The 6-string version of Kala's laminated mahogany ukes aimed at beginners. The extra two strings give the uke a fuller sound.
Size: 6 String Tenor
Construction: Mahogany (laminated) top, sides, and back
Fretboard: Rosewood
Bridge: Rosewood
Neck: Mahogany
Tuners: Gold in line Tuners with Pearloid Buttons
Finish: Gloss
Binding: Traditional White
An 8-string ukulele from Kala in their laminated mahogany range. If you want to add an 8-string uke to you collection but don't want to shell out big money, this is a good choice. Any cheaper than this and the quality of the build might not be up to the job. I've seen a couple of cheaper 8 string ukes with their bridges popped off due to the extra tension in an 8-string uke.
A demonstration of the electric version of this uke (the KA-8E
Size: 8 String Tenor
Construction: Mahogany (laminated) top, sides, and back
Fretboard: Rosewood
Frets: 18
Bridge: Rosewood
Neck: Mahogany
Tuners: Gold in line Tuners with Pearloid Buttons
Finish: Gloss
Binding: Traditional White
A completely biased recommendation since I wrote it. But it is definitely the most comprehensive beginner ukulele book around. Find out about it here. Read reviews here.
Buy it on Amazon US
Buy it on Amazon UK
It's also worth picking up a chord dictionary like Mel Bay's Ukulele Chords
Fingerstyle Solos for 'Ukulele
A great book of straight-forward fingerstyle arrangements by Mark Kailana Nelson. Read my full review here.
A book of tricky arrangements of classical and folk tunes from the master of campanella ukulele John King. Read my full review here.
The Complete Ukulele Course taught by Ralph Shaw
Ralph Shaw guides you through basic strumming technique and strumming in different styles. Read my review here.
Ralph Shaw - Essential Strums for the Ukulele
Bob Brozman - Ukulele Tunes & Techniques
Genre-hopping multi-instrumentalist virtuoso guides you through jazzy and Hawaiian ukulele playing techniques with the help of Ledward Kaapana. Read my full review here.
Jake Shimabukuro - Play Loud Ukulele Price: $14.98
Some many ukuleles, so few kidneys to sell.
I've written a few articles that I hope will help you make the right ukulele choice and keep the body parts sold to a minimum. If you've got any tips to share yourself, please do leave them in the comments.
Tips on the size and price of ukulele that people looking to buy their first ukulele should take into consideration.
If you want me to cut to the chase, two good options for beginners are the Lanikai LU-21 and the Kala KA-S.
Some thoughts on the pros and cons of the various sizes.
A look at the sort of price you can expect to pay for your ukuleles.
Buying a ukulele can be a very tricky task - particularly if you're buying one for the first time. The Ukulele Review section of this site aims to help you make a decision by giving you reviews, information and videos of on a wide range of ukuleles.
- There's a huge range of makes of ukulele out there. This section gives you a quick history of each of the major brands, a discussion of the type of ukuleles they make, reviews from Ukulele Hunt readers and a video showcasing the uke (where available). Hopefully giving you a much better idea of which ukulele to buy and which to avoid.
Some of the ukuleles with the best reputation for beginners are Lanikai (particularly the budget LU-21 Lanikai ukuleles) and Kala (their KA-S ukuleles and Makala ukuleles are very popular with kids).
If you're looking to spend a bit (or a lot) more, take a look at the KoAloha ukuleles or the Pono ukuleles.
If you're after an electric ukulele, take a look at buying the Ovation Applause ukuleles or the RISA.
- There are four main sizes: soprano, concert, tenor and baritone. Most people start on the soprano ukulele since it is the traditional ukulele and, since it is the smallest, it requires less stretching. But more and more people are buying tenor ukuleles - inspired by the likes of Jake Shimabukuro - which is more suited to solo, instrumental ukulele playing.
- Your budget is going to play a big part in your decision. Most first time buyers get a very cheap ukulele - that's certainly what I did. But it is spending a little more to get a ukulele the sounds and feels good and is well set up. There are many good quality ukuleles in the $50 -$100 range. Buying one of these ukuleles will give you a nice uke which will encourage you to play more.
- When you buy a ukulele, it will come with strings fitted - but often these are cheap, poor quality strings. There are two types of ukulele strings that stand out above the others: Aquila and Worth. Spending a little extra money on these will make your ukulele sound much better than it does with cheap strings.
With the different sizes and tunings, buying ukulele strings is a bit of a minefield. This section will give you some guidance.
