Unusual beginner question.

professir

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Greetings! I will be getting a ukulele in the future. I have played guitar/banjo/mandolin/fiddle semi pro since 1967, but after open heart surgery and 5 repair surgeries on my right arm, all the other instruments are too much for my right arm. SO.....turning to the Ukulele. I want to get something really nice...(not so much looks, but a serious instrument) but will have to save up for it. (Sold all my instruments to pay medical bills lol) I am looking at the Martin S1. Solid wood, and build very well. Am I on the right path? This will take me a year to save up for. I dont want to get a “toy” or something “just for now” only to toss away that money. Any advise or direction would be welcome.
 
I second the recommendation of an Ohana, or similar. I still have an Ohana SK35G which came to me thirteen years ago. Mine is a particularly good example of the type - I've played other SK35s that were not as good, in terms of tone and volume. That is the only real drawback with mass produced ukes in that price range. They can vary a lot. If you get a good one, it can be comparable with much more expensive brands.

In your situation, Professir, a good second hand uke would be a solution. You need to have something to play while the urge is with you.

John Colter
 
Coming from your previous instruments, are you sure a soprano uke is the right size for you?
They have a completely different sound to what you have been used to.

Whilst some like Martins, they are definitely not the only choice. ;)

A good uke can be had for a lot less, the KoAloha Opio range is well respected too. :)

I also agree that it could be worth your while getting an Ohana solid mahogany first, (you may well find that you need nothing else). :music:
 
Hello, in reading your question I wouldn’t dwell on the brand as yet....based on your playing history you may want to key on scale. Ukes come in 4 scales...Soprano, Concert, Tenor and Baritone. Each has its own sound and playability.

My suggestion would be to rent the various scale options. Start with a Soprano, play it for a week or more then move on up the scale until you are comfortable with a scale that’s right for you.....then look at brands. Any of the brands that were suggested here a quality brands.....but the tone is subjective....so once you have your scale....rent your brand until you have your pick. In many places renting is extremely reasonable, and ensures you have made the right decision. Just a thought.
 
Sorry to hear about all your surgeries and having to sell your instruments to pay for them :( But welcome to the ukulele family! I would look at an all solid, there are a few now that won't break the bank. As mentioned, KoAloha do a more affordable range, as do kanile'a (the islander) as well as pono and Kai do an all solid acacia with a side sound port and slotted headstock at a good price. If at all possible, getting your hands on a few to try would be ideal but failing that (personally I don't live close enough to any to pop over to) looking at loads of videos!

Have fun shopping :)
 
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Seriously, you don't have to pay Martin prices to get a great sounding Ukulele. Last night I was playing and comparing my new Kala Baritone with my Kamaka Baritone. I paid $229 for the Kala and the Kamaka sells for $2,695. They were so close in tone and playability that I wouldn't know how to choose one over the other. Another brand to look at is Mainland. Their ukes are consistently good, and they are affordable. I second the notion that you may like a Concert or Tenor better than a Soprano. IMHO, the larger bodies and longer scale lengths produce a much more pleasing and versatile tone. Most of the Ukulele playing you hear on recordings are Tenors. So, you could well be disappointed in the sound of the Soprano, even a Martin.
 
Decent suggestions so far. I think the Martin S1 is pretty good value but you are definitely paying a bit for the Martin name. You can easily get a higher quality uke for the same price or even lower. If you're on the hunt for a solid mahogany soprano, currently my personal favourite at that middle tier is Brüko. Their classic soprano line is less than half of the price of the Martin and they are way better quality, imo. The only downside compared to the S1 is that it's not quite as loud (although I suppose that could be a positive for some). Just be aware of import costs if you live outside the EU. https://ukulelen.brueko.de/screen/overview

Also, don't listen to these comments that are downplaying the soprano. That's the only true ukulele. ;)
 
Greetings! I will be getting a ukulele in the future. I have played guitar/banjo/mandolin/fiddle semi pro since 1967, but after open heart surgery and 5 repair surgeries on my right arm, all the other instruments are too much for my right arm. SO.....turning to the Ukulele. I want to get something really nice...(not so much looks, but a serious instrument) but will have to save up for it. (Sold all my instruments to pay medical bills lol) I am looking at the Martin S1. Solid wood, and build very well. Am I on the right path? This will take me a year to save up for. I dont want to get a “toy” or something “just for now” only to toss away that money. Any advise or direction would be welcome.

I'd recommend a tenor size. As many have said already, a Martin is fine, but there are many ukes that will work just as well, if not better. I have a Pono tenor which sounds greats, but I have played and heard several other ukes that sounded great to me. I recommend you think about a price range then check out what's available. But I think you'd be happiest with a tenor size. Another option is the baritone uke, largest of the family, but played like a tenor guitar using modified guitar chords.
 
