Begginer Ukes: Makala, Luna, Kala

I must talk to at least 30 or 40 people every week who are trying to decide on their first uke. If not their first then at least a lower end affordable uke that they can haul around with them and not worry about it taking a little bit of abuse, and leave their custom Kamaka safely at home in its indestructible adamantium coated laser protected bunker safe...exaggeration?

...anyway, I thought I would write a short synopsis about some of the more economical brands and models that are most popular with beginners or players looking to find another instrument they can pickup without breaking the bank.

#1 Kala: At this point pretty much every uke enthusiast has at least heard of Kala Ukuleles. They seem to have covered every inch of the market from tiny pocket ukes to their impressive U-BASS (detailed review coming up soon), from entry level mahogany laminates to solid body deluxe models. Bottom line, if you want options Kala has them.
As far as their entry level ukes go, the basic Mahogany laminate series is where it begins. The KA-B, KA-T, KA-C, and KA-S are all set with geared tuners, premium Aquila strings, mahogany laminate body and white  plastic binding.If your looking for a little more flash in the pan the exotic mahogany series has the same setup but with some nice curly "exotic mahogany" laminate that adds some eye candy without breaking the bank. Here I do a quick and simple overview and sample for the Concert Exotic Mahogany KA-CEM:

The playability of these ukes is pretty good, the nut and saddle usually need an adjustment but once that is done these ukes make a pretty good bang for their buck. As always I recommend getting a full setup including nut and saddle adjustments, fret dressing, and an intonation adjustment if it is necessary (I will be writing about  the setup process soon, with some helpful tips and tricks for those who want to attempt to do it at home). But compared to other ukuleles in the same price range, their "fresh from the  factory" playability is  above average. The Aquila strings can really bring out the tone potential in lower end ukes, because they are so bright and punchy they can compensate for what would otherwise we a dull or muted tone, they are well suited for these basic laminate models. With the price ranging from $65 for the soprano size and $130 for the baritone, they are worth trying out if you want something decent without investing too much.

Makala and Luna reviews soon to come! Email me if you have a request for a review on another brand or model as well as any other questions or comments you have. Aloha!

Pocket Ukes?! and what the heck is a sopranissimo anyway?

So I sat around for quite awhile trying to figure out what my first post should be about. Something fun, interesting, a little odd, and something that I think all other ukers will enjoy.

The verdict. Pocket Ukes.

If you haven't already come across them, Kala started making these little guys a couple years back and they are surprisingly popular. They are also surprisingly well intonated for being so small, so small in fact that they had to come up with a name just for the tiny scale length, "sopranissimo".

Ive played and worked on a few dozen of these little buggers and they're actually quite fun. Not much for elaborate picking patterns or solos right off the bat until you can get really comfortable with them but still fun to strum out some progressions or pick out some simple riffs. Not to mention you'll turn a few heads when you whip one of these out of your...um...pocket. They come in 3 varieties, Mahogany, Spalted Maple, and Acacia...and ALL SOLID WOOD! The tuning is a step up making it A-D-F#-B and you will usually need to tighten the friction tuners to hold the tension taut. All in all these things are pretty cool but probably not the best choice if your fingers are...above average.