- Buying a ukulele isn't the end of the spending. There are plenty of other bits and pieces you just begging you to buy them. The most important being a tuner. Other less essential items include capos, pick-ups, straps and a whole lot of other stuff to keep your ukulele company. This section looks at which accessories are a must buy and which are less essential.
Mark Roberts is a luthier who is keen to push forward the sound of the ukulele. He says, "My instruments are definitely not your traditional ukulele. Every model is selectively design to enhance a new voice for the ukulele with a focus on enhanced playability. The tone of my instruments is more robust with a decidedly more guitar-like expanded range of tone and volume." You can see more videos of his ukuleles on his Facebook.
Makapili ukuleles are made by Europe based, American luthier Thomas Macomson. His ukes are all made in solid Acacia and are very popular with those who have bought one such as Wilfried Welti who is a big evangelist for them.
Wilfried Welti plays Bach's Bouree on his Makapili.
Mike Da Silva started Da Silva Ukuleles in Berkeley, California in 2005. In that time he's become one of the most respected luthiers around and has built up a very impressive client list that includes John King, James Hill, Pops Bayless and even Warren Buffett. You can take a look at his ukes here but the highlight has to be his painstaking reproductions of the Santo ukuleles.
As well as luthiering, he also hosts workshops, gigs and get togethers which you can find on his website.
Bosko and Honey pick up a Da Silva ukulele whilst on their safari.
Palm Tree Ukuleles is based in Colorado and was set up by Colorado Springs by John & Pam Ramsey. Many of their ukes are inspired by the early ukulele makers such as Kumalae and Dias. You can find out more about them on their website.
How long have you been making ukuleles and how did you get started?
We’ve been building ukes since 2005. We had been building guitars, mandolins, and banjo necks for over 35 years out of our music store in Colorado Springs, so we had a lot of experience with building acoustic instruments.
There are a couple reasons we began building ukes. Nathan Fisher, the repair person at our music store in Colorado Springs, had built a few and we thought they were really cool. But we didn’t make the decision to start building our own line of ukes until after our first visit to Maui, where we fell in love with Hawaii and its music.
What sort of players are your ukuleles aimed at?
Everyone! Anybody who likes quality hand built instruments will like a Palm Tree ukulele.
What separates Palm Tree from other ukuleles?
We strive for a light construction build for a warm, open sound. We let our wood age in Colorado’s dry climate for months before using it, which we feel helps stabilize the finished product.
Our primary goal when we started Palm Tree Ukuleles was to build a contemporary uke based on vintage designs.
Your uke designs are influenced by the original ukulele makers. What is it about those designs that are so special?
We just love the simplicity and classic look of the older uke builders’ designs. There are a lot of unique and interesting ukulele designs out there these days, but there’s something timeless about the old-style ukes that we’re really fond of.
What do you think makes a great ukulele?
Tone, playability, design, quality wood, attention to detail. It’s a combination of a lot of little things that come together to make a great instrument.
Kanilea have been best known as a high-end, high-price, Hawaiian-made ukulele maker. But more recently they launched the much cheaper (from $100 upwards) Islander range with both solid and laminated ukuleles. They've been picking up some very good reviews.
ItsAMeCasey reviews his Kanilea Islander MST-4.
Hawaiian-based ukulele company with a range of ukuleles:
– Ahua (their entry level ukuleles)
– Kaiko’o (sitka spruce top, zebrawood elsewhere)
– Papakea (spruce top, rosewood elsewhere)
– Hokua (solid, all mahogany ukuleles)
Sarah Maisel demonstrates a Nalu Ukulele at NAMM.
Lymana ukuleles are made in Hawaii by Lymana Ashikawa. He’s been making ukuleles more than 20 years and was the ukulele maker of choice for Bill Tapia.
Find out more at LymanaUkulele.com.
Dianne Rubio plays Lulu’s Back in Town on her Lymana Ukulele.
Oscar Schmidt are an offshoot of the Washburn guitar company. They started out as the ‘folk instrument’ wing of Washburn and seem to focus on Autoharps more than ukuleles. Oscar Schmidt ukes tend to be at the cheaper end of the price scale but have a good reputation for quality.
I have an Ashbury Concert Koa uke which is exactly the same as the Oscar Schmidt Concert OU5 (it’s simply branded differently for sale in the UK). If that’s the case, then I can highly recommend it. When I say ‘koa’ it is, of course, laminated rather than solid (meaning there’s a thin layer of koa wood on top of cheaper wood underneath). Having said that, it still makes a good sound and is the easiest to play of all my ukuleles. The action is low and the intonation is very good. I’ve recommended it to a few people as a great first uke.
