New Summer, New Uke, Help me?

Pinoyicious

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Hey guys, it's summer time again and I barely started playing ukulele last year and now it's time that I upgrade from my Kala Ka-S to an intermediate/better sounding ukulele. I currently have a savings and budget of $200. I have seen many ukuleles for under $200 but I cannot choose what should I buy. I've recently seen a Koa Pili Koko(KPK) ukulele for $185, but I heard negative comments about its cracking and cheap saddle/nut. Is there any recommendations that you guys have for a decent/good, not starter, ukulele that I can buy for my budget of $200?:drool:
 
Aloha Pinoyicious,
The Koa Pili koko earlier model had those issues and I believe thay have been resolved and now they come with upgraded tuners and nut and saddles..what size ukulele are you looking for and
where do you live...MM Stan
 
Shameless for sale plug but. Sometimes people like it. I have an ohana sk38 like new with ohana bag and I am going to sell my pineapple ohana both under your$ shipped. Just being a shameless salesman but they would be good deals!:)
 
Are you considering banjo ukes? A lot of really nice banjo ukes can be purchased for about $200.
 
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$200? I'd go for a Flea. Great sound and great feel. Tougher than tough. Kind of weird-looking.

You can get a very nice used ukulele for $200 if you're patient. Get in the habit of checking the marketplace here at UU and over at fleamarketmusic.com everyday. Something very cool might come your way.
 
I am looking for a Concert sized ukulele that won't break my budget but will have a terrific sound compared to my laminate Ka-S because I perform at lunch at my school.. thanks.
 
Thank you very much, it was very helpful. How do you feel about Koa Pili Koko ukuleles and umm I'm new to this site, how do i add a picture to my forum profile.
 
and I live in California =). Going back to the Koa Pili Koko ukulele, the one that I plan on buying says it comes with a rosewood nut/saddle... do you think they will upgrade that and does the rosewood make it sound worst? Thanks again
 
I am looking for a Concert sized ukulele that won't break my budget but will have a terrific sound compared to my laminate Ka-S because I perform at lunch at my school.. thanks.
Aloha Pinoylicious..
My friend swears by these...but I haven't tried them.http://ukerepublic.bigcartel.com/product/vineyard-zebrawood-tenor-ukulele a fellow pinoy boy kalihi.. you live in the islands??
The KPK...are a deal too and issues resolved...a concert is I think 165.00 hope it helps...MM Stan let me know
 
Omg very nice! ukulele, do you think that a tenor size will be too big for me since most of my ukulele experience was played on a soprano? And I am wondering where can you find that KPK for $165? BTW im from California, but I have family in Hawaii =)
 
Thanks, I'm not really interested in Banjoukes, I'm mainly looking for a Concert sized, great sounding ukulele. I always wondered, If I'm used to playing a soprano ukulele, will it be easy to adapt to a Tenor or is it too big>?
 
What are you playing now? I'd hate to see you spend $200 and get something that is only marginally better than what you already have, which is likely to happen because that's a very "iffy" price point.

I think you can get a Mainland concert for around $220 (mahogany) - and that is the sort of uke that isn't going to have you looking for a third uke real soon. Main reason being that Mike sets them up before he ships them and that puts them a solid step above the solid wood Kalas, etc.

Another good choice would be a Kala solid-wood uke set up by a pro - but you're going to be in the same general price range as a Mainland, then; maybe even a little higher and still in the position of having to try to decide whether the "pro" is really good at setups or not.

If you can't afford to get a solid-wood uke set up by a pro (i.e. Kala with set up, Mainland, etc.) then, honestly, I'd wait until you can afford the extra $50 above your current budget. That really can be the difference between getting a uke that is only going to appease your itch for a short time and a uke that might well be the last you'll need.

Of course, if you have the luxury of a well-supplied store nearby, and the expertise to tell a good uke (intonation, etc.) from a mediocre one, you may be able to find a Kala, etc., that doesn't need a setup. They aren't all delivered with high nuts and so on, it's just that there is a fairly high probability of getting one that needs setting up if you're depending on "the luck of the draw."

Finally, for $200 you might well find a used Mainland or a Kala originally sold by MGM (he did beautiful setups) in the Marketplace forum here.

John
 
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Omg very nice! ukulele, do you think that a tenor size will be too big for me since most of my ukulele experience was played on a soprano? And I am wondering where can you find that KPK for $165? BTW im from California, but I have family in Hawaii =)
Aloha Pinoylicious....
My friend is a dealer of the KPK....let me know...PM me...can hook you up with one...MM Stan
 
Yea It would be really nice to own one of those with the right setup =). Umm does he have any KPK acacia Concerts or tenors and how much would the prices run... thanks =)
 
Thank you very much olde for the wise information, I will definitely consider this when buying my new ukulele. Do you think I could easily adapt from a Soprano ukulele player to a bigger size such as a Tenor?
 
I don't have wisedom but I know until I got better, making the transition to tenor wasn't fun. You may have a different experience but it was hard early on for me.
 
Thank you very much olde for the wise information, I will definitely consider this when buying my new ukulele. Do you think I could easily adapt from a Soprano ukulele player to a bigger size such as a Tenor?

I think if you are used to a soprano, you should be fine with a concert. I jump between the sizes all the time. It sometimes takes a few minutes to adjust to a slightly longer scale, but eventually you won't even think about it. You can stretch your fingers to more frets on a soprano, but it is easier to do left hand fingering on the higher frets on a concert, especially chords that involve a barre. I think the soprano size is a bit more of a challenge to get accurate tone than the other larger sizes. Any misplacement of the fretting finger can bend the note out of tune. Concert and Tenor scales are more forgiving.

–Lori
 
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Thank you very much olde for the wise information, I will definitely consider this when buying my new ukulele. Do you think I could easily adapt from a Soprano ukulele player to a bigger size such as a Tenor?

That's hard to say. It depends on your mindset as much as hand size and dexterity, I think. I can play concert and tenor scales equally well (or equally poorly, and after a four-day binge of playing a lot of tenor), but I feel cramped on a soprano scale. But, I know guys with hands much larger than mine who play soprano. I think if you want to play tenor you probably won't have much trouble making the switch unless your hands are unusually small or you have serious dexterity problems.

On the other hand, if you are mostly doing the "strum and sing, thing" there isn't really much need to go to a tenor - a soprano or concert is great for those settings.

John
 
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