Are $1000 plus ukes worth it?

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nquarrie

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Okay. I confess. I too, suffer from UAS. Recently, I watched a video where a UU uker played a series of Mya Moe ukes. They sounded fabulous! (of course the musician was way more talented than I, and could probably make any uke sound good).
So here's my question to you all: are $1000 plus ukes really worth it?

I own both a Martin 2S and an Ohana SK38. I like them both. They are easy to play.I think the Martin resonates better up the neck. But is it worth the extra bucks? Maybe, I just love the Martin for the sake of owning a Martin.

I now want to start saving for a Mya Moe, but wonder if it is worth it. Just think, for the price of a Mya Moe I could perhaps satisfy my UAS with 3 less expensive ukes that UU players have reviewed and raved about. What are your thoughts? I would think that owners of upper end ukes will say it is well worth it. But how about those of you that do not own upper end ukes but have played more expensive ones?
 
You should play the best instrument you can comfortably afford. You generally get what you pay for.
Only you can answer your question.

Answer for me: yes
 
Only you can decide that.

I LOVE my Compass Rose. I personally have yet to play it's equal. I described the sound I was looking for, answered some questions that were asked of me and Rick Turner nailed it! He delivered a "tone monster." That is perfect for me in sound and fit. UAS cured!!!

Other people find happiness and make great music with much less expensive ukes.

That's the point isn't it? To have fun and be happy.

Get what makes you happy. Good luck.
 
A better uke will not make you a better player. A great player can make an average uke sound great, and a poor player will make a wonderful uke sound awful.

Price does not necessarily equal better instrument. I've played some very expensive instruments that I thought were dogs, and some inexpensive instruments that sounded wonderful.

Inexpensive does not equal bad. I have a Kala and two Mainlands which were modestly priced and I am very happy with.

Okay, so, with all that being said:

Truly great instruments do tend to command higher prices. I have owned ukes by KoAloha, Kanile'a, Ko'olau, Mya-Moe, Maui Music, Compass Rose, Luis Feu de Mesquita, and Chuck Moore (to name just a few!) and each of these ukes was truly a cut above, a very special instrument in tone, visuals, and feel-- although different to each one. I have yet to regret one of these investments.

And while a better instrument won't make you a better player, it may well enhance your enjoyment of playing... which will cause you to commit more and likely become a better player.

And, finally, instruments like Mya-Moe retain their value extremely well... so if at a future date you feel over-invested, you can probably sell it quickly and recoup a good percentage of your initial investment.
 
You should play the best instrument you can comfortably afford. You generally get what you pay for.
Only you can answer your question.

Answer for me: yes

+1
In general yes, though sometimes you do get a dud if you buy without trying like over the web.
 
The Martins are very expensive but I've recently become a big fan of the new models. They get some knocking but I don't get it. They are incredible to play. My Martin 3 cherry is my most comfortable ukulele to play and it sounds incredible. When you play it it feels like a quality instrument. The intonation is spot on and the fret work is meticulous.

I say this as someone with the highest end Kiwaya, some vintage Martins and a Laughlin 3m.

One of these day I'll do a Petey style video to compare them all.

Long story short: yes $1000 dollar ukes are worth it.
 
Everyone has to answer that question for themselves. You certainly don't have to spend anywhere near a grand to get an instrument that is a dream to play, intonates well up and down the neck, has great volume, and sounds lovely. However, you are more likely to get such an instrument if you buy a $1k instrument (from a reliable brand) than you are if you spend $300, for example.

I have several ukuleles, including at present two KoAlohas, one of which is a Pineapple Sunday. However, two of my "best" three ukes are Mainlands. You do the math...okay...I'll do it for you...two of my Mainland ukes "beat out" one of my KoAloha ukes. On any given day I can't decide whether I would save the Pineapple Sunday, the Mainland mahogany soprano, or the Mainland mango tenor if I could save only one uke. However, I'll be the first to acknowledge that those two Mainland ukes are the cream of the crop; while all of my Mainlands have been good players and a good value, only those two really knock it out of the park. I would assume that almost all, if not all, of the KoAloha Pineapple Sundays would do so.

