The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Other Musical Instruments

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 02-04-2015, 06:58 PM
BrunoBlack's Avatar
BrunoBlack BrunoBlack is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: New England
Posts: 10,484
Default Ukulele advice

Ok, I know this isn't a Ukulele Forum, but I figure some of you play one. My wife is interested in playing and I know absolutely nothing about the instrument. Anything we should look for or consider as we embark on this adventure?
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 02-04-2015, 07:00 PM
RichM752 RichM752 is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Mt Shasta CA
Posts: 801
Default

Try here.

http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/forum.php
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 02-04-2015, 07:03 PM
BrunoBlack's Avatar
BrunoBlack BrunoBlack is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: New England
Posts: 10,484
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by RichM752 View Post
Excellent! Thanks.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 02-04-2015, 07:32 PM
mstuartev mstuartev is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 1,340
Default

Mainland (made off shore but assembled or set up here in Indiana) are great. Good price. Nice finish, good sound.
__________________
Pogreba Baritone Weissenheimer 'Weissenborn style" (awesome!)
Lazy River mahogany weissenborn style
Lazy River short scale weissenborn
Mainland Tenor Uke
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 02-04-2015, 07:44 PM
Taylorcrazy's Avatar
Taylorcrazy Taylorcrazy is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Middle GA
Posts: 539
Thumbs up Ukulele

Mainland or Pono, both great bang for the buck (I own both and they are excellent).
__________________

Taylorcrazy_____________


Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 02-04-2015, 07:48 PM
firelegend2 firelegend2 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 263
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Haasome View Post
Ok, I know this isn't a Ukulele Forum, but I figure some of you play one. My wife is interested in playing and I know absolutely nothing about the instrument. Anything we should look for or consider as we embark on this adventure?
You want solid wood if you want a really nice sound. Kala makes a very nice Mahogany tenor that is very popular. If you have the $$ get a martin. I recommend CONCERT size. Its not the smallest or the biggest so it is the safest bet. If you want it to sound more guitar-like put a LOW G string on it, quiet lovely. If you do get a Martin, I recommend Worth Brown strings on it for a mellow sound, or go full Martin with Martin strings. I also like Pono a lot but its more $$ then Kala. Kala is the safer of the cheaper range.

Ukulele sizes:

Soprano - Smallest and tiny and possible to get hand cramps!
Concert - A little bigger, the middle child
Tenor - A lot of the professional ukulele players wind up on tenor's, probably because they are louder and a fuller sound from the larger body.

Baritone - tuned differently, its like a tiny guitar missing two strings, harder to find tabs/music for because it's less common.

Google jake shimabukuro if you've never seen him and be prepared to be blown away. He's made the Kamaka Tenor very popular
__________________
------
Martin Dreadnaught Jr.
Martin Concert Uke
Pono Baritone Uke
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 02-04-2015, 07:55 PM
thegreatgumbino thegreatgumbino is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 569
Default

I'll echo the Mainland recommendations. I picked up a B-stock tenor about 2 years ago. They are available if you call to inquire. Still can't find any blemishes on mine.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 02-04-2015, 08:20 PM
mushin mushin is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: San Diego,CA
Posts: 634
Default Pono

I just picked up a Pono AT (tenor size ukulele). I found it used for a great price. I love the tenor size, very comfortable to play.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 02-04-2015, 09:07 PM
joeguam joeguam is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 2,755
Default

You should check out www.theukulelesite.com, they have ukes in all price ranges and have awesome YT videos of the free setup they perform on every uke before it ship.

I'm not affiliated to that site by any means, I've just purchased a couple of ukes from them for family members who live in places where I can't set the uke up for them.
__________________
AGF rules say I must tell you that I'm a KoAloha Ukulele sponsored artist.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 02-05-2015, 05:50 AM
BrunoBlack's Avatar
BrunoBlack BrunoBlack is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: New England
Posts: 10,484
Default

Great advice. I went with the Pono Concert from the ukulele site. Thanks everyone.
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 02-05-2015, 07:09 AM
firelegend2 firelegend2 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 263
Default

great choice, Joel at that shop does an amazing setup.
__________________
------
Martin Dreadnaught Jr.
Martin Concert Uke
Pono Baritone Uke
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 02-05-2015, 08:04 AM
Thorby Bislam Thorby Bislam is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: North Yorkshire. UK
Posts: 363
Default

Go on Facebook and search for learn ukulele free. https://www.facebook.com/groups/learnukulelefree/
__________________
This Machine floats
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 02-05-2015, 08:32 AM
dave42 dave42 is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Central Ohio
Posts: 982
Default

Pono... Great choice! Enjoy!
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 02-05-2015, 08:54 AM
devellis's Avatar
devellis devellis is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 8,399
Default

Be sure to get one with tuners that won't make you crazy. Geared tuners are a real plus. Decent-quality ungeared friction tuners are certainly workable on a uke but I much prefer the precision of geared. And the straight, violin-style pegs should absolutely be avoided, in my opinion. The benefits are probably even more evident for a beginner who will initially find tuning a bit of a challenge under the best of circumstances. Violin pegs will be horrible. Metal, multi-part friction tuners will be better but still not great. Geared tuners will make tuning as simple as possible and will not add much to the cost of the instrument. Remember, ukes have nylon strings that stretch like crazy. Until the strings settle it, you'll be retuning it a lot. Do yourself and your wife a favor and get one with geared tuners.
__________________
Bob DeVellis
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 02-05-2015, 11:07 AM
Kupuna50's Avatar
Kupuna50 Kupuna50 is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 1,231
Default uke

Some good thoughts from AGF members.
Living in Hawaii and playing ukulele semi-professionally, I have a somewhat different take on the question:
For your first uke, Pono's or Kala are OK. Good pricing, good quality.
But.....the tone on each is, in my opinion, missing.
If you've never played a uke, you'd never know.
Soon, after hearing other ukes, you'll feel like you wasted good bucks on your uke.
My suggestion is to get one of the "K's" - Kamaka, Kanilea or Koaloha.
A few more bucks, but well worth it.
Wonderful tone, great 'feel', excellent construction, beautiful woods.
As well, if you decide that playing a uke is not your 'thing', you can sell them with ease, whereas selling a Pono or Kala is significantly more difficult.

IMHO!
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Other Musical Instruments

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 09:10 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=