What should I consider? Opio? aNueNue? Something else?

I've had the UAS tickle/itch for the better part of a year now. In that time I've been off and on ukes ranging from $50 to $600+. At first I was considering cheap to assuage my guilt at buying another uke. After thinking about that for a while it didn't make much sense and I reasoned that if I were to buy another uke, it should be something nice which brought me into the $600+ range. After thinking about that for a while, I don't think I can reconcile spending that much so I'm looking at things somewhere in between those figures. To give you a feel of where I'm at now, this is my current collection:

$100-$150 = 1 (all solid mahogany)
$200-$250 = 1 (solid spruce top/lam sides&back)
$300-$350 = 2 (all solid cherry, all solid redwood/rosewood)
$400-$450 = 1 (all solid acacia)

I'm happy with the sound of all of them but as you might expect, the most expensive all solid acacia sounds the best if I had to pick one. I think I'd probably want to set a cap at $500. What should I be considering? I'd be looking for a concert.

An Opio? It would be pushing my limit but I've read a lot of good things about it. One thing that would give me pause would be the friction tuners. Is there an issue with them slipping or becoming slippy over time? Switching to geared tuners would be a significant added expense.

The aNueNue MM2 has also captured my eye. This one would exceed my budget and seems a lot for a solid mahogany but the build probably warrants the cost. Everything I've read about them has been positive. I'd probably look to find a used one to bring that cost down but that may be a long shot.

What else should I be considering?

pono? martin c1k?

My UAS ceased after purchasing my KoAloha Opio tenor neck concert bodied solid acacia.

mikelz777 said:

After thinking about that for a while, I don't think I can reconcile spending that much so I'm looking at things somewhere in between those figures.

What else should I be considering?

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Hi Mike,

IMHO, at this point with your experience level, it would serve you better to base this purchase on sound and feel rather than mainly on price. Of the ukes that you own, do you find anything missing? For example, "I own X and like fine but if it only had a little of Y."

Also, since this is a hobby, I suggest that the uke's price shouldn't cause any type of strain: financial, mental, or otherwise. If the uke you want is outside of your budget, then save up for it. It'll be extra sweet when you buy it.

Croaky Keith said:

My UAS ceased after purchasing my KoAloha Opio tenor neck concert bodied solid acacia.

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My UAS was cured after buying my Kamaka HF-1. Although I had to buy a few more ukes after the HF-1 for me to realize that.

Marketplace is a good place to search for your next ukulele with a better price, maybe.

For all solid acacia model, I actually have very a good experience with a UMA Evo (not the fan freted model). It costs less than an Opio or aNueNue. (UMA is a Taiwanese brand like aNueNue).

badhabits said:

pono? martin c1k?

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I've owned a Pono. That was an expensive lesson to find out that I really wasn't into tenors so I ended up selling it. I never bonded with that Pono and that may have colored my opinion of the brand. I don't know if I'd get another.

Are there any Martins that come with a tie bridge? I don't think I'd ever buy a uke with a knotted bridge.

Given your parameters, I strongly suggest the KoAloha Opio acacia concert (KCO-10.) I had one for some time, and it was my constant go-to instrument. The only reason I sold it is that I bought a KoAloha silver concert at the start of the year (from Mim!) and it just wasn't seeing the play it deserved. I sold it to another member the UU forums just a few weeks ago, or I would offer it to you.

To your question about the tuners, the friction pegs that they use on the KoAlohas (including the Opios) are the absolute best friction pegs I have ever used. I firmly believe that if all friction pegs were this good that friction pegs would not have the "bad reputation" they currently have. (And if you really don't like them, you can always get them replaced with UPTs, I suppose.)

To another question, I think the Martin C1-K is a slot bridge, not a tie bar style. I'm am right there with you on disliking slot style. I dislike them *so* much that I recently ordered a Kamaka concert directly from Kamaka with a tie bar style bridge!

clear said:

Hi Mike,

IMHO, at this point with your experience level, it would serve you better to base this purchase on sound and feel rather than mainly on price. Of the ukes that you own, do you find anything missing? For example, "I own X and like fine but if it only had a little of Y."

