Here’s me talking to myself about maybe buying a soprano: - I still don’t have a true soprano, I should really buy one. - Then you want a Kiwaya, it’s like the truest soprano ever, it’s made in Japan, and you love mahogany! - But the Moonbird is like the most stunningly beautiful ukulele ever designed (that doesn’t cost five million dollars)! - But you don’t even like spruce tops. And Alex says the Moonbird sounds like no other soprano, do really you want your sole soprano to be an odd duck? - But did you even HEAR what it sounds like? Like tears from a little harp made from diamonds. Or something. - That may be so. But have you tried Kiwaya KTS-7? - Yeah, but… - And have you tried the Rebel, or the Kamaka, or the Honu? Or the Sellen, which admittedly does cost about five million dollars? And that’s why I still don't have a soprano :-)
I have more than one soprano as well as other sizes. I love my concert Moonbird. But my favorite of all is my Cort Australian Blackwood soprano and it didn’t cost a lot and I think it the closest to a solid Mahogany traditional sound. I’m sure others will say I don’t know what I’m talking about! It’s solid wood and resonates nicely! I think it gets overlooked as a desirable brand.
First of all Alex, can I just thank you so much for doing this video for us. I know how much work went into making this video .. recording and editing. It is awesome! I so loved watching this. I love a Soprano Ukulele! KoAloha all the way for me. Doesn't matter which. There's just something very special about KoAloha instruments. I can only dream of owning one, one day! Thanks again!
I've come to this judgement, given a chance to get one ukulele for each size, I'll buy a kiwaya for a soprano, a kanile'a for a concert, a kamaka hf3d for a tenor and a pono for a baritone :) not mentioning a quirky ukulele in fancy size and pineapple shape I'll go for a ohana :) great video 😀
Thank you Alex. My wonderful partner got me a Kamaka standard soprano ukulele for my 40th birthday in April just gone and I love it. I have a Kala Triback tenor and it amazed me that the Kamaka sounded louder with a smaller body size in comparison to the Kala Tenor. I only play the Kamaka now. Although I am taller 6’3 I have small hands.I should stick with Soprano size with my small hands I am lucky to have. Perhaps one of the TkiTki mango soprano, moon bird soprano or Kiwaya soprano should be my next long term target when I feel I have practiced enough to deserve it. I am a very lucky man and thank you for the video great playing. I thought the moon bird sounded best but the Kamaka deluxe looked incredible.
Hi Alex, thank you for all the efforts doing videos like this. From time to time I'm looking for a soprano after I sold my limited edition Martin Style 1 last year.🤨 And I recognize that I like this style more than I noticed before. So I would love the Kiwaya as a soprano. But for the overall looks I would choose the Kamaka HF-1D - what a beautiful koa and an even more beautiful binding... 😍 BUT the aNueNue is on my radar for quite some time - perhaps as a concert or a tenor. This little thing is absolutely magic...
I loved the sound of the Tkitki, but the price!!!!! Way outside my range of possibilities. Thank you for the the video. I have cycled through all the sizes and return time and time again to the soprano. It’s small and cute and sounds like a ukulele!!!!
The grain on that TkiTki looks like one of those magic eye pictures. I think I saw Jesus somewhere in there. Really digging the love for the sopranos on your videos lately! And that's despite the fact that I own like half of the ukes featured. :D
I don't feature sopranos often because about half of our regular viewers don't bother watching the video and we go long periods without a wide enough selection... Personally I find the Soprano hard to play as I use Tenors so much but the difference between each one in this video is testament to how good the choice out there is right now for those in the market.
@@SouthernUkuleleStore Yeah I get that. It's a shame the soprano often gets overlooked. That's why I'm so pleased you keep featuring them. From this video alone, it's easy to see that there are some really nice sopranos out there that both look and sound fantastic. The US200 particularly is still one of my absolute favourite ukes, let alone sopranos. I think everyone should own one. :)
Nice video. after a long time, today I have a Pineapple kamaka from 1926 and it is surprising not only how much this ukulele has remained the same in quality and sound, but also how cutting-edge those instruments were already in 1926, different from their contemporaries, so it is not the modern one that is faithful to his great-grandfather, but it is his ancestor who was ahead of his time by skipping 100 years of evolution
Excellent review. I'm a Soprano player. I was trying to get a Kiwaya KTS-4 here in the US but they have been out of stock for months. I decided to get a custom mahogany made by Brad Donaldson in Hawaii. Very affordable and he has a good reputation. Had I still lived in the UK I would have moved to be near your store! Lol!
