i have 2 lanikai ukes. one tenor and one soprano. theyre a great value if youre thinking of getting one of the low end models like the $25-$30 sopranos or the $99 tenor. but i think when you get to their koa models youd be better off with something that is solid wood. i really like the cheap soprano i have after i put some nylgut strings on it. and i can toss it around and not worry about it.
I just got back from a trip to Maui. I teach 'ukulele to some kids at the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin and they wanted to get better 'ukes than the "pignose" ones that they started with (can anyone blame them?). A couple got Lahaina 'ukes and some of the others got the Lanikai. The Lahaina 'ukes were surprisingly good, especially for around $50.00! These were the pineapple ones made of mahogany. they seemed like a good beginner instrument. The Lanikais seem to be a little better built. As with all 'ukes, I told them to get what they liked. Some had better intonation than others but all seemed solidly built. One of the appeals of the Lainikais was that some models come with picups preinstalled. I like to think of them as the "new harmony" 'ukes. Fairly bulletproof but playable until you want to graduate to a more substantial instrument.
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Posted - 08/11/2005 : 08:01:36 AM
