Underrated ukulele brands?

Ryan<3Ukes

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I thought there would be a thread that had the word underrated in the title but I searched and there were none sooo Hey i'm here! This probably the most important thing I'm going to ask all of you in terms of opinion. Which brand(s) of ukulele makers do you think are the most underrated? This important to me because in a lot of the things I do I tend to go for the "underrated". I really don't like going for the same things other people go for or already have. Is there anything wrong with going for something other people want? No. 80% of the time whatever's getting the attention deserves it. I'm not just talking about product, I'm talking about service as well. I'd say that KPK counts as one of those underrated brands. Solid Acacia ukuleles for under $240 ? I mean really, what beats that? If you can't think of anything just think about a really good brand that's not mentioned on the forums as much as other brands are. BTW, I'm poor that's why I'm asking this :) Sometimes underrated means "invisible good deals" as well.
 
I thought there would be a thread that had the word underrated in the title but I searched and there were none sooo Hey i'm here! This probably the most important thing I'm going to ask all of you in terms of opinion. Which brand(s) of ukulele makers do you think are the most underrated? This important to me because in a lot of the things I do I tend to go for the "underrated". I really don't like going for the same things other people go for or already have. Is there anything wrong with going for something other people want? No. 80% of the time whatever's getting the attention deserves it. I'm not just talking about product, I'm talking about service as well. I'd say that KPK counts as one of those underrated brands. Solid Acacia ukuleles for under $240 ? I mean really, what beats that? If you can't think of anything just think about a really good brand that's not mentioned on the forums as much as other brands are. BTW, I'm poor that's why I'm asking this :) Sometimes underrated means "invisible good deals" as well.

KPK isn't underrated. very good rep now. Started out shaky but that was when they first came out.

I think the most underrated brand is Mele. www.meleukulele.com
 
Wow I have a lot to look into. Saw Mele in a couple signatures and I never bothered looking at their website.

Not many people have them (I think this is b/c there aren't many online dealers that carry them) but very good players. I love mine. If you get one, tell them I sent ya. I hear they sweeten the deal.
 
Not many people have them (I think this is b/c there aren't many online dealers that carry them) but very good players. I love mine. If you get one, tell them I sent ya. I hear they sweeten the deal.

Unfortunately, I can't afford my UAS :(
 
I'm going to say that among the K brands, Koolau and Kanilea are both underrated. You tend to read Kamaka this and Koaloha that, and not so much the other two. I've seen a Koolau in the wild and it was something else. Also, some UUers didn't bond with their Kanilea, so sometimes as a result of that, you see people who never played one pass on misinformation (it's misinformation if you give an opinion on an uke you've never played).

I know that maybe it's not fair to throw out those names, because they're still very much the big time, but still. In terms of luthiers we should talk more about, gotta be MPUkuleles. I had a koa concert of his (non-custom), that's only crime against humanity was that the neck got too big for my stumpy fingers as you went up the frets. If I were getting a custom from him, we could sort that out. Awesome guy and great ukes, and luckily I got to visit it again earlier this month. :)
 
Big Island. The craftsmanship is excellent, and they sound very good.
 
I'm going to say that among the K brands, Koolau and Kanilea are both underrated. You tend to read Kamaka this and Koaloha that, and not so much the other two. I've seen a Koolau in the wild and it was something else. Also, some UUers didn't bond with their Kanilea, so sometimes as a result of that, you see people who never played one pass on misinformation (it's misinformation if you give an opinion on an uke you've never played).

I know that maybe it's not fair to throw out those names, because they're still very much the big time, but still. In terms of luthiers we should talk more about, gotta be MPUkuleles. I had a koa concert of his (non-custom), that's only crime against humanity was that the neck got too big for my stumpy fingers as you went up the frets. If I were getting a custom from him, we could sort that out. Awesome guy and great ukes, and luckily I got to visit it again earlier this month. :)

I can agree with the ko'olau but not the kanilea. Kanilea is another of those most recommend uke companies here. I don't like them and I have played many of them. But their sound monster tenors rock. I'd buy me one of those in a heart beat. MP...I so want to try one of his ukes as well as a black bear.
 
I've recently played a Tanglewood Concert & Tenor & thought they were superb quality and sound/action, especially for the price! Over here, you can get the Concert for $150, including a hard case, which is terrific.

The action is really low, easy to play, the sustain is lovely & the intonation great. I am recommending them as 'first ukes' to my friends over here who want to get into playing & the inclusion of the case is a winning factor as well.

THey really 'chime' & are quite 'loud' for a regular uke & play really nicely, straight from the case! If you haven't tried one, give it a go!

Roebrta
 
I'm surprises by my cheap laminate Korala. Sounds good and to me better than a lot of the more expensive ukes.
 
I haven't seen Kamoa mentioned at all in the forum. I'm new so that's probably why though...
 
I think Nalu is underrated.

They are beautifully made of solid woods, use quality parts (Grover tuners, Tusq nut and saddle, MiSi pickups), gorgeous abalone inlay, distinctive design elements and they sound fantastic.
 
It's good to hear about all these other brands, a number of which I never really consider when buying a uke. A lot of it is, is that I live in a uke wasteland so it's difficult to try anything other than what guitar center has and they generally don't have much beyond the entry level Ukes.
 
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