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I did give 5 away to friends and family. They range from a Fluke to a Kanile in price, but have had excellent results with KALA products 6 ukes were made by them. It was cute but sounded horrible, like the strings were fishing line. I changed out the strings to some Martin M and the difference was amazing, it completely improved the sound of the ukulele. I have now put these strings on 5 other Soprano and concert models and had similar results. The ukulele set up make a huge difference. There are some sellers that do a setup on everyone they sell. I can personally recommend Hawaiian Music supply because they do a professional quality setup on every uke they sell, and sell them online.
Thanks again for your site and Merry Christmas to all. Would this be suitable for a complete beginner? I will eventually upgrade but for 80 bucks this uke is a great starter. Nice sound, quality hardware and construction. Neck is about as straight as you can get without a truss rod. Highly recommended! I found them to be a surprising little instrument for those who are looking to get started with ukulele. Thanks for the review! See which ones you like the best! Makala makes some good ukuleles in that price range.
Any of those brands are pretty good! Thanks for the many useful tips in getting an ukulele. Anyway, I think I was lucky of getting a friendly instrument. Here you can find a nice sample of its sound: Best wishes for all! I have a Kala Soprano all solid mahogany. It is a wonderful ukulele that has a warmtone and is pretty loud but with good dynamics.
My first uke was a Lanikai concert. It had a decent tone but horrible intonation. The neck was attached slightly crooked. I bought and returned an all Koa Lanikai soprano and it was horrible. Either a bad neck or action too low. No dynamics, buzzed, no volume, tiny sound, bad finish. So no more Lanikai for me. I just ordered a solid mahogany soprano Islander from Hawaii Music Supply. Comparable in price to Kala.
I will let you know how it is once it arrives. Hawaii Music supply has a great web site — lessons, lots of video samples etc…. No body has a Cordoba? The fit and finish are awesome after about a week of play it almost never came out of tune again and it has great sound quality.
Has anyone else had a Cordoba? Would you say that this one http: The main differences is that the Dolphin is made out of plastic and the Makala is made out of a wood laminate. Both will sound pretty similar. Some people might make fun of me for it, but for me, there is something inspiring about playing a beautiful instrument, so if you like the look of the Makala, you should go with it!
Especially since they are so similar. Hey Gerry, I did teach the course using a tenor ukulele tuned to standard tuning, so this will be a different tuning from your baritone. However, the majority of the course is spent focusing on strumming and rhythm, so these techniques will be able to be applied to your baritone ukulele. Some people who have baritone ukulele will use a capo on the 5th fret to follow along. By placing a capo on the 5th fret, you are easily transposing your baritone ukulele to the equivalent of standard tuning.
This would be a solution if you wanted to purchase the course. A while back my daughters in another state took a community college uke class that included a uke in the price. I soooo wanted to go. My little Hibiscus sounds great comparing with the 14 others and stays in tune. I love the felt pick that came with it and the little shaker doodad I got to put on my finger for a rhythm toy.
The ukulele group is an excellent idea. Hey Brett-Yeah, I got a Luna, because of the look and the nifty tattoo. However, my very first love is a Kamaka Tenor. It was a present, I love it then and love it now!! Thanks for the site! The open-style tuners keep the instrument in precise tuning and the onboard preamp provides easy amplification that can be dialed in quickly. Luna ukuleles are great! This ukulele will be good if you ever want to plug it in to an amplifier since it has an onboard preamp. Hi, i have recently bought a second hand lazy ukulele, and i am really happy with it.
Hi Sarah, you could try removing the nut and sanding the bottom of it down. This will lower it. However, this project is probably one better suited for a luthier at a local music shop. Thank u everybody! Even for just after Christmas. Welcome to Ukulele Tricks. Learning the ukulele sounds like an awesome way to honor the memory of your grandmother!
Hello, How about a Flea ukulele for a total beginner? Thanks for your great job helping people. Enjoy your ukulele and play the heck out of it! Hey Mark, I imagine the strings need a little bit of time to settle. The Grover tuner shaft fits into the inside drilled hole in the headstock, which acts as a support bearing for the tuning shaft. This hole was far to big allowing the shaft to pull downwards towards the bridge when putting tension on the string.