Unless you're particularly concerned with the look of an instrument, I'd seriously consider looking for a good used or B-stock "blemished" ukulele. Mim has quite a few B-stock ukes on hand and I can vouch for their value. All the sound and playability of a perfect instrument at a substantial discount. Many used solid-wood instruments have the plus of being "played-in", as the wood has opened-up and matured from months or years of playing.

As far as size, based on your history, I'd look at either a concert or tenor size. If you can get your hands on a few in a shop, you can soon determine what size will work best for you.
 
Why are you folk telling the man he should go for a concert or a tenor? He wants a ukulele. If he said he wanted a violin, would you say, "What you need is a viola or a cello"?

John Colter
 
Why are you folk telling the man he should go for a concert or a tenor? He wants a ukulele. If he said he wanted a violin, would you say, "What you need is a viola or a cello"?

John Colter

If the man was asking for saxophone recommendations, would you insist that he only look at tenor saxes and ignore the soprano, alto, and baritone saxes? They're all saxophones, just as concert and tenor ukuleles are all ukuleles.
 
I'm comparing like with like - saxophones aren't string instruments. Anyway, just light-hearted banter.:rolleyes:

John Colter
 
I know from where you are Professir, I had open heart surgery twice, in 1996 to by-pass 5 arteries and in 2018 to replace 2 valves, caused by radiation treatments I had for cancer in 1973. I also played guitar for almost 50 years before I took up the ukulele in 2013 and never touched my guitars again, gave them to my nephew.

I started on a soprano on a whim, but when I tried to play it, the tight frets were very difficult, so I did some research and discovered the sizes, tenor being recommended for guitar players. I went to my local Sam Ash, tried a concert and tenor and immediately realized tenor is for me. In my first year I went through 16 ukes, culled them to 4 of the good ones when Mim recommended a Kala solid cedar top model that sells for $370, which I found it to rival $1000+ ukes. It's my go to gig uke, and I'm up to 9 now.

I hope all these valuable posts give you pause for thought. (I notice that professir has not been back here since the original post 2 days ago.)


This is Michael Kohan in Los Angeles, Beverly Grove near the Beverly Center
9 tenor cutaway ukes, 6 acoustic bass ukes, 12 solid body bass ukes, 14 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 41)

• 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
 
Snargle sed, "I wasn't sure if you were one of those 'purist' folks"

Yes, I am, but I'm very tolerant.

John Colter
 
You might want to look at the Ko'Aloha or Ko'Aloha Opio brand ukuleles. They have excellent world-class sound and the neck shape makes them pretty easy to play. Lots of other brands to consider in whichever size you decide will be right for you. Concert may be a good size compromise to accommodate your physical injuries. Versus the sound you prefer. Not too big, not too small. But only you can make that decision. I strongly suggest using a strap. Even though ukes are small, it's one less thing you have to worry about as you play. Even sitting down.

Buy from a dealer who will do a professional setup. Explain your situation and that you need a low setup to make playing as easy as possible. A little buzzing may occur, but I think the trade off will be worth it. I also suggest you have it restrung with medium or low tension fluorocarbon strings. They are thinner and more bendable and slightly easier to fret than Nylon strings. (You can always put Nylons on if you prefer the sound after your hands are used to playing again.)

Best of luck. I hope you will be able to play and enjoy your ukulele.
 
I second the recommendation of an Ohana, or similar. I still have an Ohana SK35G which came to me thirteen years ago. Mine is a particularly good example of the type - I've played other SK35s that were not as good, in terms of tone and volume. That is the only real drawback with mass produced ukes in that price range. They can vary a lot. If you get a good one, it can be comparable with much more expensive brands.

In your situation, Professir, a good second hand uke would be a solution. You need to have something to play while the urge is with you.

John Colter

I’d be interested to hear what other Ukes you have, which ones you prefer and why. I’d have thought that your selection of Sopranos would have a broad spread of good instruments in it that would point the OP in good directions.

The way I read it the OP seems to want an S1 and nothing else because anything else is second rate and, in the long term, a waste of money. Personally I think that a misguided view. A good musician can make remarkably good music on lesser instruments (check out ‘our’ Dr Bekken) and some basic but good enough sounding second hand instruments are available for quite modest amounts. Many basic second hand instruments are well worth the investment and within budget now rather than later (do an earlier purchase and get an earlier start to playing).
 
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Oh I am around......reading and researching. I went to the music store today and played each size. I can play any of them, as I am proficient on mandolin and fiddle. But still working on the pain issues. Jury is still out.
 
If you want a really nice uke then try to get a Hawaiian built one. The Asian ukes are ok and cheap but are fairly generic and mainly distinguish from each other cosmetically. As others mentioned KoAloha is the most affordable of the K brands and the long neck sopranos and concert size ones are easy to play and sound sweet. They are worth saving a bit longer and then not needing to ever upgrade.
 
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