Oscar Schmidt ukuleles got a bit of TV exposure and a big boost in popularity thanks to Jason Castro using an Oscar Schmidt OU5 for his performance of Somewhere Over the Rainbow on American Idol.
If that isn’t enough to convince you, here’s the World’s richest man, Warren Buffett, playing an Oscar Schmidt.
Elliott Brood give their Oscar Schmidt ukuleles a good bashing on The Valley Town.
OU2 Concert Ukulele: $69
OU13 Soprano Ukulele: $99
OU3 Concert Ukulele: $109.90
OU2E Soprano Electric Ukulele: $109.90
OU5 Concert Koa Ukulele: $149
OU53S Baritone Ukulele: $179
I own an Oscar Schmidt OU-2. She’s a sweet little honey colored concert Uke named ‘Plinky’. It’s the perfect Uke for me. I recommend this model for any first timer (like myself) who has larger hands. I have been playing for only five months and already can’t get her out of my head, hands and heart. The tone and action is rich.
Review by Michael
KoAloha started making ukuleles in 1995 and have quickly become very highly respected. There are an impressive number of top ukulelists using KoAloha ukuleles including Herb Ohta Jnr, Daniel Ho, Britt Paiva and Victoria Vox.
KoAloha ukuleles are all made of solid Koa wood (hence the name: koa+aloha=KoAloha) and built in their factory in Hawaii. As a result they are expensive instruments. But KoAloha also have a budget range called KoAlana which are built in China and finished in Hawaii. And the Opio line of mid-range of Thai-made ukes.
CNBC talk to Alvin ‘Pops KoAloha’ Okami.
At the moment, KoAloha are working their way through a seven part Masterpiece Collection. This signature series will be seven individual and distinctive new designs of ukulele.
The first was the KoAloha Pineapple Sunday which takes the idea of a pineapple ukulele and takes it to its logical conclusion.
The second in the series was the KoAloha Sceptre. This is an absolutely incredible ukulele design.
Third was the Jukulele – a ukulele that looks like a jukebox.
Lanikai are part of the Hohner music company. Initially their ukuleles, being made in China and laminated, were at the cheaper end of the scale (although they are increasingly moving into higher end ukes) but that hasn’t stopped them getting some high level support.
Lanikai are a bit hit with the indie crowd. The most famous Lanikai uker is Zach Condon of Beirut.The model he uses is an LU-21TE. The LU-21T only costs around $100, which makes it a good buy for a first time uker – particularly if you’re looking to start with a tenor. The LU-21T is also used by tUnE-YaRdS, Scott Matthew and Hailey Wojcik. Other high profile Lanikai supporter are Jason Mraz and Robert Plant (although the only place I’ve seen them with a Lanikai is in promo pictures).
Overall, their LU-21 range is a great place to start for anyone looking to buy their first ukulele.
Zach Condon strums on his Lanikai LU-21TE
LU-11: Starter ukulele, nato construction. Price: $46
LU-21 standard: Soprano ukulele, nato construction. (no, I’m not sure what the difference between the LU-11 and the LU-21 is either) Price: $59
LU-21P: Soprano pineapple ukulele, nato wood. Price: $59
LU-21C: Concert size version of LU-21. Price: $79
LU-21T: Tenor version of LU-21. Price: $109
LU-21B: Introductory baritone ukulele. Price: $119
More in-depth look at Lanikai’s models:
Cheap-o Range
Kohala C
Kohala Standard
Kohala HU-212
Introductory Range
LU-11
LU-21 Standard
LU-21
LU-21B
LU-21C
LU-21P
LU-21T
LU-21TE
LU-6
LU-8
O Series
O Series & Spruce O-6
O Series & Spruce O-8 8-String
O Series & Spruce S-T
O Series & Spruce S-TEQ
Curly Koa Series
Curly Koa CK-6E
Curly Koa CK-B
Curly Koa CK-C
Curly Koa CK-S
Curly Koa CK-T
Curly Koa CK-TEQ
Custom Series
Designer Series
Designer LCD-C
Designer LSM-C
Desinger LSM-T
Flame Maple LFM-C
Flame Maple LFM-S
Flame Maple LFM-T
Lanikai LU21 ukulele review by Mike.
Here’s the picture showing the thickness of the top which he references in the video:
Review by hoosierhiver
My Best Ukulele by Stephen Palmer
Chords: C, A, G
Time: 4/4
You get the idea of structure after the first verse:
C
My favourite uke is a
A D
Concert sized Lanakai
C
I bought from Ron.
He is man who owns a
A D
Music shop in my
C
Town Darlington
We had a conversation
A D
About me getting tickets
C
To see Tom Waits
When I got back I played my
A D C
Uke til my fingers ached.
