So, you want to learn how to play ukulele, but you’re not sure what uke to buy.
I’ve had a lot of questions from friends of mine and those of you who are looking to buy a ukulele. I wanted to look at a few things that are helpful to think about before buying your first ukulele. I also wanted to go over some recommendations for good beginner ukuleles.
I’d even love to get your insight in the comments. What tips would you give someone who is buying their first uke?
Here is some buying advice I’ve been giving my friends.
Borrow a Friend’s Ukulele
If you are just starting to learn ukulele, you might want to consider finding a friend, family member, or coworker who has a ukulele that you can borrow. Borrow it for a week or two, download my free ukulele lesson book, and see if you like playing the ukulele.
If you find out you hate it (which I highly doubt), then you’ve not spent a bunch of money, and you can continue about your life.
However…
Consider Your Budget
I will say this. Those who put a financial investment into playing ukulele tend to be a bit more motivated to learn how to play. You want to get your money’s worth.
The great thing about learning how to play ukulele is that it’s not an expensive instrument to learn. You don’t have to break the bank. For around $50, you can get a decent and playable ukulele.
When you start looking at ukuleles, you’ll notice that the sky really is the limit in terms of price. This is why it’s important to set a budget for yourself so you don’t get lost in all your options. Most beginners can expect to pay anywhere between $50 and $200 for a good ukulele. For the most part, I can’t recommend buying anything cheaper.
So you might ask, “If you can get a good ukulele for $50, why would someone want to pay any more?” Good question.
As you go up in price range, you’ll be getting into ukuleles that are built with solid wood rather than laminate wood or plastic. As you go up in price, you might pay more for different types of woods. Different woods have different tonal characteristics. Some woods are rarer than others which also affects the price. More expensive ukuleles might be handmade or have finer detailing (e.g. pearl inlays). Some people pay more to have better tuners on their ukulele. All of these different things factor into the price of a ukulele.
Generally, you’ll pay more for better quality and craftsmanship. I say generally though because even though you go up in price, it doesn’t always mean the ukulele will be better made than one that’s cheaper. This is why it’s always important to play a lot of different ukuleles or at least read as many reviews online as you can.
As a beginner or newer player, you don’t need to break the bank. Because of how cheap you can get a good uke, you have no excuse not to get one! So let’s take a look at some good beginner ukes.
5 Best Ukuleles to Buy for Beginners
First off, I’m going to make a little disclaimer. I have not played all the ukuleles mentioned below. However, I can recommend them full heartedly based on feedback I’ve received from friends and from those of you who have emailed me or interacted in the comments area of Ukulele Tricks.
I also do a lot research and reading about ukuleles online in my free time, so these are some ukes that come up quite a bit. If I’m missing any really good suggestions, please say something in the comments below!
1.) Makala Dolphin Soprano Ukulele
This ukulele is the only exception to buying one under $50. Don’t let the price of this ukulele fool you. People everywhere online rave about these. While they are made out of plastic, they are said to have great tone and playability. You’ll definitely want to get some better strings, but once you do, it’ll sound great. This is a perfect ukulele for beginners on a budget or those who want a good “throw-it-in-your-backpack” ukulele.
The Makala dolphin ukulele also comes in a lot of different colors like: red, pearl white, black, light blue, metallic blue, pink, yellow, green, or purple.
2.) Lanikai LU-21 Soprano Ukulele ($79)
For those who don’t like the idea of having a plastic ukulele, this might be a better choice for you. It’ll still be a laminate wood ukulele, but it’ll have the “look” of the real thing. Depending on how hard you play, you might have to tune the strings often. You also might find that the intonation is not perfect higher up on the fretboard. For a beginner’s ukulele, these get great reviews and you can’t go wrong. Click here to learn more and buy the Lanikai LU-21 ukulele.
3.) Cordoba 15CM Concert Ukulele ($99)
I’ve had to include the Cordoba 15CM concert ukulele because of its outstanding reviews from everyone in the comments at the bottom of this post. This ukulele sports a mahogany top, back, and sides. In addition to a concert size, the Cordoba also comes in a smaller soprano size and a larger tenor size. Click here to learn more and buy the Cordoba 15CM concert ukulele.
4.) Kala KA-T Mahogany Tenor Ukulele
There have been quite a few comments below from people raving about these Kala ukuleles.
For those with bigger fingers or larger hands, you might find soprano ukuleles a bit hard to play. You might want to look at a tenor sized ukulele. I have a tenor ukulele and it feels really comfortable to play and hold with my bigger hands. This Kala tenor ukulele is a good choice. Kala is a world renowned ukulele maker. Click here to learn more and buy the Kala KA-T tenor ukulele.
Another important note about this ukulele… Kala also makes this same ukulele in a soprano or concert size, if you can’t afford the tenor, or if you want a smaller sized version of this ukulele.
5.) Lanikai S-T Solid Spruce Tenor Ukulele ($169)
This is a solid ukulele with a spruce top and mahogany back and sides. Rather than being a laminate, a solid wood ukulele will sound better with time and age. Spruce is a very stiff and lightweight wood which makes it have a very high velocity of sound. This means that at loud volumes it is very clear and full. The Lanikai S-T is great if you want a solid ukulele but are still on a budget. Click here to learn more and buy the Lanikai Solid Spruce Tenor ukulele.
What Ukuleles Do You Recommend?
There are many ukuleles out there that would suit a beginning player. I’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg, and I know I’ve missed some other really great entry-level ukuleles out there. So, let’s hear your recommendations! Please post a comment below!
My first uke was a Makala Dolphin, and I would wholeheartedly recommend it. And not just to beginners! It sounded good out of the box and even better with a set of Aquila strings on it.
I’ve recently upgraded to a Kala Lacewood concert (partly because I wanted to go up a size), but the Dolphin will still be getting played often.
Great to hear some more praise for the Makala Dolphin. It’s a workhorse.
What do you think of the LANIKA pinapple?
Lanikai makes great ukes for beginners and entry-level players who are on a budget. Pineapple ukuleles are fun to play! They look cool too. You can’t go wrong with it.
How do you feel about the Flukes and Fleas?
Love them. I have a friend who keeps one handy in his studio. They record wonderfully. Excellent tone. You can’t go wrong with a Fluke if you ask me!
I love Flukes. My first ukulele was my mom’s very old Pinapple Kamaka hand made by Samuel Kamaka. She bought it used in the 1920s and I played on it off and on from the 1950s till about 2004–when I found out this particular uke is a very limited collector’s item. So I shopped around and looked at many, many ukuleles. While I wanted a good used Martin I couldn’t afford one. I discovered the Fluke, played one and loved the tone and how well it was made. I bought a Concert Hibiscus Red model (15 1/2″ scale) and just loved it, and yes, it is fairly loud for a uke, and does hold a tuning quite well. About a year later I bought a Tenor Fluke with a 17″ scale and like it even better. The shape, like the Concert, is great as it will stand up on its own with its straight bottom edge. I added Aquila strings, which was not an option when I bought it and loved that it can be tuned GCEA or the lower DGBE (high D). Eventually, I’d like to pick up another Tenor with a hardwood fretboard and internal pickup. While this will not add anything to my ability or be easier to play, it would be cool to have. I gave my Concert Fluke to my wife and would like to find a decent, used baritone. If only Fluke would make one. If you are more or less a beginner or better and on a budget I would look for a fluke on line or used. You cannot go wrong and the molded fretboard plays as well as the hardwood. If you tire of it you will be able to get a bit more for it than a starter uke from China that you can buy new for $50 to $100. New Flukes today, November 2012, will set you back $200 and up–they are worth it.
