Favorite Ukulele You've Played

Joyful Uke

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Whether you've owned it or not, what is your favorite ukulele that you've played? What size was it?

I'm a concert player, and my favorite has been Kinnard. But, there a lot that I've never tried, so what are some of your favorites?
 
I'll be interested to hear the replies. Especially as it relates to tone and balance. What was it about the Kinnard that made it your favorite?
 
There are so many that I've never tried, but of the ones I have, I always come back to my KoAloha. There's just something about it that I love. Concert is my preferred size.
 
I have been through many, buying trying keeping or selling. The ones I have now are all keepers, I prefer tenors and baritones. My favorite is my LfdM tenor with spruce top and Amazon rosewood back and sides. It is the instrument I judge all others by. The tone is like a classical guitar and ease of playing is the best I have ever touched. A close second is my I'iwi tenor redwood top/walnut back and sides. The tone on this one is it's strong suit, full, warm and really resonant.

They are very different from one another but are both my favorites

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In terms of the favorite I own, currently, I'd have to say my Blackbird Clara. It probably gets more play time overall than any other instrument, since it's my travel uke when I have to fly for work. It's also my "save me from making a purchase" uke at festivals, because it is inevitably louder and clearer than most other instruments out there. It's a real treat to be able to play and I really appreciate the opportunity. My "close second" right now would have to be my Koaloha tenor, which is just so unbelievably powerful, clear, and resonant.

In terms of the uke I'd like to own, it's this one from Tyde Music, which I played at a festival very recently. https://www.instagram.com/p/Be1G-eqhBL-/?hl=en&taken-by=tydemusic

I believe their asking price is $6000-$7000, and for good reason. The inlays are exquisite. The sinker redwood top is beautiful, the curly koa is some of the best I have ever seen. The wonderful bevel work all the way around the top and back is really impressive. The sound was beautiful and very resonant. You know a build is special when the sides really resonate... not just the top and back. If I had that kind of cash free at the moment (in California, adoptions and houses aren't cheap), I would've bought it on the spot. They are two extremely talented and extremely creative builders.

I loved it so much that I've decided that my next instrument will have to be a Tyde custom... maybe not of the $6000-$7000 variety, but with their creative thinking and design nonetheless. The idea will be to give them $2000-$3000 for a tenor and ask them to just create something cool using local California woods and whatever design elements they like. I'll probably sell a couple instruments to help finance it so I can get it going in the next year or so.
 
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I'll be interested to hear the replies. Especially as it relates to tone and balance. What was it about the Kinnard that made it your favorite?

Beautifully made, incredible tone and sustain, and ease of playing.

Of course, one person's preferred tone isn't going to appeal to everyone, and a neck that is great to play for me might not work well for someone else. That's part of what will be interesting about responses, since we haven't all tried the same ukuleles and don't have the same tastes.
 
I have been through many, buying trying keeping or selling. The ones I have now are all keepers, I prefer tenors and baritones. My favorite is my LfdM tenor with spruce top and Amazon rosewood back and sides. It is the instrument I judge all others by. The tone is like a classical guitar and ease of playing is the best I have ever touched. A close second is my I'iwi tenor redwood top/walnut back and sides. The tone on this one is it's strong suit, full, warm and really resonant.

They are very different from one another but are both my favorites

View attachment 112577View attachment 112574View attachment 112576View attachment 112573


Lfdm for tenor
Clara for concert
I am done buying. Very happy with all my ukes , lfdm remains my number one ! Unbeatable!

View attachment 112578

Your Lfdm's look amazing Dave and Brenda. Brenda I heard your recording online of the Mercedes tune- beautifully played and the special voice of the Lfdm really comes through. I hope to get a chance to play one in person. I guess I need to get to a uke festival in the coming year.
 
I loved it so much that I've decided that my next instrument will have to be a Tyde custom... maybe not of the $6000-$7000 variety, but with their creative thinking and design nonetheless. The idea will be to give them $2000-$3000 for a tenor and ask them to just create something cool using local California woods and whatever design elements they like. I'll probably sell a couple instruments to help finance it so I can get it going in the next year or so.

I hadn't heard of them. I'm off to Google to check them out.
Hope that you get to have one in the near future.
 
Beautifully made, incredible tone and sustain, and ease of playing.

Of course, one person's preferred tone isn't going to appeal to everyone, and a neck that is great to play for me might not work well for someone else. That's part of what will be interesting about responses, since we haven't all tried the same ukuleles and don't have the same tastes.

So true, it's such a subjective thing and we all approach the instrument a differently, but it's great you found one that really works for you. The Kinnards look amazing-- next time I'm in San Diego for work..
 
I hadn't heard of them. I'm off to Google to check them out.
Hope that you get to have one in the near future.

Thanks!

I personally really enjoy owning instruments made in my "home" areas (Hawai'i or California). That's admittedly part of what makes Tyde instruments so appealing to me. The quality is extremely good though, from what I saw. At the LA Uke festival, Devin (one of the two builders) showed me some of the incredible instruments they have built using reclaimed woods. Lots of really creative work- they've used wood reclaimed from docks, roof shingles, walls, you name it. The instruments they create with all of these materials sound really, really good- up there with the absolute best in the ukulele field.

Their designs are all wood (no plastic, no shell, no "bling" in the traditional sense). Here is a pretty incredible build in progress, I really want one like this: https://www.instagram.com/p/BQGVwslFN4I/?hl=en&taken-by=tydemusic
 
My favorite uke of the ones I own is an all-Koa Moore Bettah tenor. I've played a couple of other Moore Bettahs that I like more than my own (due to their being constructed from different tonewoods).

I'm a concert player, and my favorite has been Kinnard.

John Kinnard built me a tenor guitar with a spruce top and Padauk back and sides, one of two custom tenor guitars I own. (The other is a Beau Hannam with Australian Blackwood back and sides. They sound and play differently and I love them both.) Kinnards are wonderful instruments.
 
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So far, my recently acquired Kinnard Series 2 tenor is my favorite to play. It's Indian rosewood back & sides with Sitka spruce top. The neck and radius fretboard fit my hand perfectly. The sustain goes on forever, so much so the harmonics set up with a down-strum with the following up-strum is wonderful. But the thing that I like the most is the clarity of the notes. Pure and sweet. I can honestly say, that a 4442 E chord sounds beautiful on this Kinnard!

Rosewood/spruce is my favorite combination of woods for pure quality of sound. With koa a close second.

My Mike Periera solid myrtle and MyaMoe soild koa tenors are tied for second place.
 
Overall, this would have to be my "Ziggy" baritone by Jay Lichty, so much more resonant than any other ukulele or guitar I have ever played. The video shows Neal Chin playing my exact instrument:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaJAMHLyXbg
 
Having never sat and spent much time with a fancy uke, I prefer my Cocobolo uke over any others. I love the tone, and it's just plain fun to play.
I do plan to spend some time with a couple of LoPrinzi ukes at TBUG next month. I lust after one, as several of my well heeled friends own them (one gal has 4).
 
In order:
Beau Hannam Tenor - Redwood top, Koa back & sides, Camino de Santiago inlay. The Beau Hannam is way my #1. Tone, sustain, playability, and beauty are all exceptional.

Blackbird Clara - loud, balanced, and every string can be heard clearly.
Pono ATD - Great sound and amazing value
KoAloha Imaikalani 6 string (who doesn’t love a 6 string)
Martin T2K - I paid for the name.
 
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