Experienced String Musician

opal_almand24

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Hi everyone. I've got a delima(however thats spelled). I am an experienced string musician. And I recently picked up this strong desire to play the ukulele. BUT! I dont know which one to buy. I dont want to spend a fortune seeing as how I'm also a college student...but I dont want something that will fall apart with a strum. I play guitar and violin as well as the drums. So I play moderately hard. If there is someone who can help me, that would be wonderful. Thanks.
 
I recently switch to ukulele after many years as a guitar player. I got a Lanikai LU21T, great tone for the price, tuners are solid as a rock once the strings settle and the intonation was spot on. Really is a fine instrument.

The tenor size made the switch from guitar very easy! Set me back about 100 euro but was worth every penny.
 
Thanks. I've been looking at different websites that sell ukuleles and this seems to be a popular one: Lanikai HU-212 Standard Ukulele . What do you think?

Oh and a few more questions. Should I buy new strings for it? If so, what kind? And do you use a pick to strum it?
 
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I'm still new to the uke myself so I can't really answer all your questions but here it goes...

The HU-212, haven't a clue! Only played the LU21T!

New strings is a good idea, they will improve the tone ten fold on lower end ukuleles. I strung mine with a set of Aprilla's and it sounds great!

As for pick vs fingerstyle? Just like the guitar its down to preference, on guitars I like picks but with ukes I'm always playing fingerstyle.. Experiment and see which you like!
 
Coming from a guitar background you may find a ukulele's nut width a bit narrow - especially on a soprano uke. I've been a guitarist for over 40 years and have seriously played the uke since 2004. I prefer a tenor size with a nut width of 1.5" Most tenor ukes have a slightly narrower width. Unfortunately I know of no factory made inexpensive ukes that have a 1.5" nut width (someone correct me if I'm wrong). All my ukes are custom made.

That being said, I think the tide may be turning. I hear many pro players talking about liking the wider width. Perhaps some manufacturers will pick up on this.
 
I suggest spending a little more to have a chance at being satisfied. If you're going for Lanikai, maybe the LU series or the spruce tops. I have an S-C and think it was a great deal. Only about $100. Good intonation, actiion, tone. Came with Aquila strings, the favorite of many players, but I now prefer Worths.

Also, make sure you consider what size you want before you buy. There's a big difference in sound and playability between soprano, concert and tenor sizes.

Good luck!
 
I also came to uke from guitar -- and mandolin, which had accustomed me to the smaller size -- but I'd recommend you at least start with a Concert size. Sopranos seems awfully small for guitarists (IMO). I'm not very experienced either, but I've played Mainland and Kala ukes (I got a Mainland, which is wonderful) and both seem excellent for starters. As with all instruments, buying too cheap tends to be a mistake, as you tend to lose that money when you upgrade pretty quickly. (I've made that mistake myself.) I'd go for a Mainland concert, or perhaps a Kala which would be slightly cheaper. If cash is really short for you, Dolphins seem to have a very good reputation though (I've never tried one myself)

Hope that helps.

JC
 
I came to uke via violin, guitar, and bass, so I've kind of done the range of fingerboards/fretboards. Currently, I'm playing a Kala archtop jazz (tenor). It's a very comfortable size, though I just bought and am patiently awaiting the arrival of a soprano... just for the amusement of playing something so different than my bass.

I like Kala ukes. They make a good-sounding and easy-playing uke. Kala has ukes ranging from very inexpensive (under 100) to over $400, I think. MGM... Musicguymic has an eBay store, and he's great to talk to if you have any questions. about specific ukes or what would best suit your tastes.

I play uke without a pick, though occasionally I'll use one for solo stuff.

Oh, and I tend to give my instruments a workout too. I think my Kala is more durable than my Seagull acoustic guitar.
 
Another thing about Musicguymic is he gives you some extras. The price of his ukes almost always includes a set-up, upgraded strings, and usually a case. Sometimes he includes a tuner or something like that. If you ask around on here, he will always get rave reviews.

I got a Kala solid acacia tenor from him and it arrived quickly from hawaii to georgia. No problems at all and was a good price compared to others I checked with.

Don't know how much you are looking to spend, but I here a lot of good things about mainland on here too.

My suggestion is to go with a tenor or a baritone. It would be an easier transition just because the size factor. And a good tenor strung high g still gives the good "ukulele sound" in my opinion, but some people might disagree with me on that.
 
Just a quick note about size and scale.... the OP plays guitar and violin... the fingerboard scale on a violin is smaller than any of the ukes, so prolly whatever seems comfortable would be fine.
 
Ok. So what I'm getting from this is that Kala is a good for me to start with?? And buy new strings...particularly Aprilla. But I'm confused on which I should get: tenor baritone or soprano. Oh and what about concert ukuleles? And what are ya'lls thoughts on ordering it from like samash.com or musiciansfriend.com? I bought an electric guitar from samash a couple of years ago. Where should I order/buy from? I live in florida if that helps.
 
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If you are thinking Kala, go check out Musicguymic's eBay store. He puts Aquilla strings on, dresses the frets, sets the action, and even provides a case, sometimes a tuner and books too. Sometimes he has free shipping, and he is super fast.

Concert size seems to be really popular with people who want something bigger than a soprano but don't want the deeper sound of a tenor. If you're unsure about which one you want to buy, you can always call Mike.
 
Ok. So what I'm getting from this is that Kala is a good for me to start with?? And buy new strings...particularly Aprilla. But I'm confused on which I should get: tenor baritone or soprano. Oh and what about concert ukuleles? And what are ya'lls thoughts on ordering it from like samash.com or musiciansfriend.com? I bought an electric guitar from samash a couple of years ago. Where should I order/buy from? I live in florida if that helps.

I think you should either get a tenor or a concert sized ukulele to start with. Since you play the guitar and violin, I think either size will be just fine for you. For what it's worth, for me personally the concert is the easiest scale to play. It's not as cramped as a soprano and doesn't require as much finger stretching as a tenor if you tackle pieces that have chords that span a lot of frets.

I've bought ukes from Musician's Friend and the service was good. However you do run the risk of getting an instrument that isn't inspected by anyone before shipment. Buying from Elderly Instruments or musicguymic (on ebay) are good bets.
 
Ok. I'll check out those. But to be honest, I've never used ebay. I dont really know how it works. And I really appreciate all of ya'lls help. Like a lot.
 
I don't have an ebay account, but I was able to check out with a guest account. Just used a credit card and no problems.
 
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