At what price does a 'toy' become an instrument?

ChaosToo

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Just throwing this out there for some input.

My first Uke was a Mahalo soprano (a gift that has got me into playing) but I quickly 'upgraded' to my Aria concert - which is undoubtedly better put together and better setup, and I guess at roughly twice the money, that's the least you could expect.

But I'm very limited in experience of 'musical instruments' (being a drummer), so I'm hardly in a good place to comment with any authority.

So, with the vast array of ukes on the market, especially at the lower end, is there a set price at which it's widely considered that 'real' ukes start?

For example, given my Mahalo was around the £50 mark, at what price point should a novice like me be able to notice a tangible difference in quality (sound and build)? I know I said I think my Aria is better, but it cost twice as much - so it should.....

And as a natural progression, is there a price point at which a novice player would be unable to appreciate where the extra expense goes?

Looking forward to hearing some comments :D
 
But I'm very limited in experience of 'musical instruments' (being a drummer),...

Ah, well then I'll speak slower. :)


.

Looking forward to hearing some comments :D

Difficult to say. The Ohana soprano (SK-21) is about $150 and sound better that the $30 - $50 Mahalos. The Mainland mahogany soprano is $189 and has an amazing sound. But some more expensive ukes don't sound as good as the Mainland or Ohana. The best sounding uke I've played is an old Martin soprano, which was about $400. A lot of costlier makers' money goes to the bling on the soundhole rosettes and inlays. Best to do lots of research. You'll find a lot of great ukes from different makers and fewer bad ones, which can make choosing a uke harder.
 
Ah, well then I'll speak slower. :)
.

I'll understand you fine if you ....speak...........out...of...........................time...a ...................little ;)

Thanks for the input :D
 
Depends on who you talk to. I know a dealer that pegs the line at 50 dollars. Anything less being in the toy category,not interesting to people who were serious about playing music.

I have a couple 30 dollar Mahalos that I am extremely happy with. So I would peg Mahalos as not being toys. Maybe not much better but certainly not toys.

Go with the advice given above. Find the one that you like and if some one else thinks its a toy then --- that's their opinion.
 
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Don't tell Dolphin owners they're only playing toys ;)
 
I'm gonna answer from a different point of view.

Put a dolphin in the hands of a talented player, and as long as the strings hold a tune, it's going to sound good. Possibly great.

Put a custom in the hands of a novice, and it's just going to sound mediocre because they don't know how to attack the strings the way a great player does.

Sure you may be able to tell a difference in tone somewhat, but a talented player can get every once of life out of a so-called 'toy' ukulele like a dolphin. It always excites me when I see someone playing a cheap uke and playing it very well. It makes me want to shove my custom into their hands so I can hear what it should sound like. And I'm usually rewarded when I do, because I hear it living to it's potential.

That being said, I know that's not what you were asking on this thread. I'm going to answer my opinion of that now. Somewhere around $300 is where you start getting into the decent stuff. You can get a Mainland for around that amount, and they are very well put together ukes that have a great sound to them.
 
I'm gonna answer from a different point of view.

Put a dolphin in the hands of a talented player, and as long as the strings hold a tune, it's going to sound good. Possibly great.

Put a custom in the hands of a novice, and it's just going to sound mediocre because they don't know how to attack the strings the way a great player does.

Sure you may be able to tell a difference in tone somewhat, but a talented player can get every once of life out of a so-called 'toy' ukulele like a dolphin. It always excites me when I see someone playing a cheap uke and playing it very well. It makes me want to shove my custom into their hands so I can hear what it should sound like. And I'm usually rewarded when I do, because I hear it living to it's potential.

That being said, I know that's not what you were asking on this thread. I'm going to answer my opinion of that now. Somewhere around $300 is where you start getting into the decent stuff. You can get a Mainland for around that amount, and they are very well put together ukes that have a great sound to them.

The first part of your answer actually answers the second part of my question - that being there must be a cutoff at which a 'good' instrument is 'lost' on a novice..... I certainly don't think I'd appreciate a £200+ uke for anything more than how pretty it looked or it's build quality, as I simply haven't got the talent to appreciate its musicality at that sort of level.