Is Flea just as good? Are the same manufacturer?
Do you know a good uke around $17.00 or a place that sells them that cheap?
If you only have $17 to spend on a ukulele, wait a little bit and save some more money. At even $30 – $50, you can get a much better uke that won’t be “toy” quality.
Hi Brett;
First of all, congratulations on a WONDERFUL, LIFE SAVER Uke course. I just started a pilot program here in the Desert called “Ukes In Schools”, funded by the Steinway Society of Riverside County and an Anderson Grant, and manned by volunteers like me, learning from YOUR website. Here’s the latest news report on our Ukes In Schools program from last Tuesday:
http://www.kesq.com/kesq/Local-Students-Learn-the-Ukulele/-/232254/16833544/-/106g9avz/-/index.html
Anyway, just wanted to thank you for all the GREAT stuff we’re learning from you and in turn are sharing with kids who would otherwise never get a chance to learn…
As far as basic Uke recommendations…have you seen the Sunlite US-100T/eng? It’s about $70.00 but has a tuner built IN and strap pins for folks who have a hard time (initially) holding and playing at the same time. We’ve been using them for the kids at Madison Elementary…they’re solid wood, Aquila Strings and fairly accurate in the intonation. We highly recommend them!
We have 2.5 year old daughter and would like to buy a uk for christmas. I’m overwelmed with all possibilities and options. Any help appriciated.
Yes, I just came across the sunlite soprano and was amazed at the volume that came out of it and ease of playing. I would recommend them.
Hi
I have a Kala Solid Spruce Top KA-SC Ukulele, which I bought last Christmas. It is only now that I have decided that I want to properly learn to play it. What is your view on this instrument, was it a good choice to learn on?
Looking forward to starting my learning through you excellent site
Graham
In my experience, I would never hesitate to recommend a Kala ukulele to a beginner. That sounds like a great choice!
Anyone have any comments on the Luna concert? I have been looking at the bundles – Uke, case and tuner, for $106.00. Do you recommend buying online or picking the uke out in person?
I must say I enjoy your site!
I was given the Lanikai LU-21 Soprano Ukulele for Christmas. I am still “not getting” the strum patterns but I am getting better, at least my wife and children can listen and know what I am doing sounds “close to right”
The LU-21 is over priced at places like Guitar Center ($100+) etc, really shop around on that one. I am not 100% satisfied with it because after only a few minutes of playing it goes out of tune quickly and I find myself messing with it. I am going to order new hardware for the keys and see if that makes a difference. It also may be something with going to nylon (I had a baritone with metal) strings that makes it harder to tune in the beginning so be aware.
Again awesome site! Thank you!
Thanks for the comment! I’m glad you like the site. I’m also glad to get your thoughts on the LU-21. I imagine new hardware for the keys would really help. Did you have the LU-21 equivalent in a baritone size or were you putting baritone strings on the soprano LU-21?
I don’t remember the brand. It was a long long time ago, in a galaxy far far away… I was a teenager and my sister wanted a shortcut to learn the chords on the guitar… you were right, she had no vested interest in the Ukulele so she picked it up and put it down. I grabbed it and never looked back. Now I am older and wiser. It was a wood body, probably a really nice Baritone … my 3 year old used the bridge as a bridge … and it splintered into thousands of pieces.
Note: for the first time the LU-21 held the tune today. Maybe I don’t need to buy hardware quite yet! Oh and the book that comes with the LU-21 has a couple misprints in the songs, the wrong Chord etc.
That’s a great story It’s a shame it didn’t end well for the baritone uke, but at least you’re rocking a soprano now these days!
Glad to hear the LU-21 is tuning a bit better. Is that because you tried different strings on it?
It really depends on the strings. The entry level Lanikai ukuleles come with Aquila strings, which are actually pretty good with the caveat that they have to “set” before they can really hold your tuning. Initially, yes, it can be annoying to hear it fall out of tune after only a few hours, but with time they work just fine.
I was told strings have to be on for a while before they’ll stay in tune. I put new strings on my old Harmony (1960′s vintage) and it took weeks for them to “season”. I was also told to push on them to stretch them, and play, of course.
I just bought a Lanikai LU-21. It has nice tone I am a true beginner but am playing around with chords and melody. I played a little violin and piano.so the tuning isn’t a problem but even with Aquila strings I have to tune while I am playing. That could also be new strings. For the price it is a nice uke.
I love the Aquila strings and my Lanikai S-C stays in perfect tune weeks on end, I can’t believe how great this ukulele always sounds and how true the intonation is even on the highest frets, Cost $165.00 and I just got lucky when I bought it without researching. Really well made and has great enclosed tuners. Violins should have these tuners. This is the perfect concert sized ukulele. The soprano doesn’t have enough frets and the fingerboard is too narrow. Good strun’in.
Donna (dumdee)
I got mine online for $45.00. One note… I highly recommend a case. this will cost you $25-$50.
Get a Makala Dolphin they’re great, just bought one been using them at college and was loving them.
Did you get one of them by any chance?
Once the strings stretched mine hardly needed tuning. It’s all in the strings. This is a very nice ukulele for the price.
I recently purchased a Makala Soprano Mk-P and can recommend it. Even with black standard strings, it is very playable and sounds good, although it is thought a change to aquila strings would be an advantage. Maybe other players would like to comment on aquila strings or decent alternatives.
Sounds like a good uke! New strings always seem to help a little. I just put some Aquila’s on my tenor and so far I’m pretty well pleased. I think I’m going to experiment a little bit in the future though.
Try some of the clear flourocarbon strings that are available. They don’t stretch as much as nylon strings, especially wound ones like the Aquilas. They “set” more quickly, and hold their tune much better. They tend to have a clear, bright sound that makes any uke sound better, in my opinion. Worth makes some excellent clear flourocarbon strings, along with some brown ones that are more subdued in sound. Martin’s clear flourocarbon strings also seem to be very good. There are other reputable brands like Fremont. Most strings are pretty cheap, so you can try several until you find the ones you like the best. Elderly Music has a great selection.
I love the Aquila strings and my uke stays in tune for weeks. I have had plastic strings and open tuners with really awful tuning problems.
As a newbie, these are great tips seriously for purchasing Ukuleles, cheers!
Just purchased a Lanikai LU-21 (with Aquila strings)as a beginner, after doing much internet research. I lived in HI about 10 years ago and regret not learning while I was there. I was able to get it on Amazon for about $65 including shipping. So far so good, after 2 weeks it no longer needs tuning every hour. I’ve been tuning it by piano but would like to get an inexpensive tuner since I don’t trust these old ears.
I have “Twinkle Twinkle” memorized and my daughter wants to learn it too.
Thanks for all the info on your website, I have learned a lot so far and I appreciate you explanation of where each finger goes for different chords. I am teaching myself to play!
Cheers,
Mary
Vienna VA
Mary, I’m so glad to hear that the LU-21 is working out for you! I wrote up some suggested tuners over here if you want to check those out to get some ideas. I’m really encouraged to hear it’s going well and glad to hear you are having success so far! Keep up the GREAT work!
Mary,
A Snark tuner will cost about $11 on Amazon.
You can download free chromatic tuners for your phone or computer. For my android phone i got an app called gStrings. I’m really happy with it. It occasionally has ads running at the top but this does not affect functionality. I used it for 3 days before I even noticed the ads were there!
I had the good fortune to be able to take a trip to Hawaii. While I was in Hilo on the Big Island, I took the plunge and bought a Kala Mahogany Concert Electric Ukulele (KA-CE). It cost about $130 but you can get the same uke without the electronic pickup for $90-$100. I only got the CE because I already play electric bass and have an amp that I can plug into. I plugged it in when I got home, and the output sounds great. But most of the time I practice acoustically, so for most beginners the KA-C model would be all they need. I got interested in the ukulele by trying out a friends Makala Soprano, but I find it a bit small in the fret area and the strings were a very hard black material. In contrast, the KA-C has an 18 fret neck which guitar players will find more easy to handle. The tone and volume of the uke is fuller because of the slightly bigger concert body. I really like the white Aquila Nylgut strings as they are much easier on the fingers and I believe they enhance the tone of the instrument. It’s still small enough to carry anywhere and I love just picking it up and practicing some chords and songs, even if I only have 15 minutes of time. This is a ukulele I think any beginner will be happy with if they can afford to move from the $50 range into the $100 range. You can watch a UTube video of this instrument by going to the follwing link. Maybe if I keep practicing I’ll be able to play as good as this young man. At least I know that if I don’t sound that good I can’t blame the Kala uke!
Here’s the web link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzPQZ53eS6I
Gil
Gil, thanks for posting your review of the Kala. Sounds like an awesome uke!
I am surprised no one has asked about action, the distance between the frets and strings. They all seem to vary enormously and as you know, high action will put off anyone especially begginers. I have a Brunswick concert and the action is far too high compared to a friends lanakai, the lanakai is far more rewarding to play, needing a lot less pressure with the right hand fingers. So, I will be trading in the Brunswick……… Anyone else noticed this action discrepancy?
Roger.
I forgot to add one more thing about the Kala KA-C Concert model. The fellow who sold me the instrument owns and runs the Hilo Guitar and Ukulele Music shop in Hilo. He tells you a little bit about it in his YouTube video clip at the bottom of the following page link. The left and center frames he uses a KA-C in the video. According to him it should cost you about $90 for the model without the electronics.
Here’s the link:
http://www.hiloguitars.com/AboutUkuleles.html
Gil
Here’s yet another demo of that Kala Concert ukulele (KA-C) that I was talking about. Even an inexpensive model in the right hands (hopefully mine in the distant future) can produce impressive results. Another video clip performance in the Hilo, Hawaii guitar and ukulele shop. (No, i’m not a salesman or representative …. just a satisfied customer)
Here’s the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AMMZDUz5Lk&feature=related
Hope this helps others who are brand new to ukuleles as I am.
Very impressive!
I have the little green Mahalo in the header image. I love it! For only $30, it’s a great uke to start on. Hopefully later this year I’ll move up to a Kala.
My local music store also has a banjo-uke I’ve been eyeing up.
I want to eventually get a banjo-uke. They sound so cool!
I have the Lanikai banjolele (concert size) and it is terrific fun! Subs in for a banjo when there isn’t a banjo and plays louder than my already-pretty-loud Kala lacewood concert. I’d definitely opt for the solid back resonator banjolele instead of the open back versions. I found the tone to be much more full on the solid back. Hope you get your hands on one soon!
I have a Mahalo too. I’m not sure if it’s a good uke or not because it’s the only one I have. It’d be interesting to try a banjo-uke tough.
Mahalo makes a great entry-level ukulele! I’d like to buy a banjo-uke eventually. Such a cool sound…
I’ve been playing Ukulele for a few months now. When I started I was borrowing my friends and I ended up getting it as a hand-me-down. My ukulele is a Mahalo U-30 Painted Soprano Ukulele, yellow, I love the thing, seriously the perfect beginner uke. (even if it slips out of tune a little, it’s very good practice to have an instrument that needs attention. I, for instance, have become pretty good at tuning by ear.) At this point, I’ve checked out a few different ukes, I’m looking to upgrade to a concert size and, eventually, get a banjo uke (that will be the real investment). I completely agree with the advice of borrowing a friends ukulele. I actually got mine from a friend who upgraded her ukulele, and now, I plan on giving my old Mahalo to my mother once I’ve upgraded. I also recommend just going to a store and picking up a few ukes, you might find that a specific sized uke is most comfortable for you. I ended up being most comfortable, more than size was concerned, with an instrument that was in used condition.
I have two soprano Ukuleles, one Leolani and a solid mahogany Islander. Different sounds but like them both. ( changed the Islander strings from Aquilas to Worth brown to tone down the A string. It made a ringing, almost grating sound. Harmonics of the smaller sound box I think. ).
I bought both of my grand kids Mahalo ukes. The strings that came with them you could hear go out of tune within a few seconds of playing them in the store. I talked the store owner into making me a deal on two sets of Aquilas to go with them. After a few days of breaking in the strings they stay in tune and sound fairly good for such inexpensive Ukuleles.
I would recommend the Mahalo to anybody who wants to try it out on a budget.
My first uke was a hand me down mahalo concert, i don’t know the exact model, it was about 5 years old at the time(2009) and it cost my mate £25 including case. It was awful but somehow it still got me hooked, within 2 months I had a Kala KA-MS it’s very good for the price £165. I still haven’t seen a nicer lookin uke for less that £1k. I recently played a Martin S-O and although I wasn’t impressed enough to buy it, I didn’t like the lack of fret markers, it has made me want a higher quality uke, Im currently looking at getting my hands on a KoAloha but am finding it quite difficult in the UK.
hiya, brett! “-) i’m a kala uker, too. but i fell head over heels for the “watermelon” soprano! i mean, it’s just SO cute to look at annnnd, it’s proven to be a really solid instrument. the strings are aquila and it has a really nice sound. i love when i go to tune it and find it’s still perfectly in tune. if you play it in a park or on the beach, it’s like having a chipmunk sitting in your lap, eating a peanut. everyone wants to come and see it!
)
thanks for the great uke site! more STRUMMING lessons, if ya can! “-))
hah, what a crazy analogy! I’ve found that nothing draws a group of people like the sound of a ukulele.
I want to do some more strumming lessons eventually. I just opened back up an entire video lesson course called “Ukulele Strumming Tricks.” It’s dedicated completely to strumming. You can learn more about it here: http://www.ukuleletricks.com/ukulele-strumming-tricks/
My mum brought back theeee most beautiful uke from tahiti when she went over last year. Its also the best sounding uke ive ever heard! it has eight strings on it and sounds much (much,much!) better then the one we had got before (from the cook islands) with only four. The tones just sound so much richer then the 4string ones. It looks kinda like a very mini electric quitar and is quite heavy as its made out of solid wood
wouldd highly recommend to everyone! just having it in the house has made me want to learn how to play it properly!
I’ve not yet played an eight string ukulele yet. Do you know what brand it is? It sounds awesome! What a great souvenir to take back from a trip. My aunt just went to hawaii and scored a really nice ukulele.
Do you have more recomendations for buying uku’s. I found this to be helpful.
Thank tou
One thing I forgot to mention was try to find a friend who plays ukulele you can bring to a music store. Sometimes it’s nice to have a second opinion and get extra perspective, and even hear the other person play it. You might even ask someone in the music store to play the ukulele too.
I’d be interested in hearing what others tips people have!
Hi. I’m from New Zealand, 55year old Nana, learning to play ukulele. Just started about August last year. I’m still on my first Uke and it is a Greg Bennett design Samick. It cost me $75 as I didn’t want the cheapest but also didn’t want something too high priced in case I was no good at it. It’s a great Uke to start on and has a good tone. Looks nice too which is a bonus. I’m really happy with it and loving my lessons. Today is my first time on your site by the way. Good stuff.
I really recommend the Oscar Schmidt OU4 Tenor Ukulele. Its sounds great out of the box and it is made of SOLID wood that’s polished. It costs just over a $100. Great ukulele! I have 4 Ukes and the Oscar Schmidt is my favorite so far!
I had a friend a couple weeks ago who was looking at an Oscar Schmidt. Glad to hear it gets a great review!
I have a Oscar Schmidt OU2 Concert , very good
I just purchased a used Kala Tenor Koa, Solid Cedar Top Ukulele (KA-KTG-CT) for $329 which included a Kala case, tax and shipping. This Ukulele has no scratches or wear marks. I love the mellow full volume tone of this Ukulele. I think I got a great buy on this, what do you think?
Also, my 12-yeqar-old granddaughter was here for the weekend and picked up my Ukulele as a first time user. By the end of the weekend she was chording “Somewhere Over the Rainbow/Wonderful World”, per your our instructional video, and singing along with her Ukulele work. So……. I ordered her a Kala Makala Tenor Ukulele as a starter instrument.
Sounds like you got a great deal! That’s gotta be a gorgeous ukulele. A lot of you guys here on the site have been raving about the Kalas.
It sounds like you got your granddaughter hooked on ukulele. Way to go
My grandfather got me hooked on ukulele when I was just six. What a wonderful gift you can give her!
Yes, when I was in Hawaii a couple weeks ago I tested a lot of Ukuleles. The Kalas were by far the best sounding in all price ranges up to about the $600 level. They have got the key to building quality instruments for for every need.
When starting out, don’t forget to look at used ukes too. I am a beginner, bought the Makala Dolphin and played around for awhile, but decided to make an investment in a uke with better intonation. After nosing around eBay and instrument shops, I discovered Favilla ukes and fell in love. I ordered a 1940s-era Favilla soprano from Elderly Instruments for $175, plus a set of Aquila strings. Solid mahogany, warm tones, perfect intonation. Bargain price.
Just make sure to ask the right questions regarding condition, necessary repairs, and so on. Elderly even offered to play the instrument over the phone so I could hear how the uke sounded.
Great suggestion about looking at used ukuleles! Sometimes you can score a really good deal. It is important to ask those questions surrounding the history of the ukulele and give it a thorough inspection. It sounds like you found a great used ukulele!
Thank you very much for the uke tips! I play the guitar and I’m really looking forward to start playing ukulele. I was searching the web and found this brand “Kohala” ( http://www.amazon.com/Kohala-KP-S-Kanikapila-Soprano-Ukulele/dp/B004NIFYD8/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=musical-instruments&qid=1304884322&sr=1-6 – I’m interested in purchasing a soprano uke) Have you ever heard of it? Thank you!
I am not very familiar with that ukulele, but it looks like it could be a good first ukulele. I’d be interested in knowing if the seller has a return policy incase you were to have any problems. Other than that, it might be worth the try!
Greetings -
I just found your site and it seems a great resource. As far as entry-level ukes, I would actually recommend the Luna Tattoo series. I have the concert size, but the soprano size has a honu etched around the soundhole, while their pineapple soprano and their concert size have polynesian waves along the bottom.
They’re mahogany laminate but have really nice projection and sustain. They come standard with Aquila strings, and mine didn’t need setup or adjustment for buzzing or action.
And, at under $100 each, they’re also affordable.
I bought a Luna concert last week. I am troubled with the intonation on the first 2 frets. I am new to the Ukulele and from everything I’m reading a lot of the under a $100. Ukes have trouble with intonation, which is a shame. I’m trying to decide if I should just put up with the problem or return it and look some more. Too bad the big box music store I bought it from didn’t do a set up or check the action…and being a newbie, I didn’t know to ask either…
Ah bummer. It sounds like you got a sour one. I’d go back to the music store and just say, “Hey, I noticed the intonation is a little bit off on the first two frets. Is there anything you can do to help make this better?” They might be able to do a little bit of a setup on it to get it sounding better. Also, you might try putting fresh new strings. Sometimes the stock strings they include on ukuleles aren’t that great and can cause tuning problems.
If the intonation problems still persist, you might try to exchange the uke for another Luna concert to see if you just got a lemon. Or you might jump up in price range for a nicer uke, but I know for me, I do like to have a uke around that I feel like I can beat around a little bit.
I have a Luna Concert size. I almost didn’t get it because I thought that since it had the design, the creator wouldn’t have focused as much on quality sound, but, honestly, i have been so impressed! I originally bought a Lanakai LU-21 and I actually didn’t like the sound of it, and when I went to the store to return it, I randomly picked up the Luna Concert and just fell in love. Eventually, I would like a solid wood bod, but I am making myself get better first.
Ukulele’s are wonderful and people just migrate to them! I work in a preschool and use it to sing to the kids and everyone just adores the whole experience,
Cordoba! Get a Cordoba uke, da’ ting stay all in tune right outta da box! I got one new for $99 at guitar center and it was all blee-blee-blee-BLAH outta tune, I tuned it up right there, after bouncing around in my backpack, being set aside while I did chores, etc it was still in tune, next morning … still in tune… etc. Cordoba makes Classical guitars and you can just GUESS who I’ll get one from if I decide to take that up, meanwhile, Consider a Cordoba (and they come with aquila strings, nice).
I picked up a makala MK-S Uke and I set it up with some aquilla strings and it sounds amazing! I got the uke shipped to my door for 48 bucks flat and another 6 for the strings, It’s a great intry-level ukulele
Very nice! I actually played this uke at Guitar Center the other day and it was great!
I have a Lanikai LU-21T Like the soprano it is a laminate but it is a good price for a beginner. The intonation , sound and playability is very good. My husband who as been playing uke for 3 yrs or so also has been playing guitar for many years helped me pick it out. My Lanikai is defiantly not top of the line but is still a great one.
Happy playing…I also do like your book. it is a great help.
Deanna
I for got to add the Lanikai’s come with aquila strings. I my listening experience they are the best. can turn a harsh sounding Johnson soprano uke in to a much better sound for a beginner. May be giving it to my nephew if he like the class I will be taking him to. My house hold has a wide selection o f ukes already.
It’s a popular little uke! It sounds like it’s serving you well. Glad you are enjoying the book too! Thanks for your comment, Deanna!
I bought a Makala MK-C as my first foray into ukes. Went for the concert over the soprano because I found it easier to play with my clumsy guitarist fingers! It has a nice sound, and is a pretty solid instrument for the low price (I paid about £30 for it). But I have had difficulty keeping it in tune, and I’ve had it for about 6 months now. I think I need to try to tighten the pegs a little, as they tend to slip when I’m trying to tune it. If I get good enough I might plump for a more expensive, decent instrument one day! But first I must master the dreaded E chord! It’s really limiting what I can play at the moment!
Rachel, I’m a guitarist too, so I’ve found a concert or tenor much easier to play as well. Sounds like you made a good choice for getting started. For the tuning, you might also changing the strings if you haven’t done that already. Sometimes the stock strings that come with the ukulele aren’t that great. I imagine you probably have done this tho. Thanks for your comment! I know a lot of people in search of a ukulele will find it helpful.