Hmm the last Kamaka would be my choice, with the Anuenue a close second. Sopranos are fun but my considered purchase would probably be a concert. Enjoyed the video and nice to hear a selection 👍
For sure a very nice review ❤ Among these ten ukuleles, I would choose the Kiwaya. After long time of experimenting, I have made up my mind. A ukulele should be made of mahogany. The so called east coast ukuleles suit me the best. I have ukuleles that are sopranos, concertos and tenors. I've heard about a trend that say tenors are getting the more and more popular. I go the other way. If the terrible thing happen: You are only allowed to own one ukulele what so ever, my choice would be a soprano.
Hi Alex, well let's see, I loved both of the KoAloha's they always sound great! But I have to say (and I am a bit of a fan) The Anuenue is the one for me!
Great roundup Alex. It's interesting how much influence Martin have had on the ukulele world - they're still very influential and coveted - but Martin themselves currently don't seem to be taking their ukulele status very seriously. Shame - they have the history and credentials to be massive again in the ukulele world. I had a Martin soprano anniversary edition, but just felt I paid more and got less. Put me off considering another Martin again.
We let our Martin account lapse and close last year. The Ukes aren't bad but I feel the Mexican ukes are hit and miss and about 10% too expensive. Its frustrating that they use koa for the affordable concert and tenors because as you suggest it seems like they have no idea about their own history. I visited the martin factory with a view to become a ukulele custom shop dealer in 2015. I left feeling like it wasn't a good fit for the Southern Ukulele Store... Maybe in a few years, someone will gain some influence within Martin and something interesting will happen but it's not happening right now 🤷🏻♂️ I recently got into an argument with someone on a Martin social media thing for suggesting that they had someone from a PR company in charge of Ukuleles and they hadn't bothered to google 'martin ukulele' to see what a wealth of history they had to work with... They told me to report it to a Martin dealer (we were one) 😂
I loved this video. I actually have the Rebel and love it and a vintage Martin that you mentioned. May I suggest that you check out the Makai MK-110G. It is a wonderful instrument, but at the price point, I believe it could be considered maybe the best value if not one of the best soprano ukuleles...
The Tkitki ukes really do stack up nicely against the others don't they? That and the Koaloha sounded best to me, but I'd actually give the nod to the Tkitki if I had to choose
What you play to test the ukes is an own piece you made? or is a song? Im new to Ukes and will like to find the tab to play it (unless is your own thing you made) because I like it a lot
If you were to recommend a Concert Ukulele what would it be? I currently play both acoustic and electric but thinking about getting a Ukulele as well. Thankd
Why did you pretend like Martin doesn’t use Koa when they actually DO?!? Sure, some of their cheaper Uke’s are monogamy but they definitely offer Koa for all sizes of their Uke’s!
Just for context can you tell me exactly when I say this? I'm happy to discuss it but I've sold Martin ukes on and off for over 14 years so I am fairly clued up on what they do and don't want to mislead anyone
I can only feature things I have. We have never even had a Ko'olau in this size. I personally find people favour Kamaka and KoAloha in-store to Kanile'a Sopranos but we sell more Kanile'a across the other sizes.
“Like a Martin”?!? Why not simply have a Martin in the top 10?!? If the goal here is to achieve being like a Martin then why the fuck are these imitations in the top 10 and actual Martins are not?
Here’s me talking to myself about maybe buying a soprano:
- I still don’t have a true soprano, I should really buy one.
- Then you want a Kiwaya, it’s like the truest soprano ever, it’s made in Japan, and you love mahogany!
- But the Moonbird is like the most stunningly beautiful ukulele ever designed (that doesn’t cost five million dollars)!
- But you don’t even like spruce tops. And Alex says the Moonbird sounds like no other soprano, do really you want your sole soprano to be an odd duck?
- But did you even HEAR what it sounds like? Like tears from a little harp made from diamonds. Or something.
- That may be so. But have you tried Kiwaya KTS-7?
- Yeah, but…
- And have you tried the Rebel, or the Kamaka, or the Honu? Or the Sellen, which admittedly does cost about five million dollars?
