Hi from Durham, North Carolina!

hualon

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Durham, NC
Hi, everybody! I've caught the fever so now I'm here looking to get started.

I'm pushing 40 and have attempted guitar before but it never really clicked. I've been giddy about the ukulele for years ever since first hearing "Tonight You Belong to Me" as sung by Steve Martin in "The Jerk". :D

I don't own an instrument yet. I'm a 6'2" guy and I've found the sopranos I've tried to be a bit clumsy to hold and get my fingers right. I tend to overlap onto neighbor strings. I've been thinking that the right instrument for me is a concert size.

I'm obviously a beginner but I've also got some experience with beginner-quality things causing a lot of frustration in the past. As a beginning woodworker, for instance, I bought inexpensive tools and was constantly frustrated with setup and low quality results. Years later, using much better equipment, I found that my same techniques produced wildly better results... if only I'd known sooner!

For that reason I'm really debating about an instrument purchase. I don't want to be hampered by poor tone or sustain, I'm afraid that would bum me out in my learning process too much. Is that crazy?

I have browsed the Ukulele Site (theukulelesite.com) extensively and I really respect their commitment to setup of the instruments. I'm also quite a bit overwhelmed by the options! I listened to the recordings and they all sound exquisite but the "KOALOHA CONCERT ACACIA OPIO" recording gave me chills. Something about the warmth, I suppose, that just sounds incredible to me.

The price isn't out of the question but it still seems high for a total newbie. I'd love opinions on that. Is "warmth" a thing that you fine folks could steer me to in other models?
 
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Welcome to the forums, hualon!! The Koaloha Opio are nice instruments. They are a but more up there in price. Ohana and Kala are both highly recommended instruments for starting out. However, if you can swing the Opio..... :)
 
Welcome! I'm nearby, in Raleigh, and we jam twice monthly. Once you're up and running, you should drop by for a visit.

If your budget's in the $150-200 range, consider Mim's Ukes (mimsukes.com). She's a member of UU and a great person to work with. She sells lots of Ohanas and Kalas and now Magic Flukes. Initially you may want to go with an instrument that's either all-laminate or solid top/laminate back and sides so you don't have to worry about changes in humidity affecting the instrument.

Another great resource and great seller is Kent Knorr at the N.C. Ukulele Academy in Wilmington (alohau.com). He has about 200 ukes in his shop, and you can pick up any one that catches your fancy and try it out. I've bought several from him and he's a quality dude. Great ambassador for the uke as well, and he teaches and hosts jams.

Again, welcome!
 
The price isn't out of the question but it still seems high for a total newbie. I'd love opinions on that. Is "warmth" a thing that you fine folks could steer me to in other models?

Hi. Ex-teacher from Durham High School here. Regarding price, you yourself mention the benefit of getting decent tools. So I would get a decent ukulele to start with. There is no rule that says that beginners need to earn the right to have nice ukes. I say buy the Koaloha now because it will be cheaper. However much the Koaloha costs, it will be more expensive to buy some start-up Kala and then also buy the Koaloha (which you know you're gonna do anyway).

Regarding warmth: I'm also a fan and I pursue it by wood choice and string choice. I go for denser woods. For example, I am having a ukulele built with London plane wood which purportedly is in the same ball park as mahogany. I like Worth strings whose brown strings are famous for getting that warm sound.
 
Welcome to UU. If the Opio gives you chills, and you can afford it, then definitely go for it.
I was just thinking about this earlier today: I am not good at describing the sounds of different Ukes or strings, most Ukes sound decent, but if a uke gives me chills, that's a good Uke for me!
 
Hi again! Well I just couldn't stand it any longer so yesterday I went down to my local shop (High Strung in Durham) and played every uke in the place for over an hour. I really zeroed in on the sound of a concert Ohana ck-70wg in spruce and willow and she came home with me. I've barely put it down since yesterday afternoon and it makes me so happy. The tone is lovely and the instrument itself is gorgeous.

Thanks to YouTube I've figured out a few chords and am plugging away with some awkward strummin'. I can even manage a half-way passable "Three Little Birds" now although the transition from anywhere into G is cumbersome. I'm working now just on transitions.

Thanks all for your help and welcome. I'm so thrilled to see some local folks! Hendulele, I'm rarely in Raleigh but I genuinely appreciate the invitation. There's a local uke learning jam 1st and 3rd Mondays at High Strung near me that I'm looking forward to visiting as well. Riprock, I've worked with a lot of different wood but I've never come across London Plane. What a gorgeous wood - it reminds me of Lacewood with the round scaly pattern at least on the quarter-sawn pieces I saw online. I'd love to see it when it's finished.
 
Congratulations! Good choice, I must say. I have [correction: a similar] model Ohana [laminate willow sides] and it's my go-to concert.

Also, FWIW, I did something stupid at a jam and dropped it, cracking the side joint. The fine folks at High Strung made it not quite good as new, because there was a chip missing they couldn't replace, but it plays as well as ever and their work is always fast and reasonably priced. Good folks, and I hate forgetting them when I was mentioning dealers.

Enjoy your journey and hope to see you sometime!
 
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