Did I buy the right Uke?

Hi, I'm a newbie in this uke world, and I really need ur help. Couple of days ago I bought my Mahalo. At first there were two kind of Ukes in this store, then I asked what's the difference between those two, the man answered that the bigger uke is Guitarlele and the small one is ukulele. So instinctively I bought the ukulele, which the smaller one.

But when i got home and watched the videos I've downloaded, they are all playing the bigger ukulele (mine has a fewer fret), so my question is. Did I buy the right Uke?

here's the picture of my Uke

There's nothing wrong with a "little" ukulele. The "bigger" one is a guitarlele, which is not the same. If you would've bought that, it would not have the same tuning or chords as a ukulele.

Your ukulele is the smallest size, the soprano. It has 12 frets and is the smallest of all 4 sizes of the ukuleles. When you saw the videos, the other people are playing the tenor and concert size, which are more popular among people. The tenor and concert simply have more frets and have a bigger sound. After learning more about the uke, im PRETTY sure, your going to purchase more ukuleles.

Its a fun instrument to learn on, and you'll find a crave for more and more ukes. The one you have now, I (think) is plastic. You'll find that a more traditional koa, or a bright spruce, or a mellow mahogany will make a HUGE difference on sound and tone of your uke.

You might also want to consider swiping the stock nylon strings, and install some Aquila strings. Although I'm not a huge fan of them, they have a reputation of being bright and make cheap ukuleles sound amazing!

Hit it off with an introduction in the "New Member" section of the forum.

Buy some Aquila strings from MGM, hes the man. Has a great reputation among the UU'ers.

http://cgi.ebay.com/AQUILA-SOPRANO-...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item5639de67cc

Ask any more questions if you have any!

@ukeCANjam
thanks for the enlightment! i thought i've bought the wrong one. I'm thinking of getting Kala for my next uke (after I can play Uke properly, off course ), but too bad it's very hard to find one in here, in Indonesia. Maybe I'll get one in my next visit to Singapore. Btw, ur suggestion, which Ukulele should I take, the tenor or the concert one? Thank you so much...

didindimas said:

@ukeCANjam
thanks for the enlightment! i thought i've bought the wrong one. I'm thinking of getting Kala for my next uke (after I can play Uke properly, off course ), but too bad it's very hard to find one in here, in Indonesia. Maybe I'll get one in my next visit to Singapore. Btw, ur suggestion, which Ukulele should I take, the tenor or the concert one? Thank you so much...

Click to expand...

Like I said, there isn't a "wrong" uke. Its just if its playable or not that you should be worried!

I would recommend you get a Kala. They produce VERY playable and good beginning ukuleles. Their quality is good for entry level to mid level players. The price for their ukuleles are very reasonable, and they range from cheap 30 dollars to 500. You don't need to visit Singapore to buy one.

Visit MGM :

http://stores.ebay.com/Musicguymics-Room

His store has alot of Kala's in stock. And, he dedicates his time to set it up properly for you (change strings, set action, oil fretboard). His shipping is very reasonable and is VERY fast from Hawaii. Some of his "kits" have the essential for learning the uke. The one I purchased came with two books, a tuner, and a case. The books helped me learn, and the case kept the uke protected. Here are a couple:

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Kala-KA-S-M...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3a58457944
http://cgi.ebay.com/MAKALA-Concert-...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item563a40e1c3
http://cgi.ebay.com/MAKALA-PINEAPPL...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item563a311b3c

They are all reasonable priced.

To answer your question, it really depends. I bought the first pack ↑↑, but after a while of playing, I felt the size was a bit too small. I convinced my friend to buy a uke, and he bought a concert. It was then, then I realized I needed a bigger uke! The sound was punched and barked louder. It had a nice feel to it, and it fit well in my hands. (I'm 5'11). I have yet to try a tenor in person, but I have a good feeling the next uke will be a tenor. Most professionals (Aldrine, Jake, James, Dominator, Seeso) play tenors.

A concert has 14-18 frets, while a tenor usually has 16-18. A soprano USUALLY has 12. If you are satisfied with the size and sound of your ukulele, stick to a soprano. If not, take a look at the concert pack ↑↑, it is worth investing in.

It is a step from the uke you have now, its wood, the strings are excellent, you get a case, and it will be easy to learn to play.

Oh yes, if you do purchase a pack, read the two books. It will teach you some simple chords, basic ones that are used in a lot of songs. The strings might go out of tune for a couple of weeks, you have to give it time to stretch. If you don't have a tuner, use this site. It's really good :

http://www.get-tuned.com/ukulele_tuner.php

Work your way up. Add me as a friend or PM me, and I'll be happy to point you into the right direction!

Hi didindimas,

May I add to ukecanjam's excellent advice that not only have not bought the wrong kind of ukulele, but you have bought a soprano, which is the original ukulele with the most ukey sound. If your fingers are comfortable on it, there's no need to change size. enjoy

I'm not sure where in Indonesia you are, or where the factories are, but there are several ukulele factories in Indonesia where some of the large brands are made. If you can find out where they are, and they are not too far away, you might find some really good deals on factory seconds there. I know Indonesia is a very large country geographically.

Indonesia also has its own rich musical tradition, which includes a ukulele-like instrument, the kroncong. I have never heard one, but here is a link to some info on that:

http://www.answers.com/topic/kroncong

I think it would be very cool to own one of those. Apparently they are sold in many shops in Java.

Later Edit - I see there is already a thread on Indonesia and the kroncong, so apologies for the repitition.

@SweetWaterBlue

I'm in the most crowded island in Indonesia, Java... yeah, I heard there are some home-made uke specialist, especially in Jogjakarta (where Kroncong is originated) but it's quite far from my town, i'm in Jakarta btw. Can't find other Uke but Mahalo here. too bad

The next problem is, those specialist i've mentioned before, they don't get much promotional support from their local government. So, it's very hard to find them, even in the internet.. next time if you pay a visit to Indonesia, just gimme a call, let's find some javanese native uke.

@Gipserio
but it's too small for my finger. Very difficult for me tp play "Adim" key, or any other keys which use my four finger in 2 frets

@ukeCANjam
Dude, u're a big help!!! Terima Kasih (thanks in Indonesia) !!

didindimas said:

@SweetWaterBlue

@Gipserio
but it's too small for my finger. Very difficult for me tp play "Adim" key, or any other keys which use my four finger in 2 frets

@ukeCANjam
Dude, u're a big help!!! Terima Kasih (thanks in Indonesia) !!

Click to expand...

If it's too small, look into buying a concert. You'll notice a significant different. If you played the guitar and liked it's size, look into trying a tenor.

but it's too small for my finger. Very difficult for me tp play "Adim" key, or any other keys which use my four finger in 2 frets

Click to expand...

With practice you may find that your fingers will find their way between the frets even on the soprano.

I can give some input from my recent experiences. I have played guitars for years and recently got into ukes. I ordered a Kala concert from MGM and I've been happy with it. I chose the concert size because I felt a soprano would be too small. Since then I have picked up a second-hand soprano and guess which one I enjoy more. Yes, the soprano.