The right choice

Jerloew · Nov 10, 2011

Hey uke-people

im completely in love with the uke's sound, and now im like addicted to this little thingy

so now i decided to get myself one!
I had walked through the forum for threads about and found some usefull, and as i can see in Denmark (where i live) i can get Makala MK-S, and a clip on snark SN-1 for a cheap amount..
i think it's a sweet deal, and i was just curious on your decision on whether i should go for or not ?

PoiDog · Nov 10, 2011

Aloha and e komo mai to UU, Jerloew!

I don't think anyone here would advise you NOT to get an 'ukulele. They really are incredibly fun and awesome instruments.

The Makala uke would not be a bad choice, but my suggestion would be that unless you really can't afford anything more expensive, you might want to get something a bit better than this. The reason is simple: unless you discover you just don't like the 'ukulele, you'll quickly find yourself shopping around for a better one. Why waste your time and money now? Go ahead and get something better. It will probably sound better and you'll have more fun. Plus, that would be one less 'ukulele for you to buy.

In any case, have fun!

NoahOathKeeper · Nov 10, 2011

Hey Jerloew ,and welcome to your new addiction

i play most stringed instruments . ive had more fun with the ukulele then any other one I own , get one man and have tons of fun with it

Jerloew · Nov 10, 2011

Hey PoiDog, thanks for the very fast response!
I can for sure spend more! that was just the uke i found in my first search, and i researched it alittle.

what would you recommend, as the best choice, or if you have more and maybe list a pro's / con's list i would be a happy man

..
What about the tuner choice?

PoiDog · Nov 10, 2011

Jerloew said:
Hey PoiDog, thanks for the very fast response!
I can for sure spend more! that was just the uke i found in my first search, and i researched it alittle. what would you recommend, as the best choice, or if you have more and maybe list a pro's / con's list i would be a happy man ..
What about the tuner choice?

That's a difficult question to answer. It depends on how much you can spend, what size 'ukulele you want, etc.

Just as a general rule, my feeling is you should find your budget then spend about 10% more. If you can, I'd recommend a solid wood uke (at least a solid top) over a laminate. However, if you're in Denmark, low humidity may be a concern in which case a quality laminate may be a good choice.

As far as which make or model, there are just too many out there - especially in the $100 - $400 US range. At some point the actual instruments are very similar in quality and sound, and the difference comes down to personal preference and design. An important thing to keep in mind is that having it properly set up is really key. It will make your uke sound a lot better.

If you narrow down your search to how much you can afford and what size you want, I know the folks here will bombard you with suggestions.

Best of luck!

Jerloew · Nov 10, 2011

I'm willing to spend 100-150 US. and ofc. the tuner will further increase the bid.
i see your point, i just think im biggest problem is my location, i have not seen any danish uke players even though there might be someone out there!

I'm not sure what size, im up for! but i must admit, that the soprano is a sweet little thingy

BadLands Bart · Nov 10, 2011

I have a Makala Concert set up with aquila strings and... it sounds amazing (for the price) and I play it quite often. For a first uke and if you do not want to spend a lot of money...the Makala is an excellent choice!!!!

farmerboy · Nov 10, 2011

I don't think you can beat a Makala MK-C with aquilla strings they're brilliant quality for the price. I love mine and once I'd set it up and added a bone nut, endpin (for a strap) and a pickup, it's genuinely better than other ukes I've played that are literally more than 4 times the price.

Good uke.

TheOnlyUkeThatMatters · Nov 11, 2011

Makala makes the best inexpensive ukes. Snark tuners work welll. Go for it!

metricfuture · Nov 11, 2011

Our tenor player's first uke was a Makala. It's still the only one she owns, and I've played it on more than one occasion instead of one of mine (that cost 2-4 times as much), because it's just that nice.

jop · Nov 11, 2011

Jerloew said:
I have not seen any danish uke players even though there might be someone out there!

Well there are a few of us around. I'm in the Vejle area.
It can be difficult to get a decent 'uke. There are a few cheap no-names in internet stores, and most music stores only have a few cheaper ones 'for the fun of it'. I did see a handful of interesting 'ukes in 4sound in Copenhagen, though.

PoiDog, I can assure you that low humidity is never going to be a problem in Denmark

.

Jens

Jerloew · Nov 11, 2011

Hey guys, and i appreciate the usefull replies!

- Hey jens, the uke i found was exactly on the 4sound site including the tuner

.. (I'm in the Åbenrå area)

But i might say im a fan of smaller ukes soprana / concert

.. they look sweet, and just makes me happy to watch!

jop · Nov 11, 2011

By the way, right now (since yesterday) Lidl has an 'ukulele for kr. 179. I bought one for some 'mad scientist' experiments. Mine intonates well, and with some decent strings the somewhat tinny sound may improve. It's not much of an instrument, but definitely more than a toy. Perfect for a day at the beach or a scout trip.

PoiDog · Nov 11, 2011

jop said:
PoiDog, I can assure you that low humidity is never going to be a problem in Denmark .

Jens

Heh! Good to know. I suppose the only concern you have is with not enough warmth or sunlight in the winters, eh?

jop · Nov 11, 2011

Yes, this time of the year is rather trying. A typical winter is dark and wet with temperatures hovering around the freezing point. The white nights in summer is a fair compensation, though.

Jerloew · Nov 11, 2011

Haha the lidl uke makes me giggle

.. - it looks nice tho..

But back to the topic! - soprano / concert makes my wood goes "stiff" ;p (friday jokes).
What would you prefer for a beginner / noob.

sweetiecino · Nov 12, 2011

Jerloew said:
Haha the lidl uke makes me giggle .. - it looks nice tho..

But back to the topic! - soprano / concert makes my wood goes "stiff" ;p (friday jokes).
What would you prefer for a beginner / noob.

As a noob I have been playing a Lanikai U21 for 3 weeks and I already feel like upgrading to solid wood....so as everyone has been saying, if you can afford it, get a solid! =)

Lalz · Nov 12, 2011

Congrats on starting to play the ukulele!

I agree with the others when they say you'll want to upgrade quite quickly, but the way I see it it's nice to start with a really cheap one before buying a more expensive one. There's two reasons for this: it allows you to start playing right away while letting you take time to figure out what type of uke you really like and really really want to have, tone-wise, size-wise, etc (I think that rushing for upgrades can be one of the causes of UAS for some people); and once you have upgraded, you can keep the cheap one around as a beater (i.e. a uke you can have lying around in the house and pick up at anytime without having to care about storing it properly, dropping it on the floor or being caught in the rain with it). It can be very useful.
This said, the Makalas are very nice for their price, I certainly recommend them over Mahalos. In general, Kala is my favourite brand.

Lycka till!

Jerloew · Nov 12, 2011

hmm i see people have different oppinions on this... as you know, im a beginner and i dont even know the sound in real life.
I only watched 1000 videos!.

But still my bid on the uke's would be around 100-150 US. if theres a solid wood in that particular price range, i would appreciate if you could list me some, or atleast guide me to the best brands

thanks for all your response.

sugengshi · Nov 12, 2011

Personally I love my Makala and Kala Ukuleles. Maybe I have not tried ones with solid wood. It is surely good to have a test on those one of these days.

The right choice

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