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
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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