My ukulele has a slender neck
And curves like my girlfriend
She is the only one that
I will ever play, until my ditty ends.
I’ll never treat it bad
Or treat her bad.
This is a promise I’ll tell you.
All I ever want to do
Is sit
And play my uke.
I wanted to make a video
To win the competition
I would have played the song myself
And give a demonstration.
But I don’t have the time,
Technology
And I don’t have the patience.
So I will leave the melody
Open to your own interpretation.
I think the ukulele is the best
Everyone should have one
Mankind should strive to reach
This aim of mine, it would be so much fun
There would no terrorism,
Or danger to the world coming from guns.
In the one hand would be a ukulele
The other hand would strum.
So now you know my great plan
To achieve world dominaton
Using only cunning plans
And a four string combination.
The world would be
Such a better place, if I was in charge.
With my army of ukulele players.
We would do no harm.
So this what I think of
When I pick up my uke to play.
And should my enemies try to steal
Her or plan to make her stray.
I will play a song so beautiful
Ohana ukuleles are some of the cheapest solid wood ukuleles around. A number of their instruments are solid mahogany yet priced at under $200. That’s very rare.
Obviously, with the instruments being so cheap, they are not made in the US but China. As you can see from Ken Middleton’s review below, this means that the finishing and set up aren’t always perfect. But for such a low price tag, it might be a compromise you’re happy to make.
Ohana produce two unusual instruments that are popular with ukulelists looking for something a little different. The SK-21 is a sopranino i.e. it is even smaller than a soprano. With an overall length of less than 20 inches, it makes for a great traveling uke. The other is the CKP-70. This is a replica of the Roy Smeck Vita-Uke. It has the distinctive teardrop shape and unusually shaped sound holes.
Ken Middleton’s review of the Ohana TK-35G
The Ohana CK-50G is a concert ukulele in roughly the same price class as the Bushman Jenny and a little more expensive than the popular Fluke Uke. In Ohana’s lineup, it falls between the less expensive mahogany CK-25 and the company’s pricier solid koa models. Despite the name (ohana is Hawaiian for ‘family’), this company’s instruments are made in China.
This uke has a solid cedar top, rosewood sides and back, and a rosewood fretboard. The body has a high-gloss finish with purfling around the soundhole and on the outer edge of the top. It has a total of 19 frets. The neck joins the body at the 14th fret, allowing a little more room to navigate than on ukes with only 12 frets on the neck. There are mother-of-pearl position markers at the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th, and 12th frets. The uke has Gotoh nickel friction pegs with white plastic knobs and comes fitted with Aquila Nylgut strings (re-entrant tuning). The dimensions are as follows:
Scale length: 15 inches (38.1 cm)
Neck width at nut: 1 3/8 inches (3.49 cm)
Neck width at 14th fret: 1 11/16 inches (4.29 cm)
Lower bout width: 7 5/8 inches (19.4 cm)
Upper bout width: 5 3/4 inches (14.6 cm)
Overall length: 24 inches (61 cm)
Length of body alone: 10 3/4 inches (27.1 cm)
Maximum body depth: 2 5/8 inches (6.67 cm)
My CK-50G arrived about six weeks ago and has gotten a pretty good workout. I play it for at least an hour every day and have taken it on a couple of business trips.
Appearance and workmanship. In overall appearance this is an attractive instrument, and there are no visible flaws in workmanship. The edge of the fretboard is smooth and without snags, which is not always true of inexpensive instruments. In a few areas, such the join of the bridge to the top or the neck to the body, you can tell that it is not a top-of-the-line ukulele, but such comparisons are not really fair.
Tuning. I actually prefer friction pegs to geared tuning machines: They give the uke a more authentic, traditional look, and their lighter weight makes for a less top-heavy instrument. But I can understand why they might be a big negative for some prospective purchasers. The 1:1 turning ratio means that a small tweak of the knob can result in a major change in pitch, and these pegs definitely get out of tune more readily than geared tuners. Also, you have to remember to end the tuning process with a tightening (pitch-raising) motion rather than the opposite, in order to avoid slippage. All this takes some getting used to, but I don’t think the CK-50G is any better or worse in this respect than other ukes with friction pegs that I have played. Slippage can be reduced by adjusting the set screw at the end of each peg. Unfortunately for those who would prefer a geared mechanism, Ohana does not seem to offer options in the type of tuning devices that are installed on its ukes, as some other makers do.
