What is your favorite, most-played uke brand?

Another vote for Kanile'a....I just prefer the neck and nut width, and of course the sound!
 
Alot of sigs have multiple ukes... Am sure they don't all get played equally!

I am learning that I have not heard like, most of the ukuleles out there. Loprinizi is not common at the local music shop

LoPrinzi is not however Mike at UkeRepublic does carry the brand for a few select models. Usually when a 'model' comes out, only a couple of hundred are made and selectively distributed to loprinzi's few resellers and once their sold, they are usually out. At least that is what I was told.
Some of the loprinzis don't look anything spectacular in picture but in person, there is an obvious exquisiteness and refined feel about it, at least to me, that tops a ohana or mainland or the usual suspects around that price range.
But alas, I've only seen the mainstream ones like kala and ohana, not any of the K brands, so I don't have too much to go off of for comparison. I also have only seen and played a select mainland or ohana as well. I haven't seen their very high end limited editions.

But however, the loprinzi is impactful enough for me in sound and look and quality that I don't particularly feel compelled to go about looking for higher end.

I did feel compelled still when seeing the ohanas and such.
 
Most played = Blackbird.
Favorite = Moore Bettah.

Moore Bettah gets a lot of playtime, but a Blackbird is often at arm's reach.
 
I don't think I'll ever be able to sell it, even though it is put up for sale w a constantly lowering of price , but my most played is my cordoba currently.
Because I'm using it as a guinea pig ( not abusing or misusing) to test various environment conditions and a variety of humidifying (or lack thereof) tests to figure out the durability and flexibility of ukes compared to guitar.
 
My Maui Music tenor continues to be the best sounding uke I've ever heard.
 
My Ono pineapple is my favorite and most played. It is light and responsive, and the sound is amazing.
 
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(I just replied to Booli explaining his process for shooting those photos, you don't know what he went through to get them. Really good work.)

Since you're asking about brand names, I can't include the customs I had made by Bruce Wei Arts, so the brand I use the most is a Kala tenor cutaway with preamp, solid cedar top, acacia koa body, padauk binding that to me sounds and plays as close to the K brands as I've tried.

Kala Cedar.jpg
 
For a baritone, I prefer my Webber. Everything is perfect on it. Lightweight, fast neck and impecable quality.
For Tenor it's either the Moore Bettah and my Griffin redwood. I rarely take the MB out of the house anymore except for special gigs.
 
I find that my go-to ukes have been my Koaloha concert when I'm downstairs and my Luna TT concert when upstairs. Not sure if this is habit, or on purpose. I try to give all my ukes some string time.
 
My most played is a Kanilea k1 Concert, I love the sound but I just can't get used to the width of neck or physical size, therefore it gets played all the time.
All the others are sopranos and really they are my favourites but which one is the favourite,
I love my Kamaka HF1 it's so mellow,
I love my Imua it's gorgeous to look at, sweet toned and each string really sounds out.
Then theres anything made by Kiwaya, love that mahogany vibe. i've collected five or six over the years currently have three :eek:
 
For me - my most owned and played, mainly because I think they have the best balance between price and quality is Pono.

But that's just me.

I own more expensive ukuleles and I own cheaper ones. Some of them are individual favourites - but all round, it's Pono for me.
 
KoAlana concert made of Sapele made by KoAloha. Resonsive, lightweight, balanced simplistic beauty. It's my "best friend" uke, quality time together and always feels good. I even forgave her for misbehaving after the amazing KoAloha company fixed her with their "better than the weather" warranty. It was like sending her away to reform school. "I had to", because she was misbehaving so badly but resulted in improved performance. Never underestimate what a skilled luthier can do for your instrument.

But my Mainland mahogany concert usually comes out to jams because the high g chimes above guitars and other instruments. This one has the most surface scars because I play her with wild abandon.
 
Easily my KoAloha. I benchmark all ukes against it, even my own.
 
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