Uke News from NAMM – Day 1 This year I’ll be posting a blog each day of the NAMM, or at least that’s my plan. Corey arrives tonight and we have scheduled recording with many of the manufacturers before the show starts to give high quality sound samples. Today I will just share photos and reviews of the ukes that …
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Kala Brand Ukulele
For that price you are getting an ukulele that sounds nice, plays well, and looks good as well! That’s what we call value.
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10 MORE Great Ukuleles under $200!!
So last year we did a video showcasing 10 ukulele models you can buy for less than $200. We also did a blog review here of those 10 ukes. But there are so many other options that we just had to pick out another 10 to compare. So here ya go, 10 more great ukes that won’t break the bank! …
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Lanikai or Kala?
Let’s first go back in time to the year 2003 and see how this story starts. Mike Upton worked for the Hohner company and was heading the design and production of a new line of ukulele’- Lanikai. At that time I still worked for my dad at Ko’olau doing finish and final assembly for some amazing instruments my brother, Noa, was making. We also had started to warehouse Lanikai ukes in the upstairs of our shop in Kaneohe and the stores would come pick up from us. My dad helped Mike tweak the construction a bit giving him pointers and the Lanikai’s started sounding better and better. At some point along the way, around 2005 Hohner made some changes that left Mike “out in the cold”. …
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Kala Travel Tenors Compared- Cedar and Spruce, Low G and High G
So with these two models the main difference is that one has a solid cedar top and one has a solid spruce top. Now keep in mind that each instrument and model is unique in how it sounds with different woods. One thing I have learned is not to assume the same woods will have the same sound in different brands and shapes. Still, I was suprised at how bright the cedar tops are. A little scooped in the mids and a wider range than we have heard in the travel tenor. Very dynamic!
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Best ukulele for $300- Kala ASAC-T All Solid Acacia Tenor
What is the best ukulele 300 dollars can buy? Well, it’s not exactly a calculus equation anyone can prove, given the fact that personal taste and opinion exist. But we thought we would put our 2 cents in the pot anyway, and who better to judge than people that sell ukuleles every day, us. After discussing it at length, the Kala ASAC-T came out slightly ahead of the competition. As John Gonzalez, one of our guitar instructors put it, “The intonation is always on, and they sound good!”. With a nice looking slotted headstock and the swirls of pearl inlay on the fretboard, the look is right on point for what many people like. The Makai LC-80R was a close second and is also all solid wood -Cedar top, rosewood sides and back. It may have won, because the sound is HUGE, if it didn’t come with friction tuners . It may have also lost because it is a concert, and pretty much all of us here are bias to the tenor size, most of the time. Any ideas for reviews or ukes you were wanting to hear and see more of? Leave a comment.Thanks for the look. Enjoy the video!
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10 ukuleles under $200 – Sound Sample and review
recently I have been amazed at how affordable a good ukulele can be. We took ten ‘ukulele, three under $100, and seven under $200, and gave you a video/audio sample of what can be yours for…..well lets just say you might not even have to ask your wife.