Loud ukulele

terrgy

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I am of the belief that I would like to own a concert uke that is loud, lots of volume. No pickup. All for under $150 to my door.

I would appreciate all suggestions.
 
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That's a tough one. Big dynamic range usually goes hand in hand with top quality materials and design—not common at that price point. Heck, USPS shipping will account for at least 1/3 of that amount. Maybe find a Kremona Coco that was in a bar brawl and sold cheap due to battle scars and beer stains? It's the loudest production line tenor I've played but is bumping' up against seven Benjamins when showroom fresh.
 
Kala Spruce Top Flame Okoume Concert Ukulele KA-SSEM-C, $159 or best offer on eBay. My son has the tenor size, obnoxiously loud...
 
Kala Spruce Top Flame Okoume Concert Ukulele KA-SSEM-C, $159 or best offer on eBay. My son has the tenor size, obnoxiously loud...

Thanks for the tip. Ordered 5 min ago from same seller.
Same model ukulele, except a tenor & $169. I offered $125.00 w/free shipping , and he/she accepted offer.
By golly I got a ukulele coming. Love it.
 
Thanks for the tip. Ordered 5 min ago from same seller.
Same model ukulele, except a tenor & $169. I offered $125.00 w/free shipping , and he/she accepted offer.
By golly I got a ukulele coming. Love it.

That is a smashing good deal! Wow, you've got more gumption than I do, congratulations!
Unfortunately, the purchase is only step one. You'll need to either go through the process of setting it up properly, or, pay a shop to do it for you.
Are you up for doing the work yourself? If so, there are lots of links on how to DIY.
Looking forward to see the results!
 
Hey, the good thing about is, I can do it. If I couldn’t, my son can. He has built from scratch several guitars. He amazes me. Well, he doesn’t cut the he wood, he orders the parts he needs.

Immediately after ordering, I ordered Worth Brown FC tenor strings. The seller stated that it had been stored in a warehouse. So I says to myself, probably needs new strings. I installed WB FC on my Lava tenor, and love them.

Fingers crossed.
 
For under $200, I'd go with an Ohana Vita Uke. Concert body, soprano neck, and it is a CANON! When I play, the uke easily drowns out my voice, if I'm not paying attention. When I gig with it, it doesn't need a mic.

I've got two of them. Many people I've run into who have tried the Vita Uke end up buying one.

-Kurt​
 
Kurt, after a brief study, I have no doubt the Vita would have been a great choice. Since I’ve already ordered the Kala Flame, it’s now just a uke to be considered for another time. Very impressed with the Vita. Listening to the videos, and comments, it appears to be a loud uke.
 
That’s a great video. Very uncomplicated, and the average tinkerer can pull this off. I learned this method about 5 years ago. At that time I was teaching lap dulcimer, and some of the 20 or so student dulcimers I owned were setup way too high, especially for children. Figured it out on my own thru trial and lots of errors.

IMHO, Barry is the MVP.
 
I see, didn't realize. You're all set then!

Hey, that’s okay. I still enjoyed Barry’s video. Always good to be reminded.

Got good news today. The seller and shop owner said he only took delivery on the Kala 12/2019. Said it was in perfect condition and played well. I think I’ll be okay. Delivery date is next Wednesday. I bet it comes Tuesday.
 
Kala Spruce Top Flame Okoume Concert Ukulele KA-SSEM-C, $159 or best offer on eBay. My son has the tenor size, obnoxiously loud...

Hello, thanks for turning me on to this Kala tenor uke. Took delivery this morning and am very happy with my purchase. Needs nothing. Setup is perfect, easy to play. Plenty loud, exactly what I wanted for certain songs.

I ordered new strings, but I’m going to leave the Super Nylgut on for awhile. Sounds awesome. Built quality is superb. What’s not to like about a Kala tenor with a solid wood top, all for $125. Just needs strap buttons and I’m good to go.

Thanks again.....couldn’t be happier.
 
Hello, thanks for turning me on to this Kala tenor uke. Took delivery this morning and am very happy with my purchase. Needs nothing. Setup is perfect, easy to play. Plenty loud, exactly what I wanted for certain songs.

I ordered new strings, but I’m going to leave the Super Nylgut on for awhile. Sounds awesome. Built quality is superb. What’s not to like about a Kala tenor with a solid wood top, all for $125. Just needs strap buttons and I’m good to go.

Thanks again.....couldn’t be happier.

You're welcome. I thought that you were focussed on a concert. Your decision to get a tenor might have been a much better choice since they're bound to be a larger voice comparatively. I just played my son's ukulele today, still improving after three months of use. I'm anticipating the same for you!
 
This same seller and I exchanged e-mails. He seemed very legit. I also ordered the KA-SSEM-T, and should receive it this Saturday.

I will be stringing it for the same pitch as Baritone, but r/e like my Caramel CT402 tenor, which I love. This will be my 1st Kala.

I am stoked :) !

Received it today 9-Apr. Flawless. Cut of nut is perfect. Action at 12th fret is quite low at 2mm, but no buzzing. Yay!

Fret ends? Can't feel them. First impression; it has noticeably more "bark."

Will report back on how it sounds and its loudness (dB) compared to other ukes I have.

Waiting on a string order for Baritone (re-entry) tuning.

Edit 1- The "G" in Baritone DGBE is the same pitch as a "Low G" on a GCEA uke.

Edit 2- When aggressively strummed less than a foot away from the meter, the average dB "loudness" measured about 90 (C weighted), which is no different than my Caramel Solid Mahogany. However, the tonal character is quite different where the mahogany is mellow/smooth and the spruce more direct which may make it "sound" louder. As I noted in another thread, the KA-SSEM-T is quite "woofy" with a low G.

My sopranos measured about 80db.

Edit 3 - Due to the excessive "boominess" of low G, I am going to park this until I can figure out how to tame the overwhelming imbalance of low G that makes it seem "loud." An idea I have is to glue a thin hard wood slab somewhere inside where it can dampen it. After a bit, I will experiment with temporary placement and sizes to find out what works. TBC
 
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This same seller and I exchanged e-mails. He seemed very legit. I also ordered the KA-SSEM-T, and should receive it this Saturday.

I will be stringing it for the same pitch as Baritone, but r/e like my Caramel CT402 tenor, which I love. This will be my 1st Kala.

I am stoked :) !

My son's is tuned low-G, for more picking range, and, compatibility with high G chord shapes.
 
Played the KA-SSEM-T last night for about an hour. I’ve decided I need to lower the E string just a tad. No problem.
Still sounds great as is, probably just me. I also like the Super Nylgut strings. My Lava tenor has low G. Love low G. But I also like this high G too. Cool. This tenor has a lot of welcomed volume.

All my ukes have straps. Can’t play without straps. Not! While I’ve already ordered strap pins, I find this Kala to be the easiest uke I’ve ever played without straps. Very well balanced.

When buying this uke, even at this low cost, one still has to factor in the total cost. No strap buttons, and no uke bag.
 
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What is the purpose of a side port or of placing the usually center hole at different locations on the top?
 
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