can't decide...help!

Blue Skies

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O.K. I introduced meself last nite and am now drowing in information dredged up from everywhere.

I am a virgin beginner to playing instruments. I have wanted for a while to start lessons in something...the guitar, the piano, drums...but now my Pop has talked me into joining his senior action baritone ukulele group. Dad's 82 by the way...and his teacher sold him a $30 uke thinkng maybe he wasn't gonna live that long??? (joke) Anyway, I've joined and need to get up to speed and have been researching everything that hasn't put me to sleep!

So far I've come up with, a $30 uke is NOT the way I want to go, the better ukes have a solid wood front and the best ones are all solid wood everything pretty much. My price range is about $200 so I think I can afford to get a solid front.I've also been reading on how the 'set-up' of the instrument matters. (Never, ever, knew that!)

At this point I don't know a 'g' from a 'd' except from the alphabet, so I really could use some input from all these great and varied minds out there. Can you help?

I am waffling between the Cordoba 20BM solid mahogony top for about $179, the Ohana BK50 solid mahogony top for about $209 and the Koloa KU650 all solid mahogony I've seen for about $165. The problems are I don't know if the Koloa has a set up with it. Knowing what I now know I would like one. I've read that the Ohana comes already set up and if I go with the Cordoba, I'd most likely purchase it from , well, Musicians Friend has it for cheaper but I don't know if they do the set up that Hawaiin Music Supply does. I watched a video at HMS and man, they really get them going good! I'm trying to save $$ for a case and a stand and notes and group fee, etc., but I'm driving myself crazy researching all this.

So far from researching, I've thrown out all the printouts I made of all the cheaper models beacause I feel I want something that I will be satisfied with for a good while. I don't have lots of funds so I'm trying to get a decent one now.

I do like the deeper sound of the darker ones I have listened to on YouTube and read about the lighter spruce tops sounding lighter as well. So I don''t think I'd want a spruce top. But other than all that above, can you guys give some input???

Thanks in advance for any and all advice, Debby
 
mainland

Yes, I found one on Craigslist, but don't know how trustworthy the folks selling there are...I realize it's a problem on my end, but I think they wanted like $300 which I'm sure is a good price, but I haven't researched them well yet. The listing is number 2934470464 if you want to go look. The listing I found was dated 4-28-12. Thank you, D
 
mainland pineapple

Is it a baritone? That's what I need to get...thanks, D
 
Alternatively, start a thread on the Marketplace Forum saying you want to buy a Baritone. This lot change their Ukes faster than I change my underwear, I'm sure someone is bored already with the Baritone they bought last week ;)
 
suggestion-mainland-have a problem

Thanks anyway for your suggestion, UKISOCIETY. Much appreciated.

the BigKahuna, I think a Mainland would be great, if someone else could loan me the extra $ that my account doesn't want to part with right now!!! Also, I pm-ed? the 'lady that has a problem' so I'm waiting for a reply. Thanks for that tip, I don't think I'd have put two & two together! You guys are great for tips....D
 
Alternatively, start a thread on the Marketplace Forum saying you want to buy a Baritone. This lot change their Ukes faster than I change my underwear, I'm sure someone is bored already with the Baritone they bought last week ;)

Note to self: Stand upwind of Kahuna.
 
I've played a Cordoba a couple of times and it's very comfortable and loud, and I own an Ohana (which I love) so you can't go wrong with either :) I think anything you buy from Hawaii Music Supply will be great. You should also check out Koa Pili Koko, at pilikoko.com. They're all-solid ukes, set up, with some under $200.
 
Here's one to consider! An all solid mahogany baritone for about $250. Should see if any of the members of your grandfather's group can do setups. May be able to snag a beautiful vintage baritone on ebay.

http://www.theukulelesite.com/kala-all-solid-mahogany-baritone.html

Spotted this on ebay. It appears to me to be a tenor guitar based on a very short scale tenor banjo. It may work for you.....it sure looks sweet to me! It's is a little over 31"....here's info from the seller I got:

The average scale of a tenor guitar is 24-26” Gibsons were the shortest at 23”, the scale length of this is 21 3/8”. Couple that with the uke/small banjo tuners and that’s how I determined it must be a baritone Uke!

I’ll post this info on the listing.

The overall length from tip of the headstock to bottom is 31 3/8”

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320924424098&ssPageName=ADME:X:eRTM:US:1123
 
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I will second the sage advice from the Big Kahuna. I am new to both the uke and UU but in my short time I have been amazed at the apparent success of people who post wtb threads in the marketplace. I think I will be doing that when I am ready for another uke. If you state the amount you are able to spend and that you want a baritone, I bet you may get a couple of people offering to sell you one of theirs. Good luck and let us know what you end up getting.
 
Freeda, how funny! I'm glad you guys are up for joking here.

dolliwood, is the Cordoba you tried loud with good quality, or just loud? What model Ohana do you have? The pilikoko site doesn't have any baris that I can find.

PhilUSAFret,I wish I could afford that $250 model, if so it would open up new avenues for me! I don't yet know if I want to get into one that needs repairs if I don't know what I'm doing quite yet or know anyone that repairs them, and I will be learning in the future about scales, but they are all great ideas and I appreciate you suggesting them.

Ethan, they are all very good ideas and I did just that on the marketplace(I'm learning how to find these sites here)to navigate around!

Thanks much everbody, D
 
I know you are looking for a baritone but I thought I would chime in anyways... I was in Hale'iwa just a couple of months ago and went by HMS and bought my very first ukulele from Andrew there. I bought a Cordoba 20TM (The Tenor version of the Baritone you are looking at.) I am very pleased with it. I find that I can barely put it down. It's really a joy to play and HMS did a wonderful job setting it up.

Good luck on your search..


Jody
 
Thanks jreimers...glad to know. I just committed and placed my order at HMS through music guy Mike for a Cordoba 20BM. Now I can't wait for it to arrive!
 
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