Is it worth the extra cost?

etf

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OK, cards on the table here people. As you may know from a previous post I am looking to get a high end Tenor. Thing is I am never going to be a star player on the stage. At 53 and a begginer thats not going to hapen lol. So, question is this. If only playing for friends and to make me a happy man. Is there any point in spending a huge amount on a K brand or custom. To my untrained ear, will I spend big and then think to myself, I cant tell a huge difference in sound quallity? I have a Kala KA-ASACS Acacia Concert at a cost of £240 as my first ukulele. So not a cheap end model. I am now tending to lean towards getting the same model in a tenor at a cost of £270. So honest answer here, if your only playing for your own pleasure is there a huge difference in sound to justify spending big money?

Thanks for looking,
ETF :cool:
 
There is a huge difference and it is definitely justified. Most of us here who play high-end ukes will never become superstars, professionals, or go beyond just playing for friends or small gatherings. If you're serious about playing (meaning you practice on an almost daily basis), then you're probably investing a lot of time into the instrument and will achieve a fair level of ability over the next couple years. Once you achieve that level, you will end up buying a higher end uke anyways. So if you can afford it, buy the high end uke now and save yourself some cash in the long run. Believe me it's the cheaper way to go.
 
There is a huge difference and it is definitely justified. Most of us here who play high-end ukes will never become superstars, professionals, or go beyond just playing for friends or small gatherings. If you're serious about playing (meaning you practice on an almost daily basis), then you're probably investing a lot of time into the instrument and will achieve a fair level of ability over the next couple years. Once you achieve that level, you will end up buying a higher end uke anyways. So if you can afford it, buy the high end uke now and save yourself some cash in the long run. Believe me it's the cheaper way to go.

Thanks for your reply, I take everyones opinion onboard here as you are the ones who play and know the answers.

ETF :cool:
 
I would tend to agree provided you are sure you will be happy playing a tenor. I don't know how to determine that without actually owning a tenor. I see lots of ukes in Marketplace "tried this xxx size, found it wasn't for me". Yes you could always resell a higher end uke but probably drop $100+ in the process. If it was me, I'd move to a high end instrument only on a size I know.
 
If you want a high-end tenor, get one, because you won't stop wanting one. Get your "ideal" instrument. At a relatively low cost, you can change strings and adjust setup, which will be getting your "ideal" instrument closer to your "ideal" sound.
 
I believe in playing the best you can afford, no matter your skill level.
Playing music can bring so much joy to you and others, why not play the best?
You might even find your skill level rising to the instrument.
 
I also believe if you can afford it, get it. I'm not an extremely talented player but having an high end instrument just makes you feel good. I have a Kamaka HF-3 and a GString 6 string, and still looking for affordable deals on higher end ukes especially the Ks. I wouldn't mind having a Chuck Moore instrument, but that's another fantasy.
Get one and don't look back.
 
I have more than one high end tenor.

And, I suck pond water.
 
Kayak Jim is right. I have a tenor, and I can't play it worth spit. My next will be a concert. Go try a tenor before you jump. It's a good idea to get a high end uke if you can, I suck sand too, when I play, but I ordered one anyway, because I can and I have UAS... I'll die broke, but somebody will get some nice ukuleles!
 
Yes, play a tenor to see if you like the bigger size! As for getting a "K" brand uke......yes oh yes, go get it, if you can afford it. If you don't, you will never satisfy your desire to get one and besides, there is no contest about the quality.
 
If you can comfortably afford a nice high-end tenor, then go for it, as I think you should get the best instrument you can afford. If not, you should probably try a lower end tenor just to see if the longer scale works for you.
 
I would say generally there is a good jump in quality between the $300 ukes and the $800 ukes. I define it as a bell-like sparkly quality in the upper tones, and nice full bottom tones. Recognizing these details takes a bit of ear training (some people might not notice the difference). There are several $300-$400 ukes that get very close to that upper end sparkle (one of mine is the 5 string Ohana). So, start testing out a lot of ukes, and start to get a feeling of what sound pleases you the most. You should play a high end uke in person before buying. There are great variations between instruments, and a price tag is not a good indicator of which uke is the best for you.

–Lori
 
GO FOR IT!!

As we get older, we have less interests so we should spend more on those interests.
 
Thanks all. Good food for thought from everyone. I did go to my local music shop last week. They only stock one brand of ukulele and that's Hudson (don't know if your familiar with them)? Tried their top of the line mahogany Tenor. OK, I suck sand and pond water but sat down in the shop and had a go, I don't care when I play an ukulele lol. Anyway, loved the extra volume of the Tenor but I must admit I love the feel of my little Kala concert. Not sure if I am just being swayed towards the Tenors as most music shops tend to push you in that direction. Maybe its because I play guitar and they then say most guitar players end up with a Tenor and all the big name players play on Tenors. Had my concert a few weeks ago online at Southern Ukulele Store here in the UK. Had great advice from them over the phone and went for the concert. So not only am I not sure to go high end (Yes I am, I want the best I can get) but not sure to go for Tenor or a new high end Concert lol.

Thanks for replies,
ETF :cool:
 
I went to the Denver UkeFest, tried out a bunch of ukuleles and picked one that I liked. It happened to be (relatively) expensive (Mya-Moe) and I don't regret it. I knew at the time it was unlikely that I would be anything but a mediocre ukulele player.
 
As others have said, my advice is to spend as much on the 'ukulele as you can afford and as you are comfortable spending, regardless of your skill. If that means a budget of $200, then get the best $200 uke you can. If that means $1000, ditto. Don't fall into the trap of trying to buy an instrument that you think is at your level. Seriously, get the best you can.

Buying on the cheap for now will only cost you more in the long run. This place is filled with people (like me) who bought a starter uke for about $100 only to soon find that the limitations of the instrument was more frustrataing than expected, and immediately began searching for something better.

Now, some folks here can't stop at one, and have anywhere from 5 to a dozen or more top-end ukes. Others get that one special uke and are good.

As long as you aren't compulsively buying and are staying within your ability, it's all good.
 
In the few years I have been playing, I have seen the general consensus seem to change from concert to tenor. Perhaps that is because more guitar players are coming over and are more comfortable with the larger scale of a Tenor. I think for the most part, guitar shop guys are telling people they should play a Tenor, and so people go with that. It boils down to whatever you like the best.

As far as stepping up to a high end ukulele. I would say there is a significant difference. However, Lori is right in that each instrument has different qualities unto itself. When I bought my KoAloha concert, I played it along with three other KoAloha concerts (along with a couple Kamaka's) and to my ear, mine sounded far better. If you don't have access to try some higher end ukuleles, you will get excellent sound from the high end stuff, but there is considerable variation between individual instruments.

I can tell you that high end vintage ukuleles are head and shoulders above mid range modern ukuleles. When I take my Favilla, Martin, or Gibson and play with people who have a Kala or Lanikai they are always blown away at how full and powerful the sound is coming out of a little vintage soprano. So, in summation of my long winded response.....if you have the means, go for a high end ukulele, you won't regret it!
 
As long as you aren't compulsively buying and are staying within your ability, it's all good.


Hey, I resemble this remark !!!!!
I went to a ukulele retreat over the weekend and took 4 ukuleles.
People started kidding me about do I ever play the same uke twice, my reply was.
"Instead of changing strings, I buy a new uke and pray it comes tuned."
 
I am pretty much a nooooob but this year I purchased and sold a lot of ukulele's in the pursuit of the right one. In just the course of a few months, I went from $200 ukulele's to $500 ukulele's and now $1200. ukulele's. Crazy- right? Well, yes and no. As my skill level increased, I wanted better and each time I stepped up, I found that not only was the sound better, but it was easier to play. The better ukulele actually helped me to be a better player. Granted, a great player can make any instrument sound good, the reverse is also true, a better uke can help to make it easier for a mid-ranged player to play. But even with the mid-range ukes, when I got my hands on the K brands, a whole new world opened up. I loved the sound of the ukuleles. There was a world of difference and the biggest selling point, to me (and this goes back to your original statement about just playing for yourself) is that I LOVE playing my K brands. The sound great, look great, and feel great in my hands. Hours can pass by without me noticing, whereas with the lesser brands, there was more frustration. And if I miss a day of playing, I find myself making statements like< "I didn't play the ukulele today- I really want to make some time for that."

In the end, it cost me a good bit of money to try so many brands, and then sell them when I found they were not right- but where I live, there is no other way to try them except to buy them. The owner of the music store in my neighborhood announced to me that he was getting a better brand of ukulele in. He said he was getting Kala in. I told him that there are many other brands he should be looking at also. He said there was no market for them. I then presented a challenge to him. I bet him a set a strings that that I, personally sold more ukuleles between September and now than he did, because I was selling quality instruments. And I was right. Between that time, I purchased 11 ukuleles and sold 7 (2 ponos, 3 Islanders, 1 Kamaka, 1 KoAloha). I now own only the ukes in my signature below. I love these ukes. I love playing them. These are my keepers.
 
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