Action and intonation. The CK-50G was delivered with the action set pretty much as I like it, although I suppose this is fairly personal. It certainly couldn’t have been set much lower without producing some buzzing. The intonation seemed just fine: Comparing the 12th fret harmonic of each string to its sound when stopped at that fret revealed no discernible differences in pitch. Similarly, octaves played up and down the fretboard were in tune.
Tone and balance. The overall volume of this instrument is about the same as that of my concert Fluke Uke, that is, plenty loud enough. The tone quality is probably a little richer (as should be expected from a solid as opposed to laminate top), and it has better sustain, despite a fairly percussive attack with a lot of “punch” (I haven’t yet played it with other instruments, but I suspect it would be easy to hear over the crowd). I was a little put off by this percussive sound at first, but I have gotten used to it and now really like it.
My one major complaint about the sound (and about this uke in general) is the lack of balance in dynamics: Notes within a very narrow range (roughly between F# and G above middle C) are noticeably louder than all the rest. The imbalance doesn’t really matter in strictly strumming styles, but it can be heard in styles where individual notes are more audible, like clawhammer (which often involves plucking the open G string). I have occasionally noticed a similar problem in moderately-priced classical guitars. I have no idea whether this is an idiosyncrasy of my particular instrument, or whether other CK-50Gs suffer from the same problem.
Where to get it. Ohana does not sell directly to consumers, or at least so it seems from their website (http://www.ohana-music.com/). I bought my CK-50G from musicguymic, who is one of the bigger uke vendors on eBay. I have nothing but praise for musicguymic: The instrument arrived sooner than promised and was in pristine condition. His price ($250) for the uke and foam case was less than some other sellers charge for the instrument alone. Plus, his shipping costs were realistic, not inflated as they are for many online vendors.
Conclusion. Despite some misgivings, I thought the Ohana CK-50G was well worth the money, and I would probably buy another if I lost this one. Although musicguymic has a three-day cash return policy, I did not consider the dynamic balance problem mentioned above serious enough to warrant returning the uke. However, you might not be as tolerant I am, so it would be nice to be able to try the instrument out before buying, if you can find a brick-and-mortar retailer who has Ohanas in stock (I didn’t find any in my area).
Review by Bill Weigel
Brand: Ohana
Model: CK-70rb
Length of time owned: 1 month
Overall rating: 8/10
Amount paid: $132.95 from musicguymic on Ebay.
Listen to clip (mp3)
A few weeks ago I upgraded from the ukulele I had previously used for almost two years, an Oscar Schmidt OU-2. I considered purchasing a completely hardwood ukulele, I was concerned about spending that much on a new ukulele while in college. I also would prefer to try an instrument out in person first if spending that much, and found very few options in a roughly 150 mile area. I found that Musicguymic was having a sale on the Ohana CK-70rb at the time which basically equated to free shipping from the original price. It was almost $70.00 cheaper than the Ohana CK-25 and I decided to go ahead and try it. At the time of my writing this (July 2008) there is almost no information relating to this ukulele online, even Ohana does not currently list this model on their website.
This particular model is a round backed ukulele with a molded plastic back and sides, similar to an Applause/Ovation or a Fluke/Flea. Unlike the Fluke/Flea it does not have a flat bottom so that you can set it down easily. The shape of the body is very similar to the Applause UA10. I have unfortunately have not been able to play the Applause UA10 to compare (they are similar in style), but have played the UA20. This ukulele is definitely louder than the UA20 was, however this may in part be due to the difference in styles of sound holes and size (the UA20 is a soprano sized ukulele while the CK-70rb is concert sized). It is also significantly louder than my OU-2 was.
The ukulele is an import as most ukuleles in this price range are. That being said, this ukulele seems fairly well built. I have dropped it once (into a gravel parking lot when it was not in the case) and short of a few very light scratches on the plastic there do not appear to be any problems. The ukulele is finished in a matte finish. There is white binding along the edges and two small black lines border the top portion of the soundboard. This pattern also encircles the sound hole. There are no blemishes to speak of in the wood, and the ukulele seems to have a more subtle appearance than some of the other ukuleles in this price range I looked at seemed to have. I would be less likely to carry this ukulele around in my messenger bag as I did with my previous uke.
The ukulele came set up nicely from musicguymic, and from what I’ve read online it included the ‘standard free case’ he provides with many of the ukuleles he sells. I did notice that a little after a week or so I needed to tighten the tuning pegs on the ukulele. Since this is my first friction-peg ukulele, I do not know how common this is but thought it was worth mentioning. It is of course not hard to do, and the ukulele has had not had any peg slipping since doing so.
