Different Than a Mahogany Mainland Concert

I have a Mahogany Mainland Concert and would like to add a very Different sounding Uke to my collection.
What in the Sub $300 range, Concert, would sound Noticeably Different? (no banjolele, resonators, and etc).

I have the same uke, and I'm trying to convince myself a spruce top with maple back and sides would sound drastically different, but I'm not sure. Right now I'm lusting after an Ohana CK-75CG. Another option is always a mainland red ceder concert, for a much brighter tone

leftovermagic84 said:

I have the same uke, and I'm trying to convince myself a spruce top with maple back and sides would sound drastically different, but I'm not sure. Right now I'm lusting after an Ohana CK-75CG. Another option is always a mainland red ceder concert, for a much brighter tone

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Wow, that Ohana CK-75CG is one great looking Uke!

I know right? I want it so bad I had a staredown with it straight out of the Good the Bad and the Ugly...the only thing missing was the tumbleweed.

What didn't you like about the Vita that you are selling? Isn't that different enough?

deach said:

What didn't you like about the Vita that you are selling? Isn't that different enough?

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Good point, It actually fits-the-bill well. Honestly, I'm a bit on the fence on selling it...
I made a few $'s selling my other 2 ukes and thought that if I sell the Vita, I could upgrade 3 ukes for 1.
If it sells, it sells.... if it doesn't then I'll make an effort to play it more.
Right now, I just would prefer to have fewer instruments and figured going up-market would take care of it.

Paul December said:

Good point, It actually fits-the-bill well. Honestly, I'm a bit on the fence on selling it...
I made a few $'s selling my other 2 ukes and thought that if I sell the Vita, I could upgrade 3 ukes for 1.
If it sells, it sells.... if it doesn't then I'll make an effort to play it more.
Right now, I just would prefer to have fewer instruments and figured going up-market would take care of it.

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I can understand the want for a more expensive instrument but a sub $300 uke isn't going to be much better than the Vita. Those things are really a nice value. What you have my friend is UAS.

Paul December said:

Good point, It actually fits-the-bill well. Honestly, I'm a bit on the fence on selling it...
I made a few $'s selling my other 2 ukes and thought that if I sell the Vita, I could upgrade 3 ukes for 1.
If it sells, it sells.... if it doesn't then I'll make an effort to play it more.
Right now, I just would prefer to have fewer instruments and figured going up-market would take care of it.

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That Vita is so cool! I've been sitting here wondering if I should get it, lol!

deach said:

I can understand the want for a more expensive instrument but a sub $300 uke isn't going to be much better than the Vita. Those things are really a nice value. What you have my friend is UAS.

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Ain't that the truth! I guess I could blow my $$$ on food, or a car payment.

Variation on a (very old) Joke:
A guy comes up to me at a Uke-jam begging for money to buy food...
...I say, "how do I know you won't just blow it on a new ukulele?"
He says, "Don't worry, I already got Uke money"

You might eventually have a look at Kelii. MGM's got a solid koa soprano up at the three hundred mark. One I've got is a sweet and bright little instrument and also a good value for the money. It's a keeper and a personal favorite of my small herd.

But I'm with Deach. The Vita might be worth setting aside some time for. Give it a fair shake before it goes on the block. There's no time limit just that awful nagging pull of UAS. (It's like a nic fit only more expensive)

deach said:

I can understand the want for a more expensive instrument but a sub $300 uke isn't going to be much better than the Vita. Those things are really a nice value. What you have my friend is UAS.

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Deach,I've got to say I like your approach to instruments. It's really an approach to life and music. In another thread, you made a comment about loving your $99 uke just as much as your customs. When I hear stuff like that, I know I'm listening to a musician talking and someone who is ultimately about playing.

Specific to the OP concern and the Vita, you are dead on. This is of course a price/quality question, diminishing returns, etc...BUT and let me add to your statement about UAS (and my own past experience with GAS): you know you've got it bad when even the whole sense of "upgrade" gets blurred. In the land of electric guitars this also includes nearly endless costly mods which add up to the cost of a better instrument...available stock or attempts as they say "to polish a turd." And purchases and reselling/trading on and on. In the land of ukes, it can be "decisions" like this...where if we listen to ourselves think/speak...the intonation is off.

Paul December, this is people who hardly know you reaching out to you (hey, let's make it sound dramatic). As for myself I do so having been there...and I'm saying these things also to myself as a preemptive measure.

The other thing to add: play that thing more and more. You'll be suprised how much "better" it sounds. There is no way an infrequently played instrument sounds better and better. We're not talking wine here...

If you want to save up a bit, apparently there's a nice ukulele you can get for $5500. It even comes with a case!

nobody mentioned Flea or Fluke? Very very different from, well, anything!

pauljmuk said:

nobody mentioned Flea or Fluke? Very very different from, well, anything!

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My first and still favorite Uke is my Concert Tiki flea... I was gonna post about em but then the whole "what about the Vita you are selling" bit popped up

JT

I was playing an Ohana TK-50WG at a local shop the other day, and really liked the sound. Much brighter than mohogany, and the grain in the willow was beautiful. I think the concert version is available now.

Another vote for the Fluke or Flea. Also, my Kamao I bought from UU sounds different. You can listen to some sound clips from Aldrine....I find it brighter and more articulate then the Mainland.

Or the Red Cedar/Rosewood Mainland Ukes are also probably different sounding from the mahogany you already have. But I'll also vote for the Flea and Fluke line and also the Ohana CK-70RB spruce top with a plastic body.

luvdatuke said:

Paul December, this is people who hardly know you reaching out to you (hey, let's make it sound dramatic). As for myself I do so having been there...and I'm saying these things also to myself as a preemptive measure.

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Wait..another ukaholic telling a ukaholic to stop uking? Don't we have family members for that? I thought we were supposed to encourage each other's addiction! (HA HA!) :smileybounce: