I thing Kmise have taken note of some of these problems. Ive just bought the soprano model and its excellent, smooth frets, low action and the intonation is very accurate and 18:1 enclosed tuners make for stable tuning. And the headstock name is neatly inlaid. Quality control seems to be much improved.
@@HornWorm8 Hello! I have been looking into Kmise ukes and ran into this video which made me not want to buy from them anymore. But since you've said they've gotten better, could you kindly suggest some concert ukes for beginners? Since I am new to ukes, I wouldn't be able to tell if a uke has a problem.
@@HornWorm8 Thank you so much for the kind reply! Many reviews say that their frets are sharp and the strings are bad or wrongly put. Have you ever had this kind of problem? Tiger flame wood was one of my options! I was contemplating between that one and the zebrawood thin body tenor. I prefer the sound of tenor, but ppl say to go for concert for beginners, so maybe I'll get that next. Also, how does Kmise compare to Kala? I was planning to get a Kmise to try it out first, but encountering bad reviews, i was also looking into Kala or Acklot as well. Thank you for sharing your experience and kindly attaching a link as well! I'm open to other suggestions you may have :) Have a great day~
This channel is the single best resource for ukulele reviews. Notice the lack of edits. This guy knows his subject matter like the back of his own hand.
The review of the cat alone was worth watching this video! My kmise has a much bigger sound port and its honestly my favorite uke (I have a luna tenor, a makala soprano, and I tried the cordoba 15cm concert but didn't like the way it sounded, and couldn't firgure out why, so I believe I will return it.)
I actually like the design of the cat. I just don't like the two screws they drilled through the bridge. whenever I see that even on a nice quality uke (usually not) I don't ever consider it. Wouldn't it be sticking through the sound board on the other side?
GotAUkulele My favourite ukulele designs always end up being the worst quality ones! I wish brands didnt sacrifice quality for appearance:// though i'll probably be getting the kala KA-ZCT-T you reviewed. Its a wonderful instrument that sounds and looks amazing. Sucks that I could pay 230$ for it on amazon but since it doesnt ship to canada ill have to pay 340$ in store. Eh, worth it anyway in my opinion Ive been binge watching your reviews and thank you so much they're SO helpful
My Kmise Cat Concert arrived today in California from China. Mine is slightly different from the one you reviewed, Baz. The mahogany on the top and back is more or less similar to the wood on the sides of the one in these photos, whereas yours appears (on my computer) to have a more honey-toned laminate on the top and back. The Kmise brand name on the headstock is actually a white inlay, not a bonded lettering like yours has. My fretboard is stained darker, not the oiled rosewood look. It has 2 chrome strap buttons, whereas yours doesn't have any. The satin finish is uniform without any defects I can see. Mine came with a nice gig bag that isn't just thin vinyl but rather is something like a nylon or polyester woven canvas on the outside and smooth satin on the inside with slight padding and 2 back-pack straps and 1 woven handle. The outside pocket is gusseted so it's a generous volume to store a tuner, etc.. The tuner included in the price is a Joyo tuner, similar to the other Joyo tuners I've purchased, but unfortunately it was packed by Joyo without the usually included battery. When I installed a spare battery, the tuner didn't work at all. This probably isn't Kmise's fault. Joyo must have shipped a factory defective one to Kmise. No problem for me though, since I have other Joyo tuners that I bought for about US$4-5. The tuning gears are sealed, unlike some cheap ukes I've purchased, and they work very smoothly. The intonation is perfect at fret 12 on string 2, but the other strings are very slightly sharp or flat at fret 12, checked using a working Joyo tuner I have. The projection and sustain are just as good as my Islander tenor (by Kanile'a) which is also a mahogany veneer with similar strings, but which has a list price of US$185. The fret wire ends don't project beyond the edge of the fretboard, so they don't cut into fingers. The bevel of the fret wire ends does have very square corners, which do feel a little harsh if I slide my fingers against them, but while playing in a normal manner, I don't feel them at all, so I'd consider it a non-problem. If they are annoying, it's easy to round-over the fret-bevel corners with a fine file, but it does take time and care not to file the wood. I took a chance with this Kmise uke because I previously purchased a Kmise banjolele which is excellent and at a great price. I'm not fond of the cat, but the uke does what it should when played. All things considered, I feel this uke is a good value for the US$49.99 that I paid, including shipping.
