Buying advice: good tenor in $200-500 range

UkeSkier89

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Aloha! I've been lurking on these forums for a while now and, I must say, based off of everyone's signatures, you are quite the ukulele collectors!

Anyway, I am looking for some help on finding a new ukulele to purchase. I currently have a Kala KA-ATP-CTG-CE tenor w/ pickup strung as a low-G and I really like it, however, I think I would like to hold another (no-electronics) tenor with a high-g. I have a lower quality high-g concert, but I have found that I enjoy the size and playability of a tenor scale better (especially for fingerstyle), thus the search for a high-G tenor.

My problem is that I do not have a huge budget ($200-500) compared to a lot of the ukes I see here on the marketplace or just talked about in general. It seems that Kala is the space leader in this price range but I want to do my due diligence before making a purchase to see if anyone has any recommendations for other brands that fit the mold. I am an intermediate/advanced player, play every day, and looking for advice from you wonderful folks.

Should I stick with Kala? They have some cool ukes on their spring sale for around $230 that look good.

Should I save for a Martin Tenor? They don't have a lot of options and they are almost 2X the Kala price.

Does anyone have a tenor gathering dust that fits my mold that they would be willing to part with at a good price?

Any thoughts? Thanks in advance. :shaka::shaka::shaka:
 
There are many here who will chime in with good suggestions, perhaps even offer you a good deal on a lightly used uke. I have a Kala solid wood flame maple, KA-ASFM-T-C, that sounds really sweet with Uke Logic strings. I have it with low g, but high g suits the maple tone well. Several Pono models would fit the bill too (in fact, I might have one to sell). One of my most favorite ukes, though, is the aNueNue AMM3 solid mahogany tenor which is just slightly above your budget at $599, but that includes the heavy duty gig bag, setup and shipping if you buy it from The Ukulele Site. This uke sounds and plays as good as $1000 ukes, so I think it's a real bargain. At your level of playing, I think you would really appreciate what it has to offer. And it is sweet fingerpicked!

https://theukulelesite.com/anuenue-african-mahogany-tenor-amm-3.html

Here's a video of it being played: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkyB67NOjZs&t=408s

This Kala intrigues me too: https://theukulelesite.com/shop-by/price/100-500/kala-all-solid-cedar-pau-ferro-tenor-ka-ascp-t.html
 
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I don't know about you but, when I set a price range of $200-$500, I am prone to be strongly biased toward the low end of that range. If you have the same bias then -- uh-oh -- I'm going to recommend an ukulele that is toward the high end of your stated price range.

I recommend a PONO ATD Acacia Tenor Deluxe Ukulele, as shown on THIS web page. Its price is $479, with free shipping & free set-up. The website has plenty of photos and, 3/4 down the page, there's a video demo of that Pono being played.

This Pono is all-solid acacia, stunningly beautiful, a delight to play, and lovely to hear. In the unlikely event you ever decide to sell it, Ponos hold their value very very well.

I have a number of ukes that I rotate among when going to group play-alongs. This Pono tenor is one of the few that, when people try it out, they almost always offer to buy it from me. No sale -- this sweet thing goes to someone in my family when I check out.

Whether the Pono or something else, I hope you find just exactly THE ukulele so that, not only will you love that uke, but that uke will love you right back. Aloha from Hawaii!!
 
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The last time I was tempted to buy a tenor it was a Rebel Mango that was offered for $500 at the HMS store closing sale just a bit over a year ago. I don't look for specific brands as the mass produced ukes are generic anyway, but let the great ukes and deals come to me. Just needs little patience and open mind.
 
The last time I was tempted to buy a tenor it was a Rebel Mango that was offered for $500 at the HMS store closing sale just a bit over a year ago. I don't look for specific brands as the mass produced ukes are generic anyway, but let the great ukes and deals come to me. Just needs little patience and open mind.

That was a great deal!
 
The Kala KA-ASOV-T is a a real gem. People overlook it because it doesn’t cost as much as the Elite series and isn’t made from koa, but it’s all solid, lightweight, resonant, lively, and easy to play.

And it’s affordable.
 
If I were you I'd definitely try a different brand since you already have a Kala, and a decent model as well. The range of your budget includes a vast variety of different kinds of ukes. At the lower end you'll find similar brands to Kala, such as Ohana or Flight. I'm a big fan of the latter but their nicer all solid ukes are closer to the upper range of your budget, and if you're looking to spend closer to that $500 range I would probably rather look at brands like Pono (as already mentioned by bellgamin) or KoAloha Opio, although the latter is quite hard to find currently and might actually be beyond your budget anyway.