Overall, I would likely rate this ukulele an 8/10. The tone and intonation are good on my ukulele. As I move down the fretboard and play chords, the chords are in tune as picked up by my computers built in microphone and judged by Garageband and my ears. In comparison to my previous ukulele it is a night and day difference. This ukulele is loud. I have seriously been considering taking it to karaoke night at one of the local bars to see the reactions I get. For someone looking for an additional ukulele, or for someone looking for a first ukulele and is looking for a concert scale, I would definitely recommend the Ohana CK-70rb.
Ohana CK-70rb Specifications from Musicguymic on ebay:
23-3/4″ overall length
11″ body
5-1/2″ upper bout
5-1/4″ waist
7-7/8″ lower bout
Molded black one piece back and sides
SOLID Spruce top
Rosewood fingerboard and bridge
Bone nut and saddle
14 frets to body 19 overall
1-3/8″ at nut
MOP fret markers
Review by Nick Wilson
Review by LStrachey.
Review by Paulina Sinaga.
Review by Ken Middleton.
Kala Ukuleles are a relatively new ukulele brand, but have made a big impact. They are a great choice for people who want a well-made, quality ukulele at a decent price. They are particularly good for people who are getting more serious about playing the uke and want a quality ukulele without breaking the bank. I have a Kala Lacewood myself and it’s one of my favourite ukes. I highly recommend them as a company.
Kala was set up by Mike Upton, who had previously worked for the Hohner musical instrument company.
Kala have recently launched their ultra-cheap Makala ukuleles which have become a firm favorite in the under $50 price range (particularly appealing to kids with their dolphin ukuleles). And at a similar price there’s the Kala KA-S.
High profile users of Kala ukuleles include Nevershoutnever’s Christofer Drew Ingle, Michael McDonald (Steely Dan, Doobie Brothers), Joe Brown (Kala have a Joe Brown signature ukulele) and Danielle Ate the Sandwich.
Kirk Shimabukuro (no relation to Jake) demonstrates a Kala KA-T.
Kala KA-S – Kala’s introductory level soprano ukulele.
Kala KA-C – Kala’s introductory concert size uke.
Kala KA-T – One of the best places to start in tenor ukuleles.
Kala U-Bass – The size of a baritone ukulele, the range of a bass guitar.
Kala U-Tar – Kala’s version of the guitarlele.
Kala Travel Ukulele – Extra thin ukulele for when you want to take your ukeing out on the road.
Kala Acacia – Wood from the koa family at a much lower price.
Kala Spruce – Their spruce top ukuleles are some of the best value solid ukes around.
KA-SC – Solid spruce top ukulele at knock-down price.
I recently took my first trip to the islands with my wife for our fifth anniversary. I knew before departing that I would be returning with a ukulele, though not which of the many makes and models that are available of the noble instrument. Seriously, i’ve been bit by the flea! And, in a way not at all unlike when a trip to europe many years ago reminded me of one of our other ‘grand designs’; the bicycle, to which my childhood attachment had been lost roughly around the time I was old enough to begin driving an automobile.
Anyway, after a bit of internet scouring, I came across a ukulele dealer/collector/enthusiast by the name of Music Guy Mic, who has both a ‘real world’ store in Kaneohe, as well as a brisk online business, with a huge contingent of buyers via Ebay. I ended up calling and, eventually, (island time!) spoke with him (Musicguymic@aol.com) directly. He, like so many of the islanders I met in the two and half weeks I was there, was extremely knowledgeable, helpful, and extremely kind, eventually guiding me into my purchase of a KALA KA-MT Mango Tenor.
As a beginner, I decided that I needn’t go into debt on buying one of the superior offerings also available by Kala, or the numerous other companies that he had great understanding, as well as inventory, of. And to his testament, he withheld nothing regarding the origin or nature of construction. While a strikingly attractive instrument with the crazed ‘burled’ mango top sides and back (with contrasting wood binding), they are, apparently, in fact, a laminate or ply. Most purists hold the notion that this is inferior and most pricing of instruments comparatively will wholly illustrate that belief. But one recent ‘perspective’ that I was given was that laminates and plys often fair well in climate changes, where solid wood tops and sides can dry and split. I had never considered this, but it is somewhat understandable. A compromise of sorts, perhaps, but one that I can definitely favor.
Prior to shipping, the KA-MT received, as do all instruments sold through MusicGuyMic, an individual setup (including fretwork, if necessary from the factory) and stringing with Aquila premium Nylgut strings. To my ‘inexperienced’ ear, it sounds wonderful with a nice balance of highs and mids, and has, very importantly, spot on intonation. The new strings took a while to settle in, but the sealed gear tuning machines work wonderfully, and similarly to the ‘notion’ of many of the ‘top end’ makers, seem to be found on nearly everything considered to be of professional grade/quality/performance.