Also, there is not just the musicality of the instrument to consider. For some just knowing that a skilled craftsman inspected each step of the build and put a lot of hand work into creating a visual work of art is very valuable. For myself, I'll quite happily play a fence picket with fishing line wrapped around nails if it has a good action and intonation and sounds good!

John
 
It really is a personal choice between you and a particular instrument.

I have many ukes ranging form a $40 mahalo to $1500 Mya-Moe, and frankly it's not the price but the way any of the ukes feel, sound and play.. yes the Mya-Moe is one of my favorites to play but not necessarily for everything and not because of it's price tag or looks.. in fact it's very plaint but it plays very smooth, with a clear (yet not too loud) tone etc...

To give you a different perspective....

My main instrument is Classical Guitar, and I have been studying hard for over 6 years.. well when I started I planned to save 5000 to 10,000 dollars to get "the concert" guitar of my dreams when I got good enough.

Well about 2 years into my journey I stumbled into a $1500 Factory made guitar Antonio Loriente "Clarita" which I bought for $995. it was supposed to tie me over until I could save for the dream guitar.

Well as soon as I got this guitar I fell in love with it, the sound, the feel, the playability etc... within a few weeks I realized that this was all the guitar I needed.. it was up to me to be the best musician I can with this one instrument. and getting an instrument that cost 5 times more would really not change my playing that much...

So Since then, I stopped saving for "the guitar", and in fact found a duplicate of this model that had a blemish and bought that one as well to keep as a backup...

I'm totally happy with my pair of the same model\make guitar and don't have any desire to upgrade or replace them.

Ukuleles are a different story because of the variety etc. but my point is that if you are looking for the one Uke for you, it's not the price necessarily or even the look of it but the connection you can make with a particular instrument. one that becomes an extension of yourself and allows you to express yourself...
 
it's worth it really..if you practice hard enough for that instrument.
you can only answer it... i have a solid wood equal to that cost and i really feel happy for it, somewhat like you are playing with your child...with strings attached to it (literally)
 
I too have a collection from inexpensive to customs.
I enjoy playing ukulele, but playing a top of the line makes me feel better.
I have two Mya-Moe's, they are fabulous. My KoAloha super concert has always been a special instrument for me along with my Vento I bought in Hawaii.
I also have a few vintage Gibsons that have their own unique sound.
My James Hill DaSilva simply is the best instrument I have played, it just blows everything else out of the water.

So, to answer your question, yes 1,000+ ukuleles are worth it if they bring you joy.
 
From my personal experience, yes, it's worth it. I only have one $1000+ uke and it's a custom. It's worth it because I can customise it based on my needs--woods including those not available in production ukes, 4-string or 5-string or 6-string or 8-string, radiused fretboard, side soundport, neck size, aesthetic design, etc. The combination of features on my custom cannot be found in any production uke. It is the best-sounding uke I have, although my other ukes, mostly mid-range, sound wonderful too. I love all my ukes.

However, whether a $1000 uke is worth it is also dependent on you. I have met people, usually beginners and non-musicians, who can't differentiate between the tone on a laminated uke and a KoAloha. These people claim that all ukes sound the same. Also, if you are very contented with your low- or mid-range uke, you may not need to spend $$$ on a custom.

So, you need to decide what are the features of your dream uke, in terms of tone, playability and aesthetics, that you want. Do your current ukes or other lower-cost ukes meet your needs? Should you decide to custom-make that dream uke of yours, and if the luthier can deliver what you want, the $1,000+ uke should quell your UAS for a while, hopefully until your requirements for your dream uke change in the future.
 
Its totally a matter of opinion. But here is mine.

If you can afford it and you buy a $1500 ukulele its probably going to sound and play pretty damn good. For me, I think that if you look for deals on used and factory second ukes you can get basically everything one could want in terms of sound between $500 and $1000. But you have to kind of take what the market gives you. Of course many of those sold for over $1000 originally. One exception that I have found (I am sure there are others) is Compass Rose ukes. They just have a unique sound and you are gonna have to pay for it.

So I guess my answer is sure they are worth it but you can do really well, and often just as good, for less if you shop around and are flexible.
 
