Upgrade my soprano....or not?

My KALA KA-15S served as my intro to ukes to see if it would stick (it did) without a large investment ($55 with gig bag).

I know what great guitars Martin makes (I own 2) and have heard lots of good things about their ukes. So I think about getting a vintage Martin 0 or a new S1. Or maybe another brand like a REBEL or even a solid mahogany Ohana.

Then I watched a youtube video comparing a $5000 vintage Martin and a $50 MAKALA. I actually liked the sound of the cheapo uke better than the Martin.

Now I know that a YT video listened to on a laptop is not the same as "live" but it makes me wonder if I should just be content with the KALA.

If I upgrade, my budget is $700 max and actually $500 would be better.

Your opinion on should I upgrade....or not.

If you like what you have now, you should not upgrade. If you have specific things you’re looking for in a new instrument, then upgrade to “fix” that issue.

I followed a similar path as you did. First, I bought a Luna concert with a cool design. But I quickly decided that I wanted something else that would hold the string tuning longer, looked a little glossier, and felt a little smaller. I found a KoAloha Naupaka soprano with Gotoh UPTs in a glassy finish. This “fixed” all of my “problems.”

As for budget, you can find amazing things in the marketplace if you’re patient.

You could find an older style 0 for under $500 and I'm sure you won't be disappointed!

As you have a laminate Kala, I'd suggest looking at an Ohana solid mahogany next, perhaps concert scale/soprano body just for something slightly different.

(Listen to some KoAloha Opio acacia ukes, if you want a top class uke around the 500GBP mark.)

Really hard to judge expensive ukuleles from YouTube videos. Even if you are using good headphones, YouTube is going to distort the sound quality. Just as important, much of the benefit of a nice instrument is how it responds to your fingers.

IMHO - the difference between a $50 ukulele and a good $500 ukulele is huge. The difference between $500 and $5000 is more subtle.

MJB said:

My KALA KA-15S served as my intro to ukes to see if it would stick (it did) without a large investment ($55 with gig bag).

I know what great guitars Martin makes (I own 2) and have heard lots of good things about their ukes. So I think about getting a vintage Martin 0 or a new S1. Or maybe another brand like a REBEL or even a solid mahogany Ohana.

Then I watched a youtube video comparing a $5000 vintage Martin and a $50 MAKALA. I actually liked the sound of the cheapo uke better than the Martin.

Now I know that a YT video listened to on a laptop is not the same as "live" but it makes me wonder if I should just be content with the KALA.

If I upgrade, my budget is $700 max and actually $500 would be better.

Your opinion on should I upgrade....or not.

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Yes you could get a nice solid wood Uke and yes you would, in time, hear a fuller and more complex sound out of the solid wood instrument. However there’s a lot of music in your Kala, particularly with the right strings, and in time you might come to feel that instead of a Soprano a Concert or Tenor is more your size.

I’ve been playing a number of years (say five) and have eventually come to the conclusion that Soprano is where it’s at for me, but my best Uke happens to be a second hand solid mahogany Concert - it’s got a lovely voice and I’m very pleased to have bought it but I’d be even more pleased if it was a Soprano. My concert is an Ohana and my Sopranos are laminate Kala’s - my particular Kala’s play really well but once the Ohana started to open up its sound became superior (to my ears).

You might prefer bright or you might prefer mellow, you might prefer finger picking or you might prefer strumming, etc. , etc. and all those choices impact on what would be a reasonable buy for you. My advice is to take your time in moving forward to a better instrument and in the meantime make sure that your Kala is nicely set-up and that it has good Fluorocarbon strings on it. If you decide you don’t want to wait then talk to Mim of Mim’s Ukes, she’ll sort you out with a good brand new Uke at a fair price.

MJB said:

My KALA KA-15S served as my intro to ukes to see if it would stick (it did) without a large investment ($55 with gig bag).

I know what great guitars Martin makes (I own 2) and have heard lots of good things about their ukes. So I think about getting a vintage Martin 0 or a new S1. Or maybe another brand like a REBEL or even a solid mahogany Ohana.

Then I watched a youtube video comparing a $5000 vintage Martin and a $50 MAKALA. I actually liked the sound of the cheapo uke better than the Martin.

Now I know that a YT video listened to on a laptop is not the same as "live" but it makes me wonder if I should just be content with the KALA.

If I upgrade, my budget is $700 max and actually $500 would be better.