Rank beginner here. I knowingly bought a too-cheap ukulele yesterday just to find out if learning might be fun. Five-O brand, laminate, made in China. I put Aquila strings on it straight away, and apart from a buzz on one fret I’m perfectly happy with it – for now. (A very gentle sandpapering of the next fret helped to reduce the double contact!)
Sweet!
I just bought a Luna brand, concert size, acoustic-electric ukulele and I love it. Not only is it beautiful (has traditional Hawaiian tattoo designs carved in the face and around the sound hole), but it has excellent tone and what seem to be high quality strings. For about $100, it’s definitely worth it. I not only got this beautiful instrument, but a gig bag, which is great. The last thing I want is a dusty, or broken, ukulele.
I also downloaded your lesson book, and I’m really enjoying the learning process and I can’t wait to start singing and playing. I’m a Music Ed major in college with a focus in opera performance, so any instrument I can play well is a godsend. Thanks for this website, I was so happy to find it.
You are very welcome! Thanks for posting your comment and sharing the ukulele recommendation to help others out. Enjoy!
when i moved to hawaii in 2007 i bought a makala. i messed around with it off and on for the next four years,i put some dadarrio j71 strings on it and it made it sounded nice, then my pastor at church started giving us lessons so after a few months i decided i wanted to upgrade and get a better uke so i went for the lacewood leolani and then after playing songs for special music in church i decided to geta pono mpt. i sold the makala to a friend who wanted to go up from an saprano size to a tenor, i play both of the other ukes often but i strung one of them as a low g and one a high g; the more i learn the more i want to keep learning; the uke is a great insturment!
Hi Brett! I’m going to buy an uke, do you think buying it on a web site is safe? I mean, do I risk it breaks in the shipping?
Your site is great, I learned a lot here.
P.S.
Sorry for my English, i’m italian.
I’ve ordered a lot of music gear online and I think as long as you buy from a reputable music website (e.g. Musicians Friend, Sweetwater) you will be okay. Make sure whatever site you buy it from offers a 100% money back guarantee incase there is every a problem during the shipping.
I bought a makala dolphin, it’s fantastic! I’ve already learned “twinke twinkle little star” and now I’m trying to play “kiss the girl”, the chords are simple but it’s fast and I am working on the strumming pattern. Thanks for your free ebook, it helped a lot, now I think I’ll subscribe your course.
Sweet! It sounds like you are on your way to becoming a pro!
I noticed you didnt recommend any concert ukes, any reason why?
Great question. I had no reason at all not to mention them. It was really hard to narrow it down to 5 ukuleles, but there are many great concert ukuleles out there too. For example, the Kala tenor ukulele also comes in a concert version as well which is worth checking out.
I bought Mainland concert sized about a month ago for around $200. It is solid mahogany. I am very pleased with it. I am a beginner but I wanted a decent instrument I could use for a while. My first uke was a Makala dolphin but I couldn’t get the notes to sound right even with the strings tuned properly, so I decided to spend a little more and it made all the difference.
Joan, I almost bought a Mainland concert mahogany ukulele. I’ve heard such great things. I also like that you can customize the ukulele a little bit too when you purchase it.
You should also talk about getting a uke that is set up as I suspect my dolphin’s action was messed up and that interfered with my being able to play it properly
I spent about an hour at the Kiwaya shop in Tokyo yesterday. They make Kiwaya (called Famous in Japan) and Luna brands. The Luna’s here are their better level and all solid, not laminates. The decorated and laminates are made for the export market only. I started playing famous concert models and was almost ready make a buy, when I decided to try a equivalent Luna. The difference between laminates and solid woods is night and day- much warmer, more balanced and less “thack” when you pluck the strings. I decide it was worth the extra $60 and got a Luna LC-1 concert model. The clerk in the store was really helpful and let me try 5 identical ukuleles from stock and pick the one I liked best as there was bit of rattle in the floor demo model. I highly recommend trying two or three of the same instrument before you decide.I’ve been working from your videos all afternoon. Thanks. you are great teacher.- clear, simple and useful.
I live in Japan, so my first uke is a Famous FS-5:
http://global.rakuten.com/en/store/takedagk/item/famous_fs5/
Famous is Japan’s biggest (only?) brand. The guy at the store said it was Hawaiian koa, but I’m pretty sure that stuff’s all imported from SE Asia nowadays. I’m quite happy with it.
Wow, can they get expensive, but I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to resist picking up a second next time I’m in Hawaii.
I’m clumsy, so I can’t recommend enough getting a hard case.
I play ukulele since 2 weeks and I recommend the “Mahi Mahi MT-7G”.
It sounds fantastic for begginers.
Daniel, thanks for the recommendation!
You’re missing out on Carvalho (APC) ukes made in Portugal of solid koa sister wood (acácia wood) ranging from € 60 to € 120. All solid wood, beautiful decorations. They are branded APC but I think also branded Iberica. Look it up on the Youtube. You’ll be amazed. I’m Portuguese, but I have nothing to do with the Carvalo factory. I just own a APC Concerto Simples (a concert sized, with the simple decoration) uke, and I love it.
What do you think of the Ibanez brand. I have a deposit down on one. It looks beautiful, and I have read nothing but good reviews on it. I got to play it a little in the store. Not sure about it until I play for awhile.
I think you will be very happy.
Congratulations on the purchase!
The Kohala HU-212by Lanakai is an excellent beginner uke for anyone it only about60 dollars it is very sturdy and keeps in tune which is all you need
My first uke purchased was a concert size Lanakai S series (solid spruce top and mahogany sides). I’ve loved it – but I’m ready to move up in size and quality.
Is a Ohana Solid Koa a good investment (at $649) or too big of a jump in price????
ps…just discovered your website and love it. Thank you!
I’m not super familiar with the Ohana brand, but whenever you get into buying ukuleles that are made out of solid wood rather than a laminate, you’re gonna quickly jump to that price range. Especially if you’re looking at koa. I imagine it to be a real nice uke! I would try to play one if you can before you buy it. Maybe some other people here have some experience with the Ohana too.
OH….forgot to mention….the Ohana is a Tenor.
I’m just about to buy a Gold Tone Banjolele Deluxe. I just like the extra resonance and the pronounced twang of a banjo ukulele. I like the George Formby sound and I am hoping that with Brett’s help I’ll be able to progress. This really is a great site.
I bought a makala concert ukulele. Its my first and i am happy with it. Feels good sounds good and i hear alot about ukuleles being hard to keep in tune i play mine alot set it down and pick it up and still in tune.
What i really want is a national steel body ukulele. It was always one of my dream guitars but as a ukulele is much more obtainable
I recently purchased a Korala Beginners Soprano ukulele and I love it, I re-strung it with Aquilla Nygut Strings and that has made a huge difference to the sound.. I know this is off topic, but do you have any tips on how to paint this ukulele? Thanks
Imogen, I have actually have never painted a ukulele before! I honestly wouldn’t know where to start. Does anyone else have any tips?
I still don’t know which uke to get. Maybe a Kala Or a Hilo . Soprano sounds good but I kinda Have chubby fingers and my nails are short o_o. I’m so confused of the kinds of ukelele’s
If you went with either brand, you’d be in good shape! I would recommend looking at a concert or tenor ukulele if you have bigger hands. You can learn more about the ukulele sizes here.
