Can't make a decision! Any Advice?

Hi there,
My name is cupcake and this is my first post. I came across UU last night while trying to find some information about buying a ukulele. I have been interested in learning it for a while, and have recently been going through some hard times, so I figured now would be a good time to get one and get my mind to a better place... Not sure how well it's going to go over with my parents who I've recently had to move back in with, but I won't worry about that too much until I have one in my hands lol.

Anyways, I am having a lot of trouble deciding what kind of uke to get. Right now I think I am deciding between these 3... though I'm sure if I looked deeper, something else would catch my eye...

Makala Dolphin from MGM - $37
Kala KA C Concert Mohagany with case + tuner from MGM - $106
Classic Mahogany Concert from Mainland - $220

The obvious difference is price. And the fact that I'm not sure if I should get a soprano or a concert as my first uke.

Here is where my confusion comes from:

I really want that mainland, but I am not sure if it is the best decision for me right now. I tend to pick up a lot of hobbies but only usually end up sticking with a few. I guess I just find a lot of things interesting and like to try them out, but have a bad habit of losing interest after a while. I do love music and have always wanted to learn an instrument, but I guess I am worried about diving in too deep too soon, which makes the Dolphin seem like an obvious choice.

I guess the issue is that I think I really want a concert size. After listening to a ton of youtube videos, I really like the sound of them the best. I really like the look of the mainland, but the Kala is a much more affordable price. I feel like if I got the Kala, I would just want to move up to the mainland after a few months and once I knew I was sticking with the instrument. But then I would basically have spent an extra $100 and have 2 pretty similar instruments.

So, I'm not sure what I should do. Go for the dolphin and see how I like it even though it's not my ideal size. Dive in halfway with the kala. Or just go all the way in with the mainland.

Any thoughts?

If you get a Mainland, you will have an excellent beginner's uke. Secondly, if for some strange reason you decide the uke isn't for you, I can almost guarantee you'd have no problem selling it for close to it's retail value.

I vote, Mainland.

Have you looked at Lanikai ukes as well? That might give you a fourth option as far as quality for price. I picked up the LU-21T for my first uke just here recently for a hair over $100 and I'm quite pleased with the sound, fit, and finish for the price. Other than that, I'd have to say go with the Mainland. At least it'll hold it's value well enough for a resale should you decide you don't care for it.

i think id go with the dolphin as my first....i too like starting different hobbies only to drop them once i decide im not into it anymore. this way whether you drop it after a month or want to upgrade after a month youre still only out 37 dollars

imo 100 dollars is not a bad deal when starting a hobby. I would definitely get the size you wan though. I had a friend bring over his kala soprano, and it wasn't fun for me to play at all. It was really hard getting my fingers to fit all at once lol. So if i would have gotten one first i would have been turned off of playing the Uke.

So most def... get the one you want

Also, a tuner is pretty essential if you are a beginner. there are plenty of referenced you can use to tune by ear, but its so so much easier with the tuner. i think the kala concert from MGM sounds perfect for a starter set!

Not to mention MGM is great about hooking customers up. From what i hear, he polishes things, puts on new aquila strings, as well as some other cool perks that others dont bother with.

TreF said:

Not to mention MGM is great about hooking customers up. From what i hear, he polishes things, puts on new aquila strings, as well as some other cool perks that others dont bother with.

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And so is Mike at Mainland. They are both great businessmen to deal with. It sometimes makes it hard to decided where to buy from , lol.

My first ukulele was a $200+ Kala solid mahogany concert. I had the same price-point dilemma that you're having, and I decided (1) I'd be more likely to stay with it if I enjoyed it and (2) I'd be more likely to enjoy it if I had a nicer ukulele. I have no regrets about not buying a cheaper ukulele to start with. (I also like to get a Mainland someday, and when I do I'll probably pick one in a different size or made of a wood other than mahogany so that it sounds diffeerent from the ukuleles I already have.) As for size, I found that how a ukulele feels in my hands is more important than sound differences between a soprano and concert. In fact, I bought a Kala travel soprano thinking that for traveling, smallest is best, and it's simply to small for my comfort. If there's a shop that sells ukuleles anywhere near you, go there and play different sizes, even if the store only has models that you aren't considering buying, just to get a sense of what size feels the most comfortable to you. I guess my advice would be to buy as nice an ukulele as you feel you can afford and be sure to buy the size you're most comfortable with, regrdless of differences in sound between sizes. Good luck and welcome to UU.

