Have done just that!!
Which mid price would you go for?
- Thread starter OxfordUke
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Graham Greenbag
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I have an Ohana CK35G Concert Uke that I’m now quite pleased with; it is one of the original ones and because it needed some minor work doing to it to make it play nicely mine had seen little use prior to coming to me. My CK35G is a far better Uke than I need and whilst it’s no Kamaka or Martin (which are somewhat dearer instruments too!) the CK35’s are good value for their sticker price and deliver the goods: good tone, good volume, good intonation, good looks, durable build, easy to strum and easy to fingerpick. The more I play it the better it sounds, opens up with use, etc.
Mostly I prefer to play my Soprano Scale Ukes so at the moment the Concert Scale Ohana is a bit neglected. Sometimes it is handy to have a Concert Scale Uke - like what all the ‘proper’ or ‘serious’ players play - and the Ohana does ‘look the part’: it’s a lovely looking confidence and credibility booster, and sometimes it’s just nice to have - and / or be seen with - something that looks ‘smart’ ... it even plays respectably well too.
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Another hat in the ring for Ohana. I find their necks to be more comfortable than Kala's. I also agree that they tend to have a sweeter sound, like another commenter said.
fyi - the latest Hawaii Music Supply podcast has their recommendations for affordable soprano ukuleles (prices range from around US $150 to $350). I think their plan is to have similar podcasts for other ukulele sizes in the coming weeks. They do not carry Ohana; their list includes Kala, Koalana, aNueNue, Pono, and Leolani. The model numbers are in the video description.
badhabits
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this is true... in general (at least for concert size), ohana necks are ever so slightly thinner/flatter than kalas ime
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merlin666
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I would consider mid level price range going from about $450 to $850. Entry level ukes around 250 and cheaper to me are fairly generic coming from Chinese mass production and if buying online then the main criterion is what they look like, where less decoration may be an indicator for better quality. They can vary a lot from one to another individual instrument so are best bought in a store where you can weed out the duds and find the gems. Brand names are quite irrelevant.
Good points. Further to that I would consider mid level price range going from about $450 to $850. Entry level ukes around 250 and cheaper to me are fairly generic coming from Chinese mass production and if buying online main criterion is simply what they look like, where less decoration may be an indicator for better quality. They can vary a lot from one to another individual instrument so are best bought in a store where you can weed out the duds and find the gems. Brand names are quite irrelevant.
UkingViking
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You could call those Mahogany ukes "entry level solid wood ukes", as it is about as cheap as solid wood ukes comes. But a solid uke is still a huge step up compared to the <$100 laminates.
There has been times when I have picked up my Ohana over more expensive mid price ukes, because it suited a particular song and I still find it enjoyable.
There has been times when I have picked up my Ohana over more expensive mid price ukes, because it suited a particular song and I still find it enjoyable.
Graham Greenbag
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Whilst out walking today this thread was going through my mind and basically I came to a very similar conclusion to Merlin 666 above. Without wishing to upset the OP (sorry) the budget suggested doesn’t actually stretch to mid priced Ukes and only gets you into the entry level group of solid wood instruments. Now this fact came as an unwelcome realisation for me (hence I could understand the OP being upset), but solid wood Ukes are expensive.
A few years back a friend went looking for a nice sold wood Concert Uke and they took with them to the shop their Brunswick Laminate (sub £100) and an expert player. Having heard a wide variety of Ukes played by the expert they concluded that you had to pay a lot to comprehensively beat the Brunswick and that a lot of solid Ukes weren’t worth their sticker price. My friend paid a bit over £500 and came away with an Opio (it’s lovely, a clear step up from my Ohana and into mid-range territory).
The up-shot for me, of that thought process, is having to accept that my beautiful Ohana is just entry level (for solid wood) and not necessarily any better than a decent laminate Uke. The Ohana is still a good instrument and (as in my post above) good value. I can’t see me outgrowing my Ohana but in solid wood terms - and the OP’s budget - it really is entry rather than mid price level (think £500 plus to get into mid-level territory and note my comment on some instruments not being worth their sticker price). Note that, for the same item, U.K. prices are typically noticeably higher than USA prices.
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merlin666
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It's not all about solid or laminate wood. Most well made laminate ukes (eg Kiwaya or luthier built) are likely way ahead of most cheaper mass produced solid wood ukes. That said, there's nothing wrong with cheap entry level ukes. My first was a Gretsch solid wood tenor, and I still play it regularly and use it as my low G uke for performances. Sure it's not as polished but it does the job.
plunker
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I love my Pono, not on the list, but my $.02. I think the advice of determining what sound you like and getting a wood to match is well worth considering.
plunker
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The enya eut -mad just re-infected me with UAS
I'm thinking of getting an entry level ( < $400 ) all solid wood Mahogany concert with a true 35mm nut .
