What do you consider to be low, mid and high end ukes?

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pakhan

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Hi guys,

Recently was chatting with a few folks here and we got to talking about higher end ukes, which most of us consider to be above 1-1.5K, but couldn't quite decide where to place mid range ukes, price wise.

I was wondering what you guys considered to be low, mid and high end ukes?

Terence
 
I would consider Low : 0-300$ Mid: 301-799 High: 800+
it also depends on the size of ukulele you're buying!
 
Price only:
Low: < $100
Mid: $300 - $500
High: $2,000 +

This is a very deceptive criteria because a Ken Timms Style O is in the $500 range but its a hand-made fabulous instrument that I would classify as "high-end" without a doubt.

Maybe the criteria should be how much skill and love go into the making of a ukulele?

Low: Mass produced with token quality control
Mid: Mass produced but checked by ukulele experts for quality control
High: Hand made where you can feel the presence of the maker - lots of love and skill
 
I don't tend to think of it in terms of actual price so much as accessibility and ease of replacement:

High - exclusive custom-luthier type ukes; the more rare collectible vintage stuff (Poinsettias, 5Ks, etc); custom K-brands and their ilk maybe as well.
Mid - factory models from K-brands, Collings, etc.; custom ukes from less exclusive luthiers; the more readily available vintage stuff (think Style 0 over 5K)
Low - all the other factory stuff
 
The term "High End", in and of itself, carries a common connotation of expensive. Stated simply, it is a lot easier to categorize according to cost because cost is right there, in your face. The actual attributes that lead me to believe that a particular instrument is at the high end of a comparative analysis are materials, build quality and the builder's ability to create a pleasing and well balance tone.

Using these attributes as my framework, I have played high end ukuleles that cost $600 and lower end ukuleles costing three times more. Most of the latter do well in materials and joinery but fall off in pleasing and balanced tone.
 
Low end: those I have bought and later sold.

Mid end: those I currently play.

High end: those I do not (yet) have the courage to purchase.

It's all psychological.
 
To me I consider the value of a uke not in terms of cost but of how much I enjoy it most.... price to me is superficial,
there are gems in every level and who knows which ukulele you will treasure most, if we knew ...nobody would be searching
for their holy grail or have UAS if they did.......It's Just a marketing ploy :p Remember every ukulele has their own individual voice,
just like you and me....
To answer your Queation...different budgets mean different price levels to everyone...there is no specific way to guage this...everyone is different...
 
Last edited:
I really depends since Australian pricing is much more expensive than American music stores. In terms of america, I would say:
0-200 = beginner
201-600 = intermediate
601-3000 = high end
 
Low end, < $100.00 - those I can afford

Mid end and high end. Beyond what I can afford.
 
pakhan said:
Hi guys,

Recently was chatting with a few folks here and we got to talking about higher end ukes, which most of us consider to be above 1-1.5K, but couldn't quite decide where to place mid range ukes, price wise.

I was wondering what you guys considered to be low, mid and high end ukes?

Terence
Click to expand...

It's hard to assign $ values to quality.

Upper end ukes to me are the best materials, highest quality fit, finish, and sound. (E.g.,Most well known custom builders, GString, K-brands, Collings, Mya-Moe, Maui Music,...)

Lower end ukes are the low cost laminates, which can still have good/excellent fit, finish, and sound.

The middle is big place. It has imports and customs, widely varying prices. It's what isn't in the other two categories.

The one thing I would expect in all categories is a quality build. Poor quality is unacceptable at any level to me.
 
pakhan said:
Hi guys,

Recently was chatting with a few folks here and we got to talking about higher end ukes, which most of us consider to be above 1-1.5K, but couldn't quite decide where to place mid range ukes, price wise.

I was wondering what you guys considered to be low, mid and high end ukes?

Terence
Click to expand...

I think mid range would be $500-1500.
 
I agree with mm Stan I value my collection with enjoyment, also I have played very expensive ukes that are not as good as so called mid range.
we are all different and so are ukes ?.
 
It's all relative to the observer...

Low End - It's just a scratch, don't worry, I'm not.
Mid Range: Please be careful, I like this one, don't scratch it
High End: I won't touch it for fear of scratching it.
 
Bill1 said:
If high end is $2500, the mid point is $1250.
This put brands like Kamaka and Kanilea mid-range for me. It does not matter if they are marketed as "top of the line" their price is in the middle of the available market price range.
A better classification would be:
Made by underpaid workers using hard to trace materials.
Made by fairly paid workers using easy to trace materials.
Made in a small workshop by one or two great craftspeople.
Click to expand...

