MahaloMJ1TBR Soprano Ukulele - Natural Gloss

OK - so this is a cut above the other entry level Mahalo that I've reviewed (Mahalo 2500 Kahiko Series Soprano Ukulele - Brown) but it still IS an entry level instrument so you shouldn't be expecting a world-beating uke of fantastic quality. Having said that, it's certainly a workable and usable instrument and there are several upgraded elements when compared to the 2500.First the wood is mahogany. Second the overall appearance is a tad smarter - but instead of the finish being 'natural gloss', I veer more towards describing it as having a bright sheen. It is most definitely NOT a full gloss finish. The strings as fitted are Aquilla and are definitely an improvement. The gigbag is NOT padded - it's the same cloth bag that comes with the 2500 and is useless except for keeping dust off the uke. The bridge has a different method for attaching the strings (see one of my attached photos) so you need to have fingers that are nimble enough to tie nots in the end of the strings. (Some folks also use a small bead). The saddle and nut are synthetic 'Nu-Bone' instead of the basic plastic of the 2500. A nice upgrade is the fact that the saddle is now compensated for the C string.But the key issues are really to do with action, sound and intonation. I'll deal with each in turn.The action was a bit high for me, but others might like it. However, I decided to shave the height of the saddle (just as did for the 2500). Again, I've uploaded a photo to show what I did. This has worked well and harmonics ring clearly at 7th and 12th fret positions with no noticeable negative impact on intonation.The sound is fractionally more mellow than the 2500, probably because of the use of mahogany. Beyond that I didn't notice a big difference between the sound of this uke and the 2500. There is pretty good projection but, of course, no really distinctive sound with its own personality. Overall I'd describe the sound as 'brittle' or 'quite thin' - but not annoyingly so.Intonation is good up to the 7th fret but drifts fractionally thereafter. Using a Snark tuner, when the open strings are accurate tuned to gCEA, the harmonics and notes at the 12th fret are all fractionally sharp - nothing drastic and nowhere near as bad as some entry level ukes where 12th fret notes start approaching g# C# Bb F.So - in conclusion, is this uke a better buy than the 2500? .... I'm not entirely sure. I do like the simplicity of the 2500 after retro-fitting Aquila strings. When you do that, the total cost (not including any p&p) comes to around £20 + about £5 as compared to the MJ1TBR at about £36. So there's a price difference at the moment of about £11 or thereabouts. For that you get better wood, pre-fitted Aquila strings, a compensated NuBone saddle and bit of lasered or stencilled bling around the soundhole. So - IS this uke a better buy than the 2500? On balance I think it probably is - but don't be put off the 2500 if you're happy to make your own tweaks to make it suit your own needs and preferences.The overall point, of course, is that both the 2500 and this MJ1TBR are entry level ukes in an area of the market that is flooded with cheap soprano ukes. A great many are unplayable rip-offs or just badly made without any real attempt to push them into shops with any semblance of a reasonable setup. I've tried many ukes of the type sold in some charity shops and have found them to be in the same grim category as guitars with cheese-cutter strings and impossible actions which are foisted on folks as a beginner's instrument. especially around Christmas time. In other words - they're rubbish and will only cause newbies and youngsters to become demotivated. Neiither the 2500 nore the MJ1TBR are anything like that. They're both affordable and playable - just don't expect them to be up there with instruments that are made for experienced players. But as starter instruments, they're both well worth considering.Other makes to look at are Kala and Cordoba. You will probably have heard of Kala, but the name Cordoba may not be so familiar. Have a look at the Cordoba 15SM Soprano (but ignore the mention of a gigbag - that's erroneous). Of those two, the Kala isn't a lot more expensive than the MJ1TBR ...... Kala KA-S Soprano Mahogany Ukulele CORDOBA 15SM + GIGBAG Ukuleles Soprano I hope some of these comments and suggestions help you.Good luck.My review of the Mahalo 2500 is here ... Mahalo 2500 Kahiko Series Soprano Ukulele - Brown

Lovely instrument for anyone wanting to learn the uke. I bought this for my daughter as she wanted to start learning a new instrument and didn't know where to start to get one, as there are so many out there.I chose this one because of the good price (it's not in the basic of basic range, if you want one like that there are many to be had) and the fact it already had Aquila strings on it, (which are good strings) saved me the faff of having to change them before I gave the instrument to her. She loves this ukulele and I'm pleased I bought it. I wish I'd seen this one when I first began playing the uke.

This was purchased, again for our granddaughter, in this instance, as lessons were starting at her primary school. This was the most recommended style of the Ukulele for beginners to begin on. As time passes they might prefer the other styles but this is a well made instrument and good value for the money involved.

Fantastic product highly recommended

Bought, after reading previous review, in high expectation. Unfortunately, improper bedding-in of frets precluded true notes and (thereby) associated chords from being obtained. This, together with dints to neck and body suggested little/no quality control."Padded case" offers little/no protection. AVOID!

This Uke was recommended as a good starter instrument by the leader of the Uke group i joined.I am very happy with the instrument so far and it has met all of my expectations.

its a present

As a complete beginner this is my first ukulele but I really like it and for the price I think it has a lovely sound.