Don’t over think it too much. The important thing is to get a ukulele and start playing!
Okay! Thank You So Much!! You’re Awesome! [:
You Really Help alot.:D
A while back I had been wanting a ukulele for ages, but hadn’t really done much research on what to buy nor what the cost might be. And one night I was hanging out with a friend at his house and he had a few ukuleles and I commented on how I wish I had one and so right then and there he gave one to me! It’s a Lanikai LU-11 Tenor ukulele. I love it and I’m still a bit new to it, but I catch on quickly, and this site helps loads! So thanks!
Haha, strike that, I was thinking of my dad’s old ukulele. Mines a soprano, not a tenor. My little fingers wouldn’t be able to handle a tenor hah.
I recently bought a Kala mahogany tenor ukulele (KA_TEM). As a first time uke player I have to say I’m impressed. The quality of the Kala is very good. It comes with Aquila strings which stabilized in about 2 days and has a nice mellow sound. I’ve been noodling with the guitar for about 2 years so learning some uke chords came quickly and am able to strum along with recorded tunes. I’m now working on learning to finger pick individual notes. It is a bit challenging trying to stuff my fingers between those small fret spaces.
Hi
am in process of buying a better ukulele, I’m stuck between a Lanikai LU21CE and an Ashbury AU60 , both concert size. Still a newbie but intend to carry on, long arms so my soprano too short, concert size seems fine. any ideas please
Thanks
Glenn
I just wanted to say that you need to try the Firefly Banjo Uku. If you like the Fluke or the Flea, you’ll love the banjo uku. I was able to get one of these and it is a blast to play. Tuned just like a regular ukulele, but louder and sounds just like a banjo..And you can never have to many ukuleles..Cheers..Keith
Highest beginner recommendation: A Makala MK-S. It’s playable, cheap, and sounds pretty good.(mahogany wood). Replace with good strings helped the sound right away. It’s a great starting ukulele. $39.00 I play it most of all of the ukuleles I own… and (here’s the key!….) I bring it everywhere, as I don’t worry too much about it as it’s cheap. Stays in tune very well. If it’s with me…I’ll play it!
I also had a Lanakai LU-21 and It sounds good, but has two frets that buzz…they appear to be slightly raised. 9th and 10th frets. Disappointed with it. I don’t play it much, I leave it at my office to mess around if I get a minute.
And finally I have a Luna Koa (Tide) concert size uke.
Very very nice sound (best of all of my ukes) , but I worry about it too much to bring out. (it was $199.00)
Question: Is it recommended to practice on one size (soprano, for example) all the time, or is it ok to switch to concert size then soprano, back and forth? depending on the song? Would I still make progress in chords and strumming?
Thanks.
Great reviews! Thanks so much for your comment.
I would try to switch up your practice between different ukuleles. Each ukulele will have its nuances, and it’s good to learn those. I wouldn’t be afraid of switching back and forth!
Hi Im a new Uke fan,got me a “cheap as chips” Makala Dolphin I put Aquila strings on its Brill.
Started playing the ukulele earlier this year and I am now totally hooked!! Just purchased an Anuenue Lani Tenor which is absolutley amazing! Wonderful tone, aquila strings and good to look at too! My wife (who is also nuts on the uke) has an Anuenue Papa Concert which she loves!!!! Find your website really informative, thanks for the advice. (…..if more people played the ukulele the world would be a happier place!)
Regards from your neigbours in England.
Hey Bret, im 15 years old, currently i have a Diamond Head Ukulele. i really dont know anything about them. I was hoping you could help me out with that. And also i was hoping to buy a ukulele around the $100-150 dollar range considering i started merely a week ago. By the way your website helped me SO much! your doing a great job and I appreciate your work!
my first uke, i made out of a cigar box, i finished it today, and found this site to learn how to tune it.
That sounds really cool! You should post some pictures of it on our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/ukuleletricks
I’d love to see this!
I’m using a Kohala HU212, and i think it’s great^_^ It’s my first ukulele, but I will buy a makala dolphin soprano later^_^
I started with my son’s red (cheapie) Maholo which he never played but as he was only 3 I wsn’t allowed to play it either, so I quickly had to go and get my own. I ended up with a pineapple Soprano Mahalo not sure what model but cost me about $120. Plays really nice. I had to tighten up the tuning and put Aquila strings on. Two years later I’m still going and I bought my husband Tenor Mahalo about the same price as he kept wanting to play mine when I wanted to play too. He’s got big hands so the soprano was too small
I see a lot of your comments about tuning – is part of the problem that people not used to stringed instruments don’t realize that the strings take some time to stretch before they will stabilize?
Love you web site
Frances, thanks for your comment, reviews, and kind words!
I think the tuning issue could be a couple things. It could be that folks are putting on new strings and they are stretching like you said, or they are just old, stock strings that aren’t very good to begin with. It could also be a thing where the quality of the ukulele tuners aren’t very good so they just don’t hold tune well.
hi brett,wow I’m kinda feel left out,I didn’t know what kind of uke to,so I ended up buying a concert oscar schmidt ou2 by washburn because I reconized the washburn name.I was having alot of trouable because I couldn’t tuneit.I play guitar but that didn’t help.I didn’t play for 3 moths,but I have a nice who’s begining to play the uke we took it to a store and all it needed was to let the strings stretch.and I almost gave it away and now I found your site and I lived hppy ever after.you’ve tought me so much.I play for hours a day. thank you very much jet
What a wonderful site.
The Kala KA-C was my first ukulele. It was around $80.00 at the time. What a wonderful uke. Very playable and a lovely tone.
Love my little blue Makala Dolphin…even my grandson’s can figure out what I’m playing
. I haven’t tried new strings – but am told they’ll sound even better.
Very nice website. I am a fairly new player, 1.5 years, and have now become a collector. I have purchased 11 so far. (I did give 5 away to friends and family). They range from a Fluke to a Kanile in price, but have had excellent results with KALA products (6 ukes were made by them). I even purchased their entry level MAKALA pineapple for a granddaughter last year. It was cute but sounded horrible, like the strings were fishing line. I changed out the strings to some Martin M600 and the difference was amazing, it completely improved the sound of the ukulele. I have now put these strings on 5 other Soprano and concert models and had similar results. On my tenors I am using AQUILA or WORTH. The ukulele set up make a huge difference. There are some sellers that do a setup on everyone they sell. I can personally recommend Hawaiian Music supply because they do a professional quality setup on every uke they sell, and sell them online. If you can’t go to a store with people who can demonstrate it they are a good option. Thanks again for your site and Merry Christmas to all.
Hey Bob, this is a ton of really helpful information! Thank you so much for posting it for us!
I have been offered a Rally DUB-2F banjo ukulele as a gift.
Would this be suitable for a complete beginner?
I’m not super familiar with the Rally DUB-2F except that I’ve heard pretty good things about it. A banjo ukulele won’t be as versatile as a regular ukulele, but if you like the sound of a banjo uke, you should get it. I’ve been wanting to get a banjo uke for awhile now.
I’ve played guitar for fifteen years and work at Marshall Music in Lansing Michigan. Just picked up my first uke a couple months ago and as much as I despise Washburn or other “cheap” brands..I purchased an Oscar Schmidt by Washburn OU2 tenor ukulele. I will eventually upgrade but for 80 bucks this uke is a great starter. Nice sound, quality hardware and construction. Neck is about as straight as you can get without a truss rod. Highly recommended!
