Help with first major purchase (500-800$, Tenor, low G)

[nvtenor]

KoAloha Opio Tenor All Solid Spruce / Acacia KTO-10S Ukulele S953

Opio by KoAloha Ukuleles are made with all the same tooling and specs as KoAloha, but they are built in a great factory in Thailand. They take a lot of pride in the build and sound of these ukulele. The spruce gives this ukulele a light, clean, crisp tone that is really pleasing. The acacia has...

mimsukes.com

This might be a good choice for you. Mim has a great reputation and does great setups. I have this spruce/acacia combo on my pono and it's really nice. If I was going to buy online it would either be from her or the ukulele site.

I’ll second the Opio. I have a tenor in low g and like it a lot. Listen to sound samples. The Koaloha and Opios have a somewhat scooped mid tone sound profile which may or may not fit your playing style.

 

[Cadia]

The aNueNue AMM3, one of my favorites. I also I second the idea of finding a lightly used Kala Elite (made in Petaluma, CA). I have seen them sometimes offered below $800. For the AMM3, I believe The Ukulele Site has one left. They go fast. Best uke dealer out there!

 

[hands_on_lanzon]

Check this one out! Romero Creation ukes are built for low G, they sustain forever and the grand tenors have a rich warm tone.
I think the current retail price for a new one is over $1100.

No longer available - Romero Creations Mahogany Grand Tenor Uke

This instrument is a delightful large body tenor, but not what I really needed (a baritone for accompanying singers). I've played it probably less than 10 hours. You get a brand new (installed maybe two weeks ago) set of Romero UT2s, low G. Everything in great shape! A little bit of ghostly...

forum.ukuleleunderground.com

 

[Woodsy]

I looked through the thread again and see that mingus offered a koaloha royal pikake mango for around $900. That's slightly above your upper limit, but ticks all the other boxes (nut width, weight). Great value at that price too. I like the satin finish over the gloss. Good luck with the search. I'm sure you'll love the uke you end up purchasing given your buying range.

KoAloha Tenor ROYAL PIKAKE MANGO All Solid KTM-10RPMG Satin Made in Ha

The Royal Pikake is a special series by KoAloha. It features the ebony headstock plate, crown cut fretboard, and the buttery smooth Pikake finish! The Satin Pikake finish allows the ukulele to really ring and resonate. It is a unique finish that still accents the beautiful wood grain! But it...

mimsukes.com

 

[Eggs_n_Ham]

Im in New York City. On that topic, if anyone knows of a good shop in NYC that carries a good selection of ukelele's that would be great. Certainly, the standard places like Guitar Centers around here do not carry anything besides the most generic uke.

I'd certainly love to get it in person from a shop but I do figure that theres a good chance that not gonna be possible. And in that case (and Im sure this is a pandoras box of a topic in and of itself) but of the online shops out there if there are any folks have tried that do a nice job setting them up before sending them out it would be helpful to hear.



I feel like i read a few times that Ponos were both heavy as well as have a thicker neck which is why i didnt include them on the first list. At least with guitar, Ive always liked thinner necks.

--
Based solely off the interwebs and not yet trying them in person, Im leaning towards an Opio vs Anuenue AMM-3 with the Opio seeming like a safer choice based on the brand.

I was in the very spot you're in regarding Koaloha Opio vs AMM3. Not only is the AMM3 warm and lovely sonically, it has the most extraordinary scent! Warm and woodsy like straw fire. Enjoy your search and welcome to the ukulele!

 

[JEngle1122]

Check this one out! Romero Creation ukes are built for low G, they sustain forever and the grand tenors have a rich warm tone.
I think the current retail price for a new one is over $1100.

No longer available - Romero Creations Mahogany Grand Tenor Uke

This instrument is a delightful large body tenor, but not what I really needed (a baritone for accompanying singers). I've played it probably less than 10 hours. You get a brand new (installed maybe two weeks ago) set of Romero UT2s, low G. Everything in great shape! A little bit of ghostly...

forum.ukuleleunderground.com

Thanks for the shout out! <3 I will add that I was pleasantly surprised to find that the wound low G that comes with the Romero UT2s is "squeakless". I didn't know that existed or mattered to me, but it really is a game changer.

I have since found a squeakless bronze wound classical guitar string as a D for my baritone and I'm happy as a clam.

 

[Caspar]

If musical sound and playability are your main interest, I suggest ordering a Model A tenor from Donna Loprinzi.
She and her father have a long history of making very high level instruments and you can pick custom features like nut width, radius fretboard, and gotoh tuners without breaking the bank. Extraordinary value for custom made instruments.

Hand-Crafted Guitars | Clearwater, FL | 727-692-8746

Elevate your musical journey with Augustino LoPrinzi Guitars & Ukuleles. Craftsmanship and passion in every note.

www.augustinoloprinzi.com

Seconding this comment about the Loprinzi - I have an all maple nova tenor and sheesh does she sing. Also the maple is apparently very good for recording as it has a very clear primary tone and fewer of the other frequencies. I get comments about how it sounds ALL the time. Also, Donna really likes maple, works with it a lot and really knows how to get the best out of it. She says it's second only to cedar in terms of loudness and unmatched in clarity.

