One of the many problems with living so many thousands of damn miles from Hawaii is the inability to pick up and man-handle ukes before ordering.
Tone and build quality can both be assessed to some extent through videos and online demos, but one thing you can't really get a grasp for remotely is how light or heavy each uke 'feels' .
My concert Pono has a wonderful finish but is a heavy unit.
My Kala thinline is tiny but has geared tuners which play havoc with its balance.
My basic concert Koaloho might be plain and simple with some less than perfect inlay work, but it is very light and well balanced with a resonant top and friction tuners.By far my favourite uke.
I guess my question is this -- which quality sub-$1000 soprano and concert ukes are generally considered to excel for their lightness and balance (as well as a great sound) ?
Thanks.
Tone and build quality can both be assessed to some extent through videos and online demos, but one thing you can't really get a grasp for remotely is how light or heavy each uke 'feels' .
My concert Pono has a wonderful finish but is a heavy unit.
My Kala thinline is tiny but has geared tuners which play havoc with its balance.
My basic concert Koaloho might be plain and simple with some less than perfect inlay work, but it is very light and well balanced with a resonant top and friction tuners.By far my favourite uke.
I guess my question is this -- which quality sub-$1000 soprano and concert ukes are generally considered to excel for their lightness and balance (as well as a great sound) ?
Thanks.