I may want a new ukulele... Thoughts?

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Little Yoshi

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I have an Islander MT-4 and want to upgrade. Don't think I want to jump to the +$1000 uke's yet... Is there a mid-ranged, Hawaiian-made, uke I should look at? Or, is the difference not worth the $$$ 'til you reach the +$1000 level ukes?
 
Little Yoshi said:
I have an Islander MT-4 and want to upgrade. Don't think I want to jump to the +$1000 uke's yet... Is there a mid-ranged, Hawaiian-made, uke I should look at? Or, is the difference not worth the $$$ 'til you reach the +$1000 level ukes?
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Not sure if you want to upgrade size also or just quality but I upgraded to a kpk cutaway tenor from a Kala soprano (KAS) and love my uke. It was will under $300 and I am ready to buy another one (pineapple or soprano):drool:
 
Might be a good idea to really think about why you want to "upgrade." Different size?...more bling?....different wood combination?...different construction (solid vs laminate)? Etc etc....

I think you'll be more satisfied with a new purchase if you shop with some of these questions (and answers) in mind. On the other hand, many UU'ers like to buy and sell which might work for you too.
 
Little Yoshi said:
I have an Islander MT-4 and want to upgrade. Don't think I want to jump to the +$1000 uke's yet... Is there a mid-ranged, Hawaiian-made, uke I should look at? Or, is the difference not worth the $$$ 'til you reach the +$1000 level ukes?
Click to expand...

Your Islander is a very nice uke, IMHO I doubt you will find a significant difference in an upgrade unless you go to a K-brand or equivalent.
You might look for a killer deal on a used uke.
If you are thinking about adding another size to your collection that is a different story.
 
If you want to start a ukulele collection, then the following advice won't apply. If you see yourself as a one-uke-at-a-time owner, then I'd suggest you figure out why you are upgrading and look for a ukulele that matches your current needs and wants.

I am a one-uke-at-a-time owner. I started out playing a laminate Kala tenor. After 6 months I switched to a concert mahogany Mainland which I have been playing for two and a half years. When I decided I was ready for an upgrade, I made a list of everything I wanted in my next ukulele and started looking for ukes that seemed to best match my list. I considered Ponos, then K-brands and some other "higher end" ukuleles. I ended up on the Mya-Moe waiting list, with my ukulele scheduled to arrive in May.

I didn't originally plan to spend that kind of money--the price tag on my Mya-Moe concert is $1050--so I went through a lot of agonizing. To be clear, I am not recommending that you buy a Mya-Moe--I am simply explaining the process I used when I decided to upgrade my ukulele. You could go through the same process and come to an entirely different conclusion based on your priorities for your next instrument.

Cindy
 
Get what ever you want, desire and will enjoy! Life is just too short to not make the most of it!
 
I think that the next step should be a solid wood instrument. Your Islander is all laminate, so in my opinion, that would be a significant upgrade with a relatively modest outlay. Many solid ukes in those mid price ranges including the solid mahogany Islander, Pono, Ohana, the solid acacia KPK (heavy), and a few others that may get mentioned.
 
PhilUSAFRet said:
I think that the next step should be a solid wood instrument. Your Islander is all laminate, so in my opinion, that would be a significant upgrade with a relatively modest outlay. Many solid ukes in those mid price ranges including the solid mahogany Islander, Pono, Ohana, the solid acacia KPK (heavy), and a few others that may get mentioned.
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I agree with him. The logical next step would be a solid wood instrument. There's definitely a difference in the range your Islander and a Hawaiian K-brand, with plenty of good options in between. I wouldn't get too hung up with it being a brand-name Hawaiian instrument, especially in that price range. Keep an eye on the marketplace and see if anything looks good.
 
All great advice! I think that there are a lot of mid-range ukes that will be a nice upgrade w/o jumping up to a really pricey K brand, and you will notice the improvement. I would def check out marketplace here. Some very sweet mid-priced ukes are offered here. Often, our needs and wants change and folks part with great new-to-you ukes at very reasonable prices. I don't know how long you've been playing but if it hasn't been that long, I wouldn't rush to get a super expensive uke. You learn a lot about your preferences in the first few years of playing (and they can change a lot). I speak from my personal experience of purchasing a really, really lovely custom uke by a wonderful luthier, only to find down the road, that it is not my favorite size. Your first uke is great to keep as your beater uke and nice to have round in case someone stops in nod wants to play with you. Enjoy the search. It's half the fun!
 
I found a much bigger difference going from my entry level laminate Kala to a low-mid priced solid Mainland than from the Mainland to my K-brand. I like the Koaloha but probably would have been perfectly happy sticking to the Mainland too in hindsight.
 
bunnyf said:
I don't know how long you've been playing but if it hasn't been that long, I wouldn't rush to get a super expensive uke. You learn a lot about your preferences in the first few years of playing (and they can change a lot). I speak from my personal experience of purchasing a really, really lovely custom uke by a wonderful luthier, only to find down the road, that it is not my favorite size.
Click to expand...

Kayak Jim said:
I found a much bigger difference going from my entry level laminate Kala to a low-mid priced solid Mainland than from the Mainland to my K-brand. I like the Koaloha but probably would have been perfectly happy sticking to the Mainland too in hindsight.
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I agree with these posts--if you don't have a specific reason(s) to jump to that 1K price range, then you might be better off waiting until you know what you want.
 
My family is from Hawaii and we still have plenty relatives on the Big Island. So, we visit often. A few of the cousins play Kamaka, Kanilea, etc; and they sound sooo nice. Mine doesn't seem to come close to the noise quality unless it's my fault? Which very well could be. And that's trying to compare from memory. In any case, we are scheduled for a trip over the end of this year and I want to get a "decent" uke to try and jam with them. Maybe the MT-4 is good enough, I don't know. But, another uke in the collection would be nice and totally piss the wife off. :)
 
kvehe said:
Ah, now we see the **real** reason. :D Go for it.
Click to expand...
Happy wife Happy life:spam: Like I stated earlier very happy w/ kpk for price and quality and goes w/ other posters stating a solid body makes a huge difference. Which I agree and could tell right away how much nicer the sound was but you also have to consider the different woods, strings, etc:wallbash:
 
My personal opinion is that you have a very nice instrument. Moving up from it to a 500 or 600 ukulele might be a step up (might not), but wouldn't be a big step (unless you found a used $1000 instrument in your price range). If you really want a step up, perhaps consider getting a new Islander with a solid top. Then, have both of your instruments set up by a local professional. (I've never found store set-ups to be very good) This would give you a step up, and another step up. Plus, the new one would be familiar in scale and fretboard.
 
basically what others have said...if you want a Hawaiian made uke and be under $1000 then I think your only option would be Keli'i...unless you went used. Unless you found a small time luthier that very few people know about. There are Hawaiian based uke companies that have their ukuleles built overseas but final assembly is completed in Hawaii (Mele, Pono, Big Island?, etc).


You never really stated why you want to upgrade...or maybe I missed that post. I am a firm believer in saving up until you get the ukulele you want, unless you aren't in a rush to get the one you want.

I am a Mele fan for my midrange ukulele.
 
I upgraded my 1st time to a solid wood model with a cutaway body and a pre-amp. I've had it for two years, and am very happy with it, and it cost less than $300. I'm upgrading my playing a LOT before I consider a fancier uke!
 
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