My First Ukulele - KoAloha Pikake Soprano (pics)

hottoddy

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She arrived yesterday in wonderful condition. Many thanks to Mike at MGM! I'm brand new to ukuleles but not guitar. She seems to play great (no buzzing) and holds tuning fine. I love the satin finish, natural grain look, and the construction seems great.

I find basic chording isn't too difficult, but my right hand is a mess. I've never been a good strummer, and using my index finger feels strange and wonky. That's going to be the tough part for me. But, it was still a blast to play right out of the box.

Here are some quick pictures I took this morning.

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-Todd
 
Quite lovely. Nicely done!
 
Very nice, you are really going to like your new KoAloha.
 
Very nice first uke :)
 
That's a great choice for a first uke! It's easily good enough to be your last uke. Except, of course, there are concert ukes and tenor ukes and longneck ukes and pinapple ukes (in soprano and concert) and banjo ukes and... LOL

Seriously, enjoy that puppy and welcome to the forum. BTW, your guitars are likely to get lonely, now...

John
 
Well done, hottoddy. A great choice for your first uke. Beautiful grain on that one.
 
This was also my first uke! Don't be dumb and sell it like I did... unless it's to get the standard glossier version. I did that too, and then was dumber and sold it. :(

The strum that works for me, and I don't see anyone else doing it so I guess I'm very very very wrong, is thumb down and forefinger up. Maybe it'll work for you even if no one else is doing it. :)
 
I play my KoAloha soprano (pineapple) with a guitar pick. I prefer thin picks. They really bring out what's so great about a KoAloha - clarity & projection.

That's a real beauty you've got there. Enjoy it!
 
The strum that works for me, and I don't see anyone else doing it so I guess I'm very very very wrong, is thumb down and forefinger up. Maybe it'll work for you even if no one else is doing it. :)

I sometimes strum the same way, Plainsong.
 
Congratulations!

My first ukulele was KoAloha soprano. Wonderful ukulele. The only I still don't have it is that I prefer a tenor size.

But it went to a great home and gets played all the time.

John
 
Congrats on a great uke bro'.
 
A beauty... Congrats!
 
Congrats! That is just lovely. What is the matter with your right hand that it's a mess?
 
Beautiful soprano. Enjoy - and thanks for the post about strumming. I'm having the same problem you are after all those years with the guitar.
 
Great first uke! KoAlohas are fantastic.

As for strumming, there are a million ways to do it and they all have their benefits. Try pretending you're holding a pick (thumb and index together), and try to get your index finger in there when you strum. Eventually you can start to slide your thumb back and just use it for a little support, and when you get the hang of that, you won't even need to have your thumb in there at all! Hope this made sense.
 
very nice looking uke! I'm sure it sounds wonderful. Don't worry about the strum thing. I had the same feeling. You'll get used to it sooner than you think ;)
 
Congrats! That is just lovely. What is the matter with your right hand that it's a mess?

Ha! I just meant that my strumming hand feels a bit retarded compared to my fretting hand. I can't seem to get any of those nice "shuffle" rhythms going - but continue to practice and will use the suggestions above.

Does anyone know about the KoAloha strings? It came with clear strings installed - which I believe were manufacturer installed. They seems fine, but I wonder if anyone has experienced a big difference with another brand (eg, Aquila, Worth)?

Thanks,
Todd
 
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