You Get What You Pay For?

VegasGeorge

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In Ukes, not always. True, more expensive Ukes seem to made of finer quality woods, and the fit and finish seems more dependably good. But really, that's just "looks." I've never had a Uke just fall apart on me. They all seem to be glued together OK. But, when I think of "good Ukes," I think of voice (tone quality), and playability. "Playability" may just be a question of set up, but I've never experimented with that notion in mind.

All my Ukes have their own voice. Some sing like Caruso, others like Freddy Fender. They are individuals. And, I'm surprised at how often I pick up one of my $200 instruments instead of one of my $2,000 ones. I like the variety in their voices. Brighter, darker, woody, nassel, mellow, harsh, louder, softer. So much variety! I recently got one of those little pear shaped Ohana VK-70Rs. What a player for a cheapie! And, it even exhibits a "new" quality, one that I haven't noticed in any of my other instruments. It has a decidedly percussive pluck sound when finger picked. A very positive attack on each note. That makes it a lot of fun for picking Bluegrass style tunes.

Yes, I'm convinced that UAS is a good thing! The more Ukes, the merrier!

Happy strummin', y'all.
 
I absolutely believe that you get what you pay for, and find it annoying when people say their $200 Kala is "just as good" as somebody else's KoAloha. Well it might be great for that person, but the comparison is not appropriate. Ukuleles are like cars in that respect. I drive a 20 year old Corolla, and it is safe, reliable, comfortable, and can get me anywhere I would think I ever want to drive. But should I say that it is "just as good" as a BMW that cost five times as much, but actually does not deliver anything additional in terms of basic automobile functions?

So yeah, I love the budget ukes and I play my Gretsch (almost) as often as my KoAloha and Kamaka, but there's no point comparing them as they are made to play in different leagues.
 
Sorry to the Luthiers among us.
Not being financially endowed, I generally gravitate toward the less expensive ukes.
My grandmother started me out in 6th grade with a $7 Japan-made uke from Long's
Drug Store in HNL. That uke served me for many years through Intermediate and
High School! I learned to play chords given out by my teacher Mrs Wong and I
learned to listen to songs on the radio and figure out some basic chording on my own
then how to transpose to other keys when the key on the radio was either too high
or too low for my vocal range :)

When I went off to college in Chicago, I went to Harry's Music in Kaimuki and had
to decide between a Martin and a Kamaka. My budget being what it was (1966) I
had to take the less expesive Kamaka vs the more costly Martin. Hey, we're talking
$7 difference. Yup the Martin was $35 and the Kamaka was $28! [if I knew then
what I know now, I would have bought BOTH and all the stock at Harry's!!]

OK, that said, I'm planning on taking my Enya 'remodeled' HPL soprano to HNL
tomorrow (July 18th) for the Ukulele Festival and all ukulele activities through
August 19th :) The Enya was purchased from a fellow UUer who had slimmed
down the neck and cut a personal sound hole (which I use to insert little rubber
ducks for distribution to unsuspecting toddlers - with their parents' permission,
of course - after all, the adults will have to deal with the constant squeaking :))

I also keep a couple of CR2032 digital tuner batteries in the body and some of my business
cards. None of those items seem to affect the sound... too much

I suppose my most expensive ukes are around $500 and I am looking at the Blackbird
Clara, but at $1,200+, wow that is pretty far outside my budget comfort zone :)
Oh well, ....

keep uke'in',
 
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The Law of diminishing returns applies to musical instruments.

As least it will to all but a few with outstanding hearing.

There is on this forum on hellofalotof uke snobbery.

ie If it is not upwards of $1000 its not worth it.

It is what feels and sounds right for you that matters.

I have a $2000 Gibson LP but is that significantly better than a $400 Epiphone LP clone, no, it is better but not to the value of $1600. Is mine as good as a custom $5000 model, no but with my hearing I cannot tell much difference in tone.
 
I absolutely believe that you get what you pay for .... Ukuleles are like cars in that respect. .... I play my Gretsch (almost) as often as my KoAloha and Kamaka, but there's no point comparing them as they are made to play in different leagues.

Yup, I get that. Playing my Kamaka, Martin, Collings, Ukes are like riding in my Lexus. Whereas, that Ohana or my other less expensive Ukes are like riding in my Honda. But, you know, I really do enjoy driving that little Honda Civic. I'm not really sure what you mean by playing in "different leagues." A good player will sound great on just about any instrument. And, when I've gone to play with groups of good players, we wind up playing simple minded strums that would sound about the same on any Uke. Hardly a "showcase" for a fine instrument.