Melissa82 said:

If you get a Mainland, you will have an excellent beginner's uke. Secondly, if for some strange reason you decide the uke isn't for you, I can almost guarantee you'd have no problem selling it for close to it's retail value.

I vote, Mainland.

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:agree: Super valid points. Mainland's are GREAT ukes!! I can almost gurantee that if you get her, you will be hooked. UAS for you, my friend. Honestly though, if I had a Mainland as my first uke, I would be a MUCH better player than I am now. I had 2 cheaper ukes before getting my 1st (and 2nd) Mainland. Once you have a good quality instrument, everything sounds better and you find yourself playing and practicing more and more. If you are SUPER unsure if you will like playing the uke (which I already know you will) then go with the Dolphin. Otherwise, get the Mainland. I have the Mahogany concert as well and it is superb. You can find a review of it on my YouTube page in my signature, but take notice that my comments are made about 20 minutes after taking it out of the box. Since then, I have fallen desperately in love with the uke and it's sound has developed into a dream. I can't recommend them enough, and it will suit you for years to come.

Hope this helps, and welcome to the Underground

Thanks for moving this to the correct board.

I am still having a tough time making a decision. I think one of the problems is that instruments and the prices are all really different. It might be easier to make a decision if they were more similar. I guess I am hesitant to dive all the way in because I have never really played an instrument before. I am planning on trying to learn over the internet, and have no idea if I'll actually be able to play the thing or if I will just give up out of frustration. I'm mostly looking to use it as an outlet and to just have fun with it. Honestly, I'll probably start by trying to play my favorite songs instead of learning the theory and technical stuff, to be honest. I don't know if I deserve to be doing that on a quality instrument, if that makes any sense.

It's good to know that the mainland has a good resale rate, but I'm the type of person who wouldnt be able to sell it and would just hold onto it incase I decided to try again in a few more years, lol.

everyone makes a good point. I am very much like you in that I like the looks of a lot of different hobbies. Tehn after a while most of them are les interesting after i am in them for a while. now I have only been playing for about 3-4 months so you might say I am still in the honey moon phase. But I started with a Lanikai Soprano. I paid about %60 on amazon.com. I just checked and they have Amazon has a concert for $79.

http://www.amazon.com/Lanikai-LU-21...8&s=musical-instruments&qid=1263495219&sr=8-3

There is nothing wrong with having 2 Ukulele's I order my upgarde which happens to be a Mainland Concert, last week. Ironically my best friend was in Hawaii this week. He new I started playing and how much I am enjoying it. So he sent me a Makala so i would have an authentic Hawaiian Ukulele (though he thinks it mgiht have been made in china. LOL) Either way. $79 is not a lot to spend to find out if you like something. Plus it's a good enoguh ukulele to beat on for a long time until you either realize you're hooked and want to upgrade which everyone seems to do. Go with your heart. Do you want to play the ukulele or do you want to play an expensive Ukulele? Be honest to yourself then order something so you can start strumming. Sorry for preaching.

cupcake said:

Thanks for moving this to the correct board.

I am still having a tough time making a decision. I think one of the problems is that instruments and the prices are all really different. It might be easier to make a decision if they were more similar. I guess I am hesitant to dive all the way in because I have never really played an instrument before. I am planning on trying to learn over the internet, and have no idea if I'll actually be able to play the thing or if I will just give up out of frustration. I'm mostly looking to use it as an outlet and to just have fun with it. Honestly, I'll probably start by trying to play my favorite songs instead of learning the theory and technical stuff, to be honest. I don't know if I deserve to be doing that on a quality instrument, if that makes any sense.

It's good to know that the mainland has a good resale rate, but I'm the type of person who wouldnt be able to sell it and would just hold onto it incase I decided to try again in a few more years, lol.

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If you are looking for an outlet and to have fun....you picked the right instrument!!! I understand your problem, I would go with the Makala Dolphin, not to dis the Mainland! The Makala is a great beginners uke, there are many UU people that LOVE them. I just got a Makala Concert from MGM about $65 with aquila strings. Plays great and sounds great. The price is perfect too. If you like the uke, which I am sure you will, you can save up some money and get that Mainland while trying to stop the UAS!! Good luck with your choice, you win either way!!!l

Hey there. Nothing wrong with learning on an entry-level uke, imho. If your hobbies rarely last more than three months (like me) that might be the right path. You may also develop a better idea of what you want in a uke after playing for a while. That's certainly the route I took.