And that’s why I still don't have a soprano :-)
This is sincerely one of my favourite comments on a video ever. I totally understand... Its also a factor in why I don't own a Soprano too 😂
@@SouthernUkuleleStore One day, though :-)
I have more than one soprano as well as other sizes. I love my concert Moonbird. But my favorite of all is my Cort Australian Blackwood soprano and it didn’t cost a lot and I think it the closest to a solid Mahogany traditional sound. I’m sure others will say I don’t know what I’m talking about! It’s solid wood and resonates nicely! I think it gets overlooked as a desirable brand.
😂
I can totally understand you.
Just get a mainland. Does a great job for $200 bucks n
First of all Alex, can I just thank you so much for doing this video for us. I know how much work went into making this video .. recording and editing. It is awesome! I so loved watching this. I love a Soprano Ukulele! KoAloha all the way for me. Doesn't matter which. There's just something very special about KoAloha instruments. I can only dream of owning one, one day! Thanks again!
Thank you!
I've come to this judgement, given a chance to get one ukulele for each size, I'll buy a kiwaya for a soprano, a kanile'a for a concert, a kamaka hf3d for a tenor and a pono for a baritone :) not mentioning a quirky ukulele in fancy size and pineapple shape I'll go for a ohana :) great video 😀
Thank you Alex. My wonderful partner got me a Kamaka standard soprano ukulele for my 40th birthday in April just gone and I love it. I have a Kala Triback tenor and it amazed me that the Kamaka sounded louder with a smaller body size in comparison to the Kala Tenor. I only play the Kamaka now. Although I am taller 6’3 I have small hands.I should stick with Soprano size with my small hands I am lucky to have. Perhaps one of the TkiTki mango soprano, moon bird soprano or Kiwaya soprano should be my next long term target when I feel I have practiced enough to deserve it. I am a very lucky man and thank you for the video great playing. I thought the moon bird sounded best but the Kamaka deluxe looked incredible.
Hi Alex,
thank you for all the efforts doing videos like this.
From time to time I'm looking for a soprano after I sold my limited edition Martin Style 1 last year.🤨 And I recognize that I like this style more than I noticed before. So I would love the Kiwaya as a soprano. But for the overall looks I would choose the Kamaka HF-1D - what a beautiful koa and an even more beautiful binding... 😍
BUT the aNueNue is on my radar for quite some time - perhaps as a concert or a tenor. This little thing is absolutely magic...
I have the Rebel soprano. Cannot believe how loud and bright it is. Unreal.
I loved the sound of the Tkitki, but the price!!!!! Way outside my range of possibilities. Thank you for the the video. I have cycled through all the sizes and return time and time again to the soprano. It’s small and cute and sounds like a ukulele!!!!
The grain on that TkiTki looks like one of those magic eye pictures. I think I saw Jesus somewhere in there.
Really digging the love for the sopranos on your videos lately! And that's despite the fact that I own like half of the ukes featured. :D
I don't feature sopranos often because about half of our regular viewers don't bother watching the video and we go long periods without a wide enough selection... Personally I find the Soprano hard to play as I use Tenors so much but the difference between each one in this video is testament to how good the choice out there is right now for those in the market.
@@SouthernUkuleleStore Yeah I get that. It's a shame the soprano often gets overlooked. That's why I'm so pleased you keep featuring them. From this video alone, it's easy to see that there are some really nice sopranos out there that both look and sound fantastic. The US200 particularly is still one of my absolute favourite ukes, let alone sopranos. I think everyone should own one. :)
Nice video. after a long time, today I have a Pineapple kamaka from 1926 and it is surprising not only how much this ukulele has remained the same in quality and sound, but also how cutting-edge those instruments were already in 1926, different from their contemporaries, so it is not the modern one that is faithful to his great-grandfather, but it is his ancestor who was ahead of his time by skipping 100 years of evolution
Excellent review. I'm a Soprano player. I was trying to get a Kiwaya KTS-4 here in the US but they have been out of stock for months. I decided to get a custom mahogany made by Brad Donaldson in Hawaii. Very affordable and he has a good reputation. Had I still lived in the UK I would have moved to be near your store! Lol!
How exciting... That is not a builder I am familiar with. I will certainly look into Brad in more detail now.
Excellent, comprehensive video. Thanks, Alex. -Tim
Love the Kamaka HF-1D!!! Always love your videos also :)
I love Tiki Tiki sound! Greetings from Mexico. Thanks Alex.