In doing so It pulls the mounting screws out of the wood and stripping the wood away so the screws cannot be retightened. If you have one ,You can check yours by unwinding the string, and using a finger from underneath, pushing the shaft towards the bridge. If the bearing hole is too big,This will allow downward movement,causing the mtg plate to pull away from the head stock. When tuning, the leverage pressure will strip the wood from the mounting screws so you may not be able to tighten them.
A expensive Ukuleles should not have passed a good quality check,of a manufacturing defect like this. I really loved my Kala , and felt very sad that I had to return it. Hopefully mine is a isolated case, and this does not affect others, of the production run. By the way , I am 77 and love music. Hey John, thanks for your comment. That is very unfortunate and frustrating about your ukulele. I hate when that stuff happens. So Far It sound great, gives me a different tone, and like that G string for picking.
Thanks for mentioning that on your blog John. Thanks for this website, Brett! Just so happened that the one I bought is the Lanikai LU you recommended above. Now to figure out how to change the strings… lol. I managed to learn so much in a period of about 20 minutes. So thank you for your dedication! My friend bought me a Mahalo from Amazon as a birthday present. What do you think about the Mahalo? What do you think? The Mahalo ukuleles are great entry-level ukuleles. I just learned about this ukulele from Raggyrag on Youtube, and he knows his music, and I had to see if it was as good as he said so I bought one, it is the Kamoa Pineapple Soprano, and this is a very nice ukulele with the innotation right on.
I like this better than the Lanikai Soprano, which for the price is nice. It is not a 3 to 5 hundred dollar ukulele but you would never know it from the sound and quality. I have this site setup as one of my home pages..
Thanks Brett. Here is what the Kamoa Pineapple sounds like.. I started off with an electric solid body Amina concert a few months ago. It was an odd looking thing, with a very nice flame maple natural finish. My wife wanted to start, and bought a lovely Kala acoustic concert travel uke. About an inch, but the violin back gives it a deep resonant tone. As a gift, we picked up a Diamond Head soprano for my nephew, and strung it with some Aquila nylagut strings, which sound nice. It looks just like the Makalas up on the top row.
Last night, the latest arrived — a Risa tennor uke stick. Very light for an electric, and built for travel. I just took my first uke workshop a week ago 3 hrs. Nice sound and keeps tune very well. No ukulele sounds completely the same. This is okay and good! I have some feeble guitar skills and experience with cheap gear, so when I went to buy a Ukulele I wanted one that would not have me wanting a better one only a short time later.
I played many and liked a few that are very popular with many people here, with good reason, but in the end I really enjoyed the sound quality, build quality and appearance of the Cordoba ukes even though they seemed a bit more expensive then typical. It stays in tune great even after hours of playing. It came with Aquila strings and a very nice gig bag too.
I had an amp already so I thought a pick up might be nice, glad I did cause it sounds great electric. I love my Ukulele and play at least a couple hours a day or more. Highly recommended. Havent recieved it yet, but what do you think of them? I thinks so far its pretty awesome. Your thoughts? Well I did and now the Lu sits in the closet.
She laughed but, I could see she was visibly disappointed! She is a Freshman at University of Miami and left to go back to school after spring break the next day and that is when I decided to research ukes, buy one and learn to play so I could sit on my front porch and share the gift of music with my daughter! It also came with a flyer to get started playing chords and fingering etc. It tunes very nice and holds the tune for at lest 2 days now that it is a lil over a month old.
I practice with Brett pulling up his videos on my Phone and play along with him and the sound is exact! I plan on buying her a Kala uke just like mine so we can play and enjoy the music together! Thank you Brett for the awesome teaching videos and super online courses! Hey Dee, that is an amazing story!! I love reading these stories, because it shows how contagious ukulele is! Ukulele is a great thing to share with family.
I have a lot of great memories with family playing the ukulele. I got it at my local music store half off.