I do however think that, even as a novice, I can appreciate the basics. But with such a wide variety of entry and '1st step-up' models and makes to choose from, it does make picking that 'step-up' quite hard - especially without the benefit of a good uke shop where you can actually buy based on the thing that matters most - what YOU personally think feels and sounds good.

Keep the input coming folks - it's really interesting getting other people's perspective on things like this......
 
The first part of your answer actually answers the second part of my question - that being there must be a cutoff at which a 'good' instrument is 'lost' on a novice..... I certainly don't think I'd appreciate a £200+ uke for anything more than how pretty it looked or it's build quality, as I simply haven't got the talent to appreciate its musicality at that sort of level.

I do however think that, even as a novice, I can appreciate the basics. But with such a wide variety of entry and '1st step-up' models and makes to choose from, it does make picking that 'step-up' quite hard - especially without the benefit of a good uke shop where you can actually buy based on the thing that matters most - what YOU personally think feels and sounds good.

Keep the input coming folks - it's really interesting getting other people's perspective on things like this......

However--you may want to start with a low priced uke, and if you're interested, move on up to a high priced uke. You will buy the mid priced and want something better. It would be like throwing good money after bad, because you just can't recover the money you have invested in the mid price range ukes. So if you like the uke save for a good one. That is my advice to you. Take it for what it's worth.
 
In the right hands, one man's toy is another man's instrument. Behold the incredible Ukulelezaza, aka Remco, tearing it up on this vintage Carnival plastic uke!

 
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For me and my experience I bought and sold a lot of ukes in my first year of playing. I never could afford to spend more than $500 on a uke and I ended up selling a lot of nice $500 range ukes and keeping my Mainlands. Why? There just wasn't enough of a noticeable difference and I felt more comfortable and was happier playing my Mainlands that all cost under $200. I have a Kamaka that really is my best uke but new it cost at least three times more than a Mainland. I can't say that it is three times better. I can't comment on the higher end ukes. I would imagine they play smoother and do sound nicer but I personally can't afford them and like having several $200 ukes rather than one $1,000 uke.
 
I've heard several recordings of toy pianos played by concert pianists, and they still refer to them as toy pianos.
... I don't think the abilities of the musician changes the status of the instrument.

I prefer to judge "toy" by the intended market.
"Toy Story" & "Hello Kitty" Ukulele = Toy Uke
Dolphin Ukulele = Cheap Uke
 
+1. I think it's a mistake to equate quality of ukulele to musical ability, or level of interest or commitment or even desire to get better. There are any number of reasons why someone won't - or CAN'T spend "a lot" (whatever "a lot" means to you) of money on a ukulele.


I've heard several recordings of toy pianos played by concert pianists, and they still refer to them as toy pianos.
... I don't think the abilities of the musician changes the status of the instrument.

I prefer to judge "toy" by the intended market.
"Toy Story" & "Hello Kitty" Ukulele = Toy Uke
Dolphin Ukulele = Cheap Uke
 
Yes. I sort of fell in love with my first, the Milwaukee designed Melokia. It does not have the fancy finish, in fact it has a lot of imperfections and the action is a little high, but it does play well and is very in tune. My first ukulove...:mraz:
 
I've worked with folks who've got really expensive instruments (ukuleles & guitars) and they're so badly set up they sound crap. I can do a decent set up on a fifty quid uke and make it sound good. My favourite expression for the spend loadsa money but no clue brigade is "You can't fit a ten gallon hat on a two pint head".

Enjoy the uke you enjoy is what I say.
 
Lots of really good input as ever on here! I must admit I think my Mahalo sounds OK to my ears, and I reckon it's improved (certainly in intonation) with some tweaks I gleaned off here and via YouTube. I still think I can improve it some more (bone nut and saddle on the way as I type) and I'm going to try some more strings (Aquilas on it at the moment) just for some first hand knowledge of what effect they have.

I'm also going to try and build a Uke from one of the kits at some point, as I enjoy the 'craft' side of things too.

I didn't realise just how addictive this Uke ownership was - but I have to say I'm loving it! Even on my somewhat modest budget........
 
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