Name YOUR top three ukes

Wow! Interesting. I wonder how things have changed for those who are still involved with UU Forum? In 2015 I didn't even play ukulele.

It changes. But the top three right now are:

3. LFdM Bearclaw Spruce/Zircote Low-G Tenor Macaferri soundhole. Really easy to play with a light touch. Great full, yet balanced sound.
2. Takumi TT-1K High-g all-koa tenor. Fantastic harmonics. Bell-like sound with amazing sustain.
1. MP Mike Pereira custom Englemann Spruce/Honduran Mahogany Low-G tenor. Beautiful sweet sound that just sings to me.

2 & 3 are new. That may somewhat affect my choices. A couple of others that are right in the hunt.

Interesting to see this thread come back from time to time. I have bought and sold several ukes since my last reply in 2015, but LFdM and Pono ETSHC may still be up there, while others have come to join them. I'm particularly fond of my Ziggy baritone and Baby Bard guitar from Jay Lichty, my Sinker Redwood/Milo Ko'olau, and my wife's "blonde" tenor from Beau Hannam. Plus my steel string big baritone Pono UL4-30.

Wow, I'd forgotten about this blast from the past! Due to UAS, I've acquired quite a few ukuleles over the past seven years and have developed a clear preference for K-brand ukes with linear tuning.

Therefore, in alphabetical order, my top three ukes are currently my Kamaka, Kanile'a, and KoAloha Tenor ukuleles, each one strung with a low-G.

I'm not sure which one I like best, because it always seems to be whichever one I'm playing.

So given that I know which ukuleles I prefer, and I'm fortunate enough to own them, my UAS should be in remission these days, right? Heaven help me if I ever start down the custom builder road! :stop:

my 2013 Moore Bettah tenor,2014 Ko'olau tenor,2019 Kimo super tenor all LowG waiting for a 2020 Beau Hannam tenor been a great journey...

Had to really think about this.....

1) KoAloha Opio solid acacia tenor neck concert.

2) Kala solid acacia concert.

3) Ohana solid mahogany concert neck soprano.

....they're the ones I think.

Ono 18" Tenor, Ebony/Redwood
David Ingalls, 2018
Tone: sweet, bright, and complex with rich, reverberating overtones and a strong, singing fundamental
Balance: great balance across the strings, good separation
Sustain: excellent
Touch: light and very responsive. expertly set up
Notes: this ukulele is extremely resonant, making it possible to perform differing levels of chunk all the way up to disturbingly biting. I find it to be more revealing of my musical shortcomings than my other ukes, but the sound it makes is fantasic. I tend to use it for fingerpicking, but it also makes for a fine strummer

Oceana 16.5" Tenor, Equadorian Caoba/Western Red Cedar
Jesus Ortega, 2011
Tone: soft, warm, and complex with rich overtones
Balance: slightly bass dominant, well blended
Sustain: great
Touch: light and responsive, set extremely low
Notes: this ukulele just makes me feel good when I play it. given its tonal profile, it is perhaps best suited for fingerpicking, but it tends to be my daily strummer despite that

Black Bear 13.75" Soprano, Koa
Duane Heilman, 2017
Tone: hard, round, and mellow. definitely has jangle but manages to retain significant warmth as well
Balance: great balance, great separation
Sustain: good
Touch: as good as can be expected for a soprano... it is always tough for me to finger them. the action is higher than on my other ukes, but it works well for this little guy
Notes: this is a loud little uke. the intonation is damn near bang-on, which I have found to be rare among sopranos. I am not really a soprano guy, but I am so impressed with this instrument that I can't let it go


I officially put too much effort into all of that.
Unemployment + boredom = trying too hard to share your ukulele collection with strangers on the internet :rofl:
Hey, a man needs something to do...

Very nice summary, thanks MopMan!

- Ken Timms Style 0 koa soprano

- Kiwaya KTS-4 all solid mahogany soprano

- Flight WUS-3 laminate mahogany soprano

For myself it's a tenor from Griffin ukuleles, a George Thomas Contra baritone and then a tenor from Moore Bettah. My favorites also are old Favilla baritones.

Well I haven't owned a lot ukulele's to comment much but......

1. Koaloho Tenor
2. Godin Mulituke
3. Magic Fluke Concert

The one that got away.....Kinnard long neck soprano last autumn......you know the feeling when you actually get to play an instrument and it tell's you this is the one.......it was either buy the ukulele or pay for my son's summer educational and camp experiences.......all that was canceled.....

Still, I have nice instruments to play......so life is good.....

I may have answered this previously, but I just got a new uke and it cracks my top 3, so I'll answer again.

1. Mele mango concert
2. Kelly Stillfield silver wattle and king billy pine boat paddle concert
3. Bruce Wei Arts acacia guitalele

mjh42 said:

Still, I have nice instruments to play......so life is good.....

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That's a great philosophy!

Sorry, but I can't - not even after thinking about it. There are some I might consider selling someday, but picking the top three would be tough. One would definitely be a KoAloha - Pineapple Sunday, Scepter?

Jerryc41 said:

Sorry, but I can't - not even after thinking about it. There are some I might consider selling someday, but picking the top three would be tough. One would definitely be a KoAloha - Pineapple Sunday, Scepter?

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Maybe you could think of it as which three get the most playing time?

My current top 3
1. Rebel Pluto
2. MyMoe super concert - curly redwood top, curly walnut back and sides
3. 5 string bonanza Oreo - walnut and aspen

Jordana said:

My current top 3
1. Rebel Pluto
2. MyMoe super concert - curly redwood top, curly walnut back and sides
3. 5 string bonanza Oreo - walnut and aspen

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Hello fellow Pluto person! My Pluto is a new arrival and it may become number 1 in time.
My top 3 are below. Fairly easy to choose as I don't have a massive collection.

1. Takumi TT-1K - all koa tenor
2. Rebel Pluto - spruce top / curly acacia tenor
3. Pono RBSH(S) PC - spruce top / rosewood baritone

Uncle Salty said:

Hello fellow Pluto person! My Pluto is a new arrival and it may become number 1 in time.
My top 3 are below. Fairly easy to choose as I don't have a massive collection.

1. Takumi TT-1K - all koa tenor
2. Rebel Pluto - spruce top / curly acacia tenor
3. Pono RBSH(S) PC - spruce top / rosewood baritone

Click to expand...

Hello fellow Pluto friend! What's your fretboard wood? Mine's mango.

Well I've only got 4 ukulele's but here is my current favorite order.

1) Koaloha KTM-25 (my newest uke)
2) Kamaka HF-3
3) Kanile'a KSE-T

I think this order changes occasionally, depending on my mood but my Koaloha has become my go-to. All three of these ukes are strung with the Uke logic low tension SW low G.

Have a Kimo custom super tenor on the way. We'll see how it stacks against my current herd.

1) Kiwaya KTS-7
Not my fanciest uke but the one I play the most because of its versatility and excellent playability. I can always grab this one regardless of what kind of music I'm playing.

2) aNueNue US200 Moon Bird
Excellent all-rounder in terms of sound. Probably my best looking uke but I mostly use it for fingerpicking.

3) Kanile'a K1 Concert
I was umming and erring which one of the K brands to put here but the Kanile'a offers something a bit more different compared to the others with its full and mellow sound. This is also my only uke that's tuned to low G.

Too subjective - I am building my first ukulele for myself at the moment so chosing one out of one it would be top of my list... I might even post a review