Pono mtd-e

UkuLeLesReggAe

UkuLeLesReggAe

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So I have a couple of grand saved from this past month... I've mentioned I need a new ukulele with a pick up.... I like pono's (not sure why) but it'll cost me about $600-$700 to buy the pono:

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-PONO-MTD-E-...E-w-hc-PU-/330460712582?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0

I would like to know, should I be buying this ukulele? I've never heard it play because I live in Australia..

But... for example, am I buying, say.... Lanikai for $180, where as I can buy a kala for $200? Is there something close, that sounds significantly better? I'm not too sure what to do, I mean, are there other ebayer's that I should look at? essentially, I would love a spruce top...
 
Aloha Matt,
So you say, you've got a couple grand....I don't have experience on Pono's ...I've seen that Kamaka's soprano's are selling in
Australian website for $1200.00.... I thought that was outragous....over here, it's about a littlle over $650.00. Didn't understand
that one!!!! A tenor Kamaka sells for about a $960.00 new from the factory..and a little more for the pic-up....check out their
website....google it...and call for information....808-531-3165...I've heard theres good ukulele builders in your neck of the woods
too..did you want an "Hawaiian one specifically"..Baron guitar and ukuleles on your side, the luthier Allen is a UU member here..PM him
or viisit his website... cheers, MM Stan.... so many good ukes to choose from....
 
Hi Matt, So many ukes and not enough hands to play them or wallets to buy them!!! I'm with Stan. Go a Kamaka if you can. They are beautiful ukuleles. Pono's are Ok though; they really are just a "budget" version of Ko'olau Ukuleles (if you call $700 budget!!!). If you've got a couple of thousand bucks mate you have so many options. I have a Concert scale Pono which I like but perhaps doesn't quite have the dynamic sound or projection as some other ukes. Still, you could do worse. Also, check out the Westwood Guitar Co. website. It's close to home for you and their range of "Royal" ukuleles are cheap but sound better than good.
 
essentially I'd love to pay $1200 for a new kamaka... I plan to go overseas before the year ends... 3 times infact... but I said I'd buy an ukulele before I pay it all off... So I'd only have around $700AU to spend :S Although my next ukulele will definetly be a kamaka.

hmm.. then again, it would only be another 300-400 dollars.. which isn't too bad.. argh..

:) thanks... googling
 
get a koaloha second concert for about 5 or 600 bucks and then get a pickup installed for 100 bucks and you will be within your budgets
 
If you like Pono, you'll love Ko'olau. Get with John on the Ko'olau site, and you can have them build whatever you want - within your price range, and you'll never look back.
 
When I started looking not long ago there were several AU luthiers that looked very interesting. "Cole Clark" looked like they had some very nice ukes. Pete Howlett was also interesting although I only found sites for Pete Howlett ukuleles UK. Not sure if that is the same builder in Australia. Also of interest was was http://www.makaioukuleles.blogspot.com/

I think Austrailian Blackwood would be a great wood to make a uke from. Same family as Koa and locally grown (for you ;-0)

Edit: My error on Howlett. Looks like he is in Wales. I saw that Zooey attended his extreme build and she is from Sydney so 2+2 = 5?? Sorry bout that.
 
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UkuLeLesReggAe said:
essentially I'd love to pay $1200 for a new kamaka... I plan to go overseas before the year ends... 3 times infact... but I said I'd buy an ukulele before I pay it all off... So I'd only have around $700AU to spend :S Although my next ukulele will definetly be a kamaka.

hmm.. then again, it would only be another 300-400 dollars.. which isn't too bad.. argh..

:) thanks... googling
Click to expand...

Aloha Matt,
Buy the best you can afford, in the long run you'll save on buying the upgrades and you won't have alot
average ukes around that you've got fond of and can't sell. As for resale Kamaka's hold their price best..
others depriciate rather very quickly and you won't get much for them. Plus on a good uke, it'll be easier
to play, more comfortable and sound better...Your'll probally learn faster on a better instrument...maybe
the wait and save approach would be an good option.... MM Stan...
 
lkdumas said:
If you like Pono, you'll love Ko'olau. Get with John on the Ko'olau site, and you can have them build whatever you want - within your price range, and you'll never look back.
Click to expand...

