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| I'm thinking, always a mistake, about trying out a uke or a mandolin for the first time. Want the starter price to be about $500 or less. How well do the Mcs148 Ovation Mando or the UAE148 Uke stand out as a starter instrument? Pros and CONS? Any non-Ovation ideas as a starter instrument in this price category? |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Just one instrument at a time! |
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Location: Fayetteville, NC | I don't see anything wrong with you're choice of starter mandolin or the starter uke.All the ukes seemed to be reasonable. good luck with your venture. |
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Location: south east Michigan | I tried a mandolin a long time ago but it did not take.
However....I think the uke has stuck. If you go with a uke, the Applause soprano is just fine and cheap. Someday I might upgrade to a tenor uke. It's based on a manolin bowl and gives a little more finger room.
As far as being bi-instrumental....I like it. It's nice to be able to change it up. |
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| On the other hand, given your two options I would just note that a mandolin is a musical instrument....... |
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Location: south east Michigan | Alright schroeder...dats it!
You & me buddy...let's kick up some dust. I'll meet you halfway. That would be somewhere in Greenland, right? :D |
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| Way too cold for me. If I'm going to die let's at least meet in Jamaica. |
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Location: south east Michigan | """"If I'm going to die let's at least..."""""
Ahhh....so you fear the mighty ukelele-er...
uka-eer....uka-ist...damn, what am I anyway? :confused: |
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| Not a musician obviously....... |
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Location: Fort Worth, Texas | Don't forget the Mandocello!!!
I wouldn't exactly consider those a "starter" instrument.
I have a Celebrity mandolin, bought used, it was good to get some feel for a mandolin. But now I'm itchin' for a USA made one.... |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Don't worry schroeder, I got your mando back covered. Those uke boys talk tough but their just sissies who can't play a real 4 string instrument (the bass!) |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | I see our own little West Side Story brewing here...
(theme music)
the Ukes and agin the Mandos
Mandos got more club force, but the Uke's got speed.... |
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Location: Tampa, FL | Leave it to Bongo Boy to stirr things up in an already volatile mix. |
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Location: Upper Left USA | Play it cool, boys...
...real cool!
The Baritones can kick all your butt's! |
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Location: Yucaipa, California | I see our own little West Side Story brewing here...
....more dancing gangs:
The Mandolians vs The Ukeists
......aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhggggggggg!!!!!!!!!!!! :eek: :eek: :eek: |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Originally posted by ChatMan:
Leave it to Bongo Boy... new nickname. |
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Location: Fort Worth, Texas | "When your a Mando
You're a Mando all the way"
:rolleyes: |
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Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | Is this a private party, or can a mountain dulcimer player get some, too???? :D My instrument has four strings, also.......
Seriously, I saw an electric solid-body 6-string violin player at our local Guitar Center (trying out a used amp he was buying) last night that could kick ANYBODY'S behind...HOO-WEE was he HOT!!!! He sounded better than most lead guitarists....
Roger |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | A 6-string violin?
That's a new one for me :confused: :confused: |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Englishplayer, wrt ukulele for a starter: No disrespect to Ovation/Applause but there are some other worthy brands you should at least look at. I just picked up an Oscar Schmidt OU5 concert uke which is a super instrument for the money. The neck is a little chunky, but I like it. The fit and finish (koa and abalone) is amazing for a $150. uke. Next up the ladder is my Bushman Jenny. Also a concert size. Tonally, this is incredible and the size fits me perfectly. It's an extremely beautiful koa uke with abalone trim. The sound is super and the playability is somewhat better than the Oscar. The favorite in my current lineup is by far the Martin soprano. It's like guitars, there really isn't any need to explain why you bought a Martin. It's just that good. Not a "pretty" ukulele by any means compared to the Jenny, Oscar and a few others I have. But the setup, feel and SOUND is just pure Martin. It's almost perfect. I'm not telling you NOT to buy an Applause. I have owned 6 of them (still have 3), and they are great. Depends on what you want to do with them and what your priorities are. |
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Location: Midland, MI | ...It's like guitars, there really isn't any need to explain why you bought a Martin. It's just that good... Uh, Dave? I think you're posting on the wrong board again.
:D
j/k |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Well it's ugly, plain looking, and a bitch to keep in tune. But the sound is really nice. No matter what it says on the peghead.
Actually I do have a complaint about the Martin ukes. They are SO plain, that they have no fret markers OR side dots. You play totally blind!
Actually I've been playing a lot of 6 string tenor lately. I've got a Mele Koa 6 string that's quite nice. The paired octaves and unisons really add something to the sound.
Dave |
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Location: Midland, MI | The local mom and pop has a Martin uke. I've tried to play it, but it's *never* in tune. Even if I use their hugea$$ wall mounted tuner, I can't get it in tune. That may be the inferior tuner's fault, though. The fit and finish is fine, but...it do look plain. The 'Vanilla' model, I guess. :)
You don't have to play blind...build up a good beer belly and it'll naturally tip back so you can see the fret markers! HAHA.
I just had the palm tree out tonight again. Haven't tuned it in weeks, so I figured I better...every string was within twenty cents. Just like an Ovation should be. ;) |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | It's not the shops tuner, it's the darn uke that won't stay. I swapped out the banjo style tuners for geared grovers. 100% improvement. I have another uke with the same banjo tuners as the Martin had and it tunes just fine. Go figure. Hey, my belly can get as big as it wants and it won't help. There are no fret markers at ALL, eitehr on the side or on the fretboard. Dave |
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Location: Las Cruces, NM | I'm a mandolin player that has tried a Celeb and found it to be fine. A little weak acousticaly, but great when plugged in. Because most playing on stage is done plugged in, it is a good instrument, and I have played for many years. The only reason I don't have one is because I have so many mandolins I can't play them all before I die.
Bluegrass Bailey |
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Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | Stephen, a 6-string violin was a new one on me, too! I was dying to ask him what he tuned to, but he was busy!
Roger |
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Location: Midland, MI | Drop-D, I'll bet. All the Nu-Metal violinists play in Drop-D. |
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Location: East Tennessee | Wonder if there will there be a sequel? :p
Some day I would like to try a Mandocello. The longer scale length. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Mandochellows are awesome, I love the Adamas one. Of course whenever I play it my wife starts drinking limonchello. Maybe the events are related? |
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Location: SoCal | got excited when I received an Ovation box with mandochello written on it...course, I wasn't disappointed when I opened it and found the 1537. |
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Mando/uke opinion