Why do my 2 cheap sopranos sound miles better than my relatively expensive concert?

Cath

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Hello,

I've been playing the uke for a few months, and have acquired 3 during that time: a couple of really cheapo sopranos that I started off with, and a nice Kala Ka-CEM exotic mahogany concert which I bought when I started to get a bit more proficient. All three have Aquila strings (the Kala came fitted with them, the other two I put on myself).

The really strange thing is, the two cheap sopranos sound MUCH better than the Kala, even after several months of playing all three. Obviously the Kala is better in other ways...decent tuners that keep their tuning, looks gorgeous and classy etc....but for some bizarre reason, the two cheapies sound lovely and sweet, like a harp, while the Kala just sounds a bit, well, "dead."

I hoped it was just a warming-up thing, but it clearly isn't, because I've played them all about the same amount and the Kala still hasn't improved its sound.

It's a real mystery, and a big disappointment, because the Kala was supposed to be my first step into "proper" ukes after muddling along on the two cheapies. (...And I'm talking *really* cheap here....one was about £12 and the other was £14.99 from Lidl! The Kala was about £80.) But although I *want* to love the Kala, and force myself to keep playing it to try and "break through", I find myself constantly going back to the cheap ones because they sound so much sweeter.

My dilemma is this. Should I just give up on the Kala and just accept that we're not right for each other? Or is there anything I could do to improve the sound? Could it be a soprano/concert thing...do sopranos generally sound sweeter than concerts?

I still really want a "proper" uke, one that has good tuners *and* sounds great, so I'm wondering whether to abandon the Kala and go for a decent soprano.

Can anyone advise, and maybe recommend a nice soprano that would give me the sweet sound I'm getting from the cheapos but also the decent tuners and aesthetic pleasure of the Kala? (Ideally for around the same price I paid for the Kala: i.e. £80ish).

Sorry about the long post. :) It's only my second ever thread on here and I got a bit carried away! Many thanks if anyone can advise and/or recommend a soprano.

Cath
 
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Concert ukuleles have a different sound from sopranos . I prefer sopranos .
 
I had similar experiences, Cath. Price, and even custom build, material choice, etc., doesn't predicate great sound.

You could change the strings on the dead concert, but it'll never sparkle to your ear if it isn't already, is my experience.

Perhaps you like soprano sound, perhaps that was just one dead Kala, and many other non-fixable reasons. Your ears, however, are the best and only judge of what you like.

Bottom line, and I mean this sincerely, is to listen to each and every uke ( even next to the sopranos you love, right there in the store) before spending your hard earned dough.

And if, like most of us, you don't have a store near you and you order by Internet, get ready to enjoy a long and busy stint as an eBay purveyor of ukuleles. :D
 
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I'd certainly take the next logical step and try different strings. Worth Clear Mediums or Living Waters will sound completely different from those Aquilas.

Or, if you might want at least one uke with low g tuning, that's another option.
 
I'm guessing here but I suspect that the Kala Concert has less than perfect intonation and could do with a setup. You've probably got lucky with the soprano's and they are setup better out of the box.

Anthony
 
What a shame. The last thing I expected to read was Kala and dead in the same sentence, especially with Aquila strings. Those things usually make an ukulele scream.

Perhaps what your used to is the screaming itself.

I recommend going to a place that sells ukuleles, if you can find one near you, and try them all out. If you can find two places go to both. You need to play lots of ukuleles without shopping. Obviously, there's something you need to figure out on your own. Is your Kala dead? Do you prefer the sound of cheap ukuleles to that of the more refined ones? Do you just like LOUD?....

I think only you can figure this one out. (unless the Kala really is no good. then you'll need to take it up with your seller or a luthier)
 
I almost can't believe the lidl uke sounds better than the 80 pound Kala. But the Kala is imho still a cheap uke. I threw my lidl uke in the corner.
I'd choose other strings. As mentioned Worth Clear (CM) or Living Water. Those would transform the sound of the uke.

But you wouldn't be the first. I know a guy who is selling his vintage Martin M2 soprano in favour of his Makala soprano...

good luck with your ukes!
 
Hey Cath! Welcome to the forums! Change the strings for sure. Not sure aquilas are the right choice for that model laminate uke. They tend to really dull down some ukes, whilst on others they just sound harsh and abrasive. Your concert may also be a touch overbuilt, maybe the top is a bit thick which sometimes can be a cause of the 'deadness' you describe. But personally, I'd ditch the aquila idea and try some nice sets of fluorocarbons: southcoast, worth clears, living water. I think you'll find these will liven up your Kala. I think you may also find - if you decide you prefer the concert scale - that, if you 'upgrade' and buy a solid body instrument, that you will have more tonal dynamic and a warmer bottom end, certainly worth looking into. Try some fluorocarbons on your sopranos too...if you prefer the sound of the aquilas, you can always put them back on. Nothing ventured nothing gained.

For myself, soprano and concert are my fave sizes, both for different reasons. The sopranos are generally brighter, punchier, more percussive. The concerts are nice to play for the extra space on the fretboard, while still maintaining some of that traditional ukulele sparkle.

If it is within your budget, I'd be tempted to try out a few models of each scale and really get a broader base upon which to make a final judgment on tone, as well as aesthetics...such a wide range of instruments and makers to choose from these days. Ideally, a nice solid bodied uke from each scale would be what I'd be after. Good luck with your decision making. :)
 
I'm guessing here but I suspect that the Kala Concert has less than perfect intonation and could do with a setup. You've probably got lucky with the soprano's and they are setup better out of the box.

