Gotaukulele's Highest Rating for "Sound"

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I created the following list for myself and thought others might be interested. I realize a ukulele's sound is subjective, but knowing what others with experience think is the way to learn. Thanks again, Barry.

The following ukuleles have gotaukulele.com's highest rating for sound (9.5) AND have an overall rating above 9 (through 2019). I've added the date because, just like the Olympics, the judging may have changed over the years, or the ukuleles may be made differently now.

9.6 Overall Rating
"Ken Timms Mahagany" Soprano (Nov 2017)

9.5 Overall Rating
"Anuenue UT 200 Moon Bird" Tenor (Nov 2016)
"Paul Barnard Wildcat" Baritone (Jun 2018)
"Kamaka HF-1" Soprano (Feb 2018)
"Kiwaya KTS-7" Soprano (May 2019)
"Koaloha KTM-00" Tenor (Sep 2018)

9.4 Overall Rating
"Anuenue ANN-UT5K Moon Bird" Tenor (Jul 2019)
"Blackbird Farralon" Tenor (Jun 2018)
"Rebel Cheesecake" Super Concert (Apr 2019)
"ZT Ukuleles" Baritone (June 2019)
"ZT Ukuleles" Tenor (May 2019)

9.3 Overall Rating
"Antica Ukuleleria Moderno" Tenor (Jul 2018)
"Anuenue UT140 Light Bird" Tenor (Oct 2018)
"Beltona Style 2 Resonator" Tenor (Nov 2015)
"Blackbird Clara" Concert (Oct 2016)
"Kanile’a K-1" Tenor (Aug 2011)
"Kiwaya KTS-5" Soprano (May 2017)
"KM Ukuleles" Dreadnought Concert (Mar 2018)
"Tinguitar Reclaimed Mahogany" Soprano (Jun 2017)

9.1 Overall Rating
"Pono MTD-E Electro Acoustic" Tenor (Apr 2013)
"Grenosi Machete" Soprano (Apr 2017)
"Rebel Quark" Tenor (Dec 2019)

The End
 
This is a very wrong way to look at it... these are ball park numbers around feel. Please do not reduce his reviews down to this. He does meaningful reviews and always talks about how many things are personal preference and that there is variation. If anything, focus on his rating for build and value.
 
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This is a very wrong way to look at it... these are ball park numbers around feel. Please do not reduce his reviews down to this. He does meaningful reviews and always talks about how many things are personal preference and that there is variation. If anything focus on this rating for build and value.

Hmm - Not trying to offend anyone. I wasn't trying to reduce his complete reviews in any way. I just was collecting what interested me. I don't have the opportunity to hear what all these ukuleles sound like, so I like listening to his reviews. I learn a lot. Yes, I pay attention to all the other criteria, but what interests me most about these great little instruments is their sound, and how different the same notes and chords can sound when playing. I guess I should mention I did show it to Barry first and he wrote it was OK to post
 
You certainly don't get a good feel for the sound of an instrument on that site. YouTube is a much better resource for that and for reviews in general. You should always seek out as many as possible by as many different users as you can find.
 
You certainly don't get a good feel for the sound of an instrument on that site. YouTube is a much better resource for that and for reviews in general. You should always seek out as many as possible by as many different users as you can find.

I always find his reviews helpful. He covers a lot of areas and shares clear thoughts about pros and cons. He is quite objective and gives the reader/viewer plenty of things to consider. I like that he plays the same standard patterns on each so it makes it very easy to compare. There is no substitute for picking up and instrument and playing it, but this is a great resource. When I have played some of the models he has reviewed I have always felt that his assessment was quite good. Of course, it is always good to seek other input, but this is a good one.
 
You certainly don't get a good feel for the sound of an instrument on that site. YouTube is a much better resource for that and for reviews in general. You should always seek out as many as possible by as many different users as you can find.

Hey.. thanks... (you do realise that every review ALSO has a YouTube video?) - though I do agree that you should watch as many as you can. Trouble is in my experience is that many are cropping up now that are paid product placement.
 
I like that he plays the same standard patterns on each so it makes it very easy to compare. There is no substitute for picking up and instrument and playing it, but this is a great resource.