A couple of options are Ohana CK-35 and Pono MC .
Any others to consider ?
Here's The Ukulele Site latest video featuring 6 Concerts under $400 :
A couple of options are Ohana CK-35 and Pono MC .
Any others to consider ?
Here's The Ukulele Site latest video featuring 6 Concerts under $400 :
Anuenue and Pono
AnueNue and Pono make great ukuleles in that price range. Martin also makes some very good concert ukuleles in the $300-$500 price range.
AnueNue and Pono make great ukuleles in that price range. Martin also makes some very good concert ukuleles in the $300-$500 price range.
AnueNue is 36mm nut , I want 35mm .
Thanks for the conformation on Pono .
I was looking at Martin website and didn't see any all solid wood Mahogany concerts .
They offer all Koa wood concert @ $500 , and a HPL concert at $300 .
I'll check their site again .
Mahalo .
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Graham Greenbag
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I wonder what the OP decided to do? As per my earlier post I concluded that his list and budget wouldn’t meet his (stated) objectives, but it all depends on what you consider to be ‘mid range’ Uke. That’s not to speak negatively about the list and the budget but rather to understand what an exceedingly broad range entry level includes - many entry level Ukes, most even, are good instruments that can and do serve able players very well.
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I'd also like to know what the OP found .
As far as levels , ie. , entry , mid , etc . , Uke Like the Pros , the #1 Ukulele Site on the Internet
lists :Under $200
200-399
400-699
700-999
999 and Up
Graham Greenbag
Well-known member
I'd also like to know what the OP found .
As far as levels , ie. , entry , mid , etc . , Uke Like the Pros , the #1 Ukulele Site on the Internet
Under $200
200-399
400-699
700-999
999 and Up
A link to look at those details would be helpful, please.
It’s worth having in mind that due to import costs and local taxes a $200 Uke in the USA likely costs £200 and more in the U.K.
The Southern Ukukele Store in the U.K. is arguably the biggest specialist Ukulele store we have. Currently it is selling Concert Ukes from £79 to £1900 - and some Tenors are £4000 ....
Shop by Size
We're passionate about Ukuleles & with over 1,000 in stock from £45 to £3000 we can help find the right ukulele for you, whether you're a starter or expert.
www.southernukulelestore.co.uk
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OxfordUke said :A link to look at those details would be helpful, please.
It’s worth having in mind that due to import costs and local taxes a $200 Uke in the USA likely costs £200 and more in the U.K.
The Southern Ukukele Store in the U.K. is arguably the biggest specialist Ukulele store we have. Currently it is selling Concert Ukes from £79 to £1900 - and some Tenors are £4000 ....
Like I said it all depends what you consider mid priced to be, but I suggest that £250 doesn’t quite reach it.Shop by Size
We're passionate about Ukuleles & with over 1,000 in stock from £45 to £3000 we can help find the right ukulele for you, whether you're a starter or expert.
Hi all
Well after researching and researching I am finally about to make the leap to a ukulele costing between £200 and £250 british pounds! Not a lot to spend and I know many of you on here are into more serious stuff but you got to start somewhere. I have narrowed it down to... in no particular order...
Ohana CK-35
Ohana CK-50G
Kala KA-SMHC
Kala KA-SCAC-C
Kala KA-ACP-CTG
I would be really interested in hear anyone's advice, comments, warnings or just product preferences (even if it's just the make and model number) as I can't see the difference in many of them....
Cheers
badhabits
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I have both of those. The Pono is a little better built (shocking given the higher price, right?), but has a fatter neck, no taper to it whereas the Ohana thins slightly towards the headstock. The Pono also has slightly wider string spacing than what is noted on the HMS website (45mm at the saddle vs. 41.5mm spec, and that's one from a recent batch). As many have mentioned before, the Pono seems a bit on the quieter side (still has stock Alohi strings).
Another comparable all-solid to consider is the Kala SMHC. I have one of those as well, to be donated to a charity auction. The build is more like the Ohana (again, no surprise given the similar price), with a fatter neck. It's the heaviest of the bunch and is the only one with closed back tuners. Sound was slightly better out of the box and the finish is open pore. The body shape of Kalas is slightly different, a bit wider lower bout.
