$100 vs. $1000 Ukulele | WHICH ONE SOUNDS BETTER TO YOU?

[@murraymcavey4179]

a few hours ago, I recieved, my new Kala baritone solid spruce uku, cant stress, how much better it is than my other baritone uku which is also not a cheap one, but as soon as you pick up, the Akala, you can feel the differance, and the sound is beyond , belief, once I started , playlng I truly, could, not stop. And the fishman pick up is so good I am glade I am a wrinky, and are retired, other wise, I would never get to work , I ordered it through your site and was really impressed, how, well organized, your sales people are, as I am on the other, side, off the world, down here in New Zealand. love your show, great learning experiance, keep up the good work, cheers, from Murray, in New Zealand

[@hyabussa5747]

My 1st uke was a Makala bari in same wood. I immediately graduated to a Pono AT and shortly there after a Pono AB (both in 500 buck range each). Tho not Koa the Acacia is sooooooo close to that tone (it is in the same fam tree but not from Hawaii). Those Ponos are the only 2 ukes I have and need aside from a couple ubasses. Your content is well presented and has substance. Greatly appreciate all you bring to the uke community.

[@williamking6561]

The sound quality difference is perceptible but not overwhelming by any means. I like Kevins analogy as to why you would buy a $100 Uke starting out. You may not stay with it or decide to upgrade at a later point. Alot of variables to consider.

[@stratcat4461]

Through the tiny speakers in my laptop, the $100 ukelele sounded more pleasing.

[@plutomom8032]

Mine is makala concert and I love him. It maybe cheap on the market, but it’s a good friend of mine in my heart ❤️

[@AllForUke]

Makala is a great ukulele! I love my tenor - Kevin | allforuke.com

[@giannagarda7598]

I've heard that the strings react differently to the ukes, too: despite good-quality strings go fantastic with a simple uke, it may not be so with a handmade uke... Anyway, there's the UAS - ukulele acquisition sydrome - no antidote discovered yet...

[@ailsawalcott52]

There's also something about cheap instruments u can enjoy more when you're not worried to much if they have a fall or get banged up a bit

[@ValkieezUkelele]

Agreed! I own a high end kala at over a thousand, a mid ranged around $500, and a low end $75 ukes. I'm often anxious playing the expensive ones which takes away the joy of playing. The cheapest one on the other hand is more fun to use since I don't mind it banging and scratching!

[@BlessYourHeart254]

They both sound great to me. Thankfully there is middle ground such as Lanikai, Ohana, and other mid-range brands for those of us who can’t and /or don’t wish to sink $1k into a uke. For me to spend that much, there would have to something very compelling, such the expensive one is way easier on my arthritic hands to play. I haven’t found that to be the case. Admittedly I haven’t tried a $1k uke, but $10 to just south of $300.

[@congerscott6064]

I know a lot of people don't want to spend $1000 for a ukulele however I know people that have bought Harley Davidson motor cycles for $40,000 because they love it, or they spend a lot of money golfing etc. etc. If music is your passion then $1000 or even $2,000 isn't a big investment compared to many other things out there, great video, thank you 👍🏆.

[@libelle8124]

My first uke was Winzz soprano from the Music Store starting with A. Bought it just to see if I could imagine playing a string instrument and fell in love with playing ukulele, but not with the uke I now owned. Hurting my fingers playing on the first fret was the biggest gripe I had. So I did a lot of researching and upgraded to the Aiersi Ebony Concert. Very happy with that one, but I already want more :-) . Two more Aiersi and all three of the Noah :-)

[@chriskei76]

And here I am, perfectly happy with my 50€ B-Stock soprano, my 60€ Amazon tenor and my 20€ guitalele 😁 But I don‘t play professionell, so that‘s ok I think.

[@johnmorris8149]

I had never played a musical instrument at all until i discovered a Uke club and thought i would give it ago so i bought a budget Ukulele for $100 i progressed slowly through practice loved the challenge and the ukulele community so i went to Hawaii put my hand in my pocket and bought a high end Tenor Ukulele and passed the budget uke on ,as you say there is a Ukulele for everyone also i bought a Traveller Tenor Ukulele in Hawaii which i love and is so comfortable to play , only Covid has prevented me from getting back to Oahu for a 3rd, best wishes from Perth Western Australia

[@rhondalyn100]

Thank you for this informative video, Kevin. I appreciate the comparison component and I will know what to look out for as I purchase my next ukulele. I could tell right away which was the more expensive ukulele as it sounded somewhat richer and had a clearer ring tone. Thanks, again, for the work you put into these vids.

