opinions on cheaper 8 string ukes

UAS is steering me towards an 8 stringer, can't afford a fancy one, so looking at e.g. Oscar Schmidt OU28T, Kala KA-8, Lanikai LU-8.....anyone able to comment on their sound, playability, build? Would definitely consider a used one if offered...seem pretty thin on the ground here in Australia new or used
I have a Luna 12 string guitar which is very good for a cheapy so any opinion on their 8 stringer welcome too ( or any other brand I've yet to come across)

I haven't played the OU28T, I have had an OU2CE and they are quite heavily built, enough so that the sound was a bit muffled when played unplugged. But I also have an OU2P and though it's also heavy it plays and sounds quite well. I have played the KA-8 in a local shop and they seem pretty good for the price. I haven't played the LU-8, but I have an LU-6 that plays nicely but I just haven't been able to bond with the octave a strings. I also have a Lanikai O8-E which I think is probably the best sounding reasonably priced 8 string available, the spruce top really makes it sing.

I have an OU28T, which I've had for about 8 months, and I think it's a real bargain. Initially I was reluctant because of the low price, but there's a review here in the reviews section that tipped me toward buying it.

It seems decently built, and it does have a lifetime warranty, so if something major goes wrong, they say it's covered. I love the sound (8 strings don't necessarily fit every situation, but sometimes it really adds to the song. Intonation seems fine and the action is very playable, straight from the factory.

I couldn't put it down for the first few weeks, then we went on a trip and my son stayed at the house, and first thing when we got back he started raving about the 8-string, and how much fun he'd had with it. A good friend whose musical talent leaves me drooling came by, picked it up and sounded absolutely great (within a week he had ordered one of his own).

For the price, at least here in the US, it's hard to imagine a better deal. I can't comment on the Kala or the Lanikai, having never used their 8-strings, but I certainly wouldn't be afraid of either brand, I just don't know how well they stack up against the Oscar Schmidt.

I wouldn't want an 8-string as my only uke, but they sure are fun and add a pleasant and different sound for either picking or strumming, as you probably already know from your 12-string.

I do not like cheap 6 strings, but cheap 8 strings that I ahve played were pretty decent. I like the lanikai ones and I would recommend contacting Mim about getting one. They are pretty decent for their price. I'm not an OS fan at all.

I had a Lanikai one for a time.Good instrument for the
price.I used to play 12 string guitar so it was a fair
compromise for me,at that time!

redeye said:

UAS is steering me towards an 8 stringer, can't afford a fancy one, so looking at e.g. Oscar Schmidt OU28T, Kala KA-8, Lanikai LU-8.....anyone able to comment on their sound, playability, build? Would definitely consider a used one if offered...seem pretty thin on the ground here in Australia new or used
I have a Luna 12 string guitar which is very good for a cheapy so any opinion on their 8 stringer welcome too ( or any other brand I've yet to come across)

Click to expand...

I have a couple of 8 string tenors. One is a Kala KA-8 with a solid spruce top and inbuilt pickup. The Kala is a well built instrument. They are a little harder to play than a regular ukulele because of the extra string tension and a little harder to keep in tune because of the extra strings but they certainly put out a BIG sound. I am thinking of selling mine simply because I have TOO many ukulele's, (don't ask, about 16) and the Kala is one of the more saleable. I don't really use the inbuilt pickup anymore and I prefer to use microphones.

Send me a PM if your are interested. You can see my Mega ukulele review where I play the Kala 8 string along with all my other ukulele's( at the time).
http://youtu.be/m-FmrzMAOYg

See the text for shortcut links.

Anthony

Oscars aren't loud, but are usually resonant and sweet sounding.........with the right strings. I have an OU5 that I almost got rid of until I tried Aquilas.. Made it "come alive"....that's true of many inexpensive laminates. I chose a Pono 6 string refurb. Recently saw a couple of Pono 8 strings, one a refurb. Awesome for the money. I prefer 6 strings to 8 except on a taropatch.

I've got the OS 28T and I think it is the best value for money Uke that I ever bought! I don't find it too quiet at all! Check out some of my videos from the Seasons that use it:

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheBerniArmstrong/videos?sort=dd&view=0&shelf_index=0

Listen for example to "Food Glorious Food" where it more than holds its own with an acoustic guitar accompanying me.

Hi redeye -

I started with an 8-string Pono MT-8. It sounded good, although it works on some songs and not on others. (I am primarily a strummer, not a picker) As another post said, it's not an every day uke.

I thought I was selling that one, because I didn't play it that much, but I played an Oscar Schmidt at a store and liked it, and found a smokin' deal here in the States, so I bought it. To my ears (and fingers), it seemed pretty much the same, with one big difference. The Pono holds the strings in tune quite well, and the Schmidt doesn't at all. After owning it a couple of months, it has gotten better, but I still have to tune it every time I take it out of the case. Not a big deal, but a bigger deal with an 8 string.

Frankly, my 6 string Lanikai is my everyday uke. With these strings, I can do anything I want - fuller than a 4 string but not irreversibly 'jangly'. YMMV.

cheap 8 string uke

I have a kala ka-8 $250 It is fine. no better or worse than other kalas, I would get it over the lanakai because it is just as good. Lanakai is around $400 kamaka $1300 you get what you pay for. Best reason for having one is for strumming with your group at an outside performance. It really adds to an outside performance if the front row of the group has 6 or 8 string ukes.

thanks everyone, have bought Anthonys' uke