Timestamps..... for Arc's rather lengthy reply:)) 1:00 sing Grace's Lullaby for Grace 10:00 make a big mug of tea 14:00 choose a comfy chair 15:00 have a good read 17:00 Enjoy 💙🙏💙
I love that you added a note on the ethicality of buying ukulele's, I really hope it inspires more people to think about this when purchasing any musical instrument or good in general. Many complain about paying more but they forget that cheap often means someone/something suffers for the cost.
Thank you so much for taking the time to watch and to share your opinions :). I really appreciate it. Very familiar with Enya. What models do you have?
I purchased the Kala zircote tenor and absolutely love it. It is my most expensive uke. I tried out many ukes before making my decision. I loved the rich sound and the weight, which felt a bit heftier than others. I liked that, maybe because I used to play guitar. Highly recommend trying the ukes out in person if upgrading. There is a huge difference on ukes and you will know when you find the one that needs to be yours.
My best instrument is a tenor Cordoba 32T, it is discontinued so I was very lucky to get it on sale from World of Ukes. Thank you so much for this video!!! You make all of them sound good! ❤️️
Hi! How are you? So good to see you in the comments section today. I've played the 32T before, and it's great :). You're very kind, so thanks for watching and for being so encouraging. I really appreciate it.
I am mesmerized by the ukulele sounds you can play. I have just ordered my first ukulele made by a renowned master luthier in Mexico City and going to pick it up tomorrow, so I am truly excited about it. Now I will learn how to play it with you. Thank you for your marvelous chanel.
Thank you so much for watching, and thank you for your feedback. I really appreciate it :). I thought the Baritone and Super Tenor were really lovely, and the sustain is beautiful. Very rich. Thanks again and have a great day!
Thank you for knowing of which you speak, and presenting it very well. I've been a living-room guitar player for many years. I happened to come across, on YT, Jake Shimabukuro playing Bohemian Rhapsody at a TEDtalk, and the incredible teenage Hawaiian gals Honoka & Azita. I figured that I'd giving uking a try, and bought a uke from Amazon. It was pretty good, and when I contacted the seller about a small cosmetic defect, he sent another to me at no charge. Then I decided to upgrade, and bought a stunning Kala KA-SRMT-TRI, which sounded as great as it looked. However, I couldn't be satisfied until I bought a professional grade uke - a Kanilea K2-T, which is AWESOME. Then, I came across a fellow who was selling his Kanilea MT-4 Islander, so I figured that a pair of Kanileas would get along just fine, and I was correct. Since I come from a guitar background, all of my "high" G strings have been replaced with "low" G strings. That's my journey (so far), re: acquisitions - I'm not expecting to be making any more uke purchases - I'm very well satisfied! Thanks for your great presentations!
I loved them all but my favorite was the Lanikai Solid Top Acacia Baritone! I tend toward the lower pitch ukes.........I play a little guitar. Thank you Katie, I love listening to you play!
Loving that you included the baritone uke in this. I use mine as a transition instrument for my students that want to move on to guitar. I hope all is well, and wish you and your (growing) family all possible joys this holiday season.
Yeah! I wish that I had more intermediate/advanced baritones to show you :). It's a good way to transition students from one instrument to the other. I do have students that switch between the two and find themselves confused sometimes and mix up the chords. They get it eventually. Thanks for your well wishes. I certainly am growing! LOL!
@@OneMusicSchool I too, get confused going from one ukulele to another. When I go from my baritone to the tenor I frequently mess up, but it's a good way for the old guy to practice staying in focus.
As usual, you’ve put up a helpful and entertaining video. I was surprised by the tone and volume you were able to squeeze out of some of the more modestly priced instruments. I currently own 5 Ukes. 4 of them are Kala branded. One is their Elite solid Koa Tenors. Also have solid Acacia Tenor and Concert models. Both are wonderful mid-priced Ukes. For the grandkids I have a solid mahogany, laminate back and sides Concert Kala. My pride and joy is a solid Koa Koaloha Tenor. So new it still thinks it’s a tree, but great potential. Thanks again for your ongoing enthusiasm and encouragement. Wishing you well this holiday season...
I'm so blessed to read this comment, so thank you so much for taking the time to watch. I really appreciate it, and I'm glad that you found this entertaining and helpful. I know 25 minutes is a LONG video in RUclips world, so thank you for watching and leaving your feedback. It's always great to see what others have purchased and what they are playing. The Elite Kalas look amazing, and I'd love to play one :). I'm glad that you liked seeing some more modestly priced ukuleles in this video. I know that the term "upgrading" is going to differ from person to person, so thank you for leaving that feedback. Have an amazing day!
Thank you Katie, this knowledge packed video really strengthened my purchasing power. I appreciate you taking the time to condense your years of knowledge into these 25 minutes of excellence, totally worth the watch. (Sometimes I wonder how you find the time, can only imagine the hours put in to create these gems! Again thank you) That "Ding" caught my ear, I looked away for a second when the first one happened and had to rewind to make sure my stove wasn't telling me dinner was ready (baked veggie meatballs in a taco sauce with goat cheese on a bed of jasmine rice, in case your wondering :)) Your photographs and still images are great for pausing the video and having a detailed look, for us with no music store near. Hear what you're saying about price points and brand quality, there is something to be said about having trust in an established maker and supporting them for their years of dedication in producing solid instruments. Soooo many new things I didn't know! The pick-up info✓✓✓ Hadn't known there were such variety, (again, thanks for the photos) great learning about the pros & cons of each. (Plug n' play or plug n' pray, love that!!) Scarfe joint✓(I'm looking forward to trying uke's with the joint in different places, now I really want to try a solid wood neck to see/hear/feel the difference. Liking the idea of a cutaway uke as well. The Mahogany or Acacia? Like the depth and Fuller sound of the Mahogany one. Now, those slim body uke's, wow! The Ohana sounds lovely and the price is manageable yet I could see stretching for the Lanikai Thin/Slim Bocote, that's a beautiful ukulele, you've piqued my interest in it's uniqueness, first time seeing a uke that thin. That's why I like my Sun Star, it's a tad thinner than my Kala, although as the Kala is my very first ukulele it's my favorite :) Love your explanation of the Resonator, if we want to "round out the sonic spectrum" and be heard in a room full of music, plus-plus no batteries or amp needed, looks cool too. Aaand another first, that ArchTop, nice and stylish with those fancy sound holes. I was surprised at the volume. Speaking of a lovely surprise... that was 'Grace's Lullaby'!!! Well, on that happy note, a goodnight to you all and a big thanks for everything you do for us in your community strong. Thanks ever so much again, Blessed days Katie 💙💪🎶💒🎶💪💙 PS. Your Church looks amazing! Do they broadcast Sunday services? Be nice to attend from afar.
Great timing on this vid-just in time for Christmas shopping. I love the last four or five. You know, the ones I can’t afford! You don’t seem as tired today. Looking beautiful, as usual!
LINDA!!!! So good to see you in the comments section. I did play the zircote, and I was hoping that it helped because I know you had your eye on it :). I know what you mean! It was so painful to have to give those masterpieces back :(. I think the Petros uke is now in Hawaii. Let me know if you have any questions about a uke that you find for your upgrade. Perhaps I've played it. I felt pretty good this day that I filmed, and I actually refilmed this video because the first one was BAAAAADDDD. I was tired that day, and I pushed too hard. I had to take my time to collect my thoughts, plan, and redo this one. I'm glad that I did. Even though it was way longer that I had anticipated it being, I hope people will find it helpful. How was your first week back from break? Good news is that Christmas break will be coming sooner than last year because Thanksgiving was so late :). Have an awesome day!
Katie, I am still loving the Ziricote. I also had my eye on the Mr. Mai MD-T Tenor Uke. I’m just not sure anymore. That Petros Uke just causes me too drool! Such a beautiful instrument! Christmas break needs to happen now. Last week lasted three months. 🤣 I hope you’re not pushing yourself too hard. You’re living for two now! Please rest, darlin and enjoy your Christmas with your little family! Blessings!❤️🌲
Katie, I'd like to thank you for all your videos. I just finished building my first ukulele, a tenor, with mahogany from Home Depot. I'm going to do one more in walnut. In the past I've only played guitar. My wife and I are both learning songs with your videos. I wish you and your family all the best for the holidays.
YEAH!!!! I'm so happy that you wanted to watch this, and I'm so happy that this helped. Thank you :). I have a question for you, and I was wondering if you could help me out. Did the thumbnail watch your attention enough to want to watch the video? How can I improve?
Another great, informative video. 1. Size does not make a big difference. Barry from Got A Ukulele says in his reviews people with bigger hands should have no problem playing a soprano it just needs a slightly wider nut than other soprano ukes. 2. The sound of a ukulele also comes from the type of strings used, and the player playing it. 3. With pickups you can plug your ukulele into an external preamp pedal. The Behringer ADI21 Acoustic Preamp Di is great at $30usd. This is a copy of the Tech21 Sansamp Para Di at about $300 The Extra thin ukuleles. F4om my understanding then Kala Travel series was the first one to make these. I have a Kala Travel Tenor uke. I havemplayed others in the music store and appart from the different woods they all sound and play the same. They have a thinner neck profile than other ukes (not a thinner nut). A luthir friend of mine who worjson ukuleles says that allot of resonator ukes he has seen have a design flat (don't ask me what that is) he usually has to modify the cone so it will resonate better and work as intended.
