Ukulele Help

[KnotClever]

I know this is a Mandolin Cafe but thought what the heck. Maybe some folks know some things about ukulele's. Looking to buy a decent ukulele and wanted to know if anyone has heard of Kanile'a ukulele's. A gentlemen is trying to sell me a Kanile'a hanohano super concert model ukulele for $600. It looks to be made from spruce (for the top) koa (back and sides). Sounds pretty good. Any thoughts folks have on these ukulele's would be appreciated.

Thanks,

[allenhopkins]

Here's a Flea Market Music search on Kanile'a ukuleles; might give you some info.

Spruce tops on ukes aren't the norm -- mahogany and koa are more common -- and the "super tenor" size, which I only find on the Kanile'a brand, is large; not as large as a baritone, but big for a uke. Kanile'a seems to be a brand with a pretty good rep.

Later: tried the link, and it recognized my membership in Flea Market Music; might not work for you. I'd visit the website bulletin board as see if you can search on "Kanile'a."

[SincereCorgi]

I'm not a uke expert but I've been impressed by the Kanileas that I've tried. The spruce definitely helps cut through if you're playing in a group, but that might not be the sound you're looking for. I don't know anything about their pricing; I'd second Allen's idea about posting it to a big uke forum.

[Jim Adwell]

Bounty Music on Maui sells them new. I know that Paul (the owner/president) would not handle them if they weren't good quality instruments.

The retail price on a new super concert is $1152.

[KnotClever]

Thanks. Found a lot of good info on the Flea Market Music website you suggested.

[jesserules]

Also try ukuleleunderground.com

[johnbaxter]

I own a Kanile'a K2 Koa Tenor Uke. It is the best uke I have every owned, and I've had a few. If I had the money to buy another uke, it would be a Kanile'a. Here's a tune played on my Kanile'a to give you an idea of the sound.

http://soundcloud.com/user9867634/misty

[Mandoukelady]

A spruce top Kanile'a is likely to have a lovely, bright sound with the mahogany or koa topped ones being somewhat more mellow. I love spruce top ukes as they have a bit of guitar sound about them without being a guitar. Kanile'a do make high end, really good ukes - if buying used, just take the usual care when checking the structure and condition of the uke. uKuleleunderground will be able to give a lot more info from experts on high end ukes, so maybe visit there too.

[Matt DeBlass]

To derail the thread breifly, is there a lot of crossover between mando pickers and uke players? I picked up a Cordoba tenor to play around with as part of my recovery from St. Patrick's weekend (a much-needed break from both steel strings and Irish music) and have been having a lot of fun with it. It's a very different experience and a mellower sound, and it's nice to learn a couple tunes without feeling guilty about using tab instead of standard notation

I don't know if I'll ever use it for gigging, but the idead of having two different "carry-on" size instruments that I can take out with me is appealing.

[allenhopkins]

...is there a lot of crossover between mando pickers and uke players?...

Can't speak for all mandolinists, but I play a lot of uke (mostly a 1930's Regal taropatch -- 8-stringed ukulele) as a solo performer. Half or more of my gigs are playing for seniors, and I have a repertoire of songs that sound good with ukulele accompaniment -- at least I think they sound good.

Was just running through April Showers and Easter Parade, for some upcoming gigs, on the Regal, when I took a break and went on-line...

[marcodamusician]

Friend, you need to sign up for an account at the Ukulele Underground. It's basically the same kind of forum as this one but for the Ukulele and the folks are great over there. I have an account there as well since i play an Uke too.

http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/

[Petrus]

I started up on the uke a few months ago. I got tired of going out with my mando and having friends constantly ask me "is that a ukulele?" so I finally got a ukulele; now I can say, "YES, it's a &#%@ ukulele!"

I got me a vintage TV Pal Uke, made by Maccaferri as part of their line of innovative synthetic (non-wood) instruments. It has a huge crack down the back but it was only $50 and it doesn't seem to interfere with the tone. And check out that great figure on the plastic! I tuned it GDAE with violin strings. I can still play mando and fiddle tunes and tab, but it's easier for casual practice and playing at parties. I can't see spending hundreds of dollars on a uke. No matter how much you spend, it's still a uke, you know.

[johnbaxter]

Petrus said:
"I can't see spending hundreds of dollars on a uke. No matter how much you spend, it's still a uke, you know."

And a mandolin is still a mandolin, but there is a large range between low-end and high-end mandolin, in addition to the vintage market. There are a ton of ukes available at the very low-end, but the mid-range and high-end ukes being made today are worth every penny. It's sad there is a perception that the uke is inferior to other instruments. I suspect Tiny Tim had an influence on that view. But, if you listen to Lyle Ritz, James Hill, Jake Shimabukuro, Gerald Ross, and Sarah Maisel, you will discover just what a viable instrument the uke is. I paid $900 for my Kanile'a K2 Koa Tenor Uke, and consider it a bargain. Here's Sarah Maisel playing "How High the Moon"

How High the Moon

[vegas]

The Uke is a fun instrument adaptable to many styles. My first Uke was a spruce top with rosewood back and sides because I was primarily a guitar player who understood the tone qualities that combination of woods gives to guitars and I have not been at all disappointed with that combination on a Uke.. $600.00, imho, is a lot of money to spend on a first instrument but it seems those who know that brand believe it is worth it. To me, the strings are the most important sound contribution on a Uke and I believe Worth strings will give you the best authentic Uke sound.

Have fun, and report back when you get one and start playing.

[catmandu2]

To derail the thread breifly, is there a lot of crossover between mando pickers and uke players?

