Buying a midrange ukulele

Hello!

This is my first post here. I've had my heart set on getting a ukulele for a bit now. I'm an experienced guitar player and have played a few ukuleles to try to get an idea of what I would like. Unfortunately there are no good ukulele stores in my area. There is a Uke Republic about 7 hours away but that would be a tough haul. I've been fascinated with theukulelesite.com because they have pretty good recordings of everything for sale. I'm considering buying without having held the uke, only knowing that I want a tenor.

Here is one I've been considering, Kala seems like a safe bet.

This one is pretty fascinating too, but I don't know much about this brand Maoloa.

I know this is a very generalized post but any thoughts are appreciated!

Mims ukes, uke republic and theukulelesite, I don’t think you can go wrong with them.
also, the following uke is very impressive for the price. I quite liked it when I tried them in store before lock down. Gryphon is not just ukes but they are awesome as well.
https://shop.gryphonstrings.com/products/concert-flight-ukulele-victoria-concert-ceq-new-58001

Maybe check out KoAloha ukes too - I had UAS until I got one.....

(Kala & Ohana are usually safe bets, as is Mainland in the U.S.)

I played the Mauola in the HMS store and it was nice, played easy and had a pleasant sound. Though for my taste it has too much bling and looks cheesy, but that's my personal preference for plain quality ukes. You could probably get an Opio or Pono for that price.

zimbroney said:

Hello!

This is my first post here. I've had my heart set on getting a ukulele for a bit now. I'm an experienced guitar player and have played a few ukuleles to try to get an idea of what I would like. Unfortunately there are no good ukulele stores in my area. There is a Uke Republic about 7 hours away but that would be a tough haul. I've been fascinated with theukulelesite.com because they have pretty good recordings of everything for sale. I'm considering buying without having held the uke, only knowing that I want a tenor.

Here is one I've been considering, Kala seems like a safe bet.

This one is pretty fascinating too, but I don't know much about this brand Maoloa.

I know this is a very generalized post but any thoughts are appreciated!

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I've been to the Ukulele Site stores in Honolulu a few times. Those guys are as nice and knowledgeable in person as they are in the videos. Personally, I really like their Opio and Pono ukuleles in the middle price range. I've never tried this particular Kala. The problem with Kala is that they make so many different models at many different price/quality levels, so you can't really tell what you are getting unless you try out that particular model.

merlin666 said:

I played the Mauola in the HMS store and it was nice, played easy and had a pleasant sound. Though for my taste it has too much bling and looks cheesy, but that's my personal preference for plain quality ukes. You could probably get an Opio or Pono for that price.

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I totally get that. Since I posted this I started to get GAS for an acacia tenor Pono on The Uke Site.

Sent you a private message, thanks!

As an ex-guitar player also, I find that I love the tenor sound best. I totally love Pono, and the Koaloha Opio would be nice too. I have a really nice looking flame maple Kala that was just under $500, and it sounds great once I changed the strings. Actually, it's surprising how many relatively inexpensive ukes sound really, really good. The Ukulele Site is an awesome place to get a uke from. They do really nice set-ups, are honest and trustworthy, and their love of ukes and commitment shine through. Some of the podcasts on their site have staff top picks in various price ranges. Pono and my Kala flame maple were in one. The one negative - they're very backed up right now, so you'll probably have to wait a few weeks before set-up and shipment. The actual shipping is done FedEx in two days. But it's worth the wait if you have something else to play. Mim is very good, and so is Uke Republic. But who can resist Kalei, Corey, or Mika's beautiful playing?

Welcome to UU. You'll find lots of help here.
MIMS Ukes is my go to, I like Ohana ukes a little better than KALA.
You'd probably be really happy with a Cocobolo Ukulele, too, from Nicaragua.

man0a said:

... ...The problem with Kala is that they make so many different models at many different price/quality levels, so you can't really tell what you are getting unless you try out that particular model.

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Another problem is that Kala puts their logo on cheap, kiddie ukes as well as their top of the line ukes. IMO, that fact will sooner or later work against the resale value of their entire range of ukulele models & prices. I no longer buy Kalas for that reason.

bellgamin said:

Another problem is that Kala puts their logo on cheap, kiddie ukes as well as their top of the line ukes. IMO, that fact will sooner or later work against the resale value of their entire range of ukulele models & prices. I no longer buy Kalas for that reason.

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It's true kala will not get the same retail value, but the kala solid acacia is an amazing ukulele. I have that same model in baritone. I also own higher end ukuleles, including customs. I like the customs more, but for the price, the kala acacia is really hard to beat. I feel no need to upgrade to a higher end baritone.

In that price range, I would also check out Pono and Koaloha Opio. The other uke you posted just looks overdone to me. A little cheesey / tacky.

And I highly recommend theukulelesite.com. Might be the best setup I've seen anywhere on an ukulele. And they will customize their setup to how you like it.

Jedininja said:

It's true kala will not get the same retail value, but the kala solid acacia is an amazing ukulele. I have that same model in baritone. I also own higher end ukuleles, including customs. I like the customs more, but for the price, the kala acacia is really hard to beat. I feel no need to upgrade to a higher end baritone.

In that price range, I would also check out Pono and Koaloha Opio. The other uke you posted just looks overdone to me. A little cheesey / tacky.

And I highly recommend theukulelesite.com. Might be the best setup I've seen anywhere on an ukulele. And they will customize their setup to how you like it.

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Yeah, I agree. Kala might not have great resale, but they're often pretty good value. That said, I think Pono and Opios are better options.

About the Mauloa, I'm another one that doesn't love the design, largely because of my own preferences for clean and traditional. That said, I think it's kinda appealing that they're different and uncommon. While it's looks aren't to my tastes, it would be nice to hear about something that hasn't been talked about a thousand times on these forums.

My Kala solid flame maple sounds great. It's beautiful to look at and is very well built with nice details. My Pono is a wonderful tenor. They run approximately the same in cost. The thing is that Ponos start at a higher price point than many Kalas and Ohanas, who make inexpensive laminates, and some new buyers equate those two names with their cheaper ukes.

I once bought an inexpensive wood top, laminate b/s Ohana online, and I hated it. It was everything I didn't want in a uke. So now I'm kind of turned off to that brand. I'm sure I could play a better Ohana that I would like a lot, but my opinion is already formed based on that experience. However, I am open minded enough to try any uke I see in a shop and form new opinions. Just for research purposes, of course...