I've watched about 100 guys do videos on this ukulele in this type of ukulele and this other kind of ukulele so many ukuleles that actually made me vomit in my mouth. They were boring dull and some of the most uninformative waste of time I think I've ever participated in in my life! Your video was refreshing, informative, he literally just kept it simple but technical enough that actually told people what they might want to know or need to know which is kind of f****** important if you're going to make a video and expect somebody to sit through the whole thing and pretend to teach them anything! Kudos!!!¡You're a doll! Fantastic video and amazing personality to boot and it certainly seems like a whole lot of talent to go with all that as well..... God gave you the whole package sweetheart! Bless you.
Thank you , for all your time and effort putting these comparisons together, many models that I was not familiar with . I sure appreciate all your time and effort. Thank you
Lots of good information for finding your next ukulele. There is a Lot to be considered. Well, since you asked, LOL, I have a variety/cross section of ukuleles. My first is my concert Luna tattoo mahogany, it is an acoustic/electric. Love playing it, though it is a bit small for my hands, I learned the fundamentals while playing it. It has good tone and it still has a good sound when played through my Bose pa system. Next I bought a Mitchell baritone with solid spruce top, strictly acoustic. Beautiful tone! I sold that to a friend from church to encourage him to start to play again. (I regret not having that instrument now, LOL). I acquired a Caramel CB103 acoustic/electric baritone next, the tone doesn't come up to the level I had with the Mitchell, but I needed the option of playing through the system. Next I was so impressed with your review of the Cordoba 20TM-CE tenor that I made that my next ukulele. Great tone, I play it a Lot. I should mention I also have a Donner U-Bass ukulele, loaned to me by Bernadette Teaches Music, and I have played it primarily in Praise Team setting. It is an amazing instrument as far as tone. (My primary instrument for the last 38 years has been the bass guitar). I have tried to return it to her, but am so far unsuccessful in getting her to take it back... LOL. I bought a Diamond Head DU-200B baritone, (acoustic), to have as a 'spare' for others to play. Surprisingly good tone for a low price point instrument. I have found good bargains in all price ranges. My next purchase will be a Kala baritone, though I haven't decided which model just yet. I live in far from a good music store with a selection of ukuleles, so I have been making my purchases from Musician's Friend and Amazon, so it's rather a "Hobson's Choice" I'm afraid. I have learned much from your reviews as well as your tutorials and other instructive videos. Thank you Katie. God Bless you and yours.
Thank you for taking the time to watch this long video :). I hope you had a snack at hand :). I'm grateful that you watched, and I'm glad that you found it helpful. Thank you :).
@@OneMusicSchool You were probably responding to my comment before I edited it and went all long winded on you... LOL. I love all your lessons and have learned so much from you. Thanks again.
I Love that you play in Worship bands!!! I have enjoyed a few of your video's now. I have only been looking into Ukulele's for about a week. I have to say that the sanctuary in this video, looks just like Jentezen Franklins Church!! I watch him everyday. Go Jesus - Go Jesus!!! My husband has been running his Open Mic (not for profit - Outreach: Influence Music Hall, in Hillsboro Oregon) since the summer of 2006. Now with Covid-19 they are closing/giving up the space they have rented since 2009. They are not quitting, they are using Zoom to still have the "Open Mic" which is good, but still sad in some ways as they serve the under-served in our community, (he sneaks Jesus in, when least expect it) to those who are socially challenged, or new to music, good at music and want to show off. Many who aren't tech-y enough to use computers that well, won't be able to stay connected. Sad.... Anyway, all that to say, one fella left a Ukulele (a satin finish Tenor Cordoba 20TM-CE) to encourage anyone who might come in on a Friday night, to at least pick it up and give it a try. Since Influence Music Hall is closing the current space (it is too tight a space to be able to have any social distancing that will be required for a while). Anyway.... the owner of the Ukulele told us to take it home till we can manage to start Influence Music Hall back up in the future. So, since it was here at my house, I plunked on it some, and found a couple tutorials on youtube, and Wow! I seam to have found an instrument that fits me. I too, am not that large (5' 2" & 109) so it feels way better than a guitar, (!) which I tried, but just couldn't get it. I have also tried Violin, which has ten thousand ways to make terrible sounds, (if they made them with frets....) anyway gave that up. I tried piano, I love piano, where it is in my house is uncomfortable, and I have a mental block - but it does have tones that I love!!! Mine is old, old wood - rich, deep tones, and very friendly sounding, and to play someone else's isn't the same, and they are just too big to be portable (lol). So, again back to the point of this story: Seeing that I am playing this borrowed Ukulele, and making comments like, "I hope Kurtis doesn't ask for his Ukulele back anytime soon, I really would miss it! : ( " My husband got on Craigslist and found a concert Kala KA-KCGE-C. It is a Nice instrument (higher price point than the Cordoba), but I like the Cordoba better. I think the matte finish may make a more resonant sound, maybe? Even though it didn't cost as much, I personally like the tone better. It could just be the difference between the Concert & Tenor? I'm not quite sure. I have not yet tried it using the electronics - so I cannot speak to that. One thing that is really funny to me, is I have had a ukulele for years. I thought I didn't like Ukulele's. I didn't ever get serious about it, it was just the general feeling I got about it right away. Turns out, that it will not stay in tune, and the intonation is off! All I knew was I couldn't make it sound good, it was a cut and dried situation in my mind. BUT, having this nice quality item come into my possession, gave me the opportunity to try a Real Instrument rather than a wall hanging. Turns out if you start off with a low quality instrument, you can't know for sure what you might be good at.... Thank you for sharing all your wisdom, and showing us the variety available. Your video's are beautiful! And, so are you! Multiplied blessing to you - ! Keep up the good work.
My dad's roommate got me a $25 gift card from Amazon for Christmas 2020, and I literally bought the $25 one. It came with a gig bag, picks, and extra strings. I started learning hand placements and took off from there. I love the sound of all of the ones you played in the video, but if I were to choose one for concert purposes, I would have to play it myself.
Wow! I wasn’t expecting the difference in the higher end ukuleles to be that dramatic. I was listening to you play and looking away from the screen and when you started playing the really expensive one I thought to myself..that’s the sound I’m looking for! Only to be disappointed that a ukulele over $7k is not in my budget lol. I enjoyed hearing the sound of the high end ones. They were so beautiful!
A good player like yourself can make them all sound wonderful, regardless of pricepoint. I think that was my point referring to cost (I believe you were talking about my comment 👍). I agree with you from the standpoint of time and craftsmanship put into instrument, of course some ukes are worth far more money based on that alone. I was talking purely from a tone perspective and quality, maybe blindfold once a late properly set up. I have a Gibson J45 I wouldn’t part with for the world (sentimental reasons) and it sounds great as expected. My point is put that guitar worth a quality instrument of much lower pricepoint with similar woods, sound very similar. Love your vids though regardless. Great player as well.
I have a Martin All koa tenor I love and keep it in low G. Your review of the Cordoba 25TCE persuaded me to get it for a dedicated high G instrument, or vice versa.
I so appreciate your opinions and comments, and I can tell that you are very knowledge. All of your points make perfect sense, and I do agree that some ukes/instruments could be priced more "appropriately". Sometimes I play something and think, "Really, they want that much for this?" I'm so happy that there's so much variety out there so that people can have more of a choice. Again, I so appreciate you sharing your honest opinions. They're thought provoking and have helped me to think about things more deeply. I'm sure they've others think as well :). Have a great day, and as always, know that I value you.
One Music School appreciate your feedback as well, keep up the Good work. My dream uke is an Anuenue Moonbird Tenor, but the $$ isn’t what it once was. And as I’ve gotten older, I’m a retired Marine/Soldier), the material things that were once meaningful, not so much. It’s all about appreciating what God has blessed us with. I’m blessed.
Brother, we need more people like you with your perspective. I agree. The older I get, the more I appreciate the little things in life. At the end of the day, things are just things. Thanks for shining your light.
I can't believe you only have 887 viewers and this was made in Dec of 2019. I have to admit I did not find you till recently and I am telling all my friends that they "have" to join One Music School RUclips if they are serious about the Uke. Thanks for your passion, professionalism, and personality. I am looking to upgrade my uke for playing on our band and finding these lessons so valuable but I do not have a store anywhere near me where I can "try" different sizes and woods and... so I am depending on you to help me with my next uke sight and sound unseen.
I’m so glad that have found these helpful, and I hope they continue to point you in the right direction 😀. I really appreciate you. I’m curious why it only shows 800+ views. When I click on the video, it says 42k views 🤔. Well, it goes to show that RUclips glitches are a thing. Oh well 😀.
I was hoping you might be able to help me pick out my upgrade , I play at our church and my cordoba's electronics came lose inside the body of the uke and just dangles in there, and I have trouble holding it, plugged in, without a strap , help lol
Yes, I teach at the store, and they let me borrow the majority of these ukuleles to play on my channel for this video. It was hard to say goodbye to them, but I'm also relieved because I don't have to worry about taking care of the all.