Stanley Sokolow glad for you. I’d never take a chance with them again though as after this review I learned some very worrying things about their marketing style.
I got a concert kmise as a starter uke a month ago (not the cat one). I'm actually really enjoying it, the sounds quite good and I'm finding it comfortable to play. I found your videos and looked through a bunch before picking the uke. I know it's not the best but I think as a starter it's quite good. I'm enjoying it anyhow .
GotAUkulele thanks for the videos though. They really helped me decide what I wanted size wise (although I'm still in love with the sound a tenor makes)
My first uke is a tenor uke from them, $55. Now that I am more serious about the instrument mine just works but it is not great. Saving for the Enya EUT M6, the florentine cutaway one.
Hello Barry, Thanks for the review. Is this the only Kmise that you have reviewed? I am considering one of their mahogany baritone models. The price is unbelievable. After checking a lot of ukuleles most all are made in China and probably made in one of the same factories as the other well known models. I wonder if the one you received had been sitting for a while causing the wood to shrink. I tried a nice Ohana a year ago at a shop in my town and then last week I was browsing and had seen the same unit still there and played it. It played and sounded well but even that unit after sitting for a year on the shelf had wood shrinkage and the frets projected and could be felt. This Ohana was selling for $249 and has a solid mahogany top so I think this will happen to almost any wooden instrument depending on how they are maintained. I have found that even with the aquila strings they stretch quiet a bit and it may take several hours to get the strings to stay in tune bur once they do the instrument sounds great. Right now you can buy a Kmise concert ukulele for $39.98 with free shipping on EBAY. I think that is somewhat hard to beat. I wish you had a baritone to review. Thank you very much for your review. I have seen several of your reviews and appreciate seeing all of them. Keep up the good work.
Yep - the only one I have reviewed, but not the only one I had played. All my reviews need to be taken on the basis that they are a snapshot of the one I have for the review only. All that said - I have played about 350 ukuleles now, and think the Kmise models are pretty dreadful. I could see how a better setup would improve it, but even with that it's not a great core ukulele. I've seen enough of this brand for my liking to be honest. (ps - wood shrinkage re frets - possibly - but this model had not been around long enough to be on a shelf that long - plus if they were cut shorter to start with it would never happen. But that's not my point - this was sent to me to review and they couldn't be bothered to ensure the set up and frets were right. That to me suggests poor quality control / not caring)
Thank you . I respect your opinion very much. In saying that, I will scratch the baritone from Kmise I was considering. I guess I should just try another Oscar Schmidt OU52. The first one I got had a damaged top I guess due to the thin lamination they used and no body binding. I was trying to go inexpensive but something with decent sound since I just want to try one out before investing a lot into a solid top unit. Do you have any recommendations for a guy staying on a limited budget?
No, I really don't. Part of the issue is the inability to buy them from a real store where a uke specialist can set them up. Kmise are only on Amazon. All ukuleles need a setup check. Pros tend to be able to set them up themselves, but beginners really need that first setup check. Amazon dont offer that.
Far too many to list - Kala, Makala, Octopus, Snail, Baton Rouge, Ohana etc. I'm afraid I don't give string recommendations as string choice is 100% personal preference
Hello Barry, thanks for the review. You agreed this uke actually sounds nice, low volume though it may be. Been keeping an eye on this one and it seems they have improved on the frets. Given that you think the core construction is actually quite okay and that the sound is not all that bad, I am wondering if this uke is worth a buy. For a gift for a cat lover. And Im considering lowering the nut and the saddle and putting on a pre- amp/end pin jack(pick-up) with a local luthier here. Do you think this will add on to the whole sound output and playability? Thanks again. Your say is highly regarded.:)
The cat aside (which i think is awful!) I still don't like it as the QC was pretty poor. Yes, the tone was ok, but lowering the nut and saddle wont change that - in fact they may make it quieter. The reason is down to the build. Not sure why exactly, but likely a combination of poor woods and over bracing. It already has the strings which are renowed for getting the most power out of a top, so for it to be quiet wieh Aquila strings says something. Obviously, with a pickup if you only plug in that quiet acoustic sound doesn't matter so much. And it IS very cheap.