That said, I got a Mainland a few months ago and the difference in quality _is_ substantial. Note that enthusiasts usually suggest you go for the best gear within your budget.

Mainland. Nice instrument: loud, bright and good sustain. Wider neck than the Kala, which will make it a little less crowded for a beginner. Kalas are good, too - I have one I really love - but of the three I'd pick the Mainland.

Hey, Cupcale: I'd say go for the Mainland. I've not played any of the three you mention but I do know a bit about starting out on the ukulele. This might be the hobby that you get hooked on. The instrument is just magical. I bought a "student" ukulele when I was starting out. For a while it was nice but after a while I decided it was time to upgrade. I jumped to a KoAloha (no, I'm not recommending it to you as a starter) and was very pleased. I decided that a good sounding ukulele would keep me from the dreaded UAS (Ukulele Acquisition Syndrome). I suggest you get a pretty decent ukulele to start with so you don't get frustrated with the sound too quickly. In the long run you'll save a lot of money. And as others have said, the re-sale value of a Mainland is quite good.

I hope you fall in love with the ukulele! Enjoy.

Melissa82 said:

If you get a Mainland, you will have an excellent beginner's uke. Secondly, if for some strange reason you decide the uke isn't for you, I can almost guarantee you'd have no problem selling it for close to it's retail value.

I vote, Mainland.

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Great advice from Melissa.

Another angle... Get a Makala Dolphin from MGM. You won't break the bank and you'll get a very playable and respectable sounding uke that will let you find out if you're going to stick with the instrument.

If you love it (which you will, of course!) then when you upgrade to a higher quality uke (maybe a Mainland or a Kala) you will be able to keep the indestructible Makala as a beater/beach uke!

My first uke was a $27.00 Mahalo soprano. Same as you, I tend to bounce around hobbies (about $400 on an RC plane and 2 RC helis, for about 30 minutes flight time total). So, though I played guitar for years, I wasn't sure if I wanted to spend much on a uke - and I didn't have a lot to spend anyway. The Mahalo did the job, but the intonation is bad. I'm not sure how the Dolphin compares since it's in the same price range. So, if you go that route, just KNOW that chances are a better uke will sound better - better tone, and better intonation. Bad intonation will make the chords sound out of tune, despite your best tuning efforts. It has to do with the placement of the frets.

So, I upgraded to a concert Flea. This was noticeably better - especially the intonation. It was an instant improvement.

My third uke is actually a Mainland mahogany concert, and it's definitely the best of the three. There is a HUGE difference between the Mahalo and the Mainland. In addition, the scale on the concert Mainland is slightly different than the scale on the concert Flea. The frets are slightly closer together on the Mainland, which I like.

Anyway, I think that a cheapie is enough to get you started - as long as you know that a better instrument will make a difference. Getting frustrated because you "can't get your fingers to bend like that" is OK. That's just something you'll have to overcome. However, getting frustrated because your uke always sounds out of tune is another matter. No amount of practice can fix that. As long as you understand that, then you can make an educated decision whether or not to upgrade to a better uke.

Jason

My main uke is a Kala solid mahogany tenor, but I still love those cheap dolphins.

IMO the Makala Dolphin is very significantly better than the equivalent Mahalo product. I have played both, and done set-ups on both. I've yet to meet a Mahalo that impressed me at all. Makalas impress me on a regular basis - Plenty of uke for tiny money.

Makala Dolphin. Start with a soprano. Personally I think it's a myth that concerts are "easier to play." The other myth is that concerts sound "fuller" than sopranos. Necessarily so?

Mainland.

You are far less likley to get frustrated by the sound, intonation, and playability of the Mainland than any of the others on your list. Those frustrations are what cause a vast majority of beginners to quit. Get them out of the way and then it's just about your passion to play and learn.

Just my opinion of course, and ignoring price entirlely - Mainland.

My vote is the Dolphin (set up by MGM). They play in tune--honest. This way, you can see if you like the size at little cost. If you don't like it, you'll sell it here in a heartbeat. I'm certain you'll be reaching for a Mainland next--and it may be a soprano.

I have a few solid wood ukes that I love. I still play the Dolphin everyday.

In fact--I'll make you this pledge: if you buy from MGM, and don't like the Dolphin in the first month, I'll buy it from you for $30 shipped. So that's a $30 insurance policy.