Anthony

I was thinking the same. Whereabouts in the UK are you? Some parts of the country have very good uke specialists who could do a set-up for you.
 
Im not surprised at all.

They are all cheap laminate instruments, but the sopranos have a smaller body, hence more compression of sound and punchier, brighter tone that results.

You simply have a preference for the soprano ukulele tone. It is the original, pure form of ukulele.

The Kala is a more heavily built instrument. To accomodate for the larger size, it probably has thicker wood and more bracing. It would also sound a bit muddier due to the larger cavity
 
Im not surprised at all.

They are all cheap laminate instruments, but the sopranos have a smaller body, hence more compression of sound and punchier, brighter tone that results.

You simply have a preference for the soprano ukulele tone. It is the original, pure form of ukulele.

The Kala is a more heavily built instrument. To accomodate for the larger size, it probably has thicker wood and more bracing. It would also sound a bit muddier due to the larger cavity
 
I took the same path as you. First a cheap soprano and then the same kala concert (which I acknowledge is also inexpensive in the world of ukes, but fit my budget, especially as a beginner and doesn't pose me any worries maintenance-wise).

When I first strummed my concert, I was surprised by the sound because I was already accustomed to my brassy little soprano, but I wouldn't say it was dead, just different. I am used to it now and love it, but I might also try out some of the other strings folks have mentioned upthread -- that is once I feel like I could take the strings off and figure out how to properly get new ones on. And of course my eyes are already roaming to the ukulele I will buy when I'm ready to upgrade. ; )
 
I have a soprano, a concert, a concert resonator, a tenor, an 8 string tenor, a bass uke and a lap steel uke. Each has a different sound and fills a different niche. The bright soprano sound is certainly appropriate for many but not all of the songs I enjoy.
Wht songs are you playing? What songs do you want to play?
 
Aloha Cath,
Welcome to the UU forums...All ukes have different individual voices and make sure your ukes have a proper
set up and intonation...You know I love my first and cheapest uke best...rogue soprano 24.99 I really like
the sound of it...you know there are gems in any priced ukes...just some advice, try the ukulele and play it
before buying.. You can also change to higher grade strings,,,I like martin M600's for my concerts and sopranos
it will improve your ukes factory strings...but I still like my factory strings on my rogue..because it makes it
sound like the vintage traditional sound because of it's simplicity...generally sopranos have a brighter punchier
sound..like the old ca lang ga lang style...hope it helps..Happy Strummings.. :)
 
You could have some fun with the concert and string it with a set having a low unwound 'g' (worth browns maybe). That would be a good repurposing you wouldn't be able to do with your sopranos. Also you might want to try something other than aquilas (like martin m600s). So far I personally haven't really been impressed with the sound I get from aquilas.

Having bought a fluke concert with the intent of using a low 'g', I do like to play my cheap sopranos. I've hacked on the sopranos messing wth the intonation (both improved but not totally fixed yet), and my kids drag them around the house. The fluke currently lives on top of some cabinets where it hides from prying eyes and little fingers.
 
Thank you so much for all the helpful replies

...I really appreciate it. As a relative newbie, this is only my second thread, and on both occasions I've been totally overwhelmed by the wealth of knowledge and advice so readily offered. Sincerely, thanks.

To answer the questions: I'm based in the South East of England (Kent), and I'm mostly playing strummy folky singalong stuff with the odd bit of picking. :)

I guess it could just be that I've been "raised" (ukulelely speaking) on sopranos and become attached to that bright, sweet sound. I agree it may be something to do with the more robust body of the Kala, which maybe muddies the sound somewhat.

I completely agree with the poster who expressed surprise about the Lidl one sounding so good! :) I was amazed too! I only bought that one as a spare, but I was pleasantly surprised by how nice it sounded when I'd put Aquila strings on it. I suppose that's partly why I was so disappointed with the Kala, which came fitted with Aquilas; I had kind of got into the mindset that Aquilas = lovely sweet sound (having put them on two cheapo instruments and been blown away by the improvement) so I expected the Kala to sound even better, and it didn't, no matter how much I played it in.

I'm torn between persevering with the Kala with some new strings, or cutting my losses and selling it on ebay to start again with a clean sheet. I'm beginning to think I'm more of a soprano person, so it's been a useful learning experience if nothing else!

Thanks again for the replies. I agree about the need to play before you buy and will certainly do so next time. Just as a starting point though, is there a particular soprano uke that people would recommend, something nice and bright and sweet that holds its tuning well?

Thanks again for being so helpful everyone. I really appreciate it. Uke players are amazingly kind and friendly! :)
 
Have you tried tuning your Lidl Uke up to D Tuning? (A D F# B). After some adjustments, mine was OK with Aquilas in the usual C tuning, but I tried the suggested tuning in the little book that came with it and ... wow! Bright, punchy and peppery (only way I can describe it). It's a common tuning in Germany, so maybe Lidl requested an instrument that'd work best in that tuning.

As for your Kala problem. I had a laminate Lanikai Concert that came with Aquilas and sounded a little flat acoustically (I got it because it came with a built in pick-up and I do occasional bar gigs in noisy Catalonia. Anyway, I tried Ken's "Living Water" strings on it and it added a whole new brightness to the instrument. So, give that a go before you flog it off.
 
"They" say that Aquilas do a great job of making a poor uke sound much better, but not so much if the uke is already a little better quality....so try some new strings and see what you think!

I recently put some Living Water strings on my laminated Kala concert, and it sounds a million times better now.
 
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