Hi all,
New here, and newish to ukuleles. About a year in with my Cordoba UP100 mahogany laminate uke and have been pretty content as a casual player until recently. I had been playing more, getting ready to participate with my jam group in a performance event for Uke Day, and started noticing an annoying little twang or buzz on the second and sometimes 3rd fret of my A string. Don't notice it all the time, but now that I have heard it, well, you know it just kind of sticks out like a sore thumb. I can't unhear it.....
So, that, coupled with having always felt that the sound of the uke was pleasant but quite soft, I am wondering if it is time to just go ahead and up my game a bit. I figure that it might cost half what I paid for the uke ($80) to have a professional re-setup to take care of the buzz. Soooo.... I started window shopping in the $200-300 range.
Having listened to a lot of Youtube demos, those solid Koa ukuleles seem to have a noticeably more lovely tone than most of the field. Am I hearing that right? Not that they are in my budget, but they sure sounded beautiful.
Questions:
First, will I get a noticeable improvement in tone etc with a solid wood top or not that much better? I was thinking Cedar to get a little more volume, brightness and sustain.
Second, are there any makes or models that you would recommend to give me a reasonable bump up in sound? (The closest I can get to Jake Shim's sound for under $300... )
Third, should this casual player just go ahead and get my uke fixed and avoid the swirling vortex? I am really more of a singer than a player, so don't expect to get too much past strumming, unless I suddenly get over my inability to walk and chew gum at the same time.... Singing does take priority, but I do enjoy my uke playing too. And I do appreciate a pretty and great sounding instrument. (Let's face it, that matte finish UP100 is just flat homely.) Spending the money is not an issue. But spending it and not noticing much difference is. I hate buyer's remorse. Thoughts?
Meantime, I will probably start haunting the local chain music stores for some hands on. But am reticent since that's how I bought my current uke. It played fine but I had very little to compare it to and wouldn't know a good set up from bad, most likely.
By the way, I have been on Mim's website quite a bit and have heard good things about her on this forum. Would definitely consider buying from her if I take the plunge.
Thanks,
Dale
New here, and newish to ukuleles. About a year in with my Cordoba UP100 mahogany laminate uke and have been pretty content as a casual player until recently. I had been playing more, getting ready to participate with my jam group in a performance event for Uke Day, and started noticing an annoying little twang or buzz on the second and sometimes 3rd fret of my A string. Don't notice it all the time, but now that I have heard it, well, you know it just kind of sticks out like a sore thumb. I can't unhear it.....
So, that, coupled with having always felt that the sound of the uke was pleasant but quite soft, I am wondering if it is time to just go ahead and up my game a bit. I figure that it might cost half what I paid for the uke ($80) to have a professional re-setup to take care of the buzz. Soooo.... I started window shopping in the $200-300 range.
Having listened to a lot of Youtube demos, those solid Koa ukuleles seem to have a noticeably more lovely tone than most of the field. Am I hearing that right? Not that they are in my budget, but they sure sounded beautiful.
Questions:
First, will I get a noticeable improvement in tone etc with a solid wood top or not that much better? I was thinking Cedar to get a little more volume, brightness and sustain.
Second, are there any makes or models that you would recommend to give me a reasonable bump up in sound? (The closest I can get to Jake Shim's sound for under $300... )
Third, should this casual player just go ahead and get my uke fixed and avoid the swirling vortex? I am really more of a singer than a player, so don't expect to get too much past strumming, unless I suddenly get over my inability to walk and chew gum at the same time.... Singing does take priority, but I do enjoy my uke playing too. And I do appreciate a pretty and great sounding instrument. (Let's face it, that matte finish UP100 is just flat homely.) Spending the money is not an issue. But spending it and not noticing much difference is. I hate buyer's remorse. Thoughts?
Meantime, I will probably start haunting the local chain music stores for some hands on. But am reticent since that's how I bought my current uke. It played fine but I had very little to compare it to and wouldn't know a good set up from bad, most likely.
By the way, I have been on Mim's website quite a bit and have heard good things about her on this forum. Would definitely consider buying from her if I take the plunge.
Thanks,
Dale