Step up soprano uke <$400 - used preferred

K

Kes_

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My daughter has started taking ukulele lessons and is loving them. I will typically play the song and then she will. She has a Kala 15. I played guitar for a long time and am really enjoying it.

We've been doing it for a while and seems like it is sticking. So I'd like to get a uke to play with her and maybe give it to her as her step up later.

Budget $400. I am interested in a nice sweet sounding instrument. Don't care about brand name or place of manufacture - if it sounds good and is well made, I am good. I've had amazing luck with Chinese made violins and guitars that were clearly better than the known brands.

Used is preferred if there is one that gets me into a better class of uke than I would have otherwise. Looked through the classifieds here and sales on eBay and reverb, but my typical approach of looking for the ridiculous deal on a used one doesn't work as well since I am less familiar with uke brands and the number of makers is quite large.

New, I've been eyeing a new Pono Mahogany at the Hawaiian TUS shop with setup. Mainlands seem to get a good rep for value for money as well. The review of the Anuenue Moon makes me wonder about their lower end models.
 
Any Martin soprano , new or old.
 
This is such a broad question—so many choices under $400. Are you sure you want a soprano? I would encourage you to consider a concert as a starting point.

Can you offer some more specifications of what you are looking for? Solid wood? Laminate? Wood choice? “Appointments” (rosettes, binding, “bling”).

Have you gone to a local music store to see what they have to offer?
 
Make sure you check nut widths , it may make a difference to you , it does for me. I like them a little wider , Martin's nut width is just right for me.
 
Can't go wrong with a Martin or a Kiwaya if she likes plainer.

Here's a sleeper that's even less than your budget:
a spruce top Kala KA-ASOV-S.
The teen and pre-teen girls in my life LOVED the fancy appointments, and the sound actually blew me away.
Only reason I didn't keep one for myself is that I prefer a plainer uke (and having too many, LOL).
Kala no longer makes them but some retailers still have them. You might even find someone here on UU with one to sell as they were heavily discounted by HMS and others when they stopped being made - many folks here scooped them up...
 
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If you are in a climate where humidity can be an issue, you'll need to ask your daughter if she's prepared to care for a solid wood instrument (in-case humidifier). And budget in a hard case.
I've had a couple calamities with neices who weren't prepared to do this (despite my own enthusiasm, LOL).

If not, I think a Kiwaya or Famous are the only lower Carr laminates worth that price range (but I am eager to learn of others).
 
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My daughter is 5 so a small uke is probably for the best as she is already stretching her hands to make it. I agree it is kind of a pain playing hers and I'd prefer a wide but width one, but I can manage for now.

I might just get a concert and not worry about handing it down. She can always get a better one in several years for a birthday or something.

As for humidity, weal are in the Bay area in Calidornia so it is never that dry.
 
If you are in the Bay Area, there have to be a few good ukulele stores where you could stop in and play some ukuleles. You don’t have to buy...and it probably isn’t a good idea to buy unless you know various price points. You can always come back and support a local dealer by buying when you know the price, or by buying future accessories from that store (strings, etc.).
 
A great uke in the sub $400 that can be passed on to kids is the Flea/Fluke from Magic Fluke - 2 of my kids have fleas and 1 has a fluke. They sound good for the money and the durability is nice. My flea has been outpaced by a few later purchases, but is always useful as a durable camping uke, etc. A few tips from my experience:

- I've had great luck with buying factory seconds - you have to call the nice folks at Magic Fluke and see what they have available.

- I wish I'd splurged on the geared tuners - the friction tuners are hard for kids.

- I like the plastic fingerboard better than the one wood fingerboard I've owned from Magic Fluke - but you have to forgo wound strings, so your mileage may vary.

- Fluke/Fleas are not very strap friendly - if you like a strap the options start at cheesy and go downhill from there
 
Take a look at Martin's OXK or their bamboo variants if some color options make sense for her. Both are well made, sound great and are seasonably rugged. Plus they are far less than $400 used or new.
 
Thanks everyone. I ended up ordering a Famous FS-5G just to try something different. I figure the laminate should be durable and people seem very happy with the sound.
 
kkimura said:
Take a look at Martin's OXK or their bamboo variants if some color options make sense for her. Both are well made, sound great and are seasonably rugged. Plus they are far less than $400 used or new.
Click to expand...

Hey, K,
How do you like your Eastman concert?
Kind of nice appointments for the money.
Wondered how they stack up against other brands...
Haven't seen one.
 
ukeinfused said:
Hey, K,
How do you like your Eastman concert?
Kind of nice appointments for the money.
Wondered how they stack up against other brands...
Haven't seen one.
Click to expand...

I was lucky that a music shop in Southern VT had a them in stock so I could try them out. Their French polish finish is immaculate and nicely brings out the grain of the mahogany body. The build is reasonably light, tone is good to my ears and the action was very low but with no buzzing when strummed hard. I believe it came with Aquilas but have Martin M600 with a Fremont wound low G on mine now.

Stacked up against my other ukes;
not as loud as the OXK (which also has Martin M600 strings)
More sustain and clarity than the S1
not as much dynamic range as the HF3
Better intonation up the neck than my sopranos, about the same as the tenor.

All in all, a keeper for my tastes.
 
Kes_ said:
My daughter is 5 so a small uke is probably for the best as she is already stretching her hands to make it. I agree it is kind of a pain playing hers and I'd prefer a wide but width one, but I can manage for now.

I might just get a concert and not worry about handing it down. She can always get a better one in several years for a birthday or something.

As for humidity, weal are in the Bay area in Calidornia so it is never that dry.
Click to expand...


Have you considered a Flea or Fluke? Extremely durable, well made by wonderful people in Massachusetts, excellent action and intonation, sound great and come in a wide variety of colors and designs.

In my opinion, they are one of the very best choices for newer players and their durability makes them especially well suited for kids. They are nearly indestructible, yet sound and play beautifully. It would also be a very long time before she would feel the need to “upgrade”. I’m 55 and have been playing for years, and they are still my go to instruments.

https://www.magicfluke.com/Default.asp


Scooter
 
Kes_ said:
Thanks everyone. I ended up ordering a Famous FS-5G just to try something different. I figure the laminate should be durable and people seem very happy with the sound.
Click to expand...

Great choice. I hope you both like it.
 
Kes_ said:
Thanks everyone. I ended up ordering a Famous FS-5G just to try something different. I figure the laminate should be durable and people seem very happy with the sound.
Click to expand...

I have one of those and I think this was a fantastic choice. It sounds and plays better than many solid wood ukuleles that cost a lot more. Playability is extremely good, right out of the box. You only need very little pressure for clear notes, and in fact, pressing the strings too hard will quickly lead to sharp notes. It was excellently set up right from the factory. Should be perfect for children hands. It's also loud and requires very little maintenance.

I could never figure out what strings it came with. I read somewhere that it was Titanium ones, but I bought those and they were not the same. I eventually settled for Living Water strings, which work very well on this soprano and don't cause intonation problems. They have a similar feel, too.
 
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