I do really appreciate when the same patterns are played so that a comparison is a little more meaningful. Of course, there are other variables, but I often find myself trying to compare sound samples, but finding that such completely different things are played, (different styles, strumming vs. fingerpicking, for example), that there really isn't any way to compare. Using the same patterns at least gives you some common ground.

It is a good resource, and I appreciate the effort that goes into it.
 
Hey.. thanks... (you do realise that every review ALSO has a YouTube video?) - though I do agree that you should watch as many as you can. Trouble is in my experience is that many are cropping up now that are paid product placement.

I don't think I've ever seen a paid for review for a ukulele. I do try to avoid ukulele related websites with adverts on them though.

Except for this one of course :)
 
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That's part of the problem - they don't say so - talking about YouTube influencers of the sort who are wined and dined at the NAMM show and are sent several from single brands to plug in every video.

Feel free to avoid my site, (or use an ad blocker), but the ads have to stay. It runs them for the very simple reason that it makes no money otherwise and the ads are selected by Google, not me (ie, not favouring any particular brand). Funnily enough the same ad network this very forum uses..

The ad money goes into buying some ukuleles for review (lower end models - running at about 30% of the reviews) in an attempt to ensure that I don't only review instruments that are loaned to me (and therefore have been checked over before they are sent so I get a 'good one'). Not a perfect system of course, but an attempt to increase impartiality. For example - many of the Kala instruments I have featured have been loaned to me by the UK distributor. Not all though - I bought some.

After they have been reviewed they are either sold to go back into the same pot or given to local school / charity.

Would be nice if Google revenue allowed me to bring more reviews of Kamaka's, Chuck Moore's and the like.. but they really ain't that generous.

But... we digress...
 
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Hey.. thanks... (you do realise that every review ALSO has a YouTube video?) - though I do agree that you should watch as many as you can. Trouble is in my experience is that many are cropping up now that are paid product placement.

Yes. It seems that there are a number that are basically an infomercial or that spend 75% of the time showing you the unboxing, which I really don't get. (and yes, I saw your video on that, which
made me laugh)
 
I hate unboxing videos, the truly vile thing that is appearing now is unboxing videos by the manufacturer. Seriously?

Baz's videos and reviews are great because he actually plays the instrument for a couple of weeks before he records the review so strings get time to settle and he gets an idea of sound over more than one session.
 
I think the best review a ukulele can have is someone simply playing it. A lot of videos are 90% waffling and 10% 'playing', usually not very well. I can look up things like nut width or what the tuners are like, I don't need that described to me in great detail.
 
Even if you have very different preferences for your ukulele than Barry, you can make informed decisions from his reviews. e.g. "Barry doesn't like that neck profile, but I do. Now I know about the neck profile". Or Barry doesn't like that it's quiet, but you don't want a loud one so now you know it's quiet. Few reviewers go into the same level of detail (although a few are picking up on it to some degree now). Quality is less subjective. If it's poor quality, you really want to know.

And as far as sound ... you can only get so much information from a sound sample. It can steer you into a direction one way or the other, but until you have it in your hands, you don't have the full picture. How many times have you been convinced by sound samples that you found the perfect ukulele, just to be a little (or a lot) disappointed when it arrives that it's not quite what you wanted?

But definitely watch multiple videos, especially ones with playing styles similar to yours (or what you hope to sound like someday).
 
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How many times have you been convinced by sound samples that you found the perfect ukulele, just to be a little (or a lot) disappointed when it arrives that it's not quite what you wanted?

Never. There are some great comparison videos out there where someone plays 10 different tenors for example and it gives you a very good and in my experience accurate idea of what you can actually expect.
 
"You certainly don't get a good feel for the sound of an instrument on that site. YouTube is a much better resource for that"

Listening to an instrument in a video tells you nothing about how the instrument sounds. It tells you how the instrument sounded when played by a certain person, in a particular environment, electronically recorded using some variable type of equipment, the signal transmitted by cables and/or radio waves, and eventually picked up and played through your equipment.

The sound you hear will be nothing like that you would experience if you were playing it yourself, or if you were actually present when the recording was made.

