Hi-End Factory vs. Entry Level Custom?

Paul December

Paul December

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I'm thinking I am ready to blow $1k - $1.2k on a uke.
How do you think the $$$$ would be best spent? High end factory uke or something custom? What would you do?
 
Trinimon said:
Haha, too easy! I'd be looking for a Kamaka HF3 without thinking twice.
Click to expand...

At that price, a Vento custom tenor is an option outside of a Kamaka HF-3! I own an HF-3, a really great sounding one, but my Vento blows it out of the water and at a similar price.
 
I have a different vision......I would go with a custom from a reputable luthier.

In the end, it all comes down to what you prefer.....different people will have different opinions on this subject. There are no good or bad answers to this question.
 
Talsma's custom tenors start at $900. then with your budget you can add a little bling.

or if you get something smaller, you have even more blingtastic options.

The way I saw it when I made my decision was I could get a nice factory uke that looks almost identical to the hundreds of others out there, or I can get a one-of-a-kind uke of my design. (not taking anything away from factory brand/owners)
 
I think that in the end, unless it is a very well known luthier, when it comes time to sell the money will be in a factory job.
 
For that kind of $$, I'd look into a custom, possibly a Mya-moe, Compass Rose, Boat Paddle, or Kepasa. It all depends on what kind of sound, look and other features you like. You can get a custom uke to your liking for that money.
 
I'd say go for big K brands. I'm not sure which size you want, but for custom uke 1k-1.2k is the base line of any build size. By saying "base line" I mean the default build option without any customized choice.
Mya-moe base price is : 800(traditional soprano)-1000(tenor), or 1150(classic soprano) - 1350(tenor). Moore Bettah's from 1900-2000. Add up with any fancy option you want... definitely not in your budget range.

OTOH, 1.2k will get you a really good uke in any size of all K brands.
 
Talsma's custom tenors start at $900...
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Ryan, I had no idea Dave was that cheap! Considering what you'll end up with, that is quite a bargain.

Paul, if you are thinking along the lines of the classical uke you were asking about, having someone like Dave guide you and then build for you at that price would be hard to pass up. You won't get that from a factory.

(Also, you probably wouldn't want to sell it, but the Talsma name is well known - it wouldn't be hard to get a good price)
 
Last edited:
Paul December said:
I'm thinking I am ready to blow $1k - $1.2k on a uke.
How do you think the $$$$ would be best spent? High end factory uke or something custom? What would you do?
Click to expand...

I'm with Trinimon on this one, splurge on a high end factory uke. You are paying for years of experience. Have $2,000 to spend? Go with a trusted custom builder.
 
Trinimon said:
Haha, too easy! I'd be looking for a Kamaka HF3 without thinking twice.
Click to expand...

Same here! As others have said, it comes down to personal preference, both in terms of sound and aesthetics. There's no one-size-fits-all answer.

I've never even considered a custom because (um, obviously...) I like the Kamaka sound and the understated design - I'm not into inlays and bling and all that. And I like the idea of being able to hear what I'm getting before committing to buy.
 
Go play the ukes. Really.

I got a KoAloha Sceptre this summer - when I played it, the feel and sound were awesome - even my wife stopped what she was doing, sat up, and took notice. Our mutual reactions were "Wow."

A few weeks later, I played a couple of Rick Turner's Compass Rose ukes. They were wonderful, but didn't quite bring out the "Wow." that the Sceptre did.

That being said, the compass rose ukes are easily among the best instruments I've played, after the Sceptre and the Pineapple Sunday, and right there with the Kamaka Liliu HF-36 Six String tenor ukulele.

(I have never played a Custom built Ukulele
 
RyRod said:
Talsma's custom tenors start at $900. then with your budget you can add a little bling.

or if you get something smaller, you have even more blingtastic options.

The way I saw it when I made my decision was I could get a nice factory uke that looks almost identical to the hundreds of others out there, or I can get a one-of-a-kind uke of my design. (not taking anything away from factory brand/owners)
Click to expand...

I have seen Ryan's Talsma. It sounds lovely. It looks lovely. I thought that it was a great bargain for the price. You couldn't go wrong.
 
ksiegel said:
Go play the ukes. Really.

I got a KoAloha Sceptre this summer - when I played it, the feel and sound were awesome - even my wife stopped what she was doing, sat up, and took notice. Our mutual reactions were "Wow."

A few weeks later, I played a couple of Rick Turner's Compass Rose ukes. They were wonderful, but didn't quite bring out the "Wow." that the Sceptre did.

That being said, the compass rose ukes are easily among the best instruments I've played, after the Sceptre and the Pineapple Sunday, and right there with the Kamaka Liliu HF-36 Six String tenor ukulele.

(I have never played a Custom built Ukulele
Click to expand...


Completely agree here. Play many, buy one. One that you play, will make you go "Holy cow," and you'll just know. IF you're looking at production models that is. I'm fortunate enough to own a custom, and it's head and shoulders above it's production siblings I own (all are KoAloha). The customs just have a different feel. Of course, most customs will have a starting price of $2,000 for a bare bones model. When you get into a completely hand made instrument, it's just gonna be that way.

Also, expect a wait for most customs. Kamaka isn't taking orders according to their website. Spoke to Paul Okami of KoAloha a couple of weeks ago, and they won't be taking any custom orders for 2 years until they get their backlog filled. Before now, it was 3 to 5 year waits on customs. So he's now allowing himself to get caught up before another onslaught.

In any event, the hunt for a uke is always a fun task. By the way, earlier I said you'll just know about a uke when you play it. If you think you do, move on to another. If it is the one, you'll keep gravitating back to it.
 
I agree with Consitter. Truly, it is not you that chooses the ukulele; the ukulele chooses you.
 
consitter said:
In any event, the hunt for a uke is always a fun task. By the way, earlier I said you'll just know about a uke when you play it. If you think you do, move on to another. If it is the one, you'll keep gravitating back to it.
Click to expand...

I heartily agree.

When I bought my Fluke, I kept going back to it.

When I bought my KoAloha Sceptre, I kept going back to it- and each time, it still elicited a "Wow."

And I want to point out that's a "Wow.", not a "WOW!" it was such a subtle, complete experience that I just had to pause and look at what I was playing, and think about exactly how it felt, and resonated. The overwhelming "WOW!" can wear off, but a "wow." just keeps on keeping on.

-Kurt​
 
ksiegel said:
I heartily agree.

When I bought my Fluke, I kept going back to it.

When I bought my KoAloha Sceptre, I kept going back to it- and each time, it still elicited a "Wow."

And I want to point out that's a "Wow.", not a "WOW!" it was such a subtle, complete experience that I just had to pause and look at what I was playing, and think about exactly how it felt, and resonated. The overwhelming "WOW!" can wear off, but a "wow." just keeps on keeping on.

-Kurt​
Click to expand...

Wow! I have never heard it said better. I may have found my wow in this little Kamaka soprano.
 
All good arguments.

If you choose a luthier that does picture updates, nothing is better than watching YOUR ukulele come to life.

You take that chance of not liking the end product, but if you tell the builder up front what sound you're looking for they should be able to make it happen.

And there was that thread a couple days back talking about return policies, or whatever.
 
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