Musing about first instrument and tenor opinions

Stacey

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Hello everyone!

What a great forum you have here! So much information!

I would like your opinions about tenors.

So I bought my first ukulele on Amazon, a concert from Lohanu. I've had it for two weeks and already I'm not too happy with it. It seems like a decent instrument but there are a few things going on.

1. When I play a note say - C and then strum I have to be very conscious of striking the last string off the C note. It's as if the string is much too low on the board.
2. There is a buzz sound when I strum individual strings.

From reading the forum, my guess is the instrument needs to be set up to resolve these issues. The instrument is still returnable.

3. My sister has been a life long guitar player. I'm used to picking up her guitar and making a hot mess of things. I don't have any guitar background but the size feels natural to me from being around them for so many years. My point is that when I'm trying to play a chord on the concert my hand feels cramped. In addition, my fat fingers (well, not too fat) seem to touch the other strings even if I'm using the very tips of my fingers. I'm wondering if a tenor may have been a better choice? I'm not a big woman. 5'3 with weight to loose. I do like the "chocolatey" sound of the tenor. Closer to a guitar but still very much a uke.

I should go into a shop and look things over. Morey's Music Shop is right around the corner. But I don't want to take up their time and then feel indebted that I have to buy there. From reading, Mim's is the route I would like to go. Also, I'll be looking at the Kala's up to $175.00. Maybe an Ohana. Wondering if I should continue with a decent set up concert or go with a set up tenor?

What are your thoughts?

Thanks!
 
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Hi Stacey,
Welcome too UU!
In most things, we believe that size matters.
However, in ukulele world, size does not matter as much as how the instrument feels and sounds.
I'd recommend going to Morey's and trying out every size until you're sure which one suits your hands and ears. IF they act like they don't like it, you don't wanna buy there anyhow. You don't have to buy from them.
Watch a lot of Mim's videos. They can be very helpful. I've bought from her 5 times.
I'm 5'8" and I play a concert, because I don't have a great big reach with my fingers.
I've noted that some Ohana tenors are missing the low range, so listen closely.
I'm not so sure I'd be willing to spend money to have a uke set up that should have come that way....especially if it's still returnable.
Of course, I could be wrong...
Happy hunting, let us know what you come up with.
Usually, it's pretty hard to do better than a Kala or Ohana in that price range.
 
Stacey

Go to your local shop and play their ukes, play a mixture of sizes, they should not mind at all.

They are in business to sell everything from a single 10c pick up to an instrument costing thousands of bucks.

The store will want your business as you will return to buy more from them if they treat you right and you will return for uke 2, uke 3 etc.

Kala is a good choice of a uke for the budget you have.

Personal service locally is far better than mail order plus it helps to keep local business going
 
Nothing wrong with tenor for a first uke. I am 5' and can easily play one. I would also throw out the suggestion of getting a baritone. Your sister knows the chords - the top 4 strings are the same - and can help you.
 
First, return the uke you have since it is giving you problems.

Go to the local shop and try the different sizes. They may actually have something you really like and this gives them a chance to make a sale. If you do not buy, you may purchase accessories in the future.

Then make the purchase from where you desire. If the local shop does not have what you want that is set up already, then do not feel guilty for ordering from Mim's who does setup as part of the purchase price.
 
Hi Stacy,
If you are experiencing buzzing strings you may need any combination of nut & saddle adjustment, perhaps fret leveling, or maybe even a warped neck. I’d agree on putting thought into your options before putting money into a setup on the instrument. A return may be worth considering if you still have the option. If you feel confined in the concert scale certainly try out tenor and baritone instruments. Educate yourself on what feels the most natural for you before starting to look at what to purchase. You may also want to consider a used instrument from another forum member if your comfortable with the idea. Enjoy yourself on your journey.
 
If the concert feels cramped, try something larger like a baritone or tenor ukulele. I'm a classical guitarist and had a heck of a time adjusting my hand down to ukulele. It took me 6 months or so to squeeze down to a baritone size (20") without cramping and another 6 months to adjust down to tenor (17") size. I found it easier to play a long scale bass than ukulele! Also, the nut width makes a big difference. Find a tenor ukulele with a 1.5" nut and chords are a lot easier to finger than the smaller nuts common on budget instruments.

I think all of the Romero Creations and many of the Cordoba tenors have the 1.5" nut, but there are many others.
 
Thank you all for taking the time to give very thoughtful responses. Such great advice! Yes this is a journey that I plan on enjoying! I'll be doing more research and asking more questions! I'm going to take your advice and go to the music store and get a feel for the tenor and then go from there.
 
All of this is very new to me. I'll do some research to find out what a 1.5 nut is.
 
The 1.5 means the width of the nut (or, the spacing between the strings). There are tenors with narrower nuts than sopranos. This may be why you feel cramped. I would recommend trying a uke at the local shop to make sure you get comfortable. Many Chinese-made ukes have narrower nuts than ones made elsewhere. If you can’t find a comfy instrument in your price range locally, you might consider a Magic Fluke. They have perfect action and comfortably wide nuts. And the folks at Magic Fluke Co. offer outstanding customer service.
 
Thank you for the explanation. That makes perfect sense! I'll check out Magic Fluke.
 