I have three ukuleles. One is a banjo body so I won't go into that. The others are a Córdoba mahogany tenor 20 TM-CE with a low G and a cut-away. It has a lovely mellow tone and good response and loads of volume. I have to say I changed out the tuners for Grovers because I found that ones that came on it slipped quite quickly. I also found it sounded a bit shrill with a high G so that gets left with Aquila red strings and a low G. The other is a Snail concert size UKC E498 in ebony. I had to try various different strings on it because the Aquilas that came on it were too bendy and slipped off the fretboard on the top A. I now use hard fluorocarbon strings on it and it sounds and plays way better. It has a nice bright tone without being tinny. Both have a bridge bug which I rarely use so I can't comment on the sound being amped up. Both get played a lot. The Córdoba gets finger picked more and the Snail sounds great strummed especially with songs requiring split strokes. Neither will break the bank ;-)
That Lanaki maple tenor with the blue finish is really stunning, and probably my favorite sounding one. Of course, the Lanaki mahogany cutaway with the binding is really impressive sounding also. Now that baritone Lanaki is awesome! I will admit, the baritone is the one that I always play now, I haven't played my tenor uke in several months... Since I only have 2 ukuleles, a tenor Lanaki, and a baritone Cordoba, and since I've been playing the baritone almost exclusively for the past several months, I have to say that the Cordoba 20BM is my favorite. I bought that one at Heid music in Appleton last winter. :-)
Love, love my concert VTAB, slotted head, solid spruce top. I'm still in awe, though, of my gorgeous ($$$) KoAloha tenor... And then there's my darling banjolele (GoldTone). But wait! Can't omit my EchoBridge & Hankey tenors! O, my! I'm certainly not a name snob: Like you say, Cynthia, find the ukes that MAKE YOU HAPPY. Next on my try list--a Freshman.
You sound line you have quite the beautiful collection! Thanks for sharing what you love ❤️. I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else, although I’m flattered to be mistaken for Cynthia 😀. Have a great day, and thanks for watching.
Great scott, I sure did! I've enjoyed/watched/commented on your amazing videos for 3 yrs--'Scuse my faux pax! Chalking it up to "Ukulele Brain" excitement! 😏Betty💙💤
I really love my Ortega RUSL-HSB. It sounds really unique and the mandolin bridge makes the strings get up a little bit more then usual. Hope I can be as good as you are some day.😅 Your tutorials are really helpful for me. Thank you so much and keep up the good work 😊
That's awesome! I'm so glad that you like your uke and have had a good experience. It really helps everyone when people leave their opinions in the comments section. It helps steer us in the right direction or it might introduce me to something new. Thanks for taking the time to comment :).
@@OneMusicSchool yeah that's true. I'm sure your video helps a lot of people deciding which uke they wanna get next. I started 2 month ago but I really enjoy every moment and every new track I learn to play. It's really awesome that this little instrument connect and inspire so many people 😊
@@OneMusicSchool yeah I just uploaded a video a week ago. It's not perfect and just for fun but I hope I can improve more. It's my first string instrument and I always thought about getting started and yeah 2onths ago I finally got my first one and practice as much as possible 😅
A really great video Katy with lots of food for thought! I really like the Lanikai Acacia and I was quite surprised by how good the Kala resonator sounded when you played It up the fretboard. Take care, David.❤️🎸🎶🇬🇧
Great video! Love that tune that you are playing when you are testing them out😍. I've just ordered a tenor Ukulele from Amazon, it's my first one! I hope to sound as good as you, one day lol😉
Amazing!! Thank you for this and all your videos. Is very good for the Ukulele community and as a musician is very valuate too. Is always important to know what to buy and why, and your content is always clear and well explained. Is always a pleasure to watch your videos! You know I follow your work long ago and I'm normally more active in comments on instagram, but I really wanted to support you here too... and write you a big THANKS for all this years!
My personal favorite is the KTM-25. It is the right balance of the standard KTM-00 with a few nice albeit mostly cosmetic upgrades. But the sound is pure Koaloha. Resonate and warm. It has so much resonance that when I am holding my ukulele and I am listening to youtube videos of other players. My uke acts like a little speaker vibrating happily along with the video. I guess Pop's reed shaping past really does show in these instruments. It is my personal favorite and makes me happy to pick it up. That leads to more practice and better results. Koaloha, Kaniala...Ohana! I also like the Kamaka instruments in that they are different from the Koaloha. I feel they are a little crisper and a bit brighter. For skilled musicians, they cut through to make a statement. There are so many choices. Bottom line...Koaloha is home for me at my ability and it all comes down to the relationship. My KTM-25 feels like a friend to me. It is always happy, does not judge and is always cheers me up. Aloha, Kali
One Music School So many useful tips that I’m going to have to note down somewhere! Will certainly be going down to my local store and trying out as many until the right one is in my hands
I'm so happy that you have a local store where you can test drive as many as you can. It's always comforting to know that you held it, you tried it, and YOU decided if it was the right one or not :). Let me know what you pick. I'd LOVE to find out.
You are AMAZING thank you so much for all you do: the care, diligence, knowledge, wisdom and beauty...Mahalo Nui Loa! It would take more than a quick listen to do justice to all these wonderful Ukes, their distinct voices and tonal qualities, especially on computer speakers. It is surprising how competitive are some of the laminate ones but there's no mistaking the richness of solid woods. That Super Tenor seemed notably robust in its big projected voice. Could see the shining through all of it but you sparked on that Reso...I own that same one and it really is a lot of fun. I don't yet own a solid wood Uke and am leaning towards some kind of Koa Super Tenor preferably with slotted head stock (my guitar is a slotted 12-Fret; that angle does affect playing and tone, especially needed for 12-Fret guitars). Can you suggest an affordable solid wood Super Tenor with slotted headstock? Aloha!
I am enjoying your videos and working on some Christmas songs. A beginner here, I purchased a concert ukulele thinking it would be middle of the road. I am really having trouble with some chords due to arthritis and a trigger finger on middle finger, left hand. If I were to purchase a different size uke for ease of play, would I more likely be better off with a soprano, or a tenor. Not many ukuleles in the stores around me, I will probably end up buying something online.
I personally know the issues with arthritis and my husband has arthritis and trigger finger. The difference between a concert and a soprano isn't enough for either of us. Try going to a Guitar Center or other store with ukes and play a few different soprano and concert sizes. One thing that helps me is to turn my hand slightly with my wrist moving toward the headstock, but still on the same plane. I can't play with my fingers directly across the neck, perpendicular to the strings.
The Kala Satin Tenor Uke w/Bass Resonator sounds just like a Uke. But it is one more piece of evidence (in my opinion) that more Guitar player are playing, and buying, Ukes so manufactures are outfitting their instruments to appeal to that audience.
Great advice. I’d love to be able to try lots of different tenor ukeleles. If only we had local music shops in Nottingham UK with a big range. I visited my local PMT store recently and they had only 1 tenor uke in stock! So, I had to buy online without being able to try. Anyone else had similar problems?
Please do a video for us left-handed players. Should we buy a uke that’s specifically made for left-handers or buy a right-handed uke and reverse the strings? Are we completely shut out of the cutaway market?
I am not going to get one better than my old Gibson tenor. However I would like to try the Mann with pickups. I am hoping Fender will come out with a tenor with guitar pickuips. Iguana
I’d love to hear your impressions of the Lohanu ukuleles. I ordered a tenor but received a concert from Amazon. It is an electric acoustic cutaway. My next purchase will hopefully be a Lanakai tenor :)
I’m just waiting for my new Mainland Red Cedar Concert to arrive to replace the Baritone version. The Red Cedar has such a sweet sound but I prefer the concert size. Also have the Mainland bamboo which has such a bright tone. In addition I have an Ohana mahogany; a Risa half/slim back in Acacia; and an incredible sounding cheap laminated zebra wood which shows you don’t always have to pay £££££s.
I'm a singer and thought to buy a ukulele just to do and record this one song ("over the rainbow" of course) so went for kinda cheap and quick, the Makala Tenor with pickup (for recording ease), which they sell at like the double the price here in Europe, but now I'm hooked and play "Wouldn't it be nice" -beach boys- etc... maybe should upgrade soon...? The Makala looks really nice but playing it feels kinda harsh... Of course I'm a total beginner
I upgraded from a 15€ Uke (soprano) to a 55€ Hricane Uke (concert) and people I can say the sound is on a whole other level. I don't have that much money to spend, which is why I was searching for a pretty cheap uke and I love my new uke. I mean of course the string are pretty hard and you can hear, whilst strumming, your nails slamming the strings (idk if that was understandable). But people I love it and can't imagine myself anymore playing that "cheep" uke. When I am, after a lot of practicing, on another level, I will eventually upgrade to an even better Uke maybe even from a known brand. Its a nice goal to say: practice and get better and then you can upgrade.
I fell in love with the Deviser thin concert based on the reviews. The fender-style tuners really give it an edge. Sadly, crowding them together makes it difficult turn one without hitting another one, especially the 2 & 3 strings.
I think if you want to play high notes its easier the cutway I don’t know if it makes difference with the sound.I have a soprano but I want to upgrade it to tenor because of the frets I think it will be easier for my fingers to change chords and strum
This was such a pleasure to watch. I love the look of the Córdoba ukuleles, the mahogany sounds clearer than the laminate solid top acacia. The Kanile’a sounds so beautiful. The slow melody you played at the end of each comparison is so pretty. I would like to get a ukulele with a pick up. Though when it comes to experiment or alter the sound, do you do it from the controls on the amp that the ukulele is plugged into, or in the sound box built into the ukulele? I hope this question makes sense.
