live so one would be ordered without the benefit of playing it or inspecting it first. I'm not thrilled by that prospect at this price range as I know from my own experience that sound can vary instrument to instrument.

How does the Honu fall into the mix in terms of intonation, sound, and build quality?

The Kelii's are out of the running because I want something with a bone/imitation bone nut and saddle.

Kamaka tenors are out because of price.

Mainland ukes are too wide at the nut.

Thanks for your thoughts.

My Honu's intonation and tone are amazing. It's not the loudest of ukes, but with worth clears I'm not sure I'd call it quiet anymore.

spots said:

The Kelii's are out of the running because I want something with a bone/imitation bone nut and saddle.
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You can easily replace the nut and saddle. Kelii's are great for the money.

If you can tell the intonation is off by 5 cents by ear and it bothers you, I recommend flying to Hawaii and picking through a bunch of ukes. Two ukes that seem identical can sound different. Because there are so many variants, it would be difficult to say brand X will always ship out a perfect uke.

There aren't too many places near us that have quality ukes. The closest would probably be http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=ukulele4u Rob is great guy. Maybe you could drive down one day and spend time in his shop going over his selection.

Leftovermagic84 - Thanks for the comments about the Honu. By any chance do you have any sound samples of your setup?

deach said:

You can easily replace the nut and saddle. Kelii's are great for the money.

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Good to know. I forgot that my Flea has a single piece wooden bridge/saddle and so far no issues there. I've worn out nuts and bridges on other instruments, but those were strung with metal strings. Wasn't sure how a wooden nut would hold up over time with nylon strings (or a wound low g string).

deach said:

If you can tell the intonation is off by 5 cents by ear and it bothers you, I recommend flying to Hawaii and picking through a bunch of ukes. Two ukes that seem identical can sound different. Because there are so many variants, it would be difficult to say brand X will always ship out a perfect uke.

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My wife was not turned off by the prospect of a buying trip to Hawaii...

The ear thing developed from years of tuning bagpipes by ear. You have to tune four sets of reeds to match each other. You start listening to the individual drones and chanter notes in relation to the other parts of the bagpipes. When components are out of tune you hear a beating or pulsing to the sound. As you bring them in tune you hit a sweet spot where the beats disappear everything becomes one continuous sound even though one of the drones is an octave lower. In addition you also have to get the individual notes of the scale on your chanter to be accurate as you are playing the scale, or you get that out of sync beat/vibration on individual notes as you play a tune.

I know it probably sounds like picking nits to people, but you get used listening to how the tone of individual the notes sound in relation to the sound of the instrument as a whole. It's hard not to hear it (or to ignore it) after so many years of that being the method for how to tune an instrument.

deach said:

There aren't too many places near us that have quality ukes. The closest would probably be http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=ukulele4u Rob is great guy. Maybe you could drive down one day and spend time in his shop going over his selection.

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Not a bad recommendation. It would be a good drive and nice day trip.

First off, you need to determine a budget. Of the 6 brands you named, 3 (Ko'olau, Kamaka, G-String) are in the 1K range and handmade in Hawai'i. Keli'i is made by KC Moore and I think in the $600-700 range. Honu and Kala are made overseas. I think the Keli'i would fit your needs and the build quality of the Keli'i is excellent. You'll get what you pay for. And as deach mentioned, you can change out the nut and saddle. That's just my personal opinion. You can check with Ukulele Friend (Sean Yacavone) and I believe he has a few available if you're interested. You can also check Builder's List for Hawaiian made instruments.

I am probably getting a Kala from MGM. Kalas won't need repair unless abused is what MGM told me. Think about getting the one in the link because it is great quality and good price for what you're getting http://cgi.ebay.com/KALA-KA-C-CONCE...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item5638753989

Kanaka916 said:

... Keli'i is made by KC Moore and I think in the $600-700 range. Honu and Kala are made overseas. I think the Keli'i would fit your needs and the build quality of the Keli'i is excellent. ...

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Bling-free Kelii tenors are in the $500 range.

Thanks folks.

I'll take a much closer look at the Keliis.

I love these forums because of the breadth of knowledge and experience, and willingness to share thoughts and experiences.

spots said:

Thanks folks.

I'll take a much closer look at the Keliis.

I love these forums because of the breadth of knowledge and experience, and willingness to share thoughts and experiences.

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Here's a Keli'i review from GX9901 from his blog Ukulele Ghetto. George has an unreal collection of instrument ranging from a Wiiliam King to Collings . . .

Nothing beats coming out to play the instruments for yourself to compare even from the same builder. Only something you're interested in may not be in stock.

I couldn't agree with you more, unfortunately there are a greater number of members who have limited or no access to stores stocking quality instruments.

Understanding that I don't know nuthin about nuthin, I do need to point out what I consider a great buy in an all wood Tenor.

THIS.

I've been talking to Mike at MGM about it, because I want a tenor and I want to try a Kala. He really likes this instrument. He compares the tone to the old Martins. He assures me he can set it up for low action, and he says the intonation is very good.