I'm not advocating that cheap instruments are "as good as" expensive ones. That's obviously not a true generalization. I'm just extolling the fact that many less expensive instruments have a playability and pleasing tonal character all their own. And, that it's nice to have that kind of variety in one's instruments.
 
Sometimes you get lucky with an inexpensive instrument.
I've owned ukuleles ranging from $20 to $2000 over the years.

My recent purchase is a Martinez "Southern Bell" solid mahogany tenor which was a bit over $100.
It sold a bit cheaper because some error in the factory omitted the rosette.

Sounds, feels, finished as good as any $1000 I've owned, and it even comes with a truss rod.

Setup was decent too, and nut and saddle both made of bone.

Oh also has active electronics and inbuilt tuner too.

Hell of a deal.


But yes, this was lucky.
 
I thought I saw a graph or read about a principle, that to some extent you do get what you pay for but after a certain point, the advantages of paying more are not directly reflected in the objective quality as it was at the lower price points.

For example, if you compare a $10 instrument vs. a $50 instrument vs. a $100 instrument vs. a $500 instrument vs. $1000 instrument vs. $5,000 instrument.

A $10 uke probably is not playable, and you bought it as a novelty wall decoration.
A $50 uke sounds like a $50 uke, probably laminate, may not be set up correctly, produced poorly, hard to play, etc.
A $100 uke is probably laminate, but actually sounds like a uke and is playable. It may not sound the best. Perhaps it is over-built, and doesn't project, or the sound is tinny or muted. Maybe the fit and finish are not the best.
A $500 uke is probably made of solid wood, a little more care and attention to how it is set up and made. It is probably an import.
A $1000 uke is probably American made, all solid wood - probably a production model, but sounds great and well made.
A $5,000 uke - well, you're probably talking about a custom uke that you picked out the individual parts and it probably sounds amazing.
(don't forget you $10,000 Moore Bettah owners - you know who you are)

Is the $100 uke 10 times better than the $10 instrument? Yes. I think everyone would agree.
Is the $500 uke 10 times better than $50 instrument? Probably. I think most people would probably agree, though not everyone.
Is the $5,000 uke 10 times better than the $500 instrument? For some yes. For others no. Most people would acknowledge that there is a difference and it is an improvement, but is the extra $4,500 worth it on an instrument? A lot of people would say no.

This is probably an over-simplification. My feeling is, if you can afford it, and it brings you joy, buy the best uke for you. Maybe that means best sounding that you don't "baby" and worry about it - or maybe it means that super high-end custom bling job. I tend to fall in the life is too short to play crappy instruments category as stated by someone else in another thread.

Cheers!
 
Sorry to the Luthiers among us.
Not being financially endowed, I generally gravitate toward the less expensive ukes.
My grandmother started me out in 6th grade with a $7 Japan-made uke from Long's
Drug Store in HNL. That uke served me for many years through Intermediate and
High School! I learned to play chords given out by my teacher Mrs Wong and I
learned to listen to songs on the radio and figure out some basic chording on my own
then how to transpose to other keys when the key on the radio was either too high
or too low for my vocal range :)

When I went off to college in Chicago, I went to Harry's Music in Kaimuki and had
to decide between a Martin and a Kamaka. My budget being what it was (1966) I
had to take the less expesive Kamaka vs the more costly Martin. Hey, we're talking
$7 difference. Yup the Martin was $35 and the Kamaka was $28! [if I knew then
what I know now, I would have bought BOTH and all the stock at Harry's!!]

OK, that said, I'm planning on taking my Enya 'remodeled' HPL soprano to HNL
tomorrow (July 18th) for the Ukulele Festival and all ukulele activities through
August 19th :) The Enya was purchased from a fellow UUer who had slimmed
down the neck and cut a personal sound hole (which I use to insert little rubber
ducks for distribution to unsuspecting toddlers - with their parents' permission,
of course - after all, the adults will have to deal with the constant squeaking :))

I also keep a couple of CR2032 digital tuner batteries in the body and some of my business
cards. None of those items seem to affect the sound... too much

I suppose my most expensive ukes are around $500 and I am looking at the Blackbird
Clara, but at $1,200+, wow that is pretty far outside my budget comfort zone :)
Oh well, ....

keep uke'in',

I was wondering if you're still using that uke. I have another candidate for neck surgery and I'm trying to get up the nerve to do it again.

Great story about the ukes at Longs and Harry's and your learning to play.
 