What everyone said. Quality control is usually better on high end ukes, so you may or may not get a really good uke in a lower price range. I know that in my chain of ukes, I would have to say the most expensive one (Collings) is a dream to play and sounds fantastic. My next (Kanile'a) is really good, but my Lanika's is also great. I just did a recording that I intended to use the Collings for and ended up with the Lanikai, but, in part, that's because the Lanikai is a 6 string linear and it sounded better with what I was playing than the reentrant 4 string Collings.

But I take a bit of issue with the statement that a better uke will not make you a better uke player. I know that my better ukes are noticeably easier to play. That doesn't make what I play any better, but since I don't have to focus so much on how I play it, the result can come out better. But no, spending a grand does not automatically elevate your skills.
 
Is it worth it? Maybe. Mine was quite spendy. I love it and it is my player. But I didn't have to do without to buy it. That is a major factor. I love my ukulele.
 
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From my personal experience, yes, it's worth it. I only have one $1000+ uke and it's a custom. It's worth it because I can customise it based on my needs...

This, exactly. My custom was built because what I needed did not exist off the shelf (19-fret soprano) - this was the sole reason I went custom. Had I not started playing pieces that had a wider range than my 16-fret Kamaka soprano could accommodate, I would never have even considered it, but for my needs, it was absolutely worth it.

When you buy custom, you're taking the same risk as you do any time you buy sight unseen. I would ONLY buy from a luther who offered a 100% satisfaction guarantee. But if you don't have a specific need to go custom, personally I think you're better off buying the best instrument you can find and afford in person - and "the best" is entirely subjective. I've played plenty of instruments with a much higher price tag than my $800ish-new Kamaka that were nowhere near as good in my opinion.
 
It really is a personal choice between you and a particular instrument.

...Well as soon as I got this guitar I fell in love with it, the sound, the feel, the playability etc... within a few weeks I realized that this was all the guitar I needed.. it was up to me to be the best musician I can with this one instrument. and getting an instrument that cost 5 times more would really not change my playing that much...

...if you are looking for the one Uke for you, it's not the price necessarily or even the look of it but the connection you can make with a particular instrument. one that becomes an extension of yourself and allows you to express yourself...

Absolutely, couldn't agree more! My connection was with a $200 Flea. Still miss it... And now it seems to be an acacia pineapple, not the pricey kind, the little KPK. I've never played a custom or high-end uke, and here's another factor--because I know I couldn't justify the price to myself, no matter how good it looked or even sounded. I do believe you get what you pay for to an extent, but I don't believe that as price increases, personal sound preferences are met better than at a lower pricepoint.

it's worth it really..if you practice hard enough for that instrument.
you can only answer it... i have a solid wood equal to that cost and i really feel happy for it, somewhat like you are playing with your child...with strings attached to it (literally)

I get the "baby" thing, that goes back to connection. But I don't believe you have to be good enough for any instrument. It is your tool; you aren't its servant, whether it's $40 or $4000. Without you, the instrument doesn't get to play.
 
If the extra money is because of the bling, then I say no.. unless of course you are a bling lover and it is worth it to you to pay more for bling. My personal taste is beautiful wood without all the shell inlay. I would take a great sounding/great playing uke any day over a beautiful work of art. Not all beautiful ukes sound or play great.

Bottom line- If you love it and are happy with it that is all that matters.
 
$1,000-plus ukes are worth it, but only to some people. Value is relative.

Suppose someone's annual income is $500,000, then buying a $1,000 ukulele just requires that person have an interest in ukulele and have some appreciation for quality. No big deal to drop less than a day's pay on something nice. (And as many posters here have noted, most fancy ukuleles are indeed nice.)

But if someone's annual income is $12,000, it takes a lot time and effort to save $1,000---that's a month's pay. Buying a $1,000-dollar ukulele would be an important life decision.

Each of us must determine her or his own spending comfort level, so none of us can tell another which ukes are "worth it". I recommend that anyone craving a fancy ukulele shop for a used uke. That way, if it turns out the uke is not "worth it", the uke can be resold at a similar price. (Used Mya Moe ukes show up often in the UU Marketplace.)
 
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