Lol! I was actually excited about the cat!!! I'm have two Bengals 😆. Would you be able to do a review on the Luna Coral Concert? It's a solid mahogany but I haven't found a decent enough review with comparisons for sound and can't find it in a local store at the moment
Ha ha - yes, I get that many will like cats. It's just that his cat looks scary though! Re the Luna - I have reviewed a Luna and was pretty scathing about it - doubt very much they will loan me another one I am afraid. I don't like their quality control or less than clear product descriptions. For a while they had one ukulele (the same one) on their US site and UK site. One said it was solid wood, one didn't. It wasn't solid wood and I consider that to be misleading. They don't get my recommendation I am afraid.
That is good to know. It does say "solid mahogany" on their web page. I was in the store yesterday and tried some concerts in the US$200-300 range--Córdoba, Oscar Schmidts, Amahi/Snail--is it normal for concerts to be less bright-sounding? I have a Lanikai curly koa in soprano (CKTU-S) which is so much brighter and louder than all those concerts I tried
It's not necessarily the case they they sound less bright you can find bright or less bright in any ukulele scale - it's all down to the woods and construction. Not a fan of Oscar Schmidt or Cordoba myself. Snail make reliable starter instruments though.
I wanted to ask, have you ever done a review on that Vietnamese manufactured Bruce Wei ukulele? I tried to look through your videos but couldn't find one. Thanks!!
I haven't but for a reason. I have played a few of them actually and found that they were either pretty decent or absolutely terrible. Reading other owners reviews that mix of quality seems to be a common thing. A mix between people saying they got a great one arguing with people who genuinely got a bad one. And I have seen the bad ones. The bad issues tend to be down to dry woods splitting or thin woods. I've shyed away from a review because it struck me that no matter which I got I wouldn't get it right for the other camp. Their mixed quality control totally puts me off, but as I say, that doesn't mean you won't get a good one.
This review is great! I've been looking for some more information on kmise ukuleles but was unable to find many reviews on them. I was wondering if you would be able to give me some advice on picking out a new ukulele for beginners. I have tiny hands that can just barely reach an octave on the piano (and my index finger is about as long as the width of the fretboard of a guitar). I've been fretting about which size ukulele to get because of this problem. I've been leaning towards a concert because I like the sound, but my hand size is deterring me. I was wondering if you would be able to provide some recommendations. Thank you! :)
First of all - the people who say certain sized ukuleles suit certain hands are talking rubbish. It's one of those urban myths that gets repeated so much people assume its true. The bigger a ukulele scale means you DO get a bit more space between frets, but for large hands that is NOT where the space matters. The width and profile of the neck has much more impact, and sadly that is massively variable across all scales. The best thing is to get what instrument you want the sound of - the bigger ukuleles basically get more resonant. If you want sustain - go bigger. If you want traditional ukulele staccato, go smaller. I don't give specific recommendations as there are so many and its just too subjective. Best I can do is direct you to my full list of reviews and ask you to take a look. Basically anything with a score of 8 or above gets my vote. www.gotaukulele.com/p/ukulele-reviews.html
Not online I don't think. The strummed piece is from a song called 'Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate' and the picked is just the chords to Creep by Radiohead, transposed into C
I have a spruce top model as above, and I play in a group, and have taken it along asked them what they thought, and they all are impressed with it, it's on a par with most models in the £100 pound range, the QC Issues have improved, the frets are now a lot better, and the general finishing is good the logo is now inset, it plays well, the action out of the box is a little high, I reduced mine by 2mm and its now spot on, now in case you think I'm biased, most of my fellow group members play a variety of instruments from budget, to very very expensive, and the verdict was, its a good well put together instrument and plays well, I prefer to play my banjo uje and often now I get asked, loan me your concert uke.