👋
Hmm the last Kamaka would be my choice, with the Anuenue a close second. Sopranos are fun but my considered purchase would probably be a concert. Enjoyed the video and nice to hear a selection 👍
For sure a very nice review ❤
Among these ten ukuleles, I would choose the Kiwaya. After long time of experimenting, I have made up my mind. A ukulele should be made of mahogany. The so called east coast ukuleles suit me the best. I have ukuleles that are sopranos, concertos and tenors. I've heard about a trend that say tenors are getting the more and more popular. I go the other way. If the terrible thing happen: You are only allowed to own one ukulele what so ever, my choice would be a soprano.
Is kiwaya your best soprano ?… I away thinking about the Martin 0, as I like my Martin concert ; please comment on it .
Hi Alex, well let's see, I loved both of the KoAloha's they always sound great! But I have to say (and I am a bit of a fan) The Anuenue is the one for me!
Super video! Thank you a lot!
Very happy with my Kamaka HF-1. The original and the best.
Great roundup Alex. It's interesting how much influence Martin have had on the ukulele world - they're still very influential and coveted - but Martin themselves currently don't seem to be taking their ukulele status very seriously. Shame - they have the history and credentials to be massive again in the ukulele world. I had a Martin soprano anniversary edition, but just felt I paid more and got less. Put me off considering another Martin again.
We let our Martin account lapse and close last year. The Ukes aren't bad but I feel the Mexican ukes are hit and miss and about 10% too expensive. Its frustrating that they use koa for the affordable concert and tenors because as you suggest it seems like they have no idea about their own history.
I visited the martin factory with a view to become a ukulele custom shop dealer in 2015. I left feeling like it wasn't a good fit for the Southern Ukulele Store... Maybe in a few years, someone will gain some influence within Martin and something interesting will happen but it's not happening right now 🤷🏻♂️
I recently got into an argument with someone on a Martin social media thing for suggesting that they had someone from a PR company in charge of Ukuleles and they hadn't bothered to google 'martin ukulele' to see what a wealth of history they had to work with... They told me to report it to a Martin dealer (we were one) 😂
I loved this video. I actually have the Rebel and love it and a vintage Martin that you mentioned. May I suggest that you check out the Makai MK-110G. It is a wonderful instrument, but at the price point, I believe it could be considered maybe the best value if not one of the best soprano ukuleles...
The Tkitki ukes really do stack up nicely against the others don't they? That and the Koaloha sounded best to me, but I'd actually give the nod to the Tkitki if I had to choose
What you play to test the ukes is an own piece you made? or is a song? Im new to Ukes and will like to find the tab to play it (unless is your own thing you made) because I like it a lot
The Tikitiki for me - not keen on how it looks but love the sound
I noticed you play lefty. Are all these Ukelele tuned lefty, or are you playing them righty tuned?
By the way. Great video. Thank you so much Sir.
Looks like he plays right handed to me.
The TkiTki sounds the best, close to Martin build but better parts
I have an Applause/Ovation UA-10. The round back design makes for a full sound. Unfortunately it is no longer in production.
Sopranos best.
If you were to recommend a Concert Ukulele what would it be? I currently play both acoustic and electric but thinking about getting a Ukulele as well. Thankd
Get a Tenor. Check out the Flight 4SB
Im a beginner and love the jazz style on your test, can you make a video about the song you played ?
Keep an eye on my ukeswithalex channel. I have every intention of doing a tutorial for this at some point.
Can we have a tab for what you play. Love it
If you type in 'Alex SUS demo song' there are tutorials for all 3 of the songs I regularly play in these videos on UA-cam
Why did you pretend like Martin doesn’t use Koa when they actually DO?!? Sure, some of their cheaper Uke’s are monogamy but they definitely offer Koa for all sizes of their Uke’s!
Just for context can you tell me exactly when I say this? I'm happy to discuss it but I've sold Martin ukes on and off for over 14 years so I am fairly clued up on what they do and don't want to mislead anyone
If soprano, then traditional.
If traditional, then Hawaiian.
If traditional and Hawaiian, then Kamaka.
Otherwise, the Tki Tki is really classy !
Tiki tiki
Surprising that Kanile'a and Ko'olau did not make your cut. I think they both sound better than Koaloha and are at least as innovative as Rebel.
I can only feature things I have. We have never even had a Ko'olau in this size.
I personally find people favour Kamaka and KoAloha in-store to Kanile'a Sopranos but we sell more Kanile'a across the other sizes.
“Like a Martin”?!? Why not simply have a Martin in the top 10?!? If the goal here is to achieve being like a Martin then why the fuck are these imitations in the top 10 and actual Martins are not?