Your opinion on should I upgrade....or not.

Click to expand...

If the $50 Makala sounded better to you, then that's great -- it'll save you lots of money. Keep in mind that vintage instruments do not have a "modern" sound that we are used to hearing (so many may not be used to their sounds); I'm assuming the vintage Martin in your video sounded correct (as some vintage instruments are collected not for their playability or sound but for history).

Having owned a recently-built Kala KA-S (which is essentially the same uke as your Kala KA-15S), I can say that it isn't hard to beat that Kala KA-S's sound quality. I think most people (except the newest of musical newbies) will like the sounds of any major-brand $500 uke to the KA-S and will be able to pick out the $500 uke in a blind test.

I've posted a blind sound test between a $10 and $1000 uke here on UU; and their sound difference is day and night. BTW, the $10 uke actually sounded a little better than my Kala KA-S; both are Mahogany laminates and seem to use similar hardware, but the $10 uke had better intonation. (NOTE: the $10 uke is not really $10, but came in a $50 software package, still cheaper than the KA-S).

You should take @Mike$ advice and go somewhere to try more ukuleles. You'll likely be pleasantly surprised by how much better sound you can get for even just going to a decent brand solid top at around $200 (way below your budget). Check out the Kala KA-SSLNG (another ukulele I've owned), you can get it for about $150; it is sonically in different world (a much better world) than my KA-S.

If you haven't already done this, I'd suggest "maxing out" what you already have before upgrading. By that, I mean fully optimize the setup. Either DIY, or pay a guitar shop. Get the intonation closer to perfect, lower the action to a place that makes you happy. Play with some different strings.

If you're just playing it as it came...there's likely some improvement to be had with a good setup. You're not going to change the "tone" that is characteristic of the wood, size, shape and construction of the instrument... but, you can get it more in tune and easier to play.

Thanks all. I also own Concert, Baritone and Bass ukes. I have a solid body Tenor (Vorson) on order. A new purchase will be a Soprano to replace my cheapest uke.

What do you think about the Ohana SK-28 Nunes copy? It looks like a lot of uke for the money.

MJB said:

Thanks all. I also own Concert, Baritone and Bass ukes. I have a solid body Tenor (Vorson) on order. A new purchase will be a Soprano to replace my cheapest uke.

What do you think about the Ohana SK-28 Nunes copy? It looks like a lot of uke for the money.

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That's a good choice, I had one and it's a very nice instrument, but doesn't hold a candle to an old Martin.

I have played several old Martin ukes that were close to 100 years old and as a group were the best sounding ukes I have played. However, I would not consider buying one as the research to identify a suitable one is too daunting for me and the risk too high. Second as a group for great soprano ukes are KoAloha and a used one should be available in your range. Unlike vintage Martin they are a safe bet as they carry better than the weather warranty.

After returning a few cheaper sopranos because they just didn't have the quality sound I wanted, I consulted Mim. On my list were Martin, Koaloha Opio, and Rebel. Mim highly recommended the Rebel soprano, even over the Martins. Since I have a Rebel tenor, I know that the build quality and sound of Rebel ukes is terrific. I ended up buying a really pretty Pono solid acacia deluxe soprano, which, after a string change and some opening up, sounds terrific. Light years ahead of the cheaper sopranos, and under $400 new.

The prewar Martins are a joy, they don't build ukuleles that way anymore with a very thin fret board, light weight and great wood. I no longer rescue vintage Martins. Some one else may be doing it. Repaired cracks, replaced tuners, bridges, nuts, saddle or refinishing can actually improve the sound and feel. I recommend that you buy only "satisfaction guaranteed" ones from the restorer themselves or a trusted member of this community.

Vintage Martins (vintage any brand) are hit or miss. If that’s the way you go, you’d do well to have someone knowledgeable helping you examine/select the instrument.

Entry level Ohanas are, I think, an excellent value, and I would probably prefer most of their models to comparably priced Kalas. But I’m not a real big Kala fan, so I’m speaking with bias.

I own a Martin S1 and a Rebel soprano. The Rebel is a much, much better instrument. I bought the S1 because I was very pleased with Martin’s HPL soprano. The S1 sounds slightly better than the HPL, but for some reason I’m less impressed with it than the HPL. I have some other sopranos, including a custom and a Bruko. The Bruko is charming. The custom is my best sounding uke, but it’s had some issues with build quality. If I could only keep one soprano, it would either be the Rebel or the custom.