I tend to agree with this. I'm sure there are examples of ukes out there that fit the first category - underpaid, hard to trace - with sizeable price tags on them; there may well also be ukes out there fitting the third category that cost-wise are closer to the mid point.

fernandogardinali said:
I think "high end" involves more than sound and build quality etc. It involves aesthetics, bling, complex inlays.
Click to expand...

I'm not so sure about the bling and inlays - when I ordered my custom from a luthier whom many would consider high-end, my requirements were simple: perfect intonation up the neck, and ZERO inlays or ornamentation. Even though the appearance was as plain as a Martin 0 - that was the point, actually - the cost was well into the range it seems most people would consider "high end." My take on it is this - it's one of a kind, made by hand, and pretty much irreplaceable, so to my mind it's the only high end uke I own.

All of this to say that the OP is not likely to get one definitive answer to the original question :)
 
HendrikM said:
It's all relative to the observer...

Low End - It's just a scratch, don't worry, I'm not.
Mid Range: Please be careful, I like this one, don't scratch it
High End: I won't touch it for fear of scratching it.
Click to expand...

LOL. I like it.

Price is not the only determinant but is often a useful guide.

Sometimes you get ukes that punch "above their weight". I got a Bruko a while ago. I was so pleased that I've just got another. Their quality of manufacture and finish is much better than their price would suggest. There was general agreement on this among the folk I spoke to at The Grand Northern Uke Fest this weekend.
 
Well said, Stan, and your comments apply to all instruments--not only ukes. However, I think the "search for the holy grail" is different from UAS. The "grail" search to me means that you keep trying different instruments, tools, etc.. in hopes that the next one will be better than what you already have. I went through this process with trumpet mouthpieces--commonly referred to as the "mouthpiece safari." After about 5 years, I finally settled on a particular mouthpiece that works well for me so the safari ended. The process was a valuable (costly) lesson for me. Before buying ukes, I did research and watched youtubes. I gave a couple of ukes away to family and have only sold one. I'm happy with what I have at my playing level. I also learned that I don't like to have so many instruments that they don't all get played. I've sold some horns so that I play what I own now. Yes, the horn acquisitions were part of an acquisition syndrome. My wife and I share the ukes we have except that she has her own tenor. I have notices that, depending on where you buy, there's a big difference in prices that could affect which value category a particular uke is placed in--say like one uke could have selling prices varying between $300 to $500. Maybe there should be more categories?

mm stan said:
To me I consider the value of a uke not in terms of cost but of how much I enjoy it most.... price to me is superficial,
there are gems in every level and who knows which ukulele you will treasure most, if we knew ...nobody would be searching
for their holy grail or have UAS if they did.......It's Just a marketing ploy :p Remember every ukulele has their own individual voice,
just like you and me....
To answer your Queation...different budgets mean different price levels to everyone...there is no specific way to guage this...everyone is different...
Click to expand...
 
Ukes are a fun thing to me, not serious business.

High end = More than I care to pay for a uke because I'd rather spend the money on an extra week in Oahu or a set of kayaks for us all to go exploring.
Middle = A good deal on a uke that lists at $600 but sells for $350 for whatever reason. One I expect to look good, and have good intonation and pleasant sound. Price from $75 to $300, laminate, solid, or combination, (I guess that means $3-400 is my 'upper middle class', meaning I have to really want it)
Low end = $50 or less, ones I'd buy because they look neat or might bring a smile to a kid's face...watermelons, smiley-face, etc. Surprisingly I've gotten a few under $50 that, after some fret, saddle and nut work have spot-on intonation and decent sound.

I know that's pretty low, judging from the first few posts, but the near-$1000 and up ukes just don't do it for me...the thought of paying $1500 for an old Martin or Gibson on ebay makes me cringe, not because I can't afford it, just because I don't think they're worth it, or anywhere near...and the really beautiful high end ones are nice, but then I would have to worry about it. If I played so well that my $200 uke was holding me back, then maybe it would be different, but I don't.
 
It's all semantics and relativity. Your perceived low end might be high end to my pockets. I consider $250 - $500 a broad mid range. Then you've got high end factory ukes. Then a whole other category, anything custom. And at the very top, true works of art.
 
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