Makala MK-S or Dolphin?

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darlindaday

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I'm completely new to this site, so hello guys! I'm also new to ukuleles and am considering buying a cheapish one soon to get me started off ebay. I would like to get a Makala because I have heard lots of good things about them from many different people. However, I'm not sure on whether to buy the Makala MK-S or Dolphin? Which one would be better for me to buy? I love the look of the dolphin, especially the black one, but am not really bothered by the looks, more the sound and the quality of the instrument itself. Sound wise which one's better? Basically overall, which one would be the better instrument and the best one to buy out of the two?
Thanks for all your help guys! :)
 
I have a Dolphin, and I love it! It's an attention grabber that's for sure.

The MK-S is also a fine instrument.

I would touch base with Mim of Mim's Ukes. She's really great at helping people pick the right instrument for them!
 
Welcome to UU!!

The MK-S is ligter than the Dolphin, so it can be a little louder and sweeter sounding. But I have a Dolphin, and I love it!

If you're buying your first uke online, it'd be smart to stay away from ebay. You'll get a better sounding ukulele if you buy from a reputable ukulele shop---Uke Republic, Mim's Ukulele, Hawaiian Music Supply, Ukulele World, Ukulele Academy---these folks will adjust your ukulele so that it plays well and sounds good before it's sent to you. You can also call any of these shops and ask your question directly---or even ask, "Can you please pick out your nicest-sounding Makala for me?"
 
TheOnlyUkeThatMatters said:
Welcome to UU!!

The MK-S is ligter than the Dolphin, so it can be a little louder and sweeter sounding. But I have a Dolphin, and I love it!

If you're buying your first uke online, it'd be smart to stay away from ebay. You'll get a better sounding ukulele if you buy from a reputable ukulele shop---Uke Republic, Mim's Ukulele, Hawaiian Music Supply, Ukulele World, Ukulele Academy---these folks will adjust your ukulele so that it plays well and sounds good before it's sent to you. You can also call any of these shops and ask your question directly---or even ask, "Can you please pick out your nicest-sounding Makala for me?"
Click to expand...

Ukulele world is a drop shipper.
 
I vote for dolphin as far as sweetness of tone but I also had a Makala MK-P and it was a very nice instrument. Really nice. Both are good but the dolphin tone can be very nice. I have all the Makala line and like the whole line. Also, they don't really need a setup so you could just get a dolphin from SAmash or if you have Amazon Prime from them. Samash has dolphins for 35 bucks delivered. (I just ordered a Mahalo U30 for twenty bucks delivered off amazon and will let you all know how that goes. Comes with nubone and aquilas I believe).
 
Ah thanks for all the help! Really really appreciated. I am still quite torn between the two though, am still not sure as to which ukulele is best. Not really sure still which is the better uke? :') I will probably be changing the strings on whichever ukulele I end up buying. Which strings should I buy?
 
I have a Makala Concert (got it from MGM) and I love it!! However, the Dolphin has tons of lovers. I never have played one but I would think it has to be as good or better! Make sure which one you choose, the strings are aquila strings!!! BTW..the set up is also very important!! :cool:
 
darlindaday said:
Ah thanks for all the help! Really really appreciated. I am still quite torn between the two though, am still not sure as to which ukulele is best. Not really sure still which is the better uke? :') I will probably be changing the strings on whichever ukulele I end up buying. Which strings should I buy?
Click to expand...

Neither of these ukes is "best". Makala makes quite nice ukuleles at great prices. Either uke is a great place to start. Just give it a couple minutes/hours/days, then whichever style---the MK-S's classic ukulele looks or the Dolphin's colorful cuteness---appeals a little more to you will be "best".
 
go for the dolphin, i had a cheap lazy soprano, but the difference the dolphin made resonance wise was amazing, i use aquila strings and it sounds as sweet as a nut, bargain
 
when i bought my first uke about a month ago, i went into sam ash and saw the dolphins on the wall. they were the cheapest ones they had, so i was telling the salesman i was thinking about getting it because i had never played a uke before and just wanted to get the cheapest one to see if i liked it. he said something to the tune of

"if you're looking for a cheap uke you should get the mk-s (they were in that back and didn't have any on display at that moment). it's a better uke than the dolphin for only $5 more."

it was only $40. so i got the mk-s. played both in the store and have to say i did like the mk-s better anyway. i didn't bother to ask him exactly what made it better than the dolphin but he did mention it sounded better... whatever that means. and i agreed when i played them both side by side.