The price point is great. It's not a custom built instrument in the league of the ones previously mentioned, but it also is $230.

spots said:

I'm looking to buy a new solid wood tenor uke. I currently have a soprano Flea.

I want to purchase something with a 1 3/8" wide fretboard at the nut. To the best of my understanding, this limits the brands to: Kala, Kelii, Koolau, Kamaka, Honu, G-string.

The price of these instruments varies widely, and that is where I begin to run into some issues...

My ear is pretty picky, and it bothers me to have a fretboard with intonation that is off. I can tell when the the intonation is off 5 cents. I also appreciate good build quality, but don't care about bling. However, funds are tight.

Is there enough of a difference in the accuracy of intonation and build quality between a Kala and a Koolau that it would be worth saving for the Koolau?

Koolau's, and other $500+, aren't available where I live so one would be ordered without the benefit of playing it or inspecting it first. I'm not thrilled by that prospect at this price range as I know from my own experience that sound can vary instrument to instrument.

How does the Honu fall into the mix in terms of intonation, sound, and build quality?

The Kelii's are out of the running because I want something with a bone/imitation bone nut and saddle.

Kamaka tenors are out because of price.

Mainland ukes are too wide at the nut.

Thanks for your thoughts.

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have you looked into Meles yet? They have pretty thin necks and their quality is great. If not then do. Also I will second the keli'is, even though I have never played one. I am researching keli'i now and can not find anything negative on them.

haolejohn - I'll look into the Mele's.

The only drawback I've found with the Kelii's is that it appears their tenor size has a wider neck than the smaller sizes. 1 7/16" wide (or 1.43" for you decimal folks).

Maybe it would be easier to get larger hands/longer fingers....

There's a difference between solid mahogany and solid koa in terms of tone as well - so if there's a way you could just try out how each wood sounds to you, it might help with the choosing. Same goes for size - since concert necks would generally be slimmer as well.

As for intonation, it really depends on the individual ukulele. Obviously, the chances of getting perfect intonation on say a 10$ ukulele would be a lot lower than a Kamaka. But the brands you've listed all have good reputation and quality control for the most part, or so I've heard.If you can't see the ukulele in person, then buying from a trusted online seller would actually be the best way to ensure the best intonation, if you're choosing amongst the brands you've listed.

I have a Honu concert, so I'm not sure what the neck widths of the tenors are, but mine does have quite a slim neck, which I like as well. But, yes, I love my Honu! I think it's a great ukulele for the price (but then, so are most of the brands you're looking into).

I would save my money and get a Kamaka. I find them to be the most consistant "production" ukulele and they hold or increase in value. Understanding that you have a particular ear, you can buy from a place (like Larry's Music on Kauai) that will play a sound sample so you can listen before you buy.

ke leo said:

I would save my money and get a Kamaka. I find them to be the most consistant "production" ukulele and they hold or increase in value. Understanding that you have a particular ear, you can buy from a place (like Larry's Music on Kauai) that will play a sound sample so you can listen before you buy.

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This is a great resource for those of us who are new to the ukulele culture. Thank you all.

I am between a brand-new solid koa tenor -vs- a used Kamaka Tenor (both priced the same, about $600-650). I've heard the kamaka (sweeeeet), but I do not have the luxury or convenience to try too many koa ukes. My friend just got a Kelii solid koa tenor, and it sounds nice, too. Subtle differences between the two, and it may be due simply to strings, room acoustics, etc. Should I save up for a new Kamaka, or should I just get this used kamaka, or should I just get a new solid koa uke (not kamaka)?

I understand that it is all personal preference, that ukes that sound nice to some may not sound as good to others. But in general, is it safe to assume that a kamaka (new or used) will be good?

I've heard a solid mahogany tenor uke (Kala) and a solid koa tenor uke (Kelii, Kamaka), and I have to say that my ears really "like" the tone from a koa uke. My friend who got a Kelii almost got a Honu, but decided to go for the Kelii because he has large fingers and MGM recommended that the thicker neck of the Kelii will suit him better.

I have the Kala KA-S, and the only reason I am thinking of upgrading is because the soprano is too small for me. Otherwise, I don't mind the laminate, but having heard a solid koa uke... I have to look for a second job.

Find out what the production date on the Kamaka and make your decision from there. I tend to prefer the '04 and earlier HF-3 models and for $650 (depending on condition), I don't think you can go wrong. Again, my personal opinion.

Kanaka916 said:

Find out what the production date on the Kamaka and make your decision from there. I tend to prefer the '04 and earlier HF-3 models and for $650 (depending on condition), I don't think you can go wrong. Again, my personal opinion.

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the kamaka is relatively new, has a white label with a purple cape and the red "kamaka ukulele" lettering. i think this dates it to 2001 and newer, but i don't know if it is pre-'04. I am inclined to just go for the kamaka.

If you like the tone, playability and looks, go for it!