What Ukulele Should I get for my third one?

Here is my story. I am an old vintage 60's guitar player and had a Godin Multiuke ukulele that just hung on the wall and played maybe once a year. I have been going to Hawaii every year for the last twenty years and always took my guitar. This last year I decided to just take the ukulele and the heck with trying to learn Hawaiian songs. I decided I would just see if I could learn to play my Rockabilly, Country, and Rock and Roll songs complete including all the lead guitar solos I know on a ukulele (I know at least 3 ). Well, after a month I got where they actually sound good enough to play for people. Anyway, I am now hooked on the uke and no longer think of them as toys, inferior instruments, and basically crappy sounding little geetars.

I own these two Tenor ukuleles I like playing live plugged in.

1. Godin Tenor Multiuke my first thought it would be easier to play like my guitar. It is the one I had hanging on the wall several years.

2. 5 String Tenor Kanilea K1 w/LR Baggs 5.0

I WANT TO GET A THIRD UKULELE THAT WILL COMPLEMENT THE TWO I HAVE AND NOT DUPLICATE WHAT I HAVE. SO EXPERIENCED PLAYERS WHAT WOULD YOU GET?

Kamaka HF-1 high-G soprano. You're welcome.

Definitely a soprano. The essence of a ukulele.

A proper Tenor. Spruce or Cedar top.

This is going to be a loooong thread

A Kinnard tenor. According to Kevin Beddoe, the Kinnard representative, John Kinnard builds ukuleles to have a guitar like sound to them. I have a spruce/rosewood tenor that is very musical with a sweet sound and wonderful sustain. Lots of hardwood choices. His custom ukuleles are immaculate.

EyeDoc has a fantastic Rebel Mango tenor listed here UU Marketplace. (Typo in his listing as a "Reel" Mango Tenor) You could have a pickup installed.

Or, try to find an aNueNue MoonBird UT200 tenor. Their optional Piezo/Mic pickup has gotten rave reviews as well as the tenor itself.

KoAloha Opio acacia tenor necked concert bodied uke, fitted with Living Water fluorocarbon low G strings, of course.....

You are well covered for tenors and won't be able to get anything better than the Kanile'a. But as you expressed interest in Hawaiian music a reentrant concert or long neck soprano will be the best complement. As for brand I think that KoAloha rules this class though Kamakas are bit more solidly built. As you travel to Hawaii each year if you are on Oahu I encourage you to do Kamaka factory tour in the morning, have lunch at Ala Moana and then go to the KoAloha factory tour. That will be a perfect uke day and give you great insight into the big differences between the two brands and at the KoAloha showroom you have great selection at considerable discount. Hopefully days like this will be possible again soon, l just did it two days before they closed in March.

Vintage Martin soprano, Kenn Timms soprano, vintage Gibson soprano or tenor, or a Kamaka HF-1.

You already have two very fine ukes. What do you want to do with a third one?

Have you considered a resonator ukulele, or even a banjouke? They're very different, and loads of fun!

Nickie said:

You already have two very fine ukes. What do you want to do with a third one?

Have you considered a resonator ukulele, or even a banjouke? They're very different, and loads of fun!

Click to expand...

I was asking myself the same question why do I want a third ukulele? After watching a bazillion videos of concert and soprano ukes, I have seriously thought about a Banjolele it does sound more like a banjo than a ukulele and is definitely a different vibe. Sounds like you could Ragtime, and Dixieland with one quite nicely.

Go to about 1:22 sounds like a Banjolele could be a lot of fun.
https://youtu.be/LGxbmViIonM

My third one was a Godin Tenor Multiuke

Whatever you decide - enjoy!

rcboals said:

Sounds like you could Ragtime, and Dixieland with one quite nicely.https://youtu.be/LGxbmViIonM

Click to expand...

With proper technique, some sopranos can fill a similar same role quite well. Take a listen to Brian Heffernan (of The Fabulous Heftones) on his Martin 3M in some of the many videos on their YouTube channel.

Yes, rcboals, the banjouke is quite fun. I'm on my second one. They needn't be horribly pricey, either. I have a concert scale Gold Tone that cost under $300. They aren't quite as sensitive to weather changes as a regular ukulele is. They can be loud and brash, so I stuff a sock or washcloth in the back of mine.