Cheap Ukes?

LOL!! Luck? I'm not even going to tempt it. If it wasn't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all. I'll just be patient.

I really have no idea what the Makala sounds like. I only got it based on many recommendations and my budget. I've never played a ukulele before. (Other than a plastic toy one and even then I wasn't play it with intent to master it.)

My hopes are to learn how to play it to, at least, the point where I'm worthy to have it. I'd like to think I'll become skilled enough to where I can upgrade to a better ukulele and then pass the Makala on to someone in need. We'll see how it goes!

Ohana SK-10.

I love Ohana in general and for a forty dollar uke, you can't beat it. Just do a google search. They sound great.

Congrats on getting the uke. Be sure that once u get good, upgrade to a tenor for some real intense uke playing =D

UkeCanDoIt! said:

LOL!! Luck? I'm not even going to tempt it. If it wasn't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all. I'll just be patient.

I really have no idea what the Makala sounds like. I only got it based on many recommendations and my budget. I've never played a ukulele before. (Other than a plastic toy one and even then I wasn't play it with intent to master it.)

My hopes are to learn how to play it to, at least, the point where I'm worthy to have it. I'd like to think I'll become skilled enough to where I can upgrade to a better ukulele and then pass the Makala on to someone in need. We'll see how it goes!

Click to expand...

grats on the first uke. i started with the johnson uk-120. and no worries, you'll soon realize how addicting it will become. and before you know it, you'll be playing good. hahaha

My Starter and current uke is a Kala KA-C. i think it was like 140 all together. i always go under the assumption that when you buy an instrument, you could buy something really cheap and learn but then you have to upgrade fairly quick. so what i do is i spend a bit more than i should on my first and then you get a quality instrument that will last longer. not that im dissing cheaper ukes (i was looking at the makala concert very hard). alright now im rambling... sorry about that

Sweet! I just got an e-mail stating that my Makala ukulele is due for delivery on Tuesday! Yay! I can't wait!

Bassukuguy said:

My Starter and current uke is a Kala KA-C. i think it was like 140 all together. i always go under the assumption that when you buy an instrument, you could buy something really cheap and learn but then you have to upgrade fairly quick. so what i do is i spend a bit more than i should on my first and then you get a quality instrument that will last longer. not that im dissing cheaper ukes (i was looking at the makala concert very hard). alright now im rambling... sorry about that

Click to expand...

Having a KA-S and a Makala Soprano, I've got to say, the Kala is definitely better, but the Makala is really great for the price. It definitely sounds better than my Mitchell, and that cost me almost fifty bucks more.

I have not played the uke you are getting but so far all my starter ukes benifitted from a set of Aquilas.

Should arrive today? C G7 F by lunch and you will rock by 2.

Good luck

the first uke i got was a $15 'Mahalo' from ebay, i can't say that it was great, but there was nothing wrong with it

my current (and first) ukulele is the makala mk-c. i don't know much, since i bought it less than a month ago, but it plays pretty well and has stayed in tune, too.

i'm thinking that if i keep up my playing for a year, i'm going to upgrade. right now i'm kind of testing the waters and seeing if i like uke enough to be serious about it in the long run.

congrats on your first uke! i'm sure you'll like the makala.

I like the uke, but I an greatly frustrated with my inability to play anything that remotely sounds like music from it. I wish I could take lessons, as I'm not confident enough to know what I'm doing on my own.

I'm in the same boat as you, had mine LU21 for a week now, I need to work on the speed part of the finger tetris.

Ukecan and Js.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1d2-KCXnQUA&feature=related

Look on youtube for more easy lessons. I figure you've tried the lessons and uke minutes here - just pick one progression and keep practicing it. Play it over and over while watching the tube, drive your wife crazy - you'll get it in a few days then try another progression. In this one, you could even use a simpler C chord and simple progression - C - F - G7 - C.

Stay with it, it happens.

ah.clem

I like his videos, I try to do a couple a day, I just need to repeat it better. That stumming in that link, my uke doesn't sound anthing like his when I feather 4 fingers downwards on C(which I don't eve see in my chord chart). Don't know if its my uke, sings or technique. I have a stock LU21C.

Hey, js.

It's really just practice. Well, practice, calluses and good strings/good uke. But a beginner uke can have a nice/big sound with the right strings. But you will be surprised as your fingers toughen up how much better you sound. But it's mostly practice - keep trying to get the sound you want on just one chord, then do the same for the next chord. Pretty soon you put them together, beautiful. Play slowly, make sure each chord sounds the best you can make it, don't go to the next chord until you are satisfied with the sound. Practice isn't performance - no one listens but you, no worries. Someone on these boards said it well - easy to learn, very hard to master. It is an instrument, don't forget. It takes time to get good, just like piano, guitar, violin, sax. Nice thing is it's pretty easy to learn and play songs as you are learning. Makes the practice easier. I've played a lot of instruments for a lot of years, and I love practice much more than performance. You have all that time to refine your sound, explore new sounds maybe you don't end up liking. So much more freedom than performance (well, except for playing jazz, but I still like to practice/rehearse jazz more than perform).

Good luck with it - it will be some of the best time you've ever spent with yourself.

ah.clem

makala ukes are great for beginners and they are even greater cuz they are really cheap. if you put some high end strings on them they sound very very acceptable. check mgm's store in ebay. he has a couple makalas and you wont get better customer service or better shipping. peace.

Hi! I have felt your frustration or one similiar to it....
Check your private messages.

I think I'll be ordering a set of Worth clears and tuner from MGM soon, to try and bring out a lil better sound from the LU21C.