Broken choices down to three. Ohana TK-15WG Advice?

After everyone's advice, I will be going to the music store to try the fit of a tenor for me. Still doing my research in case indeed I decide a tenor feels better than the concert.

I have broken it down to three so far, but still doing research. I like the process of elimination, so will be subtracting and adding as I go.

So here are the three so far. These are from Mim's site.

The Ohana Tk-15WG. Specifically the #.699 she has available. $169.00. Right around the price range I'm looking at. I'm curious that there isn't much out there on the web for this one. It's a nice looking instrument but I can't seem to find any videos on it to determine the sound. Found one video for the same in matte I believe. Anyone familiar with this one?

The Kala K-Eby-T. $184.99. The exact one I was looking at must have been sold. But sure she will have more that catch my eye. I really prefer a gloss.

Lastly, the Kala Ka-Zct-t her #M445. $250.00. Beautiful but a little out of my price range. I want to commit to buying a decent instrument but $250 and above will be my 2-3 year upgrade. I'm trying to talk myself out of this one...not sure I'm successful yet...

I found the video that shows examples of 9 different tenors. I can't seem to really hear too much difference, but I'll be listening again and see if there are any that I want to add to my list. I do like the slightly deeper tone of the tenor, and from one brand to another, I prefer a deeper, I call it more "chocolatey" sound to it. But I'm not too keen on the base ukes.

I just read a response to my previous post regarding 1.5 nut on a tenor. I'll have to take this into consideration as well.

Anyhow, thanks in advance for your input!

Folks here have been very helpful to me so maybe I can reciprocate by sharing some things that I have learned, although I am much more of a rookie than you are.

The better players seem to base most of their preference on tone of the instrument. In general, the all laminate ukes have the worst tone, the solid top with laminate side ukes are a step up, and the all solid wood ukes are another step up.

I watched some online videos trying to evaluate tonal differences between instruments, and then got to wondering how much variation there would be from one video to another depending on what kind of microphone was used, how the video was processed, etc. -- in other words, without all the variables constant is it really possible to make an accurate tone comparison? A similar situation exists when auditioning stereo speakers, as test after test has shown that if the volume is not adjusted exactly the same the customer always picks the speaker played at higher volume as sounding the "best."

Good luck with your hunt!

So you want a gloss tenor for under $200. Just go with the Ohana tk-15wg. Yeah, the solid tops and all solids may sound "better" but the Ohana will be setup well and still sound good. You can try different strings like Worth browns or Living Water if you're looking for a more "chocolate" sound and the stock Aquilas don't do it for you.

The only 'true' tenor that I have is a Kala KA-T, that's a laminate & it sounds pretty good for its price.

I have Ohana solid mahogany ukes, & they are good value, great tone & quite loud.

The first thing I do is change the Aquila strings that come on most ukes, because I prefer fluorocarbons, to me, they make every uke sound better.

I'm sure the Ohana will see you right, until you are ready for an upgrade, & by that time you will have a good idea of what your next uke will be.

I think Mim will set you up with Worth Browns if you ask. It's a few dollars more, but I'd recommend them. If you don't like the Worths, you can find Aquilas everywhere.

I prefer Ohana to Kalas generally. My 50-WG (also bought from Mim) has Worth Browns and it really sounds sweet.

tm3 said:

In general, the all laminate ukes have the worst tone, the solid top with laminate side ukes are a step up, and the all solid wood ukes are another step up.

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This is true as a generality, but deceptive in this price range. Good solid woods are more expensive, and a good laminate will sound better than a bad solid.

That said, both Kala and Ohana make good laminates, and anything Mim sells in this range should sound decent. The choice will come down to a matter of taste in sound and looks.

Appearance is important and completely subjective. It's hard to be charged to play something you don't like. I wouldn't pick any of the three you like based on my tastes (I picked the KALA-TEMB in that approximate price range), but that applies only to me. De gustibus non est disputandum.

Video sound tests are generally useless. Most sites compress significantly and most people don't listen through reference monitors. Typical speakers add a lot of their own flavor. For best results make sure you have a clean signal and a good headset. Don't waste your time analyzing your phone speaker.