I think it sounds great and looks beautiful. I just want to know what you think of the brand and this specific ukulele. I believe you are referring to the Ou2 uke which is a mahogany laminate. I bought this for my 8 year old grandson, to try to. This model is quite inexpensive, is easy to play and sounds very good…Will. God luck! On their own my untrained ear likes them both, but side by side the difference is enormous. I definitely have a Ukulele problem now, but it is truly a joyful one! Happy strumming mate. Heey My first uke was a korala uks 36 I bought it yesterday for 35 euros.
Hey Nick, I play guitar and piano too, and it is a little weird at first to get used to the top string. IM thinking about buying a mahalo or a Hilo. The mahalo is really cheap and they both have plastic strings. Being a complete novice I took a players advice and bought a Makala Dolphin. This gave me a chance to play the Dolphin before and after setup and the string change — the difference was huge.
For the setup they have done a bit of work on the frets, the nut and have lowered the saddle about 1mm. I would urge anyone buying their first ukulele to have a setup done by a professional. It really makes a big difference. I am very pleased with my Dolphin and would happily recommend it to anyone as a first ukulele — it is a very playable instrument for a price that is hard to believe. Hey Jon, great suggestion to get a setup done at a music store! This is one of the big benefits to shopping locally versus online! What store did you go that did the set up for your ukulele?
So far only place I have seen that done is at the ukulele site in hawaii. Hey Brett, I play guitar and decided to get a uke as it is easy to carry if I travel. It looks and sounds great, has a solid spruce top, mahogony back n sides, rosewood bridge n fretboard, Aquila strings and what appear to be good quality tuners.
I used to think ukes were cute little toys, but I am really happy that I now see good ukes as serious musical instruments! Thanks for running a great site on ukes! Thanks for posting a little review.
She is a Freshman at University of Miami and left to go back to school after spring break the next day and that is when I decided to research ukes, buy one and learn to play so I could sit on my front porch and share the gift of music with my daughter! More expensive ukuleles might be handmade or have finer detailing e. Depending on how hard you play, you might have to tune the strings often. Hi Brett, thanks for the quick response to my request for your opinion of my new Mahalo uke , I am now in tune and about to start your lessons. I believe you are referring to the Ou2 uke which is a mahogany laminate. Bsl musedo t11 tuner clip on guitar RM
There are so many little ukulele manufacturers popping up all over the place. It sounds like a good uke! I just recently picked up the ukulele and have grown very fond of it. While visiting Hawaii I got a ukulele for cheap you know nothing to special. Well I put some better strings on it and tuned it with a tuner, and it sounds amazing. I have also since picked up another ukulele at a garage sale for 50 cents strings where busted but I figure I will just put new strings on it and if it sounds good great if not oh well.
One of my favorite songs of all time is over the rainbow and I was so excited when I found this site. It really is great. I did not have time to read through all of those comments…WOW! Has your experience been the same in that regard? Great website and lots of fun, btw! Namaste, Mandy. Do you think that this was a good choice for me???
Whenever i tried to reach to Em it is always hard for me. Plz respond back. I play a Lanakai Concert electric. The tuning keys are professional quality and the Aquila strings hold their tune on stage. This is a good thing! This site is a dream! Thanks for the helpful info! I figured it would be more of a souvenir to get their brand. But I love my ukulele! Hello great site, this is very helpfull for the uke beginner I am! I just bought a Lehua Soprano.
Do you know it? My kids and i try to learn the tabs by ourselves and have really fun. But the strings can be better. Which are do you prefer? We have been issued with Mahalo ukes and despite the initial constant retuning of 20 ukes my kids love it! For me it makes no difference how much they cost they ALL get treated like a priceless vase — if they learn to respect and appreciate a cheap one then if they continue learning they will certainly appreciate a more expensive one.
I just love the sound and its great that kids get success very quickly with them. Such a fab wee instrument! Anyone know a good crossover uke? I play guitar and want to learn uke. Great article! I really like the Mahalo uke, it sounds good and comes in different colors which make is fun. Thanks for the info! Hi Brett, I picked up a concert sized Mitchell at Guitar Center recently, and have been favorably impressed with the low action and rich tone. They seem a little loose, though.
