$50 Makala Ukulele vs $5000 Vintage Martin 3k Ukulele

Learn the Songs Featured in this Video:

Buy the Ukulele Featured in this Video:

[miloszivanovic]

I have a physics test tomorrow and I don't even play ukulele

[stuartjpc]

I found it quite easy to tell them apart. The frightening thing is the makala sounded so much better! If the question was would I prefer 1 Martin or 100 Makalas, it's a no brainer.

[LuckyFerals]

Huge difference between those ukes. The cheap Makala sounds so much better! Great video. :)

[HillnTX]

I realize its an old video, but people are missing the point of how good a 100 year old ukulele sounds, or how much progress has been made in manufacturing cheap ukuleles over the past 100 years.

[yurigoddess]

the makala sounded best to me on every song

[novakie]

Makala definitely sounded better, louder and clearer

[pashminaa]

Proof that it isn't always the instrument - it's the musician!

[FLIGHTCOMPANY]

I love the mellower sound of the Martin.

[tammanaq]

I liked the Makala much better than the Martin. And if you want a more mellow sound, just change to a different types of strings. As a ukulele teacher myself I have tried a lot of ukuleles. The differences between the midlevel and the expensive ukuleles are very subtle soundwise. But the build quality, intonation, tactile respons, neck profile, machine heads, fretwork and overall playing experience are very diffent. And the best instrument is the one you can't take your hands off. But it's all very personal. So go try 'em all out :)

[fortyoneshades]

Makala sounds better by a mile. Thanks for saving me $4950.00!

[leinadatidumarp]

Got a Makala from a Hawaiian friend of mine. Made in China though.
Everytime I play alongside other players with more costly ukes, she always came on top. They always ask if mine is a high end one lol.

[Kawijazz]

The Martin sounds mellowed and a bit richer. I picked it out correctly in the first two songs, but for the third, I was not certain. That being said, the Makala sounds like a great uke to start with and even keep as a main uke. It sounds really nice, I quite like it!

[shaomane]

The makala, oddly enough, sounds much better to my ears. I think that the only true test would be to hear them in person.

[filmgirlpipes]

Thanks! That was a great idea to "blind" test them. I picked the Makala twice as the sound that appealed the most to me.

[samer.mghabghab]

i did like the Martin one during the first song. it sounds melancholic in a way.

but in the second song, the Makala just sounded really good.

[diegobejaranovergnaud]

Despite I can agree that makala sounds slightly better, my conclusion is that the most important is to learn how to play it with love and passion as our teacher does.

[michaelpaderes]

WOW. The Martin sounds cleaner while the Makala sounds brighter. But the Makala holds up well against the Martin. The 100 times difference in the price doesn't justify the Martin at all to me. Great job Makala!

[vanrozay]

Same league. That's a great instrument for $50.

[raceface_m]

You can hear the thinness of the laminate wood of the Makala. It sounded very brassy, but in a good way. It had that clarity and it cut really well, but not enough depth. The Martin could perhaps use different strings to compliment the uke more. It just sounded flat. I bet playing them in person makes a whole lot of a difference.
I have always enjoyed this comparison. I’ll consider getting a Makala to take around for travel.

[Raining_Brass]

They were very close, but on each of the three songs I actually ended up picking the Makala! Surprised me, as I thought the Martin would be obvious.