Suggestions:
Pono tenor - mahogany, mango or acacia - standard or deluxe - each depending on your preference for sound
Flight Voyager tenor - just within your budget, solid spruce top and acacia back and sides - comes with a pick up if you need one.

edit.

I forgot you specifically mentioned Martin. I would recommend a different brand. Not that their ukes are bad but I feel you can get much better quality for the same amount of money. Specifically those Ponos that have been mentioned are far better made and often cheaper as well.
 
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"New" means more expensive, not necessarily better. I've bought lots of used ukuleles - more than a third of my collection - and most looked like they just came from the manufacturer. The few exceptions were the very old ones. I have several Kala cedar-top tenors, and they are a bargain. They look great and sound great, and they come with different numbers of strings.
 
The $200-$500 price range is jam packed with quality ukes. I would suggest to first narrow your choice down to a top tonewood as each tends to have its own sound quality. Listen to the high quality recordings on The Ukulele Site for this step.

Once you have a sound in mind you can then narrow your choice down to a more reasonable 5 ukes, or so, in your price range.
 
I would vote for a Pono. They are usually heavier than most and they have a thick neck by comparison to most other ukes. Every one who tries mine, I mean good experienced players, really like it.
 
There are many here who will chime in with good suggestions, perhaps even offer you a good deal on a lightly used uke. I have a Kala solid wood flame maple, KA-ASFM-T-C, that sounds really sweet with Uke Logic strings. I have it with low g, but high g suits the maple tone well. Several Pono models would fit the bill too (in fact, I might have one to sell). One of my most favorite ukes, though, is the aNueNue AMM3 solid mahogany tenor which is just slightly above your budget at $599, but that includes the heavy duty gig bag, setup and shipping if you buy it from The Ukulele Site. This uke sounds and plays as good as $1000 ukes, so I think it's a real bargain. At your level of playing, I think you would really appreciate what it has to offer. And it is sweet fingerpicked!

https://theukulelesite.com/anuenue-african-mahogany-tenor-amm-3.html

Here's a video of it being played: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkyB67NOjZs&t=408s

This Kala intrigues me too: https://theukulelesite.com/shop-by/price/100-500/kala-all-solid-cedar-pau-ferro-tenor-ka-ascp-t.html

Awesome info. I truly appreciate it. The aNueNue is sexxxxyyyy :nana: I am taking a patient approach and I'm sure I will find one that is for me. Let me know if you are willing to divulge more info about your Pono. It would be going to a good home.


This forum is a wealth of information for those who look for it!
 
UkeSkier89, the Pono is the Pono MT-SP, solid wood Spruce top, mahogany, satin model. It retails for $399. I bought it last May as a take-out tenor, but I really have not used it, except to give it an occasional strum when I fill its humidifier. It has Worth Brown low g on it right now. I have a Pono Pro Classic and several other gloss models which are costlier, and I wanted something that I wouldn't worry about damaging if I took it out to festivals and such. It has really nice tone for the price, But I use the maple Kala if I'm traveling, as the maple is so solid I don't worry about damage.
 
Just a note on the Anuenue AMM3:

It is a sweet instrument, but if the OP is looking specific Ally for a tenor to tune in High G, I am not sure it is the perfect fit.
Due to the full body but slightly slow attack of the tone, I think it works best for low G.
 
Just a note on the Anuenue AMM3:

It is a sweet instrument, but if the OP is looking specific Ally for a tenor to tune in High G, I am not sure it is the perfect fit.
Due to the full body but slightly slow attack of the tone, I think it works best for low G.

That's a good point and one I considered, since my experience with it is with low g. But several forum members have said they received their AMM3 from aNueNue strung with high g. And Kalei Gamiao owns and plays the AMM3, and he is primarily a high g player. Would be interesting to hear from AMM3 owners who are using high g.
 
That's a good point and one I considered, since my experience with it is with low g. But several forum members have said they received their AMM3 from aNueNue strung with high g. And Kalei Gamiao owns and plays the AMM3, and he is primarily a high g player. Would be interesting to hear from AMM3 owners who are using high g.

I had the AMM2 concert. I strung it with low G as well but it was perfectly playable with high G as well. UkingViking is right in saying that it shines with low G due to the wider body but, on the other hand, it has a really high-pitched tone as well. Strung with high G, I'd say the tone is really well balanced. It's one of those ukes that plays beautifully regardless what you throw at it.
 
My first tenor was a used Pono Mahogany I found on Ebay. While I wouldn't particularly recommend Ebay for used instruments, I love that sweet old Pono and would highly recommend one, either new or used.
 
Ohana is another good brand at that price point. You can get solid woods with nice appointments in your price range, including some of their "limited edition" models.
 
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