Hi,I am a 60 yr. When I was a kid I had a hand me down uke…. What uke do you recommend? I would easily recommend it to anyone, maintains its tune for way more than three hours of straight playing and jamming with others and it sounds simply fantastic too. To the trained ear, it may sound similar to a mandolin at first, but it is simply magnificent as an instrument.
It has a much fuller, almost guitar-like sound which I rather like and just feels really nice to play. What a wealth of information. Is anyone familiar with Lucky Penny? Description seemed very much like some of the others mentioned here. I have been playing now for about a month. I went with the coolness factor and got a tenor Fender, and I love it. Very sweet uku. Also, love the site, it has been a BIG help on my new journey! Hi, I have only been playing for about 6 months and I am addicted. I started out on a Mitchell MU 70 concert great little uke very happy and bright.
I had to pick up banjo, mandolin, and uke very quickly I already played guitar and Bass for many years. I ended up buying a Luna Tattoo and it has been a great instrument. Good sound, intonation, etc. I recently changed over to the low G and really like it. I am also a school music teacher for elementary kids and I decided to add ukulele to the classroom. Several students have ordered their own and I beleive it to be a decent beginner uke for kids.
They are holding up well in the classroom and I am teaching 1st grade through 5th. If you are looking for an inexpensive introduction to the uke this might be a decent choice. I have some students who bought other brands Mahalo, etc. I have always advised students to buy the best instrument they can afford at the time. If that is a cheapie, then learn on it and you will have a better idea of what to look for when you upgrade. Keep the cheapie around to take on campouts or to the beach. My fingers are raw. I played guitar as a kid and into early adult life.
I only really learned a few folk toons so I did not get very far with it. My father was a world class trumpet player and old school. I beat scales into me on guitar and Piano at the same time. Really it made me lose interest. I better approach I think is to learn scales, learn theory but learn some tunes at the same time.
I have a lanikai concert ukulele. Intonation seems a tiny bit off, but I dont care at this point. I am wondering if there is a better string I could use that would help me brake my fingers in slower. My index finger had a run in with a table saw years back and grooved the bone out a little so it is even worse then the rest.
F7 right next to the nut is really hard to deal with. If you live in the UK I recommend Dawsons music cheap own brand Redwood ukelele , I have the concert with the zebra wood body , it was 65 quid, plays lovely , just needed a quick nut set up As it was a bit too high. I just bought today a Kala k-s ukulele is this ukulele has a good quality sound? And is thiS a good ukulele? I need your opinion about my new ukulele because this is my first time to play this instrument. I started to play with a Johnson baritone since I have tremor which prevents me from playing my classical guitar these days.
To this day it continues to remain in tune and sounds adequate for a first baritone experience. I must admit that I really enjoy playing them for church. Not all Johnson hies are flawed you just have to play them to find a good one. I purchased mine from Musicians Friend about 10 years ago. I am a quite amateur acoustic guitar player, and am looking to purchase a good-very good quality uke. Which model will perform well, keep its tune, and last a good while? I can not decide between the dolphin makala and the pineapple makala.. If you have large hands, you should definitely get a tenor.
Unless you have nimble, small fingers! Doug, I am in my 81st year with arthritic fingers and am becoming addicted to ukulele playing. Good luck…my dog has fleas too! I just ordered a ukulele but I kind of regret it now and want to exchange it for a different brand. However, I read reviews that said it was horrible. Do you know anything about it? Also, since I am planning on returning that one, I am looking at the Mahalo Soprano uke.
What do you think of this ukulele? Hey guys! My estimation is between and USD. I think im buying the Oscar Schmidt one, I have seen some Kalas around that price, or higher, but Oscar Shcmidt models are insane. What would you recommend? I seek a very good sound, and a great wood model. The wood is mango…very beautiful and sounds terrific! Check it out online…the best looking uke I have ever seen! Good luck! The wood is spalted mango and the sound is fantastic! It is the most beautiful ukulele I have ever seen!
