Why does my new $550 uke not sound much different to my $50 uke?

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supersweepblue

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After much research I decided to buy a Kala Soprano All Solid Acacia uke. I took it home and found that it does not sound much different to my $50 Makala "dolphin" uke with nylon strings.

Will the sound from my new uke improve over time? (i.e. do ukes "wear in"?)

Thanks in advance to anyone who replies.
 
wait...never mind. You should probably return it and get something better. For $550 you could do much better lol
 
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I bought a Kala solid koa and it didn't sound much better than my dolphin. it sure looked better though. in theory a solid wood uke will "open up" , but I haven't ever experienced that. to be fair, I probably don't keep them long enough to tell.
so,
1. the dolphins can sound very good for the price, do both ukes have the same strings?
2.try changing the strings on the acacia, it can make a big difference. some strings seem to go better with different woods. I found the Kala acacia tenor I had to be much mellower sounding that the other tenors I've had. hope that helps.
 
Check out the recent thread on "opening up."

http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/f...-when-a-uke-quot-opens-up-quot&highlight=open

It may be that you are accustomed to the way the dolphin sounds and as you play the acacia ukulele more, the differences will become more apparent.

Also, the strings you use contribute significantly to the way the instrument sounds. Unfortunately, you may have to experiment with different strings to find the ones that best compliment the ukulele.

Just curious: What research did you do that encouraged you to buy the acacia ukulele?
 
Ditto on the string change

I felt the tone of my Kala Solid Acacia Concert didn't meet my expectations for my first all-wood uke until I changed string brands.

Replaced the Aquilas with Martin Clear Fluorocarbons and the difference was night and day. The Kala really came to life: wonderful bell-like quality to the notes, distinct separation of the notes in chords, amazing sustain, and the whole uke vibrates with some chords.

I had Southcoast strings on order at the time I replaced my concert's strings with Martins. The Martins sound so good I haven't replaced them. But I did replace the Aquilas on my Mainland Mango Soprano with Southcoast...Soft Mediums (I think).

Similar result though not as dramatic.

So experiment with brands other than Aquila. As one UU'er said to me (paraphrased): Aqullas make an inexpensive uke sound better, but higher quality ukes will let you know when you have found the strings they want on them.

Doug
 
MGM said:
you paid 550 for a soprano acacia ...you definetly paid tooooo much
Click to expand...

Thanks, MGM! I was debating whether to post the same. My advice to the OP would be to take that one back & get back w/you or another of the great vendors on UU for a better uke for the $$$.

I'd be disappointed too if I overspent that much for a uke that sounds "no different" than a $50 dolphin!
 
Play only the Kala for a month or two. Then play the Dolphin again. You should notice a big difference.
 
A hundred more you could get a kamaka or easy a Koaloha hawaiian koa... what gives?? hmmm next time do more research and ask around...also try before you buy...buying sight unseen and
unheard is a definete no no, unless you buy from a respected dealer approved by UU forum gang...ha ha ....can you return it, who did you buy it from and how long...
 
I sound as average on my $700 mya moe as I do on my $25 mahalo, so I'm not surprised at all!!! :eek:
 
That is a lot of clams for a Kala Acacia.

That said, the Dolphin is a staggering little thing. Whilst I play Kanile'a and Koaloha ukes, I still gig with the dolphin now and again.

As you move up in quality you don't , in my experience, get night and day difference. It's more subtle. You get more sustain, bell type chimes, better sound separation across the strings (cheaper ukes can sound "muddy") - as you progress you'll spot these subtle qualities all the more.

Also, more money buys you a far, far nicer finish and setup.
 
MGM said:
you paid 550 for a soprano acacia ...you definetly paid tooooo much
Click to expand...

+1. For less than $550, you can get, for instance, a Koaloha Soprano (just did a quick search on ebay.com). The leap in quality there will be MASSIVE. I have a Kala solid acacia. It's a pretty good ukulele, but if you've got $550 to spend, you need to understand that you can be looking at the next tier up, where you can expect to buy your last ukulele (UAS permitting). ;)
 
My first response is, "YOU PAID $550 FOR A WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
 
I cannot find an online dealer that charges more than $300 for one... and many charge less.
 
Definitely change the strings - I've got a tenor version of the same uke and I didn't much care for the sound with the aquilas on it. It's sounding much better with a set of southcoast mediums on it. In sure Worths or whatever would also work great. Aquilas are great for bringing a bit of punch to a cheaper uke but don't bring out the best in a solid wood.

But yeah $550 pretty steep!
 
Maybe you are comparing the best uke in the $50 price range against a uke that is not very good in the $550 price range. I have a $100 uke holds its own again more expensive ones. It does not sound like a $2000 one, but it's not 20 times less either. Sometimes you get more than you pay for in a $50 uke :) I assume the fit, finish and build quality of the more expensive uke is obvious - as it should be.
 
I think it can be several factors.

1. Kala's solid acacia ukes.
I've tried a handful in music stores. None of them sounded very good to my ears.
Perhaps Kala's solid acacia range isn't the best acoustic combination.

2. Personal perception.
It is very common to think that a more expensive uke has to be louder. ie: a "good" uke is a loud uke.
This is not the case. Solid wood ukes are not necessarily louder than the cheap ukes.
If you're judging it from the Dolphin due to sheer volume, then it's no wonder you're disappointed.
Rather, the more expensive ukes cost so much because the solid wood (supposedly) creates a more sophisticated, unique tone.


3. Strings.

4. Quality control
You're unlucky, and got a bung solid acacia uke.
Either that, or the uke was stored in poor humidity conditions, so the wood's gone a little dry.
 
I've read repeatedly on UU that among the things that contribute to how an ukulele sounds are the shape of its body, the bracing system design, and the thickness of the soundboard. While this may be less applicable with a Makala dolphin, (which I believe has some plastic in the body these days) I wonder whether Kala uses similar body shape and bracing design systems for many of its ukuleles, so that perhaps they sound more similar to other Kalas than they might sound compared to similar ukuleles (i.e., solid acacia to solid acacia) of another ukulele maker. My second thought when I read the first post in this thread (my first thought was that I paid a lot less than $550 for new a Kala solid acacia uke, and mine is a tenor) is that maybe the OP is hearing a "Kala" sound in both ukuleles and that because both ukes are made by Kala, maybe the sounds are too similar for the OP to appreciate the better tone of the solid wood instrument. My third though is that one of the things one may pay for when buying a more expensive uke is better playability.
 
First off, congrats on playing and wanting to upgrade. Just so you do not feel bad about your purchase I wanted to let you know that you are not the only one who has forked out dough for a uke that did not hit expectations. I was "real smart" once and played a cordoba in a music store that sounded awesome. I thought I would be smart and order it cheaper on line. Boy was I disappointed! It is now on my workbench in pieces. I hated it so much I dissected it to see how it was built! I then decided I would only buy what I hear. Bought one from a UU-er and had him play it for me on the phone. Went last week to NC Uke academy and pulled every concert he had in my price range and by process of elimination I got the one I LIKED BEST. Change the strings (until you find the right ones for it) and give it a chance. If you can change it out and want to, then go ahead. Just don't beat yourself up over it. rem
 
garywj said:
(...)I have a $100 uke holds its own again more expensive ones. (...)
Click to expand...


Which one, which one, which one?


BTW, 50$ for a Dolphin is pretty steep to.
 
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