I'm with Uncle Rod and ghostrdr. The first year I played, I said to myself I'll only buy $150 to $200 ukes, then I got better and learned which played better of the 16 I had. I contacted Mim and she recommended a $370 Kala solid cedar top. I bought it and was very impressed with the feel and sound. Shortly after I was in a store that had one and also a few of the K brands. After playing them for a short while, my thought was, the K brands are not 3 times better then the Kala, maybe 20% at best. I then culled down the 16 to 4 that played and sounded best.


This is Michael Kohan in Los Angeles, Beverly West near the Beverly Center
9 tenor cutaway ukes, 5 acoustic bass ukes, 11 solid body bass ukes, 9 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 34)

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children in hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers: YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/video, Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheCCStrummers
 
I think that how a ukulele looks or sounds is pretty much subjective. How do you even measure it? But I think there is probably some intrinsic value to playing an expensive ukulele or a particularly recognized quality manufacturer's brand of ukulele that shows thorough when someone plays it.
 
When we went to Hawaii in 2002, we got talking to a couple of guys play ukuleles. They told us about different sizes and also the prices. I couldn't believe a ukulele could cost over $1,000, but design, material, and construction can make a big difference in the quality and the sound. Before we left for home, I bought a uke and a hard case in an ABC store. I think I paid $25 for both. I began playing with a local group in 2014, and I bought a KoAloha soprano a year later.

As for your statement, "Yes, I'm convinced that UAS is a good thing! The more Ukes, the merrier!" I definitely agree.

In regards getting what you pay for, I always do, unless I forget to take something out of the shopping cart. :D
 
Some words of advice. If you are a competent player, and you are content with your present <$1000 ukulele, and you are given the opportunity to play a $2000+ instrument—don't. Just don't.
It will be the cause of great longing and discontent. It leads to the dreaded UAS and will put you on the road to impoverishment.

In a more serious vein: I play tenors. I was content with my Ohana until I played a Pono. I was content with my Pono until I played a Kanile'a. I was content with my Kanile'a until I played a Kamaka. I was content with my Kamaka until I played a Kinnard. Etc.

There are differences in playability, and comfort, and sound at all price points. I play my $400 Pono as much as I do my Martin T1 IZ or my Kinnard. However, I gravitate to my Pereira tenor the most. Because I love the sound it makes and the way it fits my hands. Is it a better instrument? Objectively, in a test environment, probably not. In my hands, for my ability, and most importantly, to my ears—absolutely. Because it suits me.

Purely subjective.
 
Interestingly, most every afternoon when I mix up a rum and coke and go out onto the front deck to play my ukulele and work on my playlist I just naturally pick up my cheapest ukulele and take it out there to play. But then when I'm going to do an open mic, a coffee shop gig, or go busking, I grab my most expensive. It isn't that I don't like the sound and the playability of my cheap one, I just don't want to associate with it in public. :)
 
Interestingly, most every afternoon when I mix up a rum and coke and go out onto the front deck to play my ukulele and work on my playlist I just naturally pick up my cheapest ukulele and take it out there to play. But then when I'm going to do an open mic, a coffee shop gig, or go busking, I grab my most expensive. It isn't that I don't like the sound and the playability of my cheap one, I just don't want to associate with it in public. :)

Right! Regardless of the quality or the sound, you want to look good - with a good-looking uke. I think the same way when my group performs in public.
 
I tend to spend a decent amount of time playing my Gretsch uke but that's because I don't care if it gets dinged or banged up. It sits on the couch and I play it watching TV. Cat knocks it off the couch (because cats are jerks) no biggie. If I'm working on a fingerstyle or chord Melody song, I pull a nice uke out of its case and then put it back when I'm done.
 
I think that how a ukulele looks or sounds is pretty much subjective. How do you even measure it? But I think there is probably some intrinsic value to playing an expensive ukulele or a particularly recognized quality manufacturer's brand of ukulele that shows thorough when someone plays it.

Actually, I've found that, while possibly subjective, the difference in sound, playability, feel, etc between a $150 Ohana, a $400 Pono, and a $1,000 Kanile'a are quite tangible and are noticed by people from a wide range of 'ukulele experience. The fact is that higher-priced instruments simply *are* better. They feel better. On even cursory inspection they look better. And after only a few strums it's clear they sound better.

I would rephrase your statement (if I might be so bold) to wonder whether the difference is worth the increased price. That there is a difference is undeniable. The value of it is far more open.

As for me, I don't mind having paid a premium for an all-solid koa instrument, designed, built, and finished by hand by craftsmen in Hawai'i rather than paying less for a laminate or low-grade solid mass-produced in a factory in China by workers paid pennies.
 
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