Hey Jeff, I’m a guitar player too and was skeptical of the Oscar Schmidt ukuleles. I found them to be a surprising little instrument for those who are looking to get started with ukulele. Thanks for the review!
im 11 , dont know what to look for at my guitar store i want it to have quality but also not too expensive and also around 80-100 dollars because well im eleven and currently only know how to play a a minor and a7 at that store they have some pretty cool lookin ukuleles but im lost in trying to find one
I’d recommend looking at all the ukuleles you can find in that price range and try them out. See which ones you like the best!
i think all of them are ukadelic makala and some other ones i cant remember the name of but are there any brands that you would recomend
Makala makes some good ukuleles in that price range. You might also see if they have Kala, Lanikai, Luna, or Oscar Schmidt. Any of those brands are pretty good!
so you wouldnt recomend ukadelic soorry for bothering so much
It’s not so much that I wouldn’t recommend it, it’s just that I am not super familiar with that brand.
Hi everybody,
Thanks for the many useful tips in getting an ukulele. Here´s my little contribution: I recently got an Oscar Schmidt tenor by Washburn, and I´m quite happy regarding its sound, action and overall quality. It comes with GHS strings, and I´m not sure whether or not an Aquila set would improve its sound. Regarding prices, here in my place (Argentina, South America) instruments for beginners and/or advanced players are both really expensive (i.e. mine, a typical beginner instrument was a bit more than $200). Anyway, I think I was lucky of getting a friendly instrument. Here you can find a nice sample of its sound: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYVrWYIhsWM. Best wishes for all!
I like the cordoba 15cm. Its only a $99 and has a really warm sound.
I have a Kala Soprano all solid mahogany. Paid $200.00. It is a wonderful ukulele that has a warmtone and is pretty loud but with good dynamics.
My first uke was a Lanikai concert. It had a decent tone but horrible intonation. The neck was attached slightly crooked. I bought and returned an all Koa Lanikai soprano and it was horrible. Either a bad neck or action too low. No dynamics, buzzed, no volume, tiny sound, bad finish. So no more Lanikai for me.
I just ordered a solid mahogany soprano Islander from Hawaii Music Supply. Comparable in price to Kala. I will let you know how it is once it arrives. Hawaii Music supply has a great web site – lessons, lots of video samples etc…
Great site. I appreciate it. Keep it up
No body has a Cordoba? I bought a Cordoba concert for $99 at Guitar Center. The fit and finish are awesome after about a week of play it almost never came out of tune again and it has great sound quality. Has anyone else had a Cordoba? I’m curious what the general opinion is.
I’ve heard from a few people that have a Cordoba ukulele and the consensus is always quite positive.
great job with this- i didn’t bother researching before i got my Makala Dolphin (barely even tried it), turned-out the stock strings are pretty tough to play. didn’t take long for the Wife to let me upgrade to a Makala Tie-Dye laminated, though, so it works out! eventually, i reckon, there’ll be a dozen or so varying grades and makes strewn about the place… that’ll be awesome! thanks again for your work. *j*
Hi, I want to start playing the ukulele and I’m thinking of buying a Makala. Everyone seems to be praising the dolphin one, and I’d buy it but it’s just that I’d prefer a brown one. Would you say that this one ( http://www.ebay.com/itm/Makala-MK-S-Soprano-Uke-Ukulele-Ukelele-Agathis-Wood-Body-Rosewood-Fingerboard-/280806270224?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item41615ba510 ) with an agathis wood body is better than the dolphin? And what’s the difference between the two anyway?
Hey Ellie, while I haven’t been able to do a side-by-side comparison, I want to say they will be very similar. The main differences is that the Dolphin is made out of plastic and the Makala is made out of a wood laminate. Both will sound pretty similar. Some people might make fun of me for it, but for me, there is something inspiring about playing a beautiful instrument, so if you like the look of the Makala, you should go with it! Especially since they are so similar.
HI
I’M AN ABSOLUTE BEGINNER, [LEFTY], AND I’M USING A HILO BARITONE UKE. I’M INTERESTED IN YOUR COURSE BUT I’M WONDERING HOW WELL IT WILL WORK FOR A LEFTY BARITONE.
THANKS
GHG
Hey Gerry, I did teach the course using a tenor ukulele tuned to standard tuning, so this will be a different tuning from your baritone. However, the majority of the course is spent focusing on strumming and rhythm, so these techniques will be able to be applied to your baritone ukulele.
Some people who have baritone ukulele will use a capo on the 5th fret to follow along. By placing a capo on the 5th fret, you are easily transposing your baritone ukulele to the equivalent of standard tuning. This would be a solution if you wanted to purchase the course.
A while back my daughters in another state took a community college uke class that included a uke in the price. I soooo wanted to go. Then I saw Tony Danza play his Flea on a morning show, ” practice for a month and have fun for a lifetime.” I HAD to have one then so I ordered the Hibiscus Red one which came with Aquilla strings. I have joined a group in our town that practices and performs together and couldn’t be having more fun. My little Hibiscus sounds great comparing with the 14 others and stays in tune. I love the felt pick that came with it and the little shaker doodad I got to put on my finger for a rhythm toy. I’ve had better luck finding what i want with my online purchases and would you believe I live near Austin?
Hey Kathleen, that’s so cool. The ukulele group is an excellent idea. You’ll learn so much by playing with other people. I live in Detroit and it’s even hard to find good music stores that carry ukuleles around here too.
Hey Brett-Yeah, I got a Luna, because of the look and the nifty tattoo. However, my very first love is a Kamaka Tenor. It was a present, I love it then and love it now!! Thanks for the site!
That’s a very nice present! Hang onto that uke
Just curious what you think about the following Ukulele.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/folk-traditional-instruments/luna-guitars-high-tide-koa-concert-ukulele/583541000400000
Luna Guitars High-Tide Koa Concert Ukulele
This beautiful Luna ukulele features a deep koa body, producing full, deep sound along with the instrument’s concert body size. The cutaway offers comfort when accessing the upper-register frets, and the nato/mahogany neck and rosewood bridge and fretboard add lasting sustain and clarity to your tone. The open-style tuners keep the instrument in precise tuning and the onboard preamp provides easy amplification that can be dialed in quickly. Dressed in a satin finish and featuring a rosewood binding, you won’t believe your eyes with the ukulele’s natural beauty. Just wait ’til you hear it.
Features
23″ Concert Cutaway
All koa
High-Tide ring in abalone
High-Tide abalone Inlay Fret markers
Onboard preamp
20 frets
Rosewood binding
Rosewood fingerboard
Nato/mahogany neck
Satin finish
Aquila strings
Grover open style tuners
23″L x 8 3/16″W x 2 11/16″D
Luna ukuleles are great! This ukulele will be good if you ever want to plug it in to an amplifier since it has an onboard preamp. You do pay more for the electronics on the ukulele, so if you don’t think you’ll use the electronics, you might want to consider another option.
Hi,
i have recently bought a second hand lazy ukulele, and i am really happy with it. it holds tune really well and it sounds fine, although i am entirely unsure of what possible previous modifications have been made to it. i got it on ebay, for around 50 dolars, including postage from the uk to australia, and a pitch pipe, (but i normally tune it using my brothers unused guitar tuner). my only trouble with it is that the nut is really high and a long way away from the fretboard so when i play on the first and second frets it feels like the strings are cutting into my fingers. on most of my friends ukuleles it isnt that high. is there anything i can do about this or do i just have to get stronger fingers? Thanks!
