Ukuleles and Price vs Quality

[RafterGirl]

Two suggestions
1. Buy from a dealer who will do a good set-up on whatever uke you buy. TUS. Mim, Uke Republic are ones I've purchased from. Also watch the marketplace here on UU. Folks here will usually have a good set-up on ukuleles they are selling, and you can get a nice ukulele at a decent price.
2. Find a ukulele group to play with. It will expand your playing & enjoyment immensely. Uke folks are generally very friendly and willing to teach new players.

 

[Charles Guy]

Morning Geoff,

Great thread with lots of information shared by all. As a player on a budget I am not able to advise from experience about at what price point one should expect a "better" ukulele to be available. I will say its a very subjective topic as when I compare the two baritones I have the results are not really cost related. The Kala laminate is a real joy to play fitting so well in the hand and blessed with Volume. The Pono solid mahagony doesn't feel quite as natural in the hand and is certainly quieter, however the notes are very clear, smooth, and with great sustain. I know from reviews, videos, and reading in the forum that there are ukuleles that have all the best features of both. Its a matter of actually holding and playing them until I find the one at whatever price.

I will say from way too much experience that indeed strings make a huge difference in sound & feel. It depends on how you like them to feel to the touch, if you want them bright, warm, loud, quiet and even how they look. Each ukulele seems to play differently with different strings. For example if I want to have the Kala be as loud as possible then I only need to put a set of Martins on it while if I want it to be mellow its the Worth Browns. Still experimenting with the Pono.

 

[kissing]

So you mean I can use tenor strings on a concert as well?

My only concern is destroying the top or having the neck bow more than I'd like/is recommended.

Is it really true you can use tenor strings on a concert body? I'd love to try that out. I play guitar so my fingers are well conditioned. Playing for hours doesn't cause any pain and I actually find I accidentally bend my soprano strings often because they're so soft and easy to manipulate.

Yes you can.
Soprano, Concert and Tenor strings should actually be named Light, Normal and Hard tension.

Using Tenor strings on Concert ukuleles should not be even close to causing any damage.

 

[merlin666]

So you mean I can use tenor strings on a concert as well?

My only concern is destroying the top or having the neck bow more than I'd like/is recommended.

Is it really true you can use tenor strings on a concert body? I'd love to try that out. I play guitar so my fingers are well conditioned. Playing for hours doesn't cause any pain and I actually find I accidentally bend my soprano strings often because they're so soft and easy to manipulate.

There is no clear definition of what distinguishes a tenor from a soprano string and you will have to look at the set specs string diameters. Some brands make no distinction at all, some just cut them to different lengths. And others assign different thicknesses to the uke sizes. For example d'addario has thicker tenor strings and thinner concert and then soprano strings. So if you put the thicker strings on then the tension will be higher and you can play more vigorously and be less concerned about unintentional bending. But of course the tension will still be lower than if you had them on a longer scale uke.

 

[HappyTurtle]

Interesting topic OP.
What does Quality mean to you?

Does quality mean meeting user requirements?

Does quality mean the absence of defects?

Does quality mean the name behind the brand? Perceived quality.

I have an entry-level Luna Tattoo concert that I would say is very durable.

Also, I have service-related hearing loss and tinnitus so my Luna may sound like trash I just don't hear it

 

[revdocjim]

The Hawaiian K brand basic models, as already mentioned, sort of set the base line for high quality, excellent sound that meets or exceeds just about anyone's standards, but they each do have their own unique sound signature; and that comes down to personal preference. But all of them except Kamaka also have off-shore made versions that are sometimes quite close in sound quality but at cheaper prices. My hunch is that anything over $2,500 is probably more about bling or "appointments" in sales language, or really exotic woods. Then again, I've never had the opportunity to lay hands on one of those really expensive instruments so I'm just guessing.

What's less clear is the $300-$900 range. There seem to be many fantastic instruments in that range, but others that while good, are clearly a step or two below the $1,000+ instruments. (as they should be) I think hands on playing is the only way to get clear answers on those pieces. Among my small collection shown in my signature, the Pono Master Series (spruce/rosewood) and the Kamaka HF-2 are definitely the best sounding instruments I own.

 

[TerryM]

So you mean I can use tenor strings on a concert as well?

My only concern is destroying the top or having the neck bow more than I'd like/is recommended.

Is it really true you can use tenor strings on a concert body? I'd love to try that out. I play guitar so my fingers are well conditioned. Playing for hours doesn't cause any pain and I actually find I accidentally bend my soprano strings often because they're so soft and easy to manipulate.

Yes, and some manufacturers of fluorocarbon strings even package soprano, concert and tenor as a single option - sometimes double length but same strings for the three scales.

 

[rainbow21]

There is no clear definition of what distinguishes a tenor from a soprano string and you will have to look at the set specs string diameters. Some brands make no distinction at all, some just cut them to different lengths. And others assign different thicknesses to the uke sizes. For example d'addario has thicker tenor strings and thinner concert and then soprano strings. So if you put the thicker strings on then the tension will be higher and you can play more vigorously and be less concerned about unintentional bending. But of course the tension will still be lower than if you had them on a longer scale uke.

You will have to do some sifting of information available. Most of the information will be sound based on the experience of the poster. But if the information is misapplied to your specific situation, you can be screwed...

My partly hypothetical example:

I have a very nice, expensive and lightly built concert ukulele, that shows a little bit of soundboard bellying between the bridge and soundhole. The bridge also showed a slight separation (since repaired by the manufacturer). It has been strung with "soft tension" Uke Logic concert fluorocarbon strings.

Now, I can increase the tension with their "hard tension" strings. Their tenor strings might be the same, but if I now change to tenor strings from another company, that might increase the tension another increment. Then going to a "hard tension" tenor string could be a third step more than my current strings.

Fortunately, I am completely satisfied with the current setup. But I would hesitate to move up another step with the tension, much less two or three steps with the bellying that has already occurred. You currently have soprano strings which indicates the tension is reasonably low. You could step up to different concert strings. But be wary of blindly going straight to tenor strings based on advice given here in this thread. I would research the thickness/tension parameters before jumping in.

 

[TerryM]

You will have to do some sifting of information available. Most of the information will be sound based on the experience of the poster. But if the information is misapplied to your specific situation, you can be screwed...

My partly hypothetical example:

I have a very nice, expensive and lightly built concert ukulele, that shows a little bit of soundboard bellying between the bridge and soundhole. The bridge also showed a slight separation (since repaired by the manufacturer). It has been strung with "soft tension" Uke Logic concert fluorocarbon strings.

Now, I can increase the tension with their "hard tension" strings. Their tenor strings might be the same, but if I now change to tenor strings from another company, that might increase the tension another increment. Then going to a "hard tension" tenor string could be a third step more than my current strings.

Fortunately, I am completely satisfied with the current setup. But I would hesitate to move up another step with the tension, much less two or three steps with the bellying that has already occurred. You currently have soprano strings which indicates the tension is reasonably low. You could step up to different concert strings. But be wary of blindly going straight to tenor strings based on advice given here in this thread. I would research the thickness/tension parameters before jumping in.

I agree with this. I was just belaboring the point that OP's dissatisfaction with the volume of his uke may be exaggerated by the strings designed for a soprano. If I were going to try new strings, I'd start with concert fluorocarbons to see if they help.