 

[OpihiMan]

Can't believe no one recommended the Rebel mango tenors. I love mine.

 

[kkimura]

Try a Martin T1K, $499.00, from a seller who will do a good setup like Mim maybe. Worth clear low G strings too after you get tired of the stock Martin high g strings..

 

[badhabits]

Can't believe no one recommended the Rebel mango tenors. I love mine.

Good idea...however new ones are slightly above op's range these days.

 

[Contrails]

Thanks for the shout out! <3 I will add that I was pleasantly surprised to find that the wound low G that comes with the Romero UT2s is "squeakless". I didn't know that existed or mattered to me, but it really is a game changer.

I have since found a squeakless bronze wound classical guitar string as a D for my baritone and I'm happy as a clam.

Can you please sharing what squeakless string that would be? Thanks

 

[Larry U]

Can you please sharing what squeakless string that would be? Thanks

A Fremont Soloist Low G string is an excellent choice for a "squeakless" string. A LaBella 908 classical guitar "D" string seems to be identical to the Fremont Soloist and should cost you a couple of dollars less. StringsByMail dot com is a good source if you can't find local suppliers.

 

[Contrails]

A Fremont Soloist Low G string is an excellent choice for a "squeakless" string. A LaBella 908 classical guitar "D" string seems to be identical to the Fremont Soloist and should cost you a couple of dollars less. StringsByMail dot com is a good source if you can't find local suppliers.

I am aware of the Fremont soloist. It’s usually used as a low G in GCEA tuning. But he is using it as a low D in DBGE baritone scale. It’s meant to be a D string on a guitar with scale length of around 25 inches. A baritone is 20 inches in scale so I am not sure if it will be too floppy. That’s what I asked if it’s some other string that is being used.

 

[JEngle1122]

Can you please sharing what squeakless string that would be? Thanks

This is the string I'm using as a D on a baritone:
D'Addario Composite Lightly Polished J4505LP, normal tension .034

I tried to find the video where he recommended this string but can't seem to find it again. I may have just seen it for sale on their website, and taken that as enough of a recommendation:
D'Addario J4505LP Lightly Polished Single Wound Low D Ukulele String (Bartione DGBE)

Can recommend.

 

[Contrails]

This is the string I'm using as a D on a baritone:
D'Addario Composite Lightly Polished J4505LP, normal tension .034

I tried to find the video where he recommended this string but can't seem to find it again. I may have just seen it for sale on their website, and taken that as enough of a recommendation:
D'Addario J4505LP Lightly Polished Single Wound Low D Ukulele String (Bartione DGBE)

Can recommend.

Thanks for the info and links. Yeah I was thinking for a D on a bari the gauge has to be around 0.035. Any thinner it would be too loose. I totally forgot about this Daddario set. The common squeakless ones that always get mentioned is the Fremont soloist or thomastik strings.

 

[JEngle1122]

Thanks for the info and links. Yeah I was thinking for a D on a bari the gauge has to be around 0.035. Any thinner it would be too loose. I totally forgot about this Daddario set. The common squeakless ones that always get mentioned is the Fremont soloist or thomastik strings.

There's still a little noise, but I'd feel confident calling it "significantly mitigated squeak".

 

[mingus]

KoAloha OPIO Tenor Ukulele Natural | Reverb

Solid Spruce top gives it punch Solid Acacia back and sides, a relative to Koa Tenor size Strung with low G Some scratches beneath clear pickguard from before I put the pickguard on Sells new for $750 Case is included Will entertain reasonable offers

reverb.com

 

[chenx2]

I saw some recommended spruce top ukes but if your do a lot of percussion while playing, spruce top may not last long. Some harder woods like Acacia/ Koa/ Mahogany would do better. Also, does your budget include the installation of pickup? It will add around 150-200usd to the bill.

 

[roastbeast]

From what I've seen, the used Kala Elite will be the best bang for your buck for your neck width preference and low G tone profile. Having owned a couple and hoping to get one back in my collection in the future, they have a very powerful voice on par, if not boomier, than Hawaiian K brands.

Of course if you are like most of us here, when you step up you keep stepping up and sometimes I just wished I had jumped to the end knowing what I know. Would have saved a lot of dough, haha.

 

[Milesaway71]

From what I've seen, the used Kala Elite will be the best bang for your buck for your neck width preference and low G tone profile. Having owned a couple and hoping to get one back in my collection in the future, they have a very powerful voice on par, if not boomier, than Hawaiian K brands.

Of course if you are like most of us here, when you step up you keep stepping up and sometimes I just wished I had jumped to the end knowing what I know. Would have saved a lot of dough, haha.

exactly... because its a lot easier to buy now... than to sell it when you find you want something Moore Bettah

That said, I believe the elite Kala is a good bang for the buck just knowing how consistent Kala is overall.