I'd be interested in something akin to a buyers gd, what to look for, where to find the best properties of a uke.
This week I heard the difference in projection between a solid body koa with a glossy finish vs one with a satin finish. A big difference. Also a difference with strings. But, what more should I look for (I'm thinking of buying a quality tenor with the trade or sale value of my two ukes, assessed at almost $800 and I only mention that bc that's all the money I'd have to buy the tenor with.). What kind of tenor should I be able to afford with that much money? Which brands should I be on the lookout for?
Explanations, opinions...all would be of value and received with great gratitude 🙏❤️
Thanks!
As a general rule I don't buy anything I can't get my hands on too play it's not so much about the price as how it sounds and feels in my hands. I can recommend the k brands I have a lovley koaloha uke. But Rob Collins from tinguitar and DJ Morgamakes affordable beautiful sounding ukes and Pete Howlett makes awsome ukuleles that are worth saving for. Go to s good ukulele shop and sit down for a while and play different ukes also if you are part of a club ask to try other people's.
Hi Bunny, you can’t go far wrong by looking at the 4 Hawaiian K brands for quality - Kamaka, Kanile’a, KoAloha and Ko’Olau but there are so may great builders out there. Have a listen to as many demos as possible to see what hat kinds of woods and tones feel good to you.
I would recommend getting in touch with a good seller like Mims Ukes or The Ukulele Site who can help you focus on what would work best for you.
Hi Bunny, Check out the reviews on the gotaukulele.com website. Barry has reviewed mant ukes, both high end and cheap Chinese stuff. He provides a written review as well as a video review with sound samples. The sound samples are the same across the uke reviews, so you cna make an accurate comparison. Hope that helps stear you in the right direction. Cheers, Jay