Aside from KoAloha and Rebel, well within your budget are KoAloha’s Opio ukes. I haven’t tried their sopranos, but having tried some of their other sizes, I’d suggest considering those. A friend of mine who’s played many more ukes than I have thinks Pono sopranos are the most underrated. Kiwayas are also very reputable and fits in your budget. Your budget gives you plenty to choose from, and I think all of these are better than Ohanas and Kalas. Your best bet is to try as many as you can.

Oh, and if you’re willing to go second-hand, I think a Hawaiian KoAloha is within your reach. But if you’re set on new, if it were me, I would go for a Rebel or Opio.

Edit: Right now there’s a Bradford Donaldson soprano on fleamarketmusic.com that’s in your budget. This is a custom build by a well-regarded builder. It’s a longneck model, which isn’t my cup of tea, but it looks like a great deal. I bet it gets sold soon. I have no affiliation with the seller.

merlin666 said:

I have played several old Martin ukes that were close to 100 years old and as a group were the best sounding ukes I have played. However, I would not consider buying one as the research to identify a suitable one is too daunting for me and the risk too high. Second as a group for great soprano ukes are KoAloha and a used one should be available in your range. Unlike vintage Martin they are a safe bet as they carry better than the weather warranty.

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I have a pre-war Martin soprano which sounds wonderful but the difference in sound quality compared to my Kiwaya KTS-7 is miniscule, so if you don't want to go the vintage route you get like 95% of the sound of a vintage Martin with that Kiwaya. Of course the KTS-7 is beoynd the OP's budget so maybe a KTS-4 would be a good enough choice, although the tone isn't quite as warm as the KTS-7. In any case, you probably won't be able to find a better factory made instrument that replicates the sound and feel of a vintage Martin than a Kiwaya.

You could of course try to find a Ken Timms soprano. There's one on ebay right now: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ken-Timm...onduran-mahogany-Ebony-fretboard/274595610802

There have been other great suggestions as well, like the KoAloha Opio range. If you want to save some money the Ohana Nunes is a decent choice as well although the tone is a bit thinner than the more expensive ukes mentioned (possibly due to the literally thin body). The other Ohana vintage style models are decent as well for the price.

As others have mentioned, I wouldn't go for the Martin S1 myself either. Not that it's a bad uke but I think you can get something much better for the same amount of money.

I live in the sticks so trying to find a uke to play first is difficult. Being a chemotherapy patient I also have to be very careful during the COVID pandemic, so I will likely buy online.

I would love a vintage Martin but I fear some disaster (like a body crack) happening. Also, I tried about six Martin 000-28EC guitars before I found the "one" that spoke to me and I won't have that option with a uke.

I need to do more research before I decide. The Creme Brulee REBELS do look VERY nice!

Alot of sopranos have different neck widths at the nut , Some are narrow for me and less fun to play. Do yourself a favor a look for a vintage Martin .
My favorites are the Style 2 , love that binding .

Don't think of it as an upgrade. It's just a different size. I think the Kala cedar-top tenor is the best buy in the ukulele world. It looks beautiful, and it sounds beautiful - for under $300. I had a similar Pono, and I decided to sell one of them. I listened to both, and I preferred the sound of the Kala, so I sold the Pono.

I like ukes in different sizes. It's nice to mix them up. After you get the tenor, start looking for a nice concert. You can add the sopranino and sopranissimo later.

Good recovery!

To me it would be an easy, simple choice: the old Martin will be different from anything else (save for the already mentioned high-end, but also similarly priced Timms and Kiwaya copies). They feel lighter, and sound brighter, especially in real life. There is difference between specimens, and the prewar ones are usually better, but the old Martin factory was remarkably consistent - in contrast to Gibson, whose ukuleles sound all over the place.

Do avoid the modern Martins. They're not bad, but they're just not the same.

As for cracks or slipping tuners or other flaws, those are not big issues. If you're looking for a player rather than a mint collectable, it might even significantly reduce the price and make a repair job fall into your overall budget.

I think with a little searching, you might find one within your means - probably an style 0 or 1 though.

I recently bought a concert model KALA KA-MG-C. While it is a laminate, the spalted mango is beautiful and it plays and sounds great, low G on this one. It has Graphtec tuners, nut and saddle.

I'm going to play the KA-15-S a lot today and try to determine how much I really want to replace it.