Baritone ukulele makers whats hot?

[Booli]

Makala MK-B has a truss rod?

Mine didn't. So I am curious to.

Yes, oddly enough, mine does. I was pleasantly surprised because this was not in the description on the vendors web site.

I got it from Austin Bazaar online. I've noticed that this vendor has certain models from Kala and Oscar Schmidt that differ ever so slightly from the equivalent model sold elsewhere.

I just now took some photos (below) to show what it looks like.

I thought it was odd too for their budget line to have a truss rod. I have not had to adjust it at all yet.

Maybe it was a one-off?

I just changed the strings this morning and it is now tuned re-entrant DGBE with Worth Browns (BF) strings and a Thomastik-Infeld CF27 chrome flatwound classical guitar string for a wound 3rd.

The unwound 3rd from the Worth set (0.0319) was way too floppy for me with only about 8lbs of tension (and this is their heaviest gauge set of strings), so I went with my go-to for wounds, the T-I chrome flatwound, which has about 13lbs (corrected from 11lbs) of tension, and is nearly squeakless and does not file the fingernails off on my strumming hand like normal roundwound strings always do.

 

[strumsilly]

I have a Makala MK-B, which I bought new, is considered a cheapo, but it plays sweet, needed no setup, intonation is spot on out of the box, and even has a truss rod and paid only $83. It is tuned re-entrant CFAD.

I also have a Lanikai LU-21B, which I got used, also considered 'entry-level' but has also an impossibly sweet and deep tone, plays like a dream, intonation is very good, and is tuned linear DGBE.

Having these two has reduced any lust I might have for more expensive baritones. I am very satisfied. (I also play and own several concerts and tenors)...

One day I would like to try a vintage Vega Arthur Godfrey bari model, but have never played one, so if it sounds/plays bad, then this might be just a passing fancy based upon the historical significance of this instrument.

There's always tons of love here on the forum for Pono baritones, but I don't recall anything remarkable other than that for maybe the past year at least.

I have had 2 AG and in a vintage I think the Favilla is a better sounding uke and am especially fond of the older 19" scale [pre paper label] I like them so much I bought 3, but that is kind of crazy to have 3 of the exact same uke, so I've sold 2. Of course, in mahogany vintage, Gibson and MARTIN HAVE MADE SOME FINE ONES. tHEY ARE A LITTLE SPENDIER though. In HI koa, you really can't go too wrong with a Kamaka, Koaloha, Kanilea , etc. they are pricey though. I think the older all koa Kamakas are really cool and I would like to try one eventually.

 

[kissing]

Wow booli, I was ever so skeptical, but seeing is believing!

Why on earth does the humble Makala baritone, the cheapest of the cheap.. have an adjustable truss rod?

My mind is blown! I need answers!
Captain help!

 

[Booli]

Wow booli, I was ever so skeptical, but seeing is believing!

Why on earth does the humble Makala baritone, the cheapest of the cheap.. have an adjustable truss rod?

My mind is blown! I need answers!
Captain help!

I dunno. Maybe the body/neck was actually one of the higher end models on the assembly line in the asian factory where Kala gets these made and they put the wrong tuners and label on it and it got sold to the distributor as an MK-B. The SOUND and FEEL of it far exceeded my expectations of what I thought it was. I mean the way this body resonates is like that of a uke far beyond this price range. Once the new strings settle I can put up a video demo for a sound sample.

Maybe they had some extra necks premade for the higher end models with the truss rod already installed, but ran out of the standard neck used for the MK-B and they just slapped it together with the rest of the MK-B parts in order to meet a quota or a deadline?

But, I'm telling you that the note clarity and resonance of this, at least to my ear is similar to more expensive baritone ukes that I've played.

Maybe I just got darn lucky for once?

 

[Jeffelele]

A uke and a mystery.

Nice.

Jeff

 

[Rtnrlfy]

I was reading this thread last night whilst away from home, and was curious to see if my Makala MK-B has a truss rod or not... And lo and behold it does. I _think_ I ordered it from Austin Bazaar as well. I've been really happy with it - I'm getting a Pono baritone but this one is by no means exiting my regular uke rotation!

 

[Rodney.]

What's with all these truss rods popping up inside Makala MK-B's?
It is the ultimate answer to the question the TS asked: hot in baritone country are Makalas with truss rods.

 

[Booli]

What's with all these truss rods popping up inside Makala MK-B's?
It is the ultimate answer to the question the TS asked: hot in baritone country are Makalas with truss rods.

:biglaugh:LOL yes. Unexpected, I'm sure.

 

[JonThysell]

What's with all these truss rods popping up inside Makala MK-B's?
It is the ultimate answer to the question the TS asked: hot in baritone country are Makalas with truss rods.

I've been to stores that carry one-off prototypes of Kala models that never made it to regular production, or got changed before they did based on feedback.

 

[igorthebarbarian]

How was the action/set-up on these Makala MK-B's from Austin Bazaar? They sound like they're quite decent for the sub-$100 price. I could use a 2nd baritone for alternate tuning.

 

[Booli]

How was the action/set-up on these Makala MK-B's from Austin Bazaar? They sound like they're quite decent for the sub-$100 price. I could use a 2nd baritone for alternate tuning.

I hope that I'm not putting too fine a point on this, but the details I included in my previous posts might be useful to answer your question. Quoted below for your convenience...

Also, since these posts below in ^this^ thread, I've also had this same uke tuned in fifths, both CGDA and GDAE as per my post in this other thread, which includes what strings I used to achieve these results:

http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com...7-Tuning-ukes-in-fifths&p=1779628#post1779628

I have a Makala MK-B, which I bought new, is considered a cheapo, but it plays sweet, needed no setup, intonation is spot on out of the box, and even has a truss rod and paid only $83. It is tuned re-entrant CFAD...

Yes, oddly enough, mine does (HAVE A TRUSS ROD). I was pleasantly surprised because this was not in the description on the vendors web site.

I got it from Austin Bazaar online. I've noticed that this vendor has certain models from Kala and Oscar Schmidt that differ ever so slightly from the equivalent model sold elsewhere.

I just now took some photos (below) to show what it looks like.

I thought it was odd too for their budget line to have a truss rod. I have not had to adjust it at all yet.

Maybe it was a one-off?

I just changed the strings this morning and it is now tuned re-entrant DGBE with Worth Browns (BF) strings and a Thomastik-Infeld CF27 chrome flatwound classical guitar string for a wound 3rd.

The unwound 3rd from the Worth set (0.0319) was way too floppy for me with only about 8lbs of tension (and this is their heaviest gauge set of strings), so I went with my go-to for wounds, the T-I chrome flatwound, which has about 13lbs (corrected from 11lbs) of tension, and is nearly squeakless and does not file the fingernails off on my strumming hand like normal roundwound strings always do.

... The SOUND and FEEL of it far exceeded my expectations of what I thought it was. I mean the way this body resonates is like that of a uke far beyond this price range...