what soprano should I get?

P

paraclete

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 15, 2009
Messages
225
Reaction score
1
Location
Pacific Northwest
Totally caving to my UAS. I've got a Kala jazz archtop. But now I'd like to get a soprano. I just can't decide whether to go with cheap laminate, entry level solid wood (such as the Kala solid koa or the Kelii), or wait and get something higher end in the over-$500 range.

A little background... I have a definite preference for something that sounds really traditional, so I know I'd take koa over cedar/rosewood. I also don't like stuff that sounds really cheap.

Does anyone have the solid koa Kala or the Kelii... or have an opinion about different sopranos? Help!
 
paraclete said:
Totally caving to my UAS. I've got a Kala jazz archtop. But now I'd like to get a soprano. I just can't decide whether to go with cheap laminate, entry level solid wood (such as the Kala solid koa or the Kelii), or wait and get something higher end in the over-$500 range.

A little background... I have a definite preference for something that sounds really traditional, so I know I'd take koa over cedar/rosewood. I also don't like stuff that sounds really cheap.

Does anyone have the solid koa Kala or the Kelii... or have an opinion about different sopranos? Help!
Click to expand...

If you're willing to open the wallet to $450 - you can not go wrong with a Kiwaya solid mahagony. It's not koa - but it has a simply lovely sound. It clearly does not sound cheap.
 
I assumed I'd like Koa, but having played several of them I realized Mahogany is the wood for me.
You said "traditional", and I always thought Koa would give me that sound, but Mahogany was what I actually had in mind.

I made an earlier thread on Mele, which looks like a good deal ... and of course the forum favorite Mainland :)
 
Paul December said:
I assumed I'd like Koa, but having played several of them I realized Mahogany is the wood for me.
You said "traditional", and I always thought Koa would give me that sound, but Mahogany was what I actually had in mind.

I made an earlier thread on Mele, which looks like a good deal ... and of course the forum favorite Mainland :)
Click to expand...

...I'm going to contradict myself a bit....
Recently I got a Kala solid Acacia Tenor (slotted headstock) and wow does it sound great. Acacia, is supposed to sound like Koa, but I really prefer this uke to the solid Koas I've played. It has a difficult to describe "bark" to the sound. If the soprano version has a similar sound, IMO it too would be a winner.
 
paraclete said:
Totally caving to my UAS. I've got a Kala jazz archtop. But now I'd like to get a soprano. I just can't decide whether to go with cheap laminate, entry level solid wood (such as the Kala solid koa or the Kelii), or wait and get something higher end in the over-$500 range.

A little background... I have a definite preference for something that sounds really traditional, so I know I'd take koa over cedar/rosewood. I also don't like stuff that sounds really cheap.

Does anyone have the solid koa Kala or the Kelii... or have an opinion about different sopranos? Help!
Click to expand...



I started with a Laminated Lanikia 21 soprano. Picked it up from Amazon on sale for $60. it's great. even has a descent sound for the price. Then I went to upgrade with a similar budget and asked UU for suggestions. Have you looked into MAINLAND Ukulele's? You can get a soprano for under $250. They are solid mahogany and Mike from Mainland is out on UU. His customer service makes it an even easier choice. It’s not Koa but Mahogany is pretty traditional also. Search Mainland in the UU search engine. Try to find anything but glowing remarks. My Mainland is due in a few days. :drool: If you look at Mainland, please let me know what you think. Good luck.
 
I'm leaning really strongly toward the Kala solid acacia. The Mainland Honeybee is a contender too. It's kind of hard to get a really good idea of sound on video.
 
paraclete said:
I'm leaning really strongly toward the Kala solid acacia. The Mainland Honeybee is a contender too. It's kind of hard to get a really good idea of sound on video.
Click to expand...

If you like Koa & Mahogany, I'm guessing you won't like Cedar. From what I've read, and what I can hear from clips, Cedar sounds quite bright.
I considered getting a Mainland Cedar Pineapple Soprano, but I really didn't like what I heard… definitely not a “traditional” sound.
Would someone else confirm this please (I haven’t completely scratched it off the list yet)
 
I have a classical guitar made of cedar and rosewood. I like the sound for a guitar.... not what I want for a uke though
 
paraclete said:
Totally caving to my UAS. I've got a Kala jazz archtop. But now I'd like to get a soprano. I just can't decide whether to go with cheap laminate, entry level solid wood (such as the Kala solid koa or the Kelii), or wait and get something higher end in the over-$500 range.

A little background... I have a definite preference for something that sounds really traditional, so I know I'd take koa over cedar/rosewood. I also don't like stuff that sounds really cheap.

Does anyone have the solid koa Kala or the Kelii... or have an opinion about different sopranos? Help!
Click to expand...

I have a Kelii solid koa tenor. To my ears, it has a very unique yet traditional (vintage?) sound to it, and it may be due to the fact that the nut and saddle is rosewood, rather than tusq, bone, or ivory. The Kelii is also suprisingly light, which I prefer, but does not seem to compromise the tonal quality or the sound from the uke. I don't have a solid koa soprano (only laminates) so I cannot make any direct comparisons. Not an answer pertaining to a soprano, but hopefully an answer to the rest of your query.

I think you can score a solid koa soprano for $300 (+S/H) from MGM at this link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/KELII-SOLID-KOA...ltDomain_0?hash=item4ceceb59b1#ht_1934wt_1165
... and a Kala solid koa soprano for $270 (shipped):
http://cgi.ebay.com/SOLID-KOA-KALA-...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3a568ade32

If you still have questions, just give Mike a call and ask him to play the Kala vs Kelii solid woods for you.

There is also a good number of sopranos for sale at the marketplace:
http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?24290-Soprano-Sale-athon
I'm sure the seller will be more than happy to entertain your questions.

Good luck!
 
Sweeeet... just snagged a KPK soprano from dentuke! Hoping that this cures my UAS for at least a few weeks!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

don_b
Feels Like I Should Be Better at Soprano
2
Replies
22
Views
933
chris667
chris667
G
New Long-neck Soprano Sound banjoey!!!! Should I return it??
2
Replies
21
Views
1K
ukuleleden
ukuleleden
B
Mainland soprano bridge lifting up in one corner - what should I do?
2
Replies
23
Views
3K
Kayak Jim
Kayak Jim
A
Someone should buy this Pono soprano immediately!
Replies
1
Views
577
aqualung23
A
UkuleleHan96
Should I Put Aquila Strings On My Mahalo Soprano?????
Replies
16
Views
2K
dhoenisch
D
Top Bottom