Couldn’t say about mandolin players, but many guitar guys enjoy playing uke. Tuning the uke in 5ths (while I understand it may be desirable for folks here) voids much of its appeal: the close harmony of its trad tuning--nice for a “jazz” approach (chord melody, substitution, etc). The (nylon) strings and spacing additionally is especially conducive to fingerstyle playing. Uke is a natural for a guitarist (fingerstyle, particularly)--not only ergonomically but stylistically: we can easily deploy a guitar concept (of course its efficacy for song accompaniment is one of its well-known attributes)

My personal interest, but check out Caribbean music and various "Latin" forms with your uke, if you haven't yet

I used to tote tenor banjos and guitars for playing out, but since being homebound I just switched it to ukes, dola, etc

[Petrus]

Tuning the uke in 5ths (while I understand it may be desirable for folks here) voids much of its appeal: the close harmony of its trad tuning--nice for a “jazz” approach (chord melody, substitution, etc). The (nylon) strings and spacing additionally is especially conducive to fingerstyle playing. Uke is a natural for a guitarist (fingerstyle, particularly)--not only ergonomically but stylistically: we can easily deploy a guitar concept (of course its efficacy for song accompaniment is one of its well-known attributes)

Good point about the tuning issue. I'm just so familiar with GDAE from decades of violin and a few years of mandolin that I like to stick with it ... and I can recycle all my sheet music and tabs that way too. Other tuning systems confuse me. (I have a tenor guitar too, which of course is also GDAE.) Actually though I do utilize fingerstyle playing -- I have a very hard time with picks. I actually play my mandolin with the pad of my thumb and index finger quite a lot, as difficult as it is. (I don't know why I've managed to collect 100 various picks, though.) But the different timbres of each instrument still come through. My TV Pal uke still has a nice plunky, quick response, and the violin strings darken it down quite a bit the way I like. (On my mandos, I use flatwounds when I can, or else nickel.)

My personal interest, but check out Caribbean music and various "Latin" forms with your uke, if you haven't yet.

Ironically, the uke developed out of European style small guitars and mando-like instruments brought over to Hawaii by Portuguese sailors and Mexican cowboys.

I used to tote tenor banjos and guitars for playing out, but since being homebound I just switched it to ukes, dola, etc

I'm getting more into ukes as well, mainly because they're less expensive. I lean toward the tenor size. And an all-steel resonator uke is on my wish list for sometime in the future.

Oh, and I just bought an old banjolele off eBay a few days ago. I just remembered.

[Petrus]

Just for the heck of it: tenor guitar and baritone uke compared side by side. The guitar is tuned GDAE; the uke is tuned DGBE. Also note the backwards facing friction tuners on the tenor guitar versus the more modern tuners on the uke (though you still find ukes with friction tuners; tenor guitars not so much.) I don't think it's usual for modern tenor guitars to have the movable bridge and tailpiece though; given this and the friction tuners, it's likely a vintage model. Also note the wider neck of the uke.

[Tim2723]

For whatever it's worth, I have an Oscar Schmidt OU-5 that's pretty much all the uke I'll need for the rest of my days. It retails at around $300. It's main feature for me is that its intonation is spot on all the way up the neck. From my limited experience with ukuleles, that's actually saying a lot.

[catmandu2]

I spend increasingly more time with charango--not only does it have an evocative (double-course) sound, but with five courses it provides me a more compelling instrument (as a fingerstyle player); the "nonlinear" arrangement provides many possibities for various patterns. It's an interesting instrument especially for its size

[ilovemyF9]

Save a bit more money & get a Kamaka. Kamaka make superb Ukuleles. If you can't wait or don't want to spend more, look for a used Kamaka. You will be glad you did!

Good Luck finding your new friend!

[Barry Wilson]

My lady and I got a couple cheap ukes for travelling on the motorcycle. I pulled mine out at a gig and did 2 songs and went over big. I was surprised. I went and got a Kala with built in EQ and tuner, a tenor. I love it. and very little fatigue playing uke. I love the wood, paduk?

http://www.doctoruke.com/songs.html love this site for music

[Matt DeBlass]

Catmandu: "My personal interest, but check out Caribbean music and various "Latin" forms with your uke, if you haven't yet"

I've found tab for a few renaissance and classical tunes, but my favorite so far has been a Spanish fandango, I do think it lends itself to certain stuff really well. And it's definitely a more guitarish style of playing than mandolin (which I've come to think of as more violin than guitar).

I also think it's an interesting contrast for vocal accompaniment too. It works better for more mellow stuff wheraa mandolin works with more rhythmic songs

[Lord of the Badgers]

Couldn't be without Uke in our set. Me & my bass player have a love for Beirut who use uke & brass to cool effect. Mine's an ashbury tenor (badged as designed by my mandolin's luthier). He makes nice ukes himself, but they're in the higher end Kanile'a price bracket....

as for woods... I can see spruce being of use to us as we have a tune where we get out in the crowd unplugged, but koa.... well

[Lord of the Badgers]

oh and if you're interested I've this in mine: http://www.lrbaggs.com/pickups/five-o-ukulele-pickup

I went with it by doing a bit of review searching

[msrvfx]

Go by the tone you like. The instrument's that became the ukulele weren't from Hawaii and they weren't Koa.
I am a luthier that builds about 90% in the uke family, and the rest in flat top and some archtop mando family and different one off instruments. Most are 4 > 5 nylon string instruments, where the client has played mando family instruments for years, but now wants to play fingerstyle and allow the notes to bloom and have more sustain.
If the uke had been developed in Oregon, they'd most likely be Myrtle or Walnut instruments with Spruce or Redwood tops.
Follow your ears, adjust your string sets and tuning.

Mark

www.roberts-guitars.com