At the headstock end (where the tuners are) of the fretboard there is a small piece of material that has grooves in it with each groove giving support to each of the strings, this is the Nut.

It is the width of the nut that governs the spacing between the strings at the headstock.

So it is a case of finding what is a comfortable size uke for you ie tenor, concert etc and the width of the nut which in turn governs the width of the neck of the Uke.

Additionally the Uke neck has different sectional profiles, some are more comfortable than others.

My Kala & Risa Tenors have a Nut width of 1 3/8”.
 
Stacey, I'm jumping in on your thread. Fellow newbie here with my first Uke that isn't cutting it anymore.

Bought my first Uke in March. (Leho- laminated mahogany concert, $100 CDN) It's a decent entry level uke but I am becoming aware of it's shortcomings. Not much sustain or volume. I had no idea what to listen for when I went shopping. Nice low action, super smooth side of fretboard, no sharp edges. It's low volume is actually great for practicing - I can stum in the same room as my family and not bother them too much lol!

So... When is the right time to jump into a high-end uke? There is a used Kanile'a K1 T deluxe for sale in my area. As a beginner, are the any drawbacks to getting this Cadillac now, and not waiting? It seems indulgent - like giving a 16 year old new driver a Porche right out of the gate!

Any advice? Thoughts?

Have any of you bought a K brand uke and regretted it? I have not yet fallen prey to UAS.... although I do have a shoe problem.
 
So... When is the right time to jump into a high-end uke? There is a used Kanile'a K1 T deluxe for sale in my area. As a beginner, are the any drawbacks to getting this Cadillac now, and not waiting? It seems indulgent - like giving a 16 year old new driver a Porche right out of the gate!

Any advice? Thoughts?

Have any of you bought a K brand uke and regretted it? I have not yet fallen prey to UAS.... although I do have a shoe problem.

I don't see any issue at all with buying any ukulele that you can afford, though I will caution you if you think you're going to care about it to a level that you're scared to play it. Besides that, I don't see any concerns with getting an expensive uke. They're made to be played and there's no point needlessly making sacrifices because you're new or "not good enough."

Stacy, definitely visit the shop and play as much as you can. Don't worry about feeling indebted to them, but if you like the service maybe see if they can order a use for you. Can't hurt to ask. Also ask if they'll set it up for you. After all the ukes I've bought from The Ukulele Site, I've been spoiled to the point where I think set-ups should come on everything all the time.

Also, I wouldn't get too hung up on size because you do tend to get used to the one in your hands. I play a lot of tenor ukulele and suddenly shifting from a tenor to a soprano is jarring, but you get used to it so much that, after a while, a tenor feels gigantic (until you get used to it again).

I hope this helps!
 
To BC Island girl, if you can afford a nicer instrument, I say go for it. It will encourage you to play more and practice more. Getting a more pleasing sound out of your instrument may encourage you to practice more. My $0.02.

To Stacey, I bought my first clarinet at Morey’s ages ago. Lakewood is not that far from Huntington Beach where they have Island Bazaar. They have dozens of ukes there if not a hundred, at all price points. It would be helpful to play different scale lengths such as tenor and concert. It’s a little different but not as much as you might think. I started on a concert and then moved to tenor and now play mostly tenor but sometimes concerts. I find some chords and finger picking are easier on the smaller concert scale, whereas in the beginning it was impossible to smash all my fingers between the frets. It will happen for you eventually!

Good luck and welcome! Let me know if you have any other questions.
 
BC, I can tell you from experience that it's okay to spend a little more money on yourself to get the uke that you really enjoy. Don't go cheap!
Three years ago I bought the best uke I could afford, and I have played it hundreds of hours. I've had issues, sure, but I've never regretted buying it.
Invest in yourself.
What good is money if you don't?
 
To BC Island Girl, Kanile'a makes a beautiful sounding and playing tenor. If you can afford the instrument, it feels right in your hands, and the price reflects the used nature of the instrument it could very likely lead to more play and progress. Possible drawbacks could involve you still developing your tastes in what you desire in an instrument and you may discover down the road as tastes evolve that it may not be your forever instrument. But as a used purchase hopefully you could get most of your investment out if you decided to sell down the road. Trying a lot of different instruments is a good thing to experience. It certainly shouldn’t hold you back as long as you’re not shy about playing it.
 
I know I'm late to this discussion, but I got this advice a long time ago when I got my first guitar and it holds up no matter the instrument.

1. Find an upper limit of what you can afford. Not what you want to pay, but what you can afford. Like if you can *afford* $200 but want to pay $100, go with $200
2. Add 25-50% to what you can afford. So if you had an upper limit of $200, do whatever possible to turn that into $250 or $300
3. Go out and test as many as you can.
4. Make sure it's setup by a professional. Nothing worse than sharp frets or a nut/bridge that aren't right.

Trust me. Instruments are one thing where you really do get what you pay for, and the difference between a $100, $200, and $300 uke is huge. Just get the most you can possibly afford.
 
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Thanks to all of you for your great advice. I went to the local music shop but didn't see anything I liked. I went with Mims and purchased a Kala Zircote tenor. I love it! It's beautiful and sounds beautiful as well. Now I just need to get on a practice plan.
 
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