[@secularpilgrim1372]

With strumming both sounded almost the same. If I had to choose, I think the first cheaper uku sounds better. It would be nice to hear some picking, especially higher up the neck.

[@AllForUke]

I feel like more comparison videos are in the works for us. Stay tuned!

[@kevinmoore54]

Notes on the expensive sound crisper and clearer and it's looks way better. Cheap Uke sounds louder and brighter and its way way better value.

[@tangodancer2]

What’s a good entry baritone uke to get for a beginner. One that’s easy to play and also sounds great.

[@stuartstrong212]

40 seconds in I knew the Kala was the expensive one. I could hear immediately that the top had been voiced; but then subliminally, the much better finishing on that Uke and the tee shirt may also have influenced my judgement lol.

[@caesarwong4753]

Really helpful info. Thanks.

[@sharondull2103]

I like the Baritone Ukulele.

[@BeverlyTilton]

I will need to do an in person comparison, because my tablet speakers do not provide me with the subtle sound nuances that you are trying to demonstrate. That said, I always get the best quality item that my budget will permit. It is my experience (60 years old) that I am rarely satisfied with the cheapest items once I gain experience, so I will end up paying for better later. Buying better quality from the start saves in the end.

[@accountingink]

Can you recommend a UKE - preferably a concert, that has a a thinner neck, as i have small hands, plays reasonably well and in the price range $80 to $150. Any help will be appreciated. Or maybe somewhere that sells good second hand UKES. that they have checked and verified

[@loganc4233]

Thanks!

[@koalatails5711]

It was easy to see the difference between the two ukuleles. Laminated imitations of the $1000 ukulele are available, but they cost more than $100. The difference in sound wasn’t as obvious. I have heard that solid wood ukuleles need extra care, what does that mean exactly.

[@AllForUke]

The extra care would entail making sure the instrument lives in the proper environment with stable humidity throughout the year. Not a difficult task if you have a humidifier or a case humidifier.

[@othinus]

The expensive one sounds like an acoustic electric ukulele. Sound wise it's too much money for not as substantial difference imho.

[@briancole7935]

I made the jump to a higher end koa uke and what I discovered is playing it up the neck how much fuller, brighter, and more pleasant it sounds. Mine just rings so nice. I have three tenors and I always reach for the koa uke.

[@AllForUke]

Thanks for sharing your experience, Brian. I feel the same way about my higher end ukuleles from Kamaka and Kala. - Kevin | allforuke.com

[@peterg0]

To me,the price-performance ratio of the cheap one is not bad......

[@AllForUke]

Tha Makala is a great ukulele, hands down!

[@Zed.90]

1000 vs 2500 would be a much bigger difference

[@TheTechShortsChannel]

Sell me this pen...

[@robertshorthill6836]

Yes, I know, there will be some people hating me for my next comment, in that a ukelele is just a toy in the guise of being a legitament musical instrument. The whimpy strings are a joke. Nylon can't be amplified. I saw a baretone uke that was built by a classical guitar luthier. It was a beautiful piece of work. I mean BEAUTIFUL, but it had no volume. It had only 4 nylon strings. Any ordinary uke in the hands of a 9 year old would do nothing but annoy the parents to the point of wanting to throw it away. There is the joke of why do you never want to leave your ukelele in an unlocked car. The answer? When you get back to the car there will be hundreds more crammed inside.

[@park5494]

i dont hate you for your comment but i disagree with it. There is no such thing as a legitimate musical instrument. Listen to over the rainbow by the original artist and tell me that isn't music.

[@robertshorthill6836]

@@park5494 yes, that big Hawaiian dude , Izzy something and Jake Shimabokuro are able to make music on the things but the sound doesn't appeal to me. Maybe if I had been forced to build them while working at the Flatiron Mandolin factory in the early '90s, or had lived in Hawaii and hung out with a few bands, I might have a better appreciation of them. I doubt it though. That's why mandolins have an arched top and 8 steel strings -- they are loud and have a bit of sustain. An octave mando, while more difficult to play, has an acceptible amount of sustain. Several years ago, I built myself an electric octave mando that can do amazing things when hooked up to a really decent amplifier. Bob

[@wout123100]

not everyone needs volume, ukes are not for loud people. to say that a uke is a toy show a severe lack or music knowledge.