The instrument I purchased came as part of a ‘package’, by design, for the beginner who may wish to ‘hit the ground running’, i.e., accompanied with a hard-case, pitch-pipe, and the brilliant “Discovering The Ukulele” book by Herb Ohta J. & Daniel Ho. All for a price that was $100.00 less than any other resource I had theretofore come across, and, (here’s the kicker) free shipping. I was staying in Volcano Village on the big island for the first week, and made arrangements to receive it there during our stay at a bed and breakfast. in lieu of making a ‘preemptive’ purchase (in ignorance) and lugging it along, I decided it best to make my pilgrimage and see and speak to people who have generations of understanding with the native instrument. With the option available to me to actually travel to Hawaii, the decision was nearly a no-brainer. For anyone else, I would recommend relying on the help of the many knowledgeable and experienced people out there. The internet is an amazing resource, and the ukulele community seem to be all fine and welcoming. I can’t believe that it took me 42 years to get into it, but I’m admittedly obsessed.
As I had said in an email to Musicguymic following my return from the islands: “Just wanted to thank you , again, for making my ‘island experience’ complete. My purchase kept music in my hands (as well as my head) during my two weeks in Hawaii.”
Review by Jason
The Kala Kiwi is a member of the Kala Novelty series, and is essentially the ‘sister’ model to the Pineapple Uke. Aside from being cute as a neon green ukulele could possibly be, it is seriously fun to play. The Kiwi is a soprano sized Uke, measuring in at a petite 21 inches. It comes with geared chrome tuners with pearly white knobs, and a rosewood fingerboard. The fret wires are finished smoothly, and did not require any fine tuning with a file to make them less ‘catchy’ and more functional. The Kiwi’s finish is a glossy nearly neon kiwi green, with a rather neat silk screen of the interior of a kiwi. Where the white center would be rests the sound hole. Pearly green binding completes the rather neat design.
This Uke is just plain fun to play. It attracts people, and will draw many comments before you even strum a note. Once you begin to play, you can appreciate the rather decent sound it puts out. The Kiwi sounds best at moderate volume– I’ve noticed that if you go too loudly, there is a generalized buzz. The stock GHS strings have a pleasant sound, but make sure to look at how they’re attached before you initially tune the instrument. Unfortunately, my A string was attached incorrectly at the tuner and popped out during my initial tuning. On a brighter note, this Ukulele is incredibly easy to string (I managed to do it in under 10 minutes after I got some replacement strings, and I never did it before on any stringed instrument). The Kiwi stays in tune rather well, from what I’ve read about other Ukuleles daily re-tunings are the norm, but this model will take some rather harsh playing without dropping out of tune. The tuners are in a fairly standard position for geared tuners, but I tend to notice they seem to get in the way while attempting some chords. Odds are this is due to my inexperience, but its really nothing that can’t be fixed by changing the position of your hand by a few millimeters. The Kiwi’s finish is very, VERY glossy and slick, a firm grasp is important if you’re standing as this Uke can slide around on you if you’re not careful. I’ve remedied this by putting a small square of foam tape on the bottom of the Kiwi.
As for durability, I will let the reader know, I am a klutz– I admit it, I’ve dropped my Kiwi. Aside from a teensy little dent up near the tuning pegs (it actually got the dent when I tried to catch it and ended up slamming into a wooden kitchen chair between the tuning pegs), it survived without injury. Other minor bumps have not dented or dulled the Kiwi. This instrument is indeed klutz friendly.
The Kiwi is a reasonably priced Uke, retailing for between $73 and $78 on E-Bay. I’d recommend this Uke for other beginners, as it is a fun, cute, and easy to play. For the advanced Ukeist, this is an awesome addition worthy of any collection.
Review by Barbara.
Review by Donald C.
I have just recently purchased a Kala solid mahagony electric/acoustic concert Ukulele with cutaway and it is glorious. The tone is bright like a Uke should be but it has a warmth to it that is rare in the few ukes I have played.
It came with ghs strings that for the time being sound quite lovely, I have been recommended the Aquila strings and would love to read if anyone has feed back on those.
The factory set up for this particular Kala is fantastic the action makes playing up the fretboard smooth and easy and yet there is no fret buzz to speak of. All in all a terrific buy and a beautiful matte finish makes the wood stand out. It has faux tortoise shell accents and I got a great 1920’s looking tweed hard case from Ukulele World to keep it protected.