Thanks for the beautiful video. I wish you can do a video about intonations and pitch. I’m having problems about playing a chord and they sound sharp or flat. Is it the instrument or my fretting? Thank you.
Are the Islander Ukuleles made in the same factory as the Kanile'as? I am interested in that brand. Have you tried a bamboo ukulele? Luna has one for about $140. I saw a different RUclips video of a sound sample, and it has a bright sound as well. What are your thoughts? Thanks! Great video!
I have an enya tenor mahogany. Great instrument. What do you think about making it a acoustic electric. What pickup should i get. Or should i buy a new ukulele that is acoustic electric from the factory.
That's a good question. The church where I serve has a large sanctuary as well. The size is going to come down to comfort and what you want to be able to play. Tenors have more space between the frets, more frets, and a longer neck. This can allow you to play more so on the upper part of the neck and more space for your fingers. In my honest opinion, choosing an instrument would come down to the pick up and what will work well with what you have for sound. I would talk to the person that is in charge of sound about the ukulele's pickup to make sure it will send enough signal through the house. I hope that helps :).
Hello, Im very new to this dont even have a Uke, borrowed a guitar but I have such short fingers and really struggle with cords and have since fallen in love with the Ukulele, I really love the tenor and the baritone, imlive in zambia so I'm waiting for a trip to South Africa to hopefully buy one, my question is I lobe the low G and can you put a low G on a tenor? Lobe your you tube vids, feel like I learn so much. Lord and respect. Cathy.
Catherine Wallis yes of course tenors can be strung with low G. You will find a variety of low g string options for tenors from a bunch of makers. Some are wound, some are nylon, its all about the ones that sound good with your style of play and the instrument. Have fun with a new instrument, its a lifetime of joy.
It just occurred to me today that while I’m seeking a better ukulele at a bargain price, no reason I couldn’t change the nut, bribe and tuners on my current cheap, but not bad axe 🎸
Thanks so much for putting this together! I recently traded in my Kala soprano for the Ohana TK-70R you also sampled in your video. I absolutely love it, but am wanting to get a second ukulele but concert size. Are you able to elaborate more on the thing body Ohana you sampled? Do you have other suggestions that have such incredible resonance?
I could hear a definite difference in tone when you got to the Tunnel Uke. That Uke is more than just window dressing. the price tag is a little out of my league though.
Do you know if Sun Star is still making ukulele’s and, if so, how to get in touch with them? Links to their site from various sources are invalid. 🤔 Thanks for your help!
Hi and thanks for watching 😀. I think they’re pretty neat. I have two (one from Lanikai and another from Ohana). It adds a lot of depth songs because of the extra strings. It might be a little difficult to fingerpick because of the extra strings if you’re looking for follow a tutorial that was arranged for a standard uke. You also have to consider how much time it will take to restring it once it’s time to clean and condition the fretboard. Other than that, I think they’re fun 😀.
@@OneMusicSchool I've had a Mitchell MU100CE concert acoustic-electric for a few years. I'm considering finding a decent 8 string acoustic electric tenor ukulele to add some depth. I am also debating between a tenor or baritone Gold Tone banjolele to add more of a banjo sound without having to completely learn a new instrument. I originally started with guitar but got frustrated with the bar chords. Ukulele has been a lot of fun. I love the sound of the Ohana but they lack the preamp. I'm doing some research into whether the Luna 8 string is worth it.
@@OneMusicSchool I ended up ordering a Lanikai ACST-8CET Acacia 8-String with Kula Preamp A E Ukulele Natural. It is a bit more than the Luna, but it has the Kula Fishman built in tuner and pickup like my Mitchell uke has. I'm not as thrilled about the tuners behind the headstock, but maybe they will grow on me. Keep the videos coming.
I am learning the ukulele and upgrading my instrument. Which do you do recommend the Cordoba 25T-CE or the Kala Archtop Tenor Ukulele - Metallic White?? I love them both. I am moving from up from a $40 Penguin Uke. I love the sound and look of the Kala Uke but the a friend of mine that is an established musician has the Cordoba one. You mention the Kala is heavier - would that still be ok to learn on? Thank you ;-)
Do you know what's funny? I just had another subsriber as the same question about the same two ukes that you have :). Here's what I wrote the other person, and I hope it helps. Oooo, I would be torn as well! I personally own the 25-TCE, and I do find it to be a beautiful instrument and has more of a traditional/timeless look to it. The Kala archtop is so eye-catching and unique, and I like the tone of that one as well. I guess it might boil down to what would fit your personality: Classic or unique? Also, the archtop has more of a glossy finished neck, and some people prefer a matte/satin neck for playability. Some people don't mind a glossy neck, but that may be something to consider. I hope that helps.
@@OneMusicSchool Thank you so much for getting back to me. I went with the Kala - the place I bought it from offers a great return policy (even if played) this way I can really get a feel for it. I love both looks but that velvety sound of the kala I think will work nice with the warm tones of my voice. Thank you for these videos - so helpful. I hope all is well for you and your family during this time we are all going though.
You need to learn the basic ‘Law of Diminishing Returns.’ You do in fact get less for more money. Over $500 for a ukulele or guitar, it’s not just the brand name but it is about fit and finish, and simple upgrades you can do yourself self like changing the nut, tuners, and saddle ... as well as just plain craftspersonship. Over $500, that instrument better be an awesome setup right out of the box. Less than that, you have something you can learn and work on. Most of the tone comes from anything that contacts the strings, and the top side of the body. The wood matters, but the nut and saddle matter more. Cutaways don’t matter so much.
Time Stamps :)
Finding the right size - 1:01
Why are some ukes more expensive than others? - 1:25
Does brand matter? - 2:49
Cutaways - 4:38
6:06 Pickups (Transducer, Piezo, Active, Passive) - 6:06
Scarf Joints - 9:09
Solid vs Slotted Headstocks - 9:55
Sound Samples - 11:11
Bendición me encanta gracias amiga Saludos desde Marbella España besos y abrazos Dios te bendiga 🍀🌵💖🎅👼💇💖🌻🌻 🏏😘🌵🌵❤🎸😘😍🌻☘💇💖😘🎺🌵🌵😘🌻🎻❤👼🎅🎅💇❤♩🎸🎺🌻🎺🎻🏣🕋🏣🏣🏏♩🌾💗🍀
Timestamps.....
for Arc's rather lengthy reply:))
1:00 sing Grace's Lullaby for Grace
10:00 make a big mug of tea
14:00 choose a comfy chair
15:00 have a good read
17:00 Enjoy 💙🙏💙
Off topic, but your hair style looks GORGEOUS on you!
I love that you added a note on the ethicality of buying ukulele's, I really hope it inspires more people to think about this when purchasing any musical instrument or good in general. Many complain about paying more but they forget that cheap often means someone/something suffers for the cost.
Enjoyed watching the video. I currently play on a Giannini baritone. It is from the 70s and I am refurbishing it.
I love my Kamaka HF-3. Its one of the only ukes that can fully handle my fingerstyle approach while still offering dynamic control. Love it!
Oh my goodness! I would LOVE to hear that! It sounds like a gem :).
I have several ukuleles my 2 favorite are my #1 enya tenor cutaway and my concert enya cutaway.
Thank you so much for taking the time to watch and to share your opinions :). I really appreciate it. Very familiar with Enya. What models do you have?
I just purchased my first ukulele based off your review of the Cordoba one in this video. I am so excited and thank you for your thoughts.
I purchased the Kala zircote tenor and absolutely love it. It is my most expensive uke. I tried out many ukes before making my decision. I loved the rich sound and the weight, which felt a bit heftier than others. I liked that, maybe because I used to play guitar. Highly recommend trying the ukes out in person if upgrading. There is a huge difference on ukes and you will know when you find the one that needs to be yours.
Completely agree with you on all points 😀. Thanks for taking the time to watch and share your opinion. I really appreciate it.
I bought the Kala zircote Baritone.I love it and they SAY you can't take it with you, but I'm taking this when they assign me a cloud.
@@BirdWhisperer46 have that one as well...it’s sheer magic!
My best instrument is a tenor Cordoba 32T, it is discontinued so I was very lucky to get it on sale from World of Ukes. Thank you so much for this video!!! You make all of them sound good! ❤️️
Hi! How are you? So good to see you in the comments section today. I've played the 32T before, and it's great :). You're very kind, so thanks for watching and for being so encouraging. I really appreciate it.
I am mesmerized by the ukulele sounds you can play. I have just ordered my first ukulele made by a renowned master luthier in Mexico City and going to pick it up tomorrow, so I am truly excited about it. Now I will learn how to play it with you. Thank you for your marvelous chanel.
Oh my goodness, you new uke sounds amazing. Thank you fro your kind words, and thank you for watching. I really appreciate it.
Fantastic! Would love to see a BARITONE comparison! Loved the super tenor,thanks
Thank you so much for watching, and thank you for your feedback. I really appreciate it :). I thought the Baritone and Super Tenor were really lovely, and the sustain is beautiful. Very rich. Thanks again and have a great day!