My only regret was UAS set in very quickly and last week i went back and financed a Martin S-1. wish i had done that in the beginning :( lol

the intonation is a bit off on my mk-s. the notes seem to get progressively sharp as you move up the fret board. the 12th fret is about 10 cents off. i didn't bother to pay to have them set it up or anything. didn't seem worth it since the uke was only $40 and it was $40 for a set up.

overall i was pretty happy the mk-s though. seems to be a descent uke considering it was so inexpensive.
 
Chances are you would be happy with either. I have a makala mk sn which I love and I recently played a dolphin and it had sweet tone. Despite other opinions though IWould get it from someone who sets it up and strings it with aquila strings. A cheapie uke will benefit from attention to set up otherwise you might find intonation problems. Aquila strings help these ukes too in my opinion as a mk sn owner. I'd go to Mim or Uke Republic.
 
Huna said:
I vote for dolphin as far as sweetness of tone but I also had a Makala MK-P and it was a very nice instrument. Really nice. Both are good but the dolphin tone can be very nice. I have all the Makala line and like the whole line. Also, they don't really need a setup so you could just get a dolphin from SAmash or if you have Amazon Prime from them. Samash has dolphins for 35 bucks delivered. (I just ordered a Mahalo U30 for twenty bucks delivered off amazon and will let you all know how that goes. Comes with nubone and aquilas I believe).
Click to expand...

Just got my red burst from Sam Ash through Amazon and was pleased. it's a real looker, love the dark burst. came very playable from the factory, the saddle needs to be shaved a bit, otherwise it's fine.
 
So, when you guys say that you should get your Uke "Set Up", what all does that entail?

I'm asking because I bought a Dolphin from West Music. I put Aquila strings on it. Now, I'm not sure that I put them on correctly, I followed a tutorial online, but a couple of my knots are kind of ugly. Anyway, it played really well, but just the last 2 days, I'm noticing the tone is duller for some reason. I haven't changed anything with the uke, I've just been tuning it probably twice a day.

Any thoughts?

Sorry for hijacking the thread. I will say that I'm impressed with the Dolphin for $35. It actually has a pretty nice finish and feel!
 
A basic set up would include leveling the frets and setting the action. MGM used to set up every ukulele he sold, God bless him! A set up would typically cost more than either of these ukuleles. You would also have to pay for a new set of strings. I'm saying it's not worth it to have a $40.00 ukulele set up. There are a lot of issues that can impact intonation; some of these would be addressed with a set up, but others would not. You're kind of taking your chances with that. These are low-end instruments. They are for fun. I would expect some problems. A store nearby had a number of Dolphins that I played. I believe they sound very good for the price. The intonation wasn't perfect on any of them, but some were better than others.

As to the OP's query, I think the Dolphin is now made with plastic back and sides, while the other Makala is all laminated wood. This probably results in some difference in tone. At this price, though, that would just be a matter of preference, and not some great difference in overall quality.
 
I've a Red Burst Dolphin. I replaced the GHS strings with Aquilas which improved the sound a good deal but swapped those out after a few weeks with Worth Flourocarbons which feel better under my finger tips and, in my opinion, give a slightly sharper sound. If I had to complain about it at all I would say that the paint does chip easily down to a very white primer. Great value for money and happy to just grab it and play without any worries about more damage. If it gets too beaten up I'll sand it down and repaint with Tiki designs or something kitsch.
 
Thanks for all the help! I appreciate it so much, and it really helped me in choosing my ukulele :) I am now the owner of a beautiful black makala dolphin, which arrived today. I love it so much already! Have been playing it non-stop :') Haven't got very far yet, but the summer holidays started today (my ukulele arrived at the perfect time) so I'm going to be practicing all summer! I have also bought some aquila strings, and plan to be replacing the ones it came with with those soon. So yeah, thank you for all your help in getting me started with the ukulele, I look forward to really getting into it :D
 
Dolphin. Just ordered a second one ( purple ) from ukulele hut. Can't wait!
 
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