Also, since this is a hobby, I suggest that the uke's price shouldn't cause any type of strain: financial, mental, or otherwise. If the uke you want is outside of your budget, then save up for it. It'll be extra sweet when you buy it.

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Good points all...

It seems like the expensive K-brands or custom builds are the pinnacle of the ukulele world and while they would be incredibly nice, it's not a dream of mine. I'm realistic about my talents and skills so even the $500 mark is pushing it for me. It's not a matter of saving up. An expensive, professional grade instrument probably isn't something my practical-mindedness would allow me to be happy with.

Cluze said:

Given your parameters, I strongly suggest the KoAloha Opio acacia concert (KCO-10.) I had one for some time, and it was my constant go-to instrument. The only reason I sold it is that I bought a KoAloha silver concert at the start of the year (from Mim!) and it just wasn't seeing the play it deserved. I sold it to another member the UU forums just a few weeks ago, or I would offer it to you.

To your question about the tuners, the friction pegs that they use on the KoAlohas (including the Opios) are the absolute best friction pegs I have ever used. I firmly believe that if all friction pegs were this good that friction pegs would not have the "bad reputation" they currently have. (And if you really don't like them, you can always get them replaced with UPTs, I suppose.)

To another question, I think the Martin C1-K is a slot bridge, not a tie bar style. I'm am right there with you on disliking slot style. I dislike them *so* much that I recently ordered a Kamaka concert directly from Kamaka with a tie bar style bridge!

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The Opio is what I'm looking hardest at right now. Thanks for the feedback on the tuners and on the C1-K!

No experience with it but I bet you would love this one:

https://mims-ukes.myshopify.com/col...all-solid-koa-with-abalone-gloss-ukulele-u763

I don't think you would go wrong with the Opio either.

chenx2 said:

Marketplace is a good place to search for your next ukulele with a better price, maybe.

For all solid acacia model, I actually have very a good experience with a UMA Evo (not the fan freted model). It costs less than an Opio or aNueNue. (UMA is a Taiwanese brand like aNueNue).

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I've been keeping my eye on the Marketplace. I saw an aNueNue MM2 listed there and it literally sold as I was reaching out to the seller. The listing was open before I sent him the PM and it was closed by the time I finished and sent it!!

Thanks for the UMA recommendation. I saw that fan fretted model you mentioned. Very interesting uke!

MJB said:

No experience with it but I bet you would love this one:

https://mims-ukes.myshopify.com/col...all-solid-koa-with-abalone-gloss-ukulele-u763

I don't think you would go wrong with the Opio either.

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Ooooo... that's a beauty! And solid Koa! I am an Ohana fan - 3 of my 5 ukes are Ohanas.

So a bit outside your $500 ceiling but just under your $600+ budget is Rebel's mango concert with matte finish. Made by the same people who produce the Opio, though I've had both and greatly prefer the Rebel. The tuners are UPTs rather than friction. The matte version is cheaper than the gloss. I think you'd be very pleased. For me, when I first got my Opio, I thought it was so much better than every other uke I'd owned or played (which was true, at the time). But eventually, it just made me want to get a KoAloha. The Rebel, on the other hand, hasn't felt lacking; it's a very satisfying uke.

I like Ohanas, but I think if you have three already and still have UAS, maybe another Ohana isn't the way to go.

I think you could get a used Kala Elite 1KOA-C for less than $500. I sold one for $450 and I bought a gloss one for $550, (sell low, buy high, that's my motto) so they are out there. It has a different sonic profile than an Opio, so it depends on what you are looking for in that respect. The scale is 15.5", and the neck width is 1.5". I also had a Kala Elite 2KOA-TG and it sounded virtually identical to the concert models, if that helps. They're gorgeous, impeccably built, wonderful-sounding instruments. But there are so many factors to consider; what kind of music you want to play on it, your preference in neck shape and width, your preference in looks, tonewood, etc. Have fun deciding!

snowdenn said:

So a bit outside your $500 ceiling but just under your $600+ budget is Rebel's mango concert with matte finish. Made by the same people who produce the Opio, though I've had both and greatly prefer the Rebel. The tuners are UPTs rather than friction. The matte version is cheaper than the gloss. I think you'd be very pleased. For me, when I first got my Opio, I thought it was so much better than every other uke I'd owned or played (which was true, at the time). But eventually, it just made me want to get a KoAloha. The Rebel, on the other hand, hasn't felt lacking; it's a very satisfying uke.

