High-end ukes with side soundport

Dohle

Dohle

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I've been looking all over the place for high-end ukes (by which I mean around the $1000 mark, feel free to disagree) with side soundports but haven't had much luck. I've mostly been able to find side soundports on mid range ukes - like some of the Flight models and all Kai ukuleles - or really high-end models, much closer to $2000 which is a price I'm not really ready to pay for a uke at least currently. The only uke brand with a side soundport around that $1000 range I was able to find is Maestro ukuleles. They seem to be decent quality but I'm not familiar with them. They are a Singapore based guitar manufacturer that also make ukuleles but I can't really tell from the few videos I found whether I would enjoy the sound. I also saw some Pono Pro Classic models that had a side soundport but didn't find any that were available near me.

Any idea if I'm just missing brands that do side soundport on their ukes at that $1000 price range or are they really as rare as hen's teeth?
 
Cocobolo has sound ports

Dohle said:
I've been looking all over the place for high-end ukes (by which I mean around the $1000 mark, feel free to disagree) with side soundports but haven't had much luck. I've mostly been able to find side soundports on mid range ukes - like some of the Flight models and all Kai ukuleles - or really high-end models, much closer to $2000 which is a price I'm not really ready to pay for a uke at least currently. The only uke brand with a side soundport around that $1000 range I was able to find is Maestro ukuleles. They seem to be decent quality but I'm not familiar with them. They are a Singapore based guitar manufacturer that also make ukuleles but I can't really tell from the few videos I found whether I would enjoy the sound. I also saw some Pono Pro Classic models that had a side soundport but didn't find any that were available near me.

Any idea if I'm just missing brands that do side soundport on their ukes at that $1000 price range or are they really as rare as hen's teeth?
Click to expand...

http://www.cocoboloukuleles.com/
 
FatherXmas beat me to it.

The Cocobolos are perhaps closer to mid range pricevice at about $500, but they are stunning, loud and have high playability. And I like the tone a lot.
I am not that into the sideport myself, bought mine in spite of it in stead of because.
 
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I have one uke with a side sound port. It is a Pono Master Series and new it was in the $1000 price range. Before getting it, I thought the side port would make a significant difference. I have not found that to be the case. The experience of others may differ from mine . . .
 
Several individual builders do side ports in that price range. Jupiter Ukuleles and Covered Bridge are two that come to mind. A few others in the $1500 range also come to mind like Ono, Iriguchi, and Kimo.
 
If you want to up the cost, Koo’olau has a thin line with side port. Not sure if they still make them but I have one and I do like a side port. Not playing now due to a broken right arm but got a few strums today using my pinky. And at least I could hear it! Very easy playing too.
 
I've been eyeing on the Cocobolo ukes occasionally and I think they're stunning. I have no doubt the quality is there even though they're priced more like mid-range ukes. The lottery system is not ideal since it's not a guarantee you'd be able to get one. Last time I checked, they only had tenors on the lottery and I'm looking for a concert (or a soprano although that size is probably not ideal for a side soundport) so I didn't participate. I'll have to keep my eyes open.

Not really looking for going the custom route. I have one commissioned already and hopefully ready soon.

Thanks for the comments on the side soundport in general. I'm trying to find a mid to high-end uke with one simply because I don't have a uke with one and I'm intrigued by it, but it's certainly not a requirement. Just thought I'd scratch that feature off of the list while getting my next uke if I can find something nice.


quiltingshirley said:
If you want to up the cost, Koo’olau has a thin line with side port. Not sure if they still make them but I have one and I do like a side port. Not playing now due to a broken right arm but got a few strums today using my pinky. And at least I could hear it! Very easy playing too.
Click to expand...

Ko'olau ukes are at least typically beyond my budget and often not available anyway. That $1000 price range or slightly above has been my limit so far and probably will be for the foreseeable future. At least until I happen to bump into my dream ukulele at which point I'll probably sell the house to fund it.
 
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In the ~$1500 range the Blackbird Farallon can be ordered with a side port, as can the ~$1000 Klos All Carbon.
 
I can give a big thumbs up to Cocobolo. I scored my concert on the second time I entered the lottery. It’s a great sounding, easy playing, and beautiful ukulele at a reasonable price.
 
At my local Music store the guitar guy's rave about the Maestro guitars and ukuleles. Definitely worth looking at if you can give one a play. I can't say that I have played them myself because at their price I will usually go for a custom build and realise that also means that I'm not really in the market for big name Hawaiian ukuleles either.
 
Thanks for all the suggestions. Many of the brands mentioned here are hard to find where I live so I'll probably forget the idea about insisting on a side soundport. What I did, though, was I signed for the Cocobolo Ukuleles newsletter so I'll be looking to participate in the lottery for a concert Cocobolo uke someday. :)
 
Dohle said:
Thanks for all the suggestions. Many of the brands mentioned here are hard to find where I live so I'll probably forget the idea about insisting on a side soundport. What I did, though, was I signed for the Cocobolo Ukuleles newsletter so I'll be looking to participate in the lottery for a concert Cocobolo uke someday. :)
Click to expand...

I think 99.9% of the ukes I've bought have come from online sellers. I just don't have choices here. As for Cocobolo, I've bought six in fourteen months, so winning the lottery is definitely possible. I generally clicked on each one that was available. Every time I play one I'm impressed by the appearance, the feel, and the sound. I always get the dog paw port. The only thing I don't like is the choice of PegHed tuners. I'd prefer Gotohs, and I might do some replacing.
 
Like Jerry suggested, sign up for as many of the Cocobolo lotteries as you like. If you win and then decide that isn't the one you love, you can just decline, and they'll draw another name. No harm, no foul.
 
I absolutely will. I did notice, however, that they've mostly been building tenors or long neck concerts at least recently. I'm going to enter the lottery for every soprano or concert I see but it might take a while to win one if they don't build them that often.
 
There's this finnish ukulele builder who makes soundports. I think his ukuleles are just a tad over your budget and worth to look at I think.

http://www.heighwayukuleles.fi/
 
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Jerryc41 said:
I think 99.9% of the ukes I've bought have come from online sellers. I just don't have choices here. As for Cocobolo, I've bought six in fourteen months, so winning the lottery is definitely possible. I generally clicked on each one that was available. Every time I play one I'm impressed by the appearance, the feel, and the sound. I always get the dog paw port. The only thing I don't like is the choice of PegHed tuners. I'd prefer Gotohs, and I might do some replacing.
Click to expand...

It looks like the PegHed tuners are an extra cost option on the Cocobolo ukuleles. Mine (and most of the others I've seen) came with regular Grover geared tuners.
 
Loska said:
There's this finnish ukulele builder who makes soundports. I think hes ukuleles are just a tad over your budget and worth to look at I think.

http://www.heighwayukuleles.fi/
Click to expand...

I think my best bet outside the Cocobolo ukes is a custom build. I still have one coming so I'm not going to commission another any time soon (although, I wonder where I might've heard those words before :D ) but if I do I'll definitely ask for a side soundport. None of the brands that do side soundports around my budget excite me, at least not at this point.
 
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