I second that motion
 
olgoat52 said:
When I started looking not long ago there were several AU luthiers that looked very interesting. "Cole Clark" looked like they had some very nice ukes. Pete Howlett was also interesting although I only found sites for Pete Howlett ukuleles UK. Not sure if that is the same builder in Australia. Also of interest was was http://www.makaioukuleles.blogspot.com/

I think Austrailian Blackwood would be a great wood to make a uke from. Same family as Koa and locally grown (for you ;-0)

Edit: My error on Howlett. Looks like he is in Wales. I saw that Zooey attended his extreme build and she is from Sydney so 2+2 = 5?? Sorry bout that.
Click to expand...

I've got a Cloe Clark ukelady with pickup. Beautiful beautiful pure, clean and crisp sound. Hand-made from Blackwood. You're looking at about $850.00 Aust. Dollars for one of those
 
Hey Ukuleleraggae. I have a Kamaka HF-3 and PONO MHTSH (which is the pro-series of the pono you are looking at). I love both of my Ukulele's but they both have a different sound to them. My Kamaka has deeper sound to it and projects more then my Pono. My Pono is a little more higher pitch. Part of it has to do with the fact that one is Koa and the other is Mahogany. Both are strung with Worth CT strings. My opinion is that if you could afford the Kamaka, or any of the "K" brands, do it!! But if money is an issue, which I understand, you won't regret having the Pono. I love both of them very dearly but now they serve different purposes. My Kamaka is for when I play songs by my self and my Pono is used when I play with my acoustic band (to stand out over the guitar player). I saw a Ko'olau T1 or T100 a couple of days ago on Craigslist for a smoking good deal ($400). I am a big time sucker for good deals but I love both of my Ukes, and the quality and sounds that they make. So I decided not to jump on it.

I also agree with mm stan. If you get a nicer Uke you maybe more motivated to play more. I have only been playing for a couple months but I know a bunch of songs and I just spent the last 3 hours trying to compose a song with a friend. Everyone is different though. Quality instruments should last a lifetime:) just my take on the situation. GOOD LUCK
 
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quick question. is www.ukes.com a good website? or...??

OK, so I put some thought into it, I'm down to just over 1 grand now (ha ha, went quick). HOWEVER, my work still owes me almost $900. SO, I have come to this solution. It's money that I don't need (well, could survive without getting), so I just thought of spending that on an ukulele. Essentially, if it totals, say, $1000, it shouldn't be an issue.

SPEND that on an ukulele. But it NEEDS to have a pickup, and I would love a spruce top. I've been sitting here for a few hours now actually, because I'm so undecided.

I like these a lot: Kanilea sounds a bit brighter than the Kamaka. Love the look of kamaka's though.

Kanilea K1-T and the Kamaka HF-3, may be out of my pricing though. hawaiimusicsupply.com have both of them. Looking towards these 2

thanks for all the advice guys ! feel free to give me some more on these 2 specifically. I'm basing my decision of this video of the 2 ukes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dOmCRnplQo , sound wise anyway

doesn't look like either have pickups. hearing these ukuleles takes me back to when I first saw Aldrine and heard the ukulele... Want it !

help the decision to become easier !
 
Hahaha. You contradicted your two main criterias :p Well.. How about looking around for a second hand gold label kamaka?
Around 1 thousand..Have you considered custom made ones? they come up to about 1000 AUD tops. I'm from melbourne and there's a local luthier here.
 
custom.. hmm... WELL.. no, I'm very bad at decisions, so I like it to be basic, if you know what I mean. ha ha. Looking at this Kanilea, it'll be $1010US... which is within my price range, but it isn't pick up.

not too sure how customs are made, always soiunds great, but I generally stay away from those. ha ha
 
Well..I'm guessing if the luthier would make a fat amount of money from you, why not tolerate the questions? :p I bothered the luthier..Until he didnt...reply...my....mail :(

Oh, it takes a couple of months to make. Sorry if that disturbed you. I think a Kamaka OR a KoAloha wouldnt be wrong.
 
I really don't want to throw you any curves at you right now, but MGM has a Loprinzi Herb Ohta concert with a spruce top for $1049 or make offer. It looks pretty sweet.

You may want to see it that fits you need, you could call MGM and maybe you can get a pickup thrown in. MGM is very well respscted in these parts. I bought my first ukulele from him.

http://cgi.ebay.com/LOPRINZI-HERB-OHTA-MODEL-concert-UKULELE-/250682373263?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0

Here is the correct sound sample...

http://207.7.131.231/video/q1y2qr/loprinzi-herb-ohta-concert-model-ukulele-musicguiymic-sound-sample-video

PS... I thought I read in somewhere in these posts that you were looking at a concert, but if you want a tenor... Nevermind this one.

John
 
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