Uke #2 - Which ukulele brand?

You have settled on the size of your first uke? Now the second question that comes to your mind, which brand? There are many brands out there? So how do you choose? Ukes can go from as low as SGD20 to more than SGD2000. So what goes into the price?

1. Brand - More established, more fame, more expensive.
2. Place of manufacture - Made in Hawaii($$$$$), Made in China($).
3. Type of Wood - Koa($$$$$).
4. Laminated/ Solid wood - Solid is more expensive than a laminate.
5. Other frills, fine detailing like pearl inlays, sound hole rosettes, trimmings.

If you do not have a budget, I would recommend a KoAloha. You can't go wrong. They are a well known Ukulele manufacturer in Hawaii. The KoAloha Soprano (KSM-00) comes with a Hawaiian Koa body and sounds loud and bright with a longer sustain which I prefer. There isn't much detailing like rosettes on this model but the quality of the uke is world class. It goes for around SGD1100 and definitely worth every penny. It comes with a distinctive five crown design.

Illustration taken from public domain and credits go to the owner of the illustration.

Another major brand which is synonymous with ukulele, is Kamaka. The Kamaka (HF-1) has a solid Hawaiian Koa body as well and made in Hawaii as well. I would say this uke looks more formal and traditional than the Koaloha. Sounds really good as well. It is worth mentioning they are the oldest Uke maker since 1916 and you can't go wrong with them either. Kamaka's usually cost a few hundred dollars more and for this model its going for around SGD1300.

Illustration taken from public domain and credits go to the owner of the illustration.

Another brand to consider is Kala. They are relatively new but their popularity is increasing fast. Kala is established in the USA and most of their ukuleles are manufactured in China. They have a good reputation of good quality and customer service. Most of their ukes are of good quality and affordable prices. One remarkable piece that I have tried is the Kala All Solid Mahogany Soprano (KA-SMHS). Sound is good and with nice projection. And it is priced around SGD350.

Illustration taken from public domain and credits go to the owner of the illustration.

If you want a decent ukulele below SGD100, you can go for the Kala Mahagony Soprano (KA-15S). This model is a laminate so you can't really compare the sound with that of a solid body. But it is definitely a good quality uke with a decent build for a beginner. Best of all, it goes for SGD95.

There are cheaper ukes out there. Do not expect them to come from an established brand and they are most likely to be manufactured in china. They are good if you are really tight on budget or for thrashing around on the beach. They usually go for around SGD20-30. One of the cheapest online ukulele is iPro. They bring in ukes from hong kong for sale in singapore. They can be found on Q0010 sg. They are definitely one of the most affordable uke sellers in singapore but do note that the price matches the quality.

After going through the different brands, what is my take. Well, I am now playing a Melokia. A concert to be precise. Now these Melokia ukes are manufactured in china and I do not have much information about the brand as well. But the main reason why I chose to get a Melokia is because of the affordability. You can get a full solid Acacia Soprano for just SGD250. I got this deal from Q0010 sg as well. You can search for Melokia ukulele and you can locate this deal. Any other solid Acacia uke will cost more than SGD500. The built is not fantastic but I would say it is definitely value for money. And best of all, it definitely sounds like it is worth more then its price. So which ukulele brand? It depends on what you are looking for in a ukulele. My personal favorite is KoAloha. But I did not purchase my ukulele based on my favorite brand. I look for the value versus the price, and for that the Melokia wins. Another reason is of course, I do not have to worry about getting dings and knocks on my Melokia compared to a KoAloha. I can pick up, play and leave it anywhere. No reservations about bringing it to the beach either. At the same time, I get the nice sounding solid Acacia tone. No where near a KoAloha, but its a compromise.

So in a nutshell, get the uke you think you will play the most often. This is especially true if you are getting your first ukulele. You do not want to buy a expensive uke and compromise on your playtime because you are overly concern about protecting your uke from dirty hands and dings. Remember that you can only truly enjoy your ukulele when you are playing and listening to it.