I'm not saying that you tube videos have no value, but do not expect the actual uke to sound like what you hear on line. A spoken, or written report from someone whose opinion can be trusted (an important caveat) is much more helpful.

John Colter
 
I think the best review a ukulele can have is someone simply playing it. A lot of videos are 90% waffling and 10% 'playing', usually not very well. I can look up things like nut width or what the tuners are like, I don't need that described to me in great detail.

Playing and hearing it are of paramount importance, yes. It is a musical instrument and therefore FOR ME how the ukulele sounds is far more important than a nice gloss finish, binding, inlays and what not. However, there are players who find greater pleasure in its looks, because they have issues with their hearing.
Are some reviewers not good enough at playing the instrument they review on YouTube? Even basic or non-players can give you that sound sample, even if they don't have any other useful critiques. A fantastic player will quickly find out which genre and songs a particular instrument suits. They will be able to showcase it with its limitations (because even the best uke will still have those). Though, in my opinion a mediocre or even a beginner player can demonstrate some basic chord shapes.

I don't like it that certain influencers don't come clean on their ties with a brand. It diminishes credibility of other - more ethical - reviewers. Some people doing reviews are open about discounts or offers they have had. Others are just dishonest. I have seen people mentioning that they have received a package and they 'don't know what it might be or who sent it'. Next thing you know they are unboxing their own signature uke they helped design. Then there are people who can order an instrument themselves and will be reimbursed afterwards (so it reflects your and mine Amazon or eBay experience more closely).
Choirguy is honest that he received certain instruments, that he asked for a defective and therefore returned uke. That enabled him to destroy one and build the FrankenEnya.

For some brands you would need to spend quite a lot of time on research to find nut width. I like it that this is now included in Barry's reviews. Barry even tells you how difficult or comfortable the neck is. The very narrow nut width on the Enya Nova was a bit of a surprise. However, should you have looked up the specs on a very detailed product sheet you probably would think that it wasn't going to be roomy enough for adults.

So, if your purchase is meaningful to you, you should be willing to invest a lot of time in the whole process of listening to as many sound clips as possible, read up about the specs, find out about the target audience, decide what uke you need, which ticks the most boxes given your budget, where you could potentially try one out and so on. It's a bit like homework, but it should be exciting.
 
Never. There are some great comparison videos out there where someone plays 10 different tenors for example and it gives you a very good and in my experience accurate idea of what you can actually expect.

I wish I had your skill/luck. I can change my mind from day to day which one I like better when I listen to those. But I see from your signature, you're shopping in a completely different price category than me, so maybe that's got something to do with it. Still, I've been left "meh" after picking up a high end instrument I thought I liked, so that's my curse. Maybe I'm too picky.
 
Such a happy ukulele community...
 
"You certainly don't get a good feel for the sound of an instrument on that site. YouTube is a much better resource for that"

Listening to an instrument in a video tells you nothing about how the instrument sounds. It tells you how the instrument sounded when played by a certain person, in a particular environment, electronically recorded using some variable type of equipment, the signal transmitted by cables and/or radio waves, and eventually picked up and played through your equipment.

The sound you hear will be nothing like that you would experience if you were playing it yourself, or if you were actually present when the recording was made.

I'm not saying that you tube videos have no value, but do not expect the actual uke to sound like what you hear on line. A spoken, or written report from someone whose opinion can be trusted (an important caveat) is much more helpful.

Totally and completely agree. Which is why I never actually used YouTube to start with. I reluctantly started to add them because enough people asked for them. I straw polled people not that long ago and it was pretty much evenly split between 'we want words and pictures', and 'we want short videos'... So, what to do....

For me the videos are 'part' of the review only. Some people seem to prefer pictures, some reading, some watching. It's nice I suppose to be able to offer all three. If people don't like certain parts they don't need to use them. Different ways of gettng the same information across.

But all the reviews I have EVER put up have made it clear, whether written word or video, that they are merely one persons view. Nothing more.

I've never done them to tell people that 'THIS is what you will feel and enjoy..'.. I've only ever done them to add to the pool of opinions.
 
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