I have been in transit since I bought this Uke and have not had a chance to really plug it in and “rock out” but the electronics work very well for recording purposes on my Mac. It could put out more sound unplugged but that might mess with the lovely tone so for me I would rather sacrifice some noise for some beauty.
Anyway that is my review I know it’s glowing but I am so happy with the Kala Ukulele and it is a great solid instrument for the price.
Review by Denny Paschall.
Personally, I blame the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, UOGB. After seeing them, my wife made the mistake of buying me a soprano uke. I enjoyed learning what it could do but found the size a tad small. So I bought a concert sized Vox solid, (better but still too small and now used as what I call my ‘travel’ uke), and finally, a Kala tenor, (perfect).
However, what I was searching for was a uke that just didn’t just go ‘doink’ as Will Grove-White described it in his book ‘Get Plucky with the Ukulele’ (a great book by the way and also very funny). I wanted something that would extend the uke’s voice. I also wanted it to be made of something other than wood. There’s a reason for this. As we’re all aware, wooden ukes can be affected by a whole host of things such as humidity, temperature and so on. In my work I used to travel quite a bit so wanted something that didn’t have this issue. Hence my interest in carbon fibre.
I’d also begun looking at harp guitars, (as you do), and that’s when I came across Emerald Guitars and their Synergy harp guitar. The design ticked all the boxes for me; it wouldn’t just go doink; it would extend the voice of the uke in areas that could be quite exciting to explore; it was carbon fibre; and finally, to be honest, it looks fantastic. I thought, wouldn’t it be a great idea if you could have the same form but as a harp uke? I touched base with Alistair and we discussed a few things. Long story short, in February, 2015, I went over to Ireland with my wife to collect it.
To put it mildly, I’m delighted.
The photographs say it all. It’s a seriously clean design that just shouts for you to play it. I find myself looking at it sometimes and just grinning. And then I pick it up and play. As you do…
First, I consider myself an ‘enthusiastic beginner’, so keep that in mind when you listen to the sound files. Anyone mocking my (rubbish) playing will be seen to. You have been warned!
As I’ve said, I didn’t want a uke that just went doink, I wanted some sustain along with a warm tone and resonance. The advantage of having bass strings is that they help create the resonance you tend to not experience with the standard uke.
Additionally, the Synergy harp uke extends the voice of the instrument which is what I wanted in the first place. Like some others who have experimented with this form, you find yourself trying out different styles. I’ve also become quite interested in campanella and other finger picking styles which suits this instrument very well. I’ve attached two files of me playing scales for you to hear what I’m talking about regarding the tone.
The tuning for the sub bass strings is GDFG. I’ve been playing around with this and tried out, quite successfully, GDEG. It’s a personal choice and you can experiment. It also means that I can also play some of the low G stuff required with a number of tunes.
When you play the sub bass tuning sound file just listen to the sustain. Sweet.
As for where the instrument takes you, well, I started playing some stuff from one of Rob MacKillop’s uke books, (another excellent learning resource by the way,) and it morphed into something quite different. It’s about 1’ 30” but gives you an idea of what you can do with just a couple of chords.
If a beginner like me can go in directions like this, you can only imagine what a really competent player could do. Not only that, but you can use it in the same way as you do with a normal uke, i.e. strumming and sing-along and so on. In sum, it’s highly versatile.
Scales 1:
Scales 2:
Sub bass sound:
Tune exercise:
Body and neck: Tenor carbon fibre harp ukulele
Bridge: Tie (allows for flexibility in types of string you can use, e.g. steel or nylon.)
Scale: 17.5” (44.45 cm)
Frets: 19
Pickups: K&K pure mini
Pegs: Gotoh Stealth tuners, (selected for their light weight and accurate tuning
Strings: Always a matter of preference. On the neck they’re Aquila Nylgut and for the sub bass strings, the E string is from a classical set (Daddario Pro Arte EJ45, normal tension). The other three are the B string from these sets.
To summarise, Emerald’s Synergy harp ukulele allows you to play the instrument like a conventional uke. The additional strings also mean that you can go in directions not normally available to a regular uke. Finally, you have the benefit of sub bass strings which add a significant richness of tone and sustain.
Experimentation and fun with something that looks as gorgeous as this – that’s a nice mix. Seriously.
Urbanmeister
Edinburgh 2015
Here are the ten best ukuleles as rated by Uke Hunt readers:
The list is determined by a Bayesian average of ratings submitted to the site (that means the number of ratings as well as the average of the ratings is important). So if you think your uke deserves to be on the list you can help get it there by rating it. There are links to ukulele makers here and luthiers here.
US $221.00