I live in Mexico, so finding a ukulele locally was difficult. Absolutely love it. Has a great tone. When the strings are depressed, it ends up bending them slightly too far and thus creates a slightly higher pitch than desired, especially further up the neck. This can be remedied by filing down the nut slots and removing the saddle then filing down the bottom of it and replacing it back in the bridge.
The action also drastically improves ease of play.
items Mingrui Wooden Ukulele Soprano Windsor Arch back Brown Color Uke Flower/Birds Pattern. ELEC 23 Inch Black Acoustic Electric Ukulele 4 Strings Mahogany Panel Ukulele. BLW 21 Inch 4 Nylon Strings Soprano Ukulele Hawaii Guitar FREE Bag, Chord Chart, Pick & Sticker (Brown). Established in , Kala has risen to become a well-established manufacturer of the ukulele, with over models catered for musicians and hobbyists alike.
On one starter ukulele i bought a Luna tattoo concert uke , the nut slots were so high that i had immense trouble barring the first fret and a little trouble playing single strings on the first fret. It worked perfectly. It plays beautifully, especially for the wood used, very sweet mellow sound that resonates rather long. Not to mention the beautiful design on it! The wood is much more solid and it resonates a bit longer. It doesnt quite sound as mellow as my luna, but its definitely louder and easier to play, and sounds absolutely delightful!
DO NOT buy the kala ka-cem exotic mahogany , the body shape is much smaller and i can honestly say i find the wood to produce an ugly, tinny, obnoxious tone and it doesnt project well at all. The moral of the story is, though, that you can buy a starter ukulele and improve it. Should I replace the current strings with Aquila strings or get another ukulele that might be of a better quality? Thank you. My first and only ukulele is a Kohala Kine-O soprano ukulele. It has a nice sound but it does produce a slight buzzing noise due to some manufacturing errors in the frets.
I am planning on upgrading in a couple of months anyways. Keep in mind that one aspect of cheaper ukuleles is possible difficulty of staying in tune, or intonation. It could be due to imprecisely placed frets, tuners not staying put, but either way, or the action being too high, it can make playing frustrating. Getting a professional setup is very important, but even more important with less expensive ukuleles because of poorer quality control. Need some reviews please help. What about the Luna ukulele? What is the nicest sounding wood that ukuleles are made out of?
When a ukulele is electric does that mean I can only play it when it is connected to the amplifier? Or can it be used with and without being connected to the amp? What are your thoughts on a Luna Concert Mahogany Ukulele? This will be my first purchase for a Ukulele, and it is in my price range. Yes, i am a beginner, but i want to get a quality Uke at a reasonable price! Also I would like for it to last, do you have any ideas and if so where should I buy it Internet or shop. This article has been so helpful. Is the Makala Dolphin only sold online? The uke sounds pretty nice to me and it came with Aquila strings which was nice.
I like how since it was a pack it came with a gig bag and tuner because I otherwise would have had ti buy a tuner. Which of the following ukulele you think is more suitable for a beginner? I first got into ukuleles three years ago when one of my best friends was moving from the States back to Taiwan.
It was love at first strum! After playing the Dolphin for about two and a half years, I decided that it was probably time to upgrade to something of a better quality. This has been one of my best buy-and-then-tell-mom buys! I was at a music store the other day and was able to try out a If I remember correctly Makala Baritone. I instantly fell in love with the different sound quality that it produced compared to Concerts and Sopranos. Btw nice lessons! There are so many ukes out there and wanted to know if i should get a teach yourself kit or just an uke and learn online.
The firebrand ukulele also comes with a book and chord chart and tuning lessons. What should I do????????? Great site, Brett and thanks for all the excellent resources and demos. The specs say it has an agathis wood top, rosewood fingerboard and mahogany neck.
It also has an injection molded body — is that the plastic part? Hi Jacquie, great question. Often times, the top, back, and sides will be a laminate combined with wood or other stuff such as plastic or another kind of composite material. Often times retailers will avoid disclosing this fully in the description. First of all I want to thank you for the website. It is a wealth of great information. I was thinking about getting a banjolele. Have you played one before? Do you have any suggestions? Hey i want a ukulele, but i dont know know what type of ukulele is the best for me… 2 of my cousins have them….
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