Thank you for knowing of which you speak, and presenting it very well.
I've been a living-room guitar player for many years. I happened to come across, on YT, Jake Shimabukuro playing Bohemian Rhapsody at a TEDtalk, and the incredible teenage Hawaiian gals Honoka & Azita. I figured that I'd giving uking a try, and bought a uke from Amazon.
It was pretty good, and when I contacted the seller about a small cosmetic defect, he sent another to me at no charge. Then I decided to upgrade, and bought a stunning Kala KA-SRMT-TRI, which sounded as great as it looked. However, I couldn't be satisfied until I bought a professional grade uke - a Kanilea K2-T, which is AWESOME. Then, I came across a fellow who was selling his Kanilea MT-4 Islander, so I figured that a pair of Kanileas would get along just fine, and I was correct. Since I come from a guitar background, all of my "high" G strings have been replaced with "low" G strings.
That's my journey (so far), re: acquisitions - I'm not expecting to be making any more uke purchases - I'm very well satisfied!
Thanks for your great presentations!
I just got a Kala Bamboo Soprano a couple days ago and I LOVE it! For $120 the workmanship is outstanding! I couldn’t be happier!
I tried that one a few months ago, and I really liked it as well 😀. Congratulations on your new instrument, and thanks for watching 🌺.
I loved them all but my favorite was the Lanikai Solid Top Acacia Baritone! I tend toward the lower pitch ukes.........I play a little guitar. Thank you Katie, I love listening to you play!
I liked the Kala Satin Tenor with resonator. It really did have a unique tone to it. I currently play a Fender Zuma in concert size.
Loving that you included the baritone uke in this. I use mine as a transition instrument for my students that want to move on to guitar. I hope all is well, and wish you and your (growing) family all possible joys this holiday season.
Yeah! I wish that I had more intermediate/advanced baritones to show you :). It's a good way to transition students from one instrument to the other. I do have students that switch between the two and find themselves confused sometimes and mix up the chords. They get it eventually. Thanks for your well wishes. I certainly am growing! LOL!
@@OneMusicSchool I too, get confused going from one ukulele to another. When I go from my baritone to the tenor I frequently mess up, but it's a good way for the old guy to practice staying in focus.
As usual, you’ve put up a helpful and entertaining video. I was surprised by the tone and volume you were able to squeeze out of some of the more modestly priced instruments. I currently own 5 Ukes. 4 of them are Kala branded. One is their Elite solid Koa Tenors. Also have solid Acacia Tenor and Concert models. Both are wonderful mid-priced Ukes. For the grandkids I have a solid mahogany, laminate back and sides Concert Kala. My pride and joy is a solid Koa Koaloha Tenor. So new it still thinks it’s a tree, but great potential. Thanks again for your ongoing enthusiasm and encouragement. Wishing you well this holiday season...
I'm so blessed to read this comment, so thank you so much for taking the time to watch. I really appreciate it, and I'm glad that you found this entertaining and helpful. I know 25 minutes is a LONG video in RUclips world, so thank you for watching and leaving your feedback. It's always great to see what others have purchased and what they are playing. The Elite Kalas look amazing, and I'd love to play one :).
I'm glad that you liked seeing some more modestly priced ukuleles in this video. I know that the term "upgrading" is going to differ from person to person, so thank you for leaving that feedback. Have an amazing day!
Thank you Katie, this knowledge packed video really strengthened my purchasing power. I appreciate you taking the time to condense your years of knowledge into these 25 minutes of excellence, totally worth the watch. (Sometimes I wonder how you find the time, can only imagine the hours put in to create these gems! Again thank you) That "Ding" caught my ear, I looked away for a second when the first one happened and had to rewind to make sure my stove wasn't telling me dinner was ready (baked veggie meatballs in a taco sauce with goat cheese on a bed of jasmine rice, in case your wondering :)) Your photographs and still images are great for pausing the video and having a detailed look, for us with no music store near. Hear what you're saying about price points and brand quality, there is something to be said about having trust in an established maker and supporting them for their years of dedication in producing solid instruments.
Soooo many new things I didn't know! The pick-up info✓✓✓ Hadn't known there were such variety, (again, thanks for the photos) great learning about the pros & cons of each. (Plug n' play or plug n' pray, love that!!) Scarfe joint✓(I'm looking forward to trying uke's with the joint in different places, now I really want to try a solid wood neck to see/hear/feel the difference. Liking the idea of a cutaway uke as well.
The Mahogany or Acacia? Like the depth and Fuller sound of the Mahogany one. Now, those slim body uke's, wow! The Ohana sounds lovely and the price is manageable yet I could see stretching for the Lanikai Thin/Slim Bocote, that's a beautiful ukulele, you've piqued my interest in it's uniqueness, first time seeing a uke that thin. That's why I like my Sun Star, it's a tad thinner than my Kala, although as the Kala is my very first ukulele it's my favorite :) Love your explanation of the Resonator, if we want to "round out the sonic spectrum" and be heard in a room full of music, plus-plus no batteries or amp needed, looks cool too. Aaand another first, that ArchTop, nice and stylish with those fancy sound holes. I was surprised at the volume. Speaking of a lovely surprise... that was 'Grace's Lullaby'!!! Well, on that happy note, a goodnight to you all and a big thanks for everything you do for us in your community strong. Thanks ever so much again, Blessed days Katie
💙💪🎶💒🎶💪💙
PS. Your Church looks amazing! Do they broadcast Sunday services? Be nice to attend from afar.
A brilliant video, so helpful to a newby. Well done!
So happy this helped :).
Great timing on this vid-just in time for Christmas shopping. I love the last four or five. You know, the ones I can’t afford! You don’t seem as tired today. Looking beautiful, as usual!
LINDA!!!! So good to see you in the comments section. I did play the zircote, and I was hoping that it helped because I know you had your eye on it :). I know what you mean! It was so painful to have to give those masterpieces back :(. I think the Petros uke is now in Hawaii. Let me know if you have any questions about a uke that you find for your upgrade. Perhaps I've played it. I felt pretty good this day that I filmed, and I actually refilmed this video because the first one was BAAAAADDDD. I was tired that day, and I pushed too hard. I had to take my time to collect my thoughts, plan, and redo this one. I'm glad that I did. Even though it was way longer that I had anticipated it being, I hope people will find it helpful. How was your first week back from break? Good news is that Christmas break will be coming sooner than last year because Thanksgiving was so late :). Have an awesome day!
Katie, I am still loving the Ziricote. I also had my eye on the Mr. Mai MD-T Tenor Uke. I’m just not sure anymore. That Petros Uke just causes me too drool! Such a beautiful instrument! Christmas break needs to happen now. Last week lasted three months. 🤣 I hope you’re not pushing yourself too hard. You’re living for two now! Please rest, darlin and enjoy your Christmas with your little family! Blessings!❤️🌲
Katie, I'd like to thank you for all your videos. I just finished building my first ukulele, a tenor, with mahogany from Home Depot. I'm going to do one more in walnut. In the past I've only played guitar. My wife and I are both learning songs with your videos. I wish you and your family all the best for the holidays.
This so helpful! Thank you!❤
YEAH!!!! I'm so happy that you wanted to watch this, and I'm so happy that this helped. Thank you :). I have a question for you, and I was wondering if you could help me out. Did the thumbnail watch your attention enough to want to watch the video? How can I improve?
Thank you. I appreciate your feedback :).
Another great, informative video.
1. Size does not make a big difference. Barry from Got A Ukulele says in his reviews people with bigger hands should have no problem playing a soprano it just needs a slightly wider nut than other soprano ukes.
2. The sound of a ukulele also comes from the type of strings used, and the player playing it.
3. With pickups you can plug your ukulele into an external preamp pedal. The Behringer ADI21 Acoustic Preamp Di is great at $30usd. This is a copy of the Tech21 Sansamp Para Di at about $300
The Extra thin ukuleles. F4om my understanding then Kala Travel series was the first one to make these. I have a Kala Travel Tenor uke. I havemplayed others in the music store and appart from the different woods they all sound and play the same. They have a thinner neck profile than other ukes (not a thinner nut).
A luthir friend of mine who worjson ukuleles says that allot of resonator ukes he has seen have a design flat (don't ask me what that is) he usually has to modify the cone so it will resonate better and work as intended.
I've watched about 100 guys do videos on this ukulele in this type of ukulele and this other kind of ukulele so many ukuleles that actually made me vomit in my mouth. They were boring dull and some of the most uninformative waste of time I think I've ever participated in in my life! Your video was refreshing, informative, he literally just kept it simple but technical enough that actually told people what they might want to know or need to know which is kind of f****** important if you're going to make a video and expect somebody to sit through the whole thing and pretend to teach them anything! Kudos!!!¡You're a doll! Fantastic video and amazing personality to boot and it certainly seems like a whole lot of talent to go with all that as well..... God gave you the whole package sweetheart! Bless you.
