Student Ukes?

I just read a review of the OHANA SK_15 in issue 17 of Ukulele Player.http://www.tricornpublications.com/issue17.pdf Hard to tell how much he liked it--really ... given that he kept calling it a 'good entry' or 'student' uke over and over again. Even 'best of the student ukes'. Its funny how we use labels. So if it was Solid it would not be a Student Uke? Why is a Mainland not a Student Uke?

Is a Kala Laminate Soprano a Student Uke and if not, then is just the Makala a student uke? What about a rich student?

Are students sub-people? or do professionals abhore laminates? I guess I will find out once I can hear the tone of it in person.

Paul Cote said:

I just read a review of the OHANA SK_15 in issue 17 of Ukulele Player.http://www.tricornpublications.com/issue17.pdf Hard to tell how much he liked it--really ... given that he kept calling it a 'good entry' or 'student' uke over and over again. Even 'best of the student ukes'. Its funny how we use labels. So if it was Solid it would not be a Student Uke? Why is a Mainland not a Student Uke?

Is a Kala Laminate Soprano a Student Uke and if not, then is just the Makala a student uke? What about a rich student?

Are students sub-people? or do professionals abhore laminates? I guess I will find out once I can hear the tone of it in person.

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Those are good questions and I do not know the answers to them. My students usually start out on makala dolphins. I had some that bought the Kala ka-15s and I had one that bought an ohana soprano (75ish).

what is the difference between a student and an entry level uke?

Funny in life how we label things....in a positive or negative way..I guess it is in the context of how it is used and portrayed...

I would guess that if you are just starting to learn the uke, your first uke is your Student Uke!

molokinirum said:

I would guess that if you are just starting to learn the uke, your first uke is your Student Uke!

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I'd agree with this...Astrid was my student, Lilo my entry level...and so on...

In the art world student quality supplies are generally a lot cheaper and the quality is lower. This is because 1. Students are learning and 2. They generally are on a budget. "Student" sounds better than "Budget".

Student oil paint has more filler and binder and less pigment. It's much more affordable. One might pay $12 for a cadmium yellow or red versus $25 for a professional quality from a big manufacturer, or $45 - $50 a tube for a boutique made hand ground pigment that is hand tubed and labeled.


Student versus professional is basically just a general way of referring to material, manufacturing process and marketing involved. I am much less extravagant with the $35 a tube paint, and my Kanile'a doesn't travel in the car.

There is no reason a person just learning to paint with oils or play a uke can't start out with a "professional level" i.e. expensive product, but that has nothing to do with the general category the product falls into.

Ohana makes nice ukes, but are they at the Ko'olau or Kanile'a level?

My basic understanding was that a factory made instrument is a 'student instrument' and a custom made instrument is for professionals. But that line gets crossed when you throw companies like Martin or Taylor into the conversation.

I would have considered any and all Ohana instruments to be 'student instruments' but recently they have introduced some pricey models that seem to be targeted more for professionals. Kala is another company that I used to think made all student level instruments, but I can name several professional ukers who perform with Kala ukes. Mahalo certainly is a student level uke, but again, I can name pros who use them.

So, I think there's much wisdom in Paul Cote's statement that labels are funny.

My take is that an 'Entry Level' or 'Student' Uke (or anything) represents what you would like to pay to find out that you dont like it, or else that you do like it and want to buy another.
I just played a friend's Mahola 'Beginner's Uke' and, apart from the fact that I couldn't keep it in tune (it was brand new and suffered a severe temperature shock!) I firmly believe that it wll be fine to learn on.
My first is a Kala KA-CEM but then I have played guitar and can throw my fingers around a bit - I am aware of the difference between my own 1st Uke and some more pro types - still perfectly servicable though!

I think of "student" ukes as those that are high enough quality that they won't frustrate the beginner - the tuners are smooth enough to be easy to use and they hold their tuning, the intonation is good - maybe not perfect, but certainly good enough that the untrained ear won't detect anything - and the overall sound of the uke is clear and clean, if not a ringing, eons-long sustain.

They are have a relatively low price and a consistent enough build that you could buy a bunch at the same time and be confident that all of them will fit those same criteria I laid out above. They have a sturdy build that will allow for some abuse (if they're part of a program where they will be passing through many hands they'll need some durability!).

Anyway, that's my take on a "student" ukulele. I would imagine there would be near 100% interchangeability between the terms "entry-level" and "student" and I think it more reflects the intended use rather than anything specific about the instruments themselves.