Will look into it, but I don’t recognise the name. If they are an Amazon only brand then the answer is no. I stopped doing ukuleles only on Amazon many months ago
That is a review in itself. It's kind of like the invasion of the cheap chicken coops in the there and in a certain big store - in a year they are kindling. I got to try an Outdoor tenor last night at uke club which I'm sure you reviewed. I'd been wanting to try one for years myself! Thanks for all you do.
I've done a couple of Flight ukuleles recently, so as I tend to spread brands out, will be unlikely I'll be doing another for some time - it was a 310 series, but it was the soprano - take a look - www.gotaukulele.com/2016/09/flight-nus310-soprano-ukulele-review.html
and im beginner - ive watched so many videos about ukuleles , sizes and stuff - so from that i liked concert most because size is really good and also sound. tell me which oone is better for me soprano or concert. thank you
There is no best size - they all have their place. And please ignore anyone who tells you need a bigger size if you have bigger hands as it is just NOT true. The soprano is the most staccato / shortest sustain instrument. Some would say this is the true Hawaiian ukulele sound and is certainly the standard. As the bodies get bigger through concert and tenor - they are all tuned the same pitch, but get progressively richer sounding and more resonant. Depends what sound you want. One benefit of the tenor is you get more frets, but if you are just starting out it's unlikely you'll be playing that high up the fretboard. If it helps, I play all sizes myself and like them equally! As for a particular recommendation - there are just too many, but what I would say is try to spend more than 60 if you can. Best guide I can give you is my full review list - these are all the instruments I know in detail with scores. They are in handy price categories and essentially anything with a score of 8 or above gets my vote www.gotaukulele.com/p/ukulele-reviews.html
no, I dont have big hands really XDD But I chose concert myself. Yeah I know those reviews but it will take my time a lot to read them all ( I have watched your videos ) , and ukuleles with higher prices are so cool but around 60 there are few. main reason why I cant afford 100 dollars or around 100 dollars is my living place- Georgia - Our money is called lari so equivalent of 100 dollars is 280 laris , so its too expensive i think (because I dont work, just a schooler girl) so i want like proper ukulele around that price
I get that but it's far better to save a bit longer as it WILL cost you less in the long run. There are far more ukuleles that will be better quality at 80 or 100 than at 60. I can't recommend a single one I'm afraid - there are too many. Best I can suggest is look at brands like Kala, Makala, Baton Rouge. They are really reliable. Avoid anything that seems too good to be true. Oh and a soprano will get you more for your money than a concert.
John Wallace if you look at the scores and compare it to the other 170 plus reviews, it’s not actually such a terrible review in the scheme of things. But I do think you can do better elsewhere. Ultimately though this is just one persons view based on comparison to many others. I say it like I see it and if I didn’t mention issues with this one, it would make all my reviews utterly pointless.
Something that works as a musical instrument? Basic level of quality control. Others manage it. On another point though - why must a ukulele drive towards the lowest price possible? The price gouging is a relatively new thing in the uke world.
Hmmm.. that looks bizarre even to me and my mind-set is somewhere in around weird, gothic and quirky. It looks a bit incomplete, so would have added some glow in the dark paint at the bottom inside the holes :-)
i guess you just annoyed me,carrying on about the cat,who cares about the cat,if people dont like it they wont buy it,there are lots more styles ,i think the instrument works fine for what it is intended and thats beginner level
John Wallace that’s fine. And all I am saying is that for beginners there are many other brands with better builds and quality control that my experience leads me to recommend. Doesn’t matter if you are a beginner - poor set up works against you at any price. I’d take the point if this was the only brand option, but it simply isn’t. Would be wrong of me to recommend it when I can recommend others that do better. And that’s nothing to do with the cat... as the written review says.
Mate, almost every Asian ukulele I get (no matter the price) has sharp fret ends and needs adjustment. It's because they come from a very high humidity area and dry out in transit to drier climates. My fret files stay busy. That cat is awful - really ugly.
Whilst that can happen, I would disagree that it's common on several grounds. First - decent asian builders will season the wood before building which helps. Second, they pay attention to the ends before despatch or in final QC. I've had hundreds of ukuleles through my hands, a large propostion of them are Asian origin. I don't see the sharp fret ends as often as you, and rarely if ever on higher end models. I have however seen it on a ukulele that originated in the UK - but again that was down to quality control.