Thank you , for all your time and effort putting these comparisons together, many models that I was not familiar with . I sure appreciate all your time and effort. Thank you
Lots of good information for finding your next ukulele. There is a Lot to be considered. Well, since you asked, LOL, I have a variety/cross section of ukuleles. My first is my concert Luna tattoo mahogany, it is an acoustic/electric. Love playing it, though it is a bit small for my hands, I learned the fundamentals while playing it. It has good tone and it still has a good sound when played through my Bose pa system. Next I bought a Mitchell baritone with solid spruce top, strictly acoustic. Beautiful tone! I sold that to a friend from church to encourage him to start to play again. (I regret not having that instrument now, LOL). I acquired a Caramel CB103 acoustic/electric baritone next, the tone doesn't come up to the level I had with the Mitchell, but I needed the option of playing through the system. Next I was so impressed with your review of the Cordoba 20TM-CE tenor that I made that my next ukulele. Great tone, I play it a Lot. I should mention I also have a Donner U-Bass ukulele, loaned to me by Bernadette Teaches Music, and I have played it primarily in Praise Team setting. It is an amazing instrument as far as tone. (My primary instrument for the last 38 years has been the bass guitar). I have tried to return it to her, but am so far unsuccessful in getting her to take it back... LOL. I bought a Diamond Head DU-200B baritone, (acoustic), to have as a 'spare' for others to play. Surprisingly good tone for a low price point instrument. I have found good bargains in all price ranges. My next purchase will be a Kala baritone, though I haven't decided which model just yet. I live in far from a good music store with a selection of ukuleles, so I have been making my purchases from Musician's Friend and Amazon, so it's rather a "Hobson's Choice" I'm afraid. I have learned much from your reviews as well as your tutorials and other instructive videos. Thank you Katie. God Bless you and yours.
Thank you for taking the time to watch this long video :). I hope you had a snack at hand :). I'm grateful that you watched, and I'm glad that you found it helpful. Thank you :).
@@OneMusicSchool You were probably responding to my comment before I edited it and went all long winded on you... LOL. I love all your lessons and have learned so much from you. Thanks again.
Dude, I totally did :). LOL. Time for me to grab a snack and read your message.
plug and pray sounds good for a church i guess ;-) no one else said that, right? Thanks for another good and very thorough guide!
So glad that this helped and thanks for stopping by 😀.
Fantastic learning tool! Thank you!
Glad you liked it! I saw that you commented on another video, and I just wanted to thank you for watching :).
About 20 days ago, I actually got a Luna uke! It's a soprano. And I love it :) So pretty!
Oh fun! I’m glad you like your ukulele ❤️😀.
@@OneMusicSchool Thank you!
I Love that you play in Worship bands!!! I have enjoyed a few of your video's now. I have only been looking into Ukulele's for about a week. I have to say that the sanctuary in this video, looks just like Jentezen Franklins Church!! I watch him everyday. Go Jesus - Go Jesus!!!
My husband has been running his Open Mic (not for profit - Outreach: Influence Music Hall, in Hillsboro Oregon) since the summer of 2006. Now with Covid-19 they are closing/giving up the space they have rented since 2009. They are not quitting, they are using Zoom to still have the "Open Mic" which is good, but still sad in some ways as they serve the under-served in our community, (he sneaks Jesus in, when least expect it) to those who are socially challenged, or new to music, good at music and want to show off. Many who aren't tech-y enough to use computers that well, won't be able to stay connected. Sad....
Anyway, all that to say, one fella left a Ukulele (a satin finish Tenor Cordoba 20TM-CE) to encourage anyone who might come in on a Friday night, to at least pick it up and give it a try.
Since Influence Music Hall is closing the current space (it is too tight a space to be able to have any social distancing that will be required for a while). Anyway.... the owner of the Ukulele told us to take it home till we can manage to start Influence Music Hall back up in the future. So, since it was here at my house, I plunked on it some, and found a couple tutorials on youtube, and Wow! I seam to have found an instrument that fits me. I too, am not that large (5' 2" & 109) so it feels way better than a guitar, (!) which I tried, but just couldn't get it. I have also tried Violin, which has ten thousand ways to make terrible sounds, (if they made them with frets....) anyway gave that up. I tried piano, I love piano, where it is in my house is uncomfortable, and I have a mental block - but it does have tones that I love!!! Mine is old, old wood - rich, deep tones, and very friendly sounding, and to play someone else's isn't the same, and they are just too big to be portable (lol).
So, again back to the point of this story: Seeing that I am playing this borrowed Ukulele, and making comments like, "I hope Kurtis doesn't ask for his Ukulele back anytime soon, I really would miss it! : ( "
My husband got on Craigslist and found a concert Kala KA-KCGE-C. It is a Nice instrument (higher price point than the Cordoba), but I like the Cordoba better. I think the matte finish may make a more resonant sound, maybe? Even though it didn't cost as much, I personally like the tone better. It could just be the difference between the Concert & Tenor? I'm not quite sure. I have not yet tried it using the electronics - so I cannot speak to that.
One thing that is really funny to me, is I have had a ukulele for years. I thought I didn't like Ukulele's. I didn't ever get serious about it, it was just the general feeling I got about it right away. Turns out, that it will not stay in tune, and the intonation is off! All I knew was I couldn't make it sound good, it was a cut and dried situation in my mind. BUT, having this nice quality item come into my possession, gave me the opportunity to try a Real Instrument rather than a wall hanging. Turns out if you start off with a low quality instrument, you can't know for sure what you might be good at....
Thank you for sharing all your wisdom, and showing us the variety available. Your video's are beautiful! And, so are you! Multiplied blessing to you - ! Keep up the good work.
Love the Cordoba 25T CE, and the Shave and Hair Cut Two Bits riff at the end!!😎
Hehehehehe! I couldn't help myself, and I had to be a little cheeky :).
I think that is what one of my ukes is, it’s my favourite!
☺
I really like the Low G. It adds a lot of depth.
The thin Lanikai is beatiful
I loved the tone of the Cordoba Acacia. The sound feels very right to me.
same
Those sound samples were so helpful! Thank you for your hardwork behind all these serious but fun instruments 😍
My dad's roommate got me a $25 gift card from Amazon for Christmas 2020, and I literally bought the $25 one. It came with a gig bag, picks, and extra strings. I started learning hand placements and took off from there.
I love the sound of all of the ones you played in the video, but if I were to choose one for concert purposes, I would have to play it myself.
Wow! I wasn’t expecting the difference in the higher end ukuleles to be that dramatic. I was listening to you play and looking away from the screen and when you started playing the really expensive one I thought to myself..that’s the sound I’m looking for! Only to be disappointed that a ukulele over $7k is not in my budget lol. I enjoyed hearing the sound of the high end ones. They were so beautiful!
A good player like yourself can make them all sound wonderful, regardless of pricepoint.
I think that was my point referring to cost (I believe you were talking about my comment 👍). I agree with you from the standpoint of time and craftsmanship put into instrument, of course some ukes are worth far more money based on that alone. I was talking purely from a tone perspective and quality, maybe blindfold once a late properly set up.
I have a Gibson J45 I wouldn’t part with for the world (sentimental reasons) and it sounds great as expected. My point is put that guitar worth a quality instrument of much lower pricepoint with similar woods, sound very similar.
Love your vids though regardless. Great player as well.
I have a Martin All koa tenor I love and keep it in low G. Your review of the Cordoba 25TCE persuaded me to get it for a dedicated high G instrument, or vice versa.
I so appreciate your opinions and comments, and I can tell that you are very knowledge. All of your points make perfect sense, and I do agree that some ukes/instruments could be priced more "appropriately". Sometimes I play something and think, "Really, they want that much for this?" I'm so happy that there's so much variety out there so that people can have more of a choice. Again, I so appreciate you sharing your honest opinions. They're thought provoking and have helped me to think about things more deeply. I'm sure they've others think as well :). Have a great day, and as always, know that I value you.
All Koa Martin...yummmmmmm...sounds awesome! I'd love to hear it one day. I hope you love the Cordoba :).
One Music School appreciate your feedback as well, keep up the Good work.
My dream uke is an Anuenue Moonbird Tenor, but the $$ isn’t what it once was.
And as I’ve gotten older, I’m a retired Marine/Soldier), the material things that were once meaningful, not so much.
It’s all about appreciating what God has blessed us with. I’m blessed.
Brother, we need more people like you with your perspective. I agree. The older I get, the more I appreciate the little things in life. At the end of the day, things are just things. Thanks for shining your light.
I can't believe you only have 887 viewers and this was made in Dec of 2019. I have to admit I did not find you till recently and I am telling all my friends that they "have" to join One Music School RUclips if they are serious about the Uke. Thanks for your passion, professionalism, and personality. I am looking to upgrade my uke for playing on our band and finding these lessons so valuable but I do not have a store anywhere near me where I can "try" different sizes and woods and... so I am depending on you to help me with my next uke sight and sound unseen.
I’m so glad that have found these helpful, and I hope they continue to point you in the right direction 😀. I really appreciate you. I’m curious why it only shows 800+ views. When I click on the video, it says 42k views 🤔. Well, it goes to show that RUclips glitches are a thing. Oh well 😀.
I was hoping you might be able to help me pick out my upgrade , I play at our church and my cordoba's electronics came lose inside the body of the uke and just dangles in there, and I have trouble holding it, plugged in, without a strap , help lol
I want every ukulele in this video 😂
I know! Me too. It was hard to give them back to the store.
@@OneMusicSchool You give them back to the store😱 Tgis is very painfull
Yes, I teach at the store, and they let me borrow the majority of these ukuleles to play on my channel for this video. It was hard to say goodbye to them, but I'm also relieved because I don't have to worry about taking care of the all.
