Hi guys. First post.
I'm going to Oahu and Maui (and for about an hour, Hawaii Island) in October.
I've played guitar for about 4 years, mainly extreme metal which can be quite demanding, and picked up a £50 (like 80 US$) Lanikai LU-11 about a month or 2 ago. So I'm competent, (by no means very good) at guitar and although a bit of a beginner at uke, I'm picking it up fairly quickly.
I'll be in Waikiki mainly, and although I have some trips and excursions all over the island, I might be a bit stretched for time outside of Waikiki.
I'll be on Maui for a a few days in Lahaina mainly. In both instances, I will have a rental car.
My budget is about 250-500 US $.
My current uke, the Lanikai LU-11 is ultra dinky sounding and incredibly bright. It's a very 'happy' instrument! I know it's cheap but it's actually not that bad. I know some of you may well say to just stick with what I've got if I'm happy with it. What I'm after is the same bright and loud sound but perhaps with a few extra frets, (this one only has 12), and longer lasting materials. It would be nice to get one made in Hawaii as well.
What I want to avoid is getting a uke that is high quality but has a 'sterner' tone, because then I start to move back into guitar sounding territory, and I already have a few of those. I have my uke for that great, happy, bright sound and it may well even be that the cheap materials that may well break apart in a year or 2 on my current uke is what is giving it that sound. I'm hoping I can find a uke that can replicate that but with a much greater build quality... I might even be as bold as to say a concert uke is too big and loses the super bright tone... but I'm not going to claim that for sure as I've only briefly played one. My ideal uke is a Hawaiian made, Soprano, 15-17 fret Ukulele.
So far, I've only really come across being advised to go to Puapua at the Sheritan Waikiki, one of the three factories (but I don't really know which, and I'm not sure I have time for a full factor tour) or a small place called Tangi's.
Firstly, thanks for reading my above long-winded essay (I just wanted to get my information across!) and secondly, what do you great geniuses suggest I do?
I'm going to Oahu and Maui (and for about an hour, Hawaii Island) in October.
I've played guitar for about 4 years, mainly extreme metal which can be quite demanding, and picked up a £50 (like 80 US$) Lanikai LU-11 about a month or 2 ago. So I'm competent, (by no means very good) at guitar and although a bit of a beginner at uke, I'm picking it up fairly quickly.
I'll be in Waikiki mainly, and although I have some trips and excursions all over the island, I might be a bit stretched for time outside of Waikiki.
I'll be on Maui for a a few days in Lahaina mainly. In both instances, I will have a rental car.
My budget is about 250-500 US $.
My current uke, the Lanikai LU-11 is ultra dinky sounding and incredibly bright. It's a very 'happy' instrument! I know it's cheap but it's actually not that bad. I know some of you may well say to just stick with what I've got if I'm happy with it. What I'm after is the same bright and loud sound but perhaps with a few extra frets, (this one only has 12), and longer lasting materials. It would be nice to get one made in Hawaii as well.
What I want to avoid is getting a uke that is high quality but has a 'sterner' tone, because then I start to move back into guitar sounding territory, and I already have a few of those. I have my uke for that great, happy, bright sound and it may well even be that the cheap materials that may well break apart in a year or 2 on my current uke is what is giving it that sound. I'm hoping I can find a uke that can replicate that but with a much greater build quality... I might even be as bold as to say a concert uke is too big and loses the super bright tone... but I'm not going to claim that for sure as I've only briefly played one. My ideal uke is a Hawaiian made, Soprano, 15-17 fret Ukulele.
So far, I've only really come across being advised to go to Puapua at the Sheritan Waikiki, one of the three factories (but I don't really know which, and I'm not sure I have time for a full factor tour) or a small place called Tangi's.
Firstly, thanks for reading my above long-winded essay (I just wanted to get my information across!) and secondly, what do you great geniuses suggest I do?