Searching for my 2nd Ukulele

lomeraniel

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Hi everyone,

I purchased my first ukulele 12 o 13 years ago in Belgium (I live in Europe), a Tennessee MAUI that costed me €80 back in the day. I'm not very talented and didn't practice much for some years but I've got the uke bug again and I'm making some tiny progress.

I'm traveling to Omaha and Hawaii in a couple of weeks, and I was thinking of getting a new uke delivered to my office in Omaha. I though about getting a travel ukulele to play for a bit the couple of weeks that I will be over there, but I also want something that I will keep using afterwards, so the Kala Waterman is out of the question. I thought about getting the Makala Mako, but I'm not sure how it compares to the one I have at home, as it's cheaper than what I've paid, but not sure how much mine would be nowadays since they don't make them anymore.

I also thought about getting one in Hawaii but I've read that authentic Hawaiian ukes go for more than $500 and that's a out of my budget right now.

Any advice would be appreciated :)

Thanks,

Elena
 
So, a spruce topped soprano - if this size suits you, stick with it, (but maybe consider a concert).

If you'd like a mellower sound, a solid/solid top mahogany uke. Acacia would be a bit brighter than mahogany.

I would steer you towards a Kala or Ohana, solid top or full solid, but you'll get lots of recommendations from the others on here too. :)
 
Aw, you get to go to the birthplace of the ukulele, I'm so jelly. :D

It would be helpful to know your budget and/or specs for the uke you're looking for. If the Hawaiian made ukes are beyond your budget many of the Hawaiian K brands have cheaper budget brands that are still excellent quality for their price. Islander (by Kanile'a), Pono (by Ko'olau) and KoAlana (by KoAloha) are all decent brands and much cheaper than the Hawaiian made ukes. Even the KoAloha Opio range is usually less than the $500 you mentioned. They're made of acacia wood instead of Koa but are supposedly almost as nice-sounding. I personally endorse KoAloha massively. Their ukes are stunningly beautiful and have a distinct sound to them imo.
 
Why not bring your current uke to Hawaii and Omaha (unless it has great sentimental value). Then you could and should visit The Ukulele Site store (check their website) and see if there is one in your price range that you love. Go early in your Oahu stay and they could set it up for you to take back with you. My sentiment is to purchase the best ukulele that you can afford. Price difference is not great, but sound and feel will be worth every penny.
 
I was on Oahu in November and visited many stores and played many ukes, looking for a budget travel and beach uke. I got lucky at the Goodguys store, where I scored a long-neck soprano for $85 including gig bag. This uke sounds and plays fantastic and is comparable to my KoAloha concert that cost me more than ten times as much. They still had four left in the store, go check it out they might still have some of them available.
 
Mainland Ukes are made in the Continental US and are a pretty good bang for the buck. You could one waiting for you in Omaha.
 
Aw, you get to go to the birthplace of the ukulele, I'm so jelly. :D

It would be helpful to know your budget and/or specs for the uke you're looking for. If the Hawaiian made ukes are beyond your budget many of the Hawaiian K brands have cheaper budget brands that are still excellent quality for their price. Islander (by Kanile'a), Pono (by Ko'olau) and KoAlana (by KoAloha) are all decent brands and much cheaper than the Hawaiian made ukes. Even the KoAloha Opio range is usually less than the $500 you mentioned. They're made of acacia wood instead of Koa but are supposedly almost as nice-sounding. I personally endorse KoAloha massively. Their ukes are stunningly beautiful and have a distinct sound to them imo.

Does Koalana still exist? I haven't seen one in years. The cheapest Opio is around $450 new, though the Koaloha factory store in Honolulu does sell factory seconds for about 1/3 off list price.
 
GotAUkulele says Mainland Ukuleles are made in China and only final finishing is done in the USA. https://www.gotaukulele.com/2017/05/mainland-red-cedar-gloss-soprano-review.html

This sounds right given their prices. But I would still recommend Mainlands. Or Ohana at near the same price point or maybe slightly less. And I would second Jerry's recommendation for an Enya at a lower still price point. Which might be closer to what OP is looking for, given her mention of the Kala Waterman and Makala Mako.

Elena, there's also Bruko which is closer to home, but I suspect you want something from the States. Unless you want to have something to play in Omaha, I'm fairly certain you'll be able to find a cheap yet decent quality ukulele in Hawaii. The costlier Hawaiian ukuleles you may have heard about are not necessarily costly because they are being sold there, but because of things like materials, craftsmanship, brand, where it was made, etc. But they do sell cheaper ukuleles in Hawaii, and it might be nice to bring one back from there, even if it wasn't Hawaiian-made.
 
I should also mention, there's a Martin OXK Soprano in the marketplace right now for $225. I don't know your budget, but it would make an excellent travel uke. The body is made of HPL (formica, not wood) so it should travel well. I would purchase it myself if I didn't already own something similar. I really like mine and think it's one of the best options for a travel uke. Shipping is to the US, so you could have it sent to Omaha and have it waiting for you.
 
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