Lanikai tenor totally win my feeling :D
Kanila's Tenor K2 has a very nice tone as well.
I have three ukuleles. One is a banjo body so I won't go into that. The others are a Córdoba mahogany tenor 20 TM-CE with a low G and a cut-away. It has a lovely mellow tone and good response and loads of volume. I have to say I changed out the tuners for Grovers because I found that ones that came on it slipped quite quickly. I also found it sounded a bit shrill with a high G so that gets left with Aquila red strings and a low G. The other is a Snail concert size UKC E498 in ebony. I had to try various different strings on it because the Aquilas that came on it were too bendy and slipped off the fretboard on the top A. I now use hard fluorocarbon strings on it and it sounds and plays way better. It has a nice bright tone without being tinny. Both have a bridge bug which I rarely use so I can't comment on the sound being amped up.
Both get played a lot. The Córdoba gets finger picked more and the Snail sounds great strummed especially with songs requiring split strokes. Neither will break the bank ;-)
Awesome! Thanks for sharing what you have and the modifications that you made.
That Lanaki maple tenor with the blue finish is really stunning, and probably my favorite sounding one. Of course, the Lanaki mahogany cutaway with the binding is really impressive sounding also.
Now that baritone Lanaki is awesome! I will admit, the baritone is the one that I always play now, I haven't played my tenor uke in several months...
Since I only have 2 ukuleles, a tenor Lanaki, and a baritone Cordoba, and since I've been playing the baritone almost exclusively for the past several months, I have to say that the Cordoba 20BM is my favorite. I bought that one at Heid music in Appleton last winter. :-)
Could you do a video with instructions on how to play your sound sample? Or have you already done one? 😊
Love, love my concert VTAB, slotted head, solid spruce top. I'm still in awe, though, of my gorgeous ($$$) KoAloha tenor... And then there's my darling banjolele (GoldTone). But wait! Can't omit my EchoBridge & Hankey tenors! O, my! I'm certainly not a name snob: Like you say, Cynthia, find the ukes that MAKE YOU HAPPY. Next on my try list--a Freshman.
You sound line you have quite the beautiful collection! Thanks for sharing what you love ❤️. I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else, although I’m flattered to be mistaken for Cynthia 😀. Have a great day, and thanks for watching.
Great scott, I sure did! I've enjoyed/watched/commented on your amazing videos for 3 yrs--'Scuse my faux pax! Chalking it up to "Ukulele Brain" excitement!
😏Betty💙💤
I really love my Ortega RUSL-HSB. It sounds really unique and the mandolin bridge makes the strings get up a little bit more then usual. Hope I can be as good as you are some day.😅
Your tutorials are really helpful for me. Thank you so much and keep up the good work 😊
That's awesome! I'm so glad that you like your uke and have had a good experience. It really helps everyone when people leave their opinions in the comments section. It helps steer us in the right direction or it might introduce me to something new. Thanks for taking the time to comment :).
@@OneMusicSchool yeah that's true. I'm sure your video helps a lot of people deciding which uke they wanna get next. I started 2 month ago but I really enjoy every moment and every new track I learn to play. It's really awesome that this little instrument connect and inspire so many people 😊
That’s so encouraging to hear that you like your uke so much and that you’re learning. 😀. I hope you keep playing, and keep spreading joy.
@@OneMusicSchool yeah I just uploaded a video a week ago. It's not perfect and just for fun but I hope I can improve more. It's my first string instrument and I always thought about getting started and yeah 2onths ago I finally got my first one and practice as much as possible 😅
I think it's so brave of you to make a video and share your passion :).
Great review...now I really want the lanikai spalted maple . Sounds beautiful.....thx !!
A really great video Katy with lots of food for thought! I really like the Lanikai Acacia and I was quite surprised by how good the Kala resonator sounded when you played It up the fretboard. Take care, David.❤️🎸🎶🇬🇧
Great video! Love that tune that you are playing when you are testing them out😍. I've just ordered a tenor Ukulele from Amazon, it's my first one! I hope to sound as good as you, one day lol😉
Amazing!! Thank you for this and all your videos. Is very good for the Ukulele community and as a musician is very valuate too. Is always important to know what to buy and why, and your content is always clear and well explained. Is always a pleasure to watch your videos!
You know I follow your work long ago and I'm normally more active in comments on instagram, but I really wanted to support you here too... and write you a big THANKS for all this years!
My personal favorite is the KTM-25. It is the right balance of the standard KTM-00 with a few nice albeit mostly cosmetic upgrades. But the sound is pure Koaloha. Resonate and warm. It has so much resonance that when I am holding my ukulele and I am listening to youtube videos of other players. My uke acts like a little speaker vibrating happily along with the video. I guess Pop's reed shaping past really does show in these instruments. It is my personal favorite and makes me happy to pick it up. That leads to more practice and better results. Koaloha, Kaniala...Ohana!
I also like the Kamaka instruments in that they are different from the Koaloha. I feel they are a little crisper and a bit brighter. For skilled musicians, they cut through to make a statement. There are so many choices.
Bottom line...Koaloha is home for me at my ability and it all comes down to the relationship. My KTM-25 feels like a friend to me. It is always happy, does not judge and is always cheers me up.
Aloha,
Kali
Just as my trusty ukulele broke, perfect video! Thanks
I'm so sorry to hear that your uke broke :(, but I'm happy that this helped. Thank you for being here.
One Music School So many useful tips that I’m going to have to note down somewhere! Will certainly be going down to my local store and trying out as many until the right one is in my hands
I'm so happy that you have a local store where you can test drive as many as you can. It's always comforting to know that you held it, you tried it, and YOU decided if it was the right one or not :). Let me know what you pick. I'd LOVE to find out.
You are AMAZING thank you so much for all you do: the care, diligence, knowledge, wisdom and beauty...Mahalo Nui Loa! It would take more than a quick listen to do justice to all these wonderful Ukes, their distinct voices and tonal qualities, especially on computer speakers. It is surprising how competitive are some of the laminate ones but there's no mistaking the richness of solid woods. That Super Tenor seemed notably robust in its big projected voice. Could see the shining through all of it but you sparked on that Reso...I own that same one and it really is a lot of fun. I don't yet own a solid wood Uke and am leaning towards some kind of Koa Super Tenor preferably with slotted head stock (my guitar is a slotted 12-Fret; that angle does affect playing and tone, especially needed for 12-Fret guitars). Can you suggest an affordable solid wood Super Tenor with slotted headstock? Aloha!
I am enjoying your videos and working on some Christmas songs. A beginner here, I purchased a concert ukulele thinking it would be middle of the road. I am really having trouble with some chords due to arthritis and a trigger finger on middle finger, left hand. If I were to purchase a different size uke for ease of play, would I more likely be better off with a soprano, or a tenor. Not many ukuleles in the stores around me, I will probably end up buying something online.
I personally know the issues with arthritis and my husband has arthritis and trigger finger. The difference between a concert and a soprano isn't enough for either of us. Try going to a Guitar Center or other store with ukes and play a few different soprano and concert sizes. One thing that helps me is to turn my hand slightly with my wrist moving toward the headstock, but still on the same plane. I can't play with my fingers directly across the neck, perpendicular to the strings.
The Kala Satin Tenor Uke w/Bass Resonator sounds just like a Uke. But it is one more piece of evidence (in my opinion) that more Guitar player are playing, and buying, Ukes so manufactures are outfitting their instruments to appeal to that audience.
Great advice. I’d love to be able to try lots of different tenor ukeleles. If only we had local music shops in Nottingham UK with a big range. I visited my local PMT store recently and they had only 1 tenor uke in stock! So, I had to buy online without being able to try. Anyone else had similar problems?
You are inspiring
You are so sweet 🥰🥰. Thank you!
Please do a video for us left-handed players. Should we buy a uke that’s specifically made for left-handers or buy a right-handed uke and reverse the strings? Are we completely shut out of the cutaway market?
Great advice.
I am not going to get one better than my old Gibson tenor. However I would like to try the Mann with pickups. I am hoping Fender will come out with a tenor with guitar pickuips.
Iguana
you're a wonderful woman! Greetings from Rome
I’d love to hear your impressions of the Lohanu ukuleles. I ordered a tenor but received a concert from Amazon. It is an electric acoustic cutaway.
My next purchase will hopefully be a Lanakai tenor :)
I’m just waiting for my new Mainland Red Cedar Concert to arrive to replace the Baritone version. The Red Cedar has such a sweet sound but I prefer the concert size. Also have the Mainland bamboo which has such a bright tone. In addition I have an Ohana mahogany; a Risa half/slim back in Acacia; and an incredible sounding cheap laminated zebra wood which shows you don’t always have to pay £££££s.
23:17 the sound of this one just blew me away. I had no idea a uke could be that rich in tone. Thank you for sharing this with us!!