I like Ohanas, but I think if you have three already and still have UAS, maybe another Ohana isn't the way to go.

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Snowdenn raises a good point. You might consider The Rebel. I also have a Rebel concert in mango, and truth be told, it is consistently my most played instrument as of late. It would also give you a wood choice that you currently don't have, I think.

A weird note about naming conventions (that I *think* is correct? It is based on what I have been able to piece together, so take it with a grain or two of salt...) The Rebel (technically the "The" is part of their name, but I will probably stop using from here on out...) makes a couple of different all mango lines:

Creme Brulee - thin-line in soprano, tenor, and long-neck concert (tenor scale neck on concert body) but NOT in concert-body with concert-neck
Double Creme - standard thickness body in soprano, concert, and tenor
Double Creme Matte - standard thickness body in soprano, concert, and tenor

The reason I bring this up is that the best place to find Rebels in the US (I am assuming you are in the US?) is Mim, and she has some of them labelled strangely compared to how The Rebel names them. She has the Double Creme listed as "Double Creme Brulee" and the Creme Brulee listed as "Slimline Creme Brulee."

I bought my mango concert scale Double Creme from Mim, and it is just great! But it is outside of your $500 target, as it goes for about $625 on Mim's site.

snowdenn said:

I like Ohanas, but I think if you have three already and still have UAS, maybe another Ohana isn't the way to go.

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I was thinking the same thing. Gotta spread the love around a bit!

Thanks for the Rebel recommendation, I'll check it out.

I’m not sure if this was mentioned, but The Rebel folks also build the Opio line in Thailand. They are a great brand and their mango ukes are a dream to play!!

Cluze said:

Snowdenn raises a good point. You might consider The Rebel. I also have a Rebel concert in mango, and truth be told, it is consistently my most played instrument as of late. It would also give you a wood choice that you currently don't have, I think.

A weird note about naming conventions (that I *think* is correct? It is based on what I have been able to piece together, so take it with a grain or two of salt...) The Rebel (technically the "The" is part of their name, but I will probably stop using from here on out...) makes a couple of different all mango lines:

Creme Brulee - thin-line in soprano, tenor, and long-neck concert (tenor scale neck on concert body) but NOT in concert-body with concert-neck
Double Creme - standard thickness body in soprano, concert, and tenor
Double Creme Matte - standard thickness body in soprano, concert, and tenor

The reason I bring this up is that the best place to find Rebels in the US (I am assuming you are in the US?) is Mim, and she has some of them labelled strangely compared to how The Rebel names them. She has the Double Creme listed as "Double Creme Brulee" and the Creme Brulee listed as "Slimline Creme Brulee."

I bought my mango concert scale Double Creme from Mim, and it is just great! But it is outside of your $500 target, as it goes for about $625 on Mim's site.

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I think you're correct about The Rebel. But it does get awkward. Makes me think of "a ukulele" and "an ukulele."

Their naming conventions are confusing. They basically have two kinds of production ukes: spruce/mahogany (Cheesecake) and mango (Creme Brulee). These are the names for their slimline or thinline ukes. Their "regular" or full sized bodies are prefaced with "double" as in Double Cheese and Double Creme. I think Mim just says "slimline" and "double cheesecake/creme brulee."

So far their tenors are only produced in the double size. To add to the confusion, they recently introduced matte finish versions and regular scale concerts (they used to only have longneck concerts). For some but not all vendors, this impacted their pricing (matte is cheaper, sopranos are cheaper). They also added some limited edition "prototype" versions which just added binding at a higher price.

I was going to suggest a Rebel, so I'll second (or third) that recommendation. I know Mim likes them very much, as she was recommending their soprano to me over a Martin or the Opio. I have a Rebel Double Cheese tenor, mahogany and spruce, and it's a joy to play. It's my favorite uke. It was very much outside my price range at the time, but I financed it using Affirm on the Ukulele Site's website and have not regretted the purchase. In fact, the monthly payments helped make it more affordable. When I heard Kalei play it I fell in love with it, and it did not disappoint.