If you “love koaloha” I would stay with the koaloha. They have their own unique feel and is easy to play. I’m sure you can find a good deal on a used one with a pickup. My “performance” uke is my 2016 koaloha tenor. Good luck on your purchase!
Choosing an instrument for performance purposes
- Thread starter nicolec
- Start date
Bill Sheehan
Well-known member
Nicole, I can relate to Anthony's perspective, as I love the sound of a nicely-mic'd uke. It has that pleasant airy quality that's just hard to achieve with a pickup. And if there's a competent sound engineer in the equation to get you an ample amount of gain before feedback, it can't be beat.
I figure a uke could be thought of as just another "voice" (albeit a softer one)... so why not just put a mic on it just like we do with our singing voice? One of my favorite players is a guy who goes by the name "Ukulele Uff," and he seems to prefer "mic'ing up", and does really well with that approach.
I will admit, however, that I have taken a liking to the sound I get with my humble Martin S-0 soprano (equipped with passive piezo disc) running into my inexpensive Behringer ADI-21 pre-amp/direct box/eq-tweaker, and then on into my little Kustom PA-50 portable p.a., which is generally the setup I use at the retirement home outings that I do nowadays (pretty much my only gigging). I have also done those outings with simply a mic on my voice and a second mic on my uke (and left the preamp at home), with very nice results.
To me, the main benefit of using a pickup is that it allows me to play in a little more "nuanced" fashion, without being tempted to "over-play."
So I kind of go back and forth on this issue, but the best part of that is-- the more I'm preoccupied with tinkering, the less I feel obligated to actually practice! It's all good!
RafterGirl
Well-known member
Tell us more about your performance needs. Where will you be performing? Solo or as a member of a group? Will you be plugging into a sound system/PA or just plugging into a portable amp?
I play every Sunday at church with a band. My uke is plugged into a PA sound system. The soundboard person controls my mix and volume within the group sound. My aNueNue Moonbird uke sounds amazing in this setting.
My Cocobolo is my everyday player, and the main one I play with my ukulele groups. It sounds amazing plugged into either my portable amp, or into our group's small mixing board and amps. Sometimes I'm playing & singing a song solo for an open mic spot at our monthly jams, or at a uke festival. Sometimes my 20 person uke performance group is doing a show, and I may be jumping in on a short solo within a song. For that I use a wireless set-up and a mute pedal to jump in & out on the solo.
If you like how your KoAloha soprano sounds and feels, then stick with that. If you are definitely going to perform consistently either solo or with a group, then spend the money on a nice KoAloha with a professionally installed pick-up.
I play every Sunday at church with a band. My uke is plugged into a PA sound system. The soundboard person controls my mix and volume within the group sound. My aNueNue Moonbird uke sounds amazing in this setting.
My Cocobolo is my everyday player, and the main one I play with my ukulele groups. It sounds amazing plugged into either my portable amp, or into our group's small mixing board and amps. Sometimes I'm playing & singing a song solo for an open mic spot at our monthly jams, or at a uke festival. Sometimes my 20 person uke performance group is doing a show, and I may be jumping in on a short solo within a song. For that I use a wireless set-up and a mute pedal to jump in & out on the solo.
If you like how your KoAloha soprano sounds and feels, then stick with that. If you are definitely going to perform consistently either solo or with a group, then spend the money on a nice KoAloha with a professionally installed pick-up.
nicolec
Well-known member
Thank you for the feedback! Yeah so I play just acoustic for kids groups but then for open mic nights at bars, outdoor events like the farmers market, and occasionally guest spotting for my friends band which will be plugged in. I do love the Koaloha but it's my only uke so I plan to get a Cocobolo in the near future because I'd like to try it out. My thoughts are since I want the Cocobolo anyway to just get a pickup installed when I land a lottery as plugging into an amp will most likely be the easiest thing for what I do.
70sSanO
Well-known member
For what you are doing, playability is probably the number one consideration. Maybe even look into a radiused fretboard. KoAlohas have a wide neck, so that might be a consideration.
Run a piezo and EQ to dial in the sound. While micing up produces a better sound, few professionals go that route as you are stuck in one spot. Not that you are going to be running around on a stage.
Feedback is probably not an issue. It can get dicey with acoustic instruments, but generally at high stage volumes.
John
Run a piezo and EQ to dial in the sound. While micing up produces a better sound, few professionals go that route as you are stuck in one spot. Not that you are going to be running around on a stage.
Feedback is probably not an issue. It can get dicey with acoustic instruments, but generally at high stage volumes.
John
merlin666
Well-known member
Yes in noisy environment you may want pick up, but then you may also need an amp to plug in as you can't expect that at every venue. If you play amplified then it is secondary to get a fancy acoustic uke but instead focus on durability and playability.
UkingViking
Well-known member
Good luck with the lottery, hope you get a chance to buy soon and will be as happy with the Cocobolo you get as I am with mine!
It even has a radiused fretboard as 70sSanO suggests. The fretboard and string spacing is standard, but feels wider with a radius. And the 16“ scale also gives extra playability if you like wider frets.
You can always get a third uke with another pickup, when you have a better idea of what you want from it besides the pickup.
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RafterGirl
Well-known member
I'm very happy with my Cocobolo. It didn't take me long to get one in the lottery. Now you have the option to just buy one if they are unclaimed in the lottery. At the time I got mine Kevin was offering the MiSi active pick-up (my personal favorite) as an add-on, but now it looks like he offers the K&K Twin Spot (also good). His prices and shipping are very reasonable.
As UkingViking mentioned, the Cocobolo Concert is a 16 inch scale, and has a radiused fretboard. Both of these features are why I like this uke so much. Longer scale than a standard concert, but not as long as a tenor. After 6 years and a lot of ukuleles, I've found like I like the radiused fretboard.
I have a Roland AC-33 amp which I like a lot. It's about 10 pounds, and fits in my rolling tote. Easy to bring to jams & events. It runs on AC power or batteries, so I have options if electric outlets aren't handy. It's 30W on AC power, and 20W on batteries, so plenty of power for a medium sized room or outdoor space. There are a number of good smaller sized amps out there that would allow you to play plugged in as needed.
As UkingViking mentioned, the Cocobolo Concert is a 16 inch scale, and has a radiused fretboard. Both of these features are why I like this uke so much. Longer scale than a standard concert, but not as long as a tenor. After 6 years and a lot of ukuleles, I've found like I like the radiused fretboard.
I have a Roland AC-33 amp which I like a lot. It's about 10 pounds, and fits in my rolling tote. Easy to bring to jams & events. It runs on AC power or batteries, so I have options if electric outlets aren't handy. It's 30W on AC power, and 20W on batteries, so plenty of power for a medium sized room or outdoor space. There are a number of good smaller sized amps out there that would allow you to play plugged in as needed.
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Nickie
Well-known member
I absolutely would not wanna amp up one of those either. But i wouldn't spend the money for one, either.Isn't there the catch that you want to practice on the same uke you are going to perform with, to be familiar with it?
If you practice unamplified in your home, you still want to enjoy the way it sounds here.
And you would still like to have one that is comfortable to play. So if you really want a radiused fretboard, you will still need to buy a pretty expensive ukulele.
That being said, I dont think I would want to plug in a Moore Bettah or a Martin 5k
But I would want something that I enjoy to play, even if it will not all be audible through a pickup.
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