I'm a singer and thought to buy a ukulele just to do and record this one song ("over the rainbow" of course) so went for kinda cheap and quick, the Makala Tenor with pickup (for recording ease), which they sell at like the double the price here in Europe, but now I'm hooked and play "Wouldn't it be nice" -beach boys- etc... maybe should upgrade soon...? The Makala looks really nice but playing it feels kinda harsh... Of course I'm a total beginner
I upgraded from a 15€ Uke (soprano) to a 55€ Hricane Uke (concert) and people I can say the sound is on a whole other level. I don't have that much money to spend, which is why I was searching for a pretty cheap uke and I love my new uke. I mean of course the string are pretty hard and you can hear, whilst strumming, your nails slamming the strings (idk if that was understandable). But people I love it and can't imagine myself anymore playing that "cheep" uke. When I am, after a lot of practicing, on another level, I will eventually upgrade to an even better Uke maybe even from a known brand. Its a nice goal to say: practice and get better and then you can upgrade.
I fell in love with the Deviser thin concert based on the reviews. The fender-style tuners really give it an edge. Sadly, crowding them together makes it difficult turn one without hitting another one, especially the 2 & 3 strings.
What's the song name at 23:16 it's really beautiful!
It’s something that I made up. It’s a lullaby that I coMoises for my daughter 😀. I’m glad that you liked it ❤️.
What are the melodies you are playing? They are beautiful ❤️
I think if you want to play high notes its easier the cutway I don’t know if it makes difference with the sound.I have a soprano but I want to upgrade it to tenor because of the frets I think it will be easier for my fingers to change chords and strum
This was such a pleasure to watch. I love the look of the Córdoba ukuleles, the mahogany sounds clearer than the laminate solid top acacia. The Kanile’a sounds so beautiful. The slow melody you played at the end of each comparison is so pretty.
I would like to get a ukulele with a pick up. Though when it comes to experiment or alter the sound, do you do it from the controls on the amp that the ukulele is plugged into, or in the sound box built into the ukulele? I hope this question makes sense.
I’d love a guide to radius fretboard vs flat. I want to try a radius but it seems most massed produced ukes are flat.
Just bought my second uke I bought a bamboo one and went from a concert to a tenor. Bought on line aklot bamboo tenor let’s hope it’s a good one
How did you get on with the bamboo uke?
I have mahogany kmise concert, and want a tenor. The bamboo aklot looks amazing.
So far so good I like it a lot
Thanks for the beautiful video. I wish you can do a video about intonations and pitch. I’m having problems about playing a chord and they sound sharp or flat. Is it the instrument or my fretting? Thank you.
Are the Islander Ukuleles made in the same factory as the Kanile'as? I am interested in that brand. Have you tried a bamboo ukulele? Luna has one for about $140. I saw a different RUclips video of a sound sample, and it has a bright sound as well. What are your thoughts? Thanks! Great video!
The Cynthia Lin Ohana Performance Ukulele is not on the site or anywhere. Where can I buy it!!!! It’s not on the Heidi Music Site!
Good info,,,,,,
I'm glad that you found this valuable. Thank you for taking the time to watch this. It means a lot to me :).
I have an enya tenor mahogany. Great instrument. What do you think about making it a acoustic electric. What pickup should i get. Or should i buy a new ukulele that is acoustic electric from the factory.
Which ukulele would be good to play in church? Our church holds about a 1000 people. I have a concert ukulele but thinking about getting a tenor.
That's a good question. The church where I serve has a large sanctuary as well. The size is going to come down to comfort and what you want to be able to play. Tenors have more space between the frets, more frets, and a longer neck. This can allow you to play more so on the upper part of the neck and more space for your fingers. In my honest opinion, choosing an instrument would come down to the pick up and what will work well with what you have for sound. I would talk to the person that is in charge of sound about the ukulele's pickup to make sure it will send enough signal through the house. I hope that helps :).
@@OneMusicSchool that helps. Yeah, was thinking how loud will it be. I’ll talk to the music minister about it. Thank ya
I was wondering about the thin body, curved back design. I'm not going to get the $400 one but try a Hricane Tenor for $100. Thank you!
Hello, Im very new to this dont even have a Uke, borrowed a guitar but I have such short fingers and really struggle with cords and have since fallen in love with the Ukulele, I really love the tenor and the baritone, imlive in zambia so I'm waiting for a trip to South Africa to hopefully buy one, my question is I lobe the low G and can you put a low G on a tenor? Lobe your you tube vids, feel like I learn so much. Lord and respect. Cathy.
Catherine Wallis yes of course tenors can be strung with low G. You will find a variety of low g string options for tenors from a bunch of makers. Some are wound, some are nylon, its all about the ones that sound good with your style of play and the instrument. Have fun with a new instrument, its a lifetime of joy.
Genial me encanta tú VOZ Saludos desde Marbella España feliz días me encantó Saludos allá bendiciones temazo ukulele me encanta tú vidios
:) Gracias por ver como siempre :)
It just occurred to me today that while I’m seeking a better ukulele at a bargain price, no reason I couldn’t change the nut, bribe and tuners on my current cheap, but not bad axe 🎸
Thanks so much for putting this together! I recently traded in my Kala soprano for the Ohana TK-70R you also sampled in your video. I absolutely love it, but am wanting to get a second ukulele but concert size. Are you able to elaborate more on the thing body Ohana you sampled? Do you have other suggestions that have such incredible resonance?
I could hear a definite difference in tone when you got to the Tunnel Uke. That Uke is more than just window dressing. the price tag is a little out of my league though.
I want to buy another ukulele cuz I only have one. It would be fun if I have collections of uke.
Do you know if Sun Star is still making ukulele’s and, if so, how to get in touch with them? Links to their site from various sources are invalid. 🤔 Thanks for your help!
Hi and thank you for your message. As far as I know, SunStar is no longer in business. Sorry for the sad news.
@@OneMusicSchool I appreciate your reply. Thank you!
Have you tried out the Lohanu ukulele?
I am trying to buy a tenor ukulele, has been playing concert size for 2 years, any suggestion for something under $300?
What kind of pickup is the kind that doesn't need an amp? I've seen them some Flights and Enyas. Can that type of amp be added to an existing ukulele?
Any thoughts on 8 string ukuleles?
Hi and thanks for watching 😀. I think they’re pretty neat. I have two (one from Lanikai and another from Ohana). It adds a lot of depth songs because of the extra strings. It might be a little difficult to fingerpick because of the extra strings if you’re looking for follow a tutorial that was arranged for a standard uke. You also have to consider how much time it will take to restring it once it’s time to clean and condition the fretboard. Other than that, I think they’re fun 😀.
@@OneMusicSchool I've had a Mitchell MU100CE concert acoustic-electric for a few years. I'm considering finding a decent 8 string acoustic electric tenor ukulele to add some depth. I am also debating between a tenor or baritone Gold Tone banjolele to add more of a banjo sound without having to completely learn a new instrument. I originally started with guitar but got frustrated with the bar chords. Ukulele has been a lot of fun. I love the sound of the Ohana but they lack the preamp. I'm doing some research into whether the Luna 8 string is worth it.
@@OneMusicSchool I ended up ordering a Lanikai ACST-8CET Acacia 8-String with Kula Preamp A E Ukulele Natural. It is a bit more than the Luna, but it has the Kula Fishman built in tuner and pickup like my Mitchell uke has. I'm not as thrilled about the tuners behind the headstock, but maybe they will grow on me. Keep the videos coming.
I am learning the ukulele and upgrading my instrument. Which do you do recommend the Cordoba 25T-CE or the Kala Archtop Tenor Ukulele - Metallic White?? I love them both. I am moving from up from a $40 Penguin Uke. I love the sound and look of the Kala Uke but the a friend of mine that is an established musician has the Cordoba one. You mention the Kala is heavier - would that still be ok to learn on? Thank you ;-)
Do you know what's funny? I just had another subsriber as the same question about the same two ukes that you have :). Here's what I wrote the other person, and I hope it helps.
Oooo, I would be torn as well! I personally own the 25-TCE, and I do find it to be a beautiful instrument and has more of a traditional/timeless look to it. The Kala archtop is so eye-catching and unique, and I like the tone of that one as well. I guess it might boil down to what would fit your personality: Classic or unique? Also, the archtop has more of a glossy finished neck, and some people prefer a matte/satin neck for playability. Some people don't mind a glossy neck, but that may be something to consider. I hope that helps.
@@OneMusicSchool Thank you so much for getting back to me. I went with the Kala - the place I bought it from offers a great return policy (even if played) this way I can really get a feel for it. I love both looks but that velvety sound of the kala I think will work nice with the warm tones of my voice. Thank you for these videos - so helpful. I hope all is well for you and your family during this time we are all going though.
I prefered the Cordoba it had a better tone.....Definately.
I'll take one Redwood to go,😂😂!!
Aaaaand I have a RUclips crush 😍
You need to learn the basic ‘Law of Diminishing Returns.’ You do in fact get less for more money. Over $500 for a ukulele or guitar, it’s not just the brand name but it is about fit and finish, and simple upgrades you can do yourself self like changing the nut, tuners, and saddle ... as well as just plain craftspersonship.
Over $500, that instrument better be an awesome setup right out of the box. Less than that, you have something you can learn and work on.
Most of the tone comes from anything that contacts the strings, and the top side of the body. The wood matters, but the nut and saddle matter more. Cutaways don’t matter so much.
Hello Do you give lessons?
I have a soprano and want to „upgrade“ to tenor to have derper sounds but Im afraid cause I habe really! small hands :|
I have really small hands as well, so don’t be intimidated. You can do it 😀.
What is you favorite thin body ukulele?
baritone is so big