Hi Sarah, you could try removing the nut and sanding the bottom of it down. This will lower it. However, this project is probably one better suited for a luthier at a local music shop. I know that I don’t trust myself enough to modify my own instruments in that way.
Thank u everybody! esp Zion, 4 helping me decide on a Schmidt OU4 tenor for $109 for my first uke after studying this site & looking everywhere. OU4′s seem hard 2 find @ that price, amazon has none. I sure didn’t see anything else in that range that looks anything like it – abalone, rosewood/mahogany/koa/spruce, & shinier than a new lamborghini. (I know, it’s not the looks that counts, but not having heard many in person I can’t comment on the sound, plus my low G string hasn’t arrived yet.) BUT One thing I hadn’t thought about was matching my (low) vocal range – playing the songs off site charts or youtube, they’re often too high for me. I’ve been told putting bari strings on a tenor won’t work (too short neck?).
So now I’m thinking get a bari too, and back to the hunt for the best ones for the money I have left. I’m thinking Makala, sounds like a lot of people love them, local store sells them for $50-60 w/o bag. Anybody else run into voice range issues & how do you adapt? Don’t always want to be transposing…Did anyone else get a bari for that reason?
(Sorry, I meant to say “even” amazon has none- they’re my seller of last resort – but their dealers do have a lot of models, so no OU4′s was noteworthy, I thought. Even for just after Christmas.)
Yay I bought your number 1 before I saw this, I love it
Great choice!
Hey Brett,
just stumbled upon this sight while looking up my favorite song (somewhere over the rainbow)….my grandmother died recently and i always promised he i’d learn to play something and my little sister has been messing with an uke so i though..what the heck….went online and bought a Lanikai for $40 on ebay! just waiting for it now…..thanks a ton for posting all this great stuff….
Hey Daniel, you’re very welcome. Welcome to Ukulele Tricks. Learning the ukulele sounds like an awesome way to honor the memory of your grandmother!
Hello,
How about a Flea ukulele for a total beginner?
Thanks for your great job helping people.
gilbert
Love Flea ukuleles. My friend has one and it’s a dream to play!
hey , i bought a MK-S Soprano
is it good?
That’s a great ukulele for beginners!
I bought it for US$84.00 ..was it too expensive ?:0
I wouldn’t worry about the price too much! Enjoy your ukulele and play the heck out of it!
I just bought a new Fender tenor and find it to sound amazing, loses tune quite quickly however as its relatively new it probably needs “breaking in” any suggestions? much different from the sop, love the idea about the low G tuning
Hey Mark, I imagine the strings need a little bit of time to settle. If it doesn’t get much better, the stock strings might not be the best, so you could try some Aquila strings or another string manufacturer.
I bought a Kala signature limited Edition KA-ASAC-T-SP/MM
Had to return my Kala to the dealer due to Manufacturing defects within the slotted Headstock
The Grover tuner shaft fits into the inside drilled hole in the headstock, which acts as a support bearing for the tuning shaft. This hole was far to big allowing the shaft to pull downwards towards the bridge when putting tension on the string . This creates leverage and causes the tuner mounting plate to pull away about 1/16″. In doing so It pulls the mounting screws out of the wood and stripping the wood away so the screws cannot be retightened.
If you have one ,You can check yours by unwinding the string, and using a finger from underneath, pushing the shaft towards the bridge.If the bearing hole is too big,This will allow downward movement,causing the mtg plate to pull away from the head stock. When tuning, the leverage pressure will strip the wood from the mounting screws so you may not be able to tighten them.
A expensive Ukuleles should not have passed a good quality check,of a manufacturing defect like this.
I really loved my Kala , and felt very sad that I had to return it.
Hopefully mine is a isolated case, and this does not affect others, of the production run.
I have since bought a Pono, MPTC Pro-Classic Tenor Cutaway in Spruce and Maple and do love it .
By the way , I am 77 and love music
Hey John, thanks for your comment. That is very unfortunate and frustrating about your ukulele. I hate when that stuff happens. I imagine you got a lemon because I haven’t heard too many stories about Kala ukes having this sort of trouble. Bummer!
Brett:
After reading your blog last night ,I bought a A”Addario Classical Wound Guitar string .029 thou,
D fourth string Normal tension, silver plated Wound
and replaced my Worth brown G that was .0244 Thou.
So Far It sound great, gives me a different tone, and like that G string for picking.
Thanks for mentioning that on your blog
John
Thanks for the great review, John!
I just wanted to say that at Guitar Center they have a lot of nice Ukulele’s but the one I got is the Mitchell MU-70 and I love it! It was $100 dollars and worth every penny! Its really pretty too, and they have other ones with lots of different types of wood and they’re all really nice. By the way mine is a Concert Ukulele
Thanks for this website, Brett! I (very averagely) play guitar, but my wife always bugged me about learning to play “Tonight, You Belong to Me” (that awesome scene with Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters in “The Jerk”), so about a month ago I up and bought a soprano ukulele and have been LOVING every minute of it. Just so happened that the one I bought is the Lanikai LU-21 you recommended above. GREAT sound and look… worth the $69. Now to figure out how to change the strings… lol
Brett, first of all, this site is AMAZING. My friend linked me to this site after I asked her the chords for “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, and boy, aren’t I glad she did. I managed to learn so much in a period of about 20 minutes. So thank you for your dedication!
My friend bought me a Mahalo from Amazon as a birthday present. The strings aren’t that great quality, but I’m hooked onto the instrument. What do you think about the Mahalo? I’m a beginner, first of all, but I’m considering to upgrade perhaps in a year or so. What do you think?
The Mahalo ukuleles are great entry-level ukuleles. I’ve heard from a lot of people who are satisfied with those ukuleles starting out. As you improve and get more into the world of playing ukulele, you’ll probably want to end up shelling out a bit more money for a nicer ukulele.
I just learned about this ukulele from Raggyrag on Youtube, and he knows his music, and I had to see if it was as good as he said so I bought one, it is the Kamoa Pineapple Soprano, and this is a very nice ukulele with the innotation right on. I like this better than the Lanikai Soprano, which for the price is nice. It is not a 3 to 5 hundred dollar ukulele but you would never know it from the sound and quality.
I have this site setup as one of my home pages..Thanks Brett.
Here is what the Kamoa Pineapple sounds like.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1kXhGJMYgg
I started off with an electric solid body Amina concert a few months ago. It was an odd looking thing, with a very nice flame maple natural finish. It has a built in tuner, and because it’s electric, I can play it unpluged without making much noise. My wife wanted to start, and bought a lovely Kala acoustic concert travel uke. It’s thinner than normal. About an inch, but the violin back gives it a deep resonant tone. As a gift, we picked up a Diamond Head soprano for my nephew, and strung it with some Aquila nylagut strings, which sound nice. It looks just like the Makalas up on the top row. He won’t get it a couple more weeks, so I’m keeping it tuned for him… It’s fun to play around with. Last night, the latest arrived – a Risa tennor uke stick. By far the oddest of the collection, it’s a headless electric stick. Very light for an electric, and built for travel.
I just took my first uke workshop a week ago (3 hrs.) with Toronto Ukes and bought a Makala MK-S to see if I like the instrument in general. Great for my budget (around $50) . Nice sound and keeps tune very well.
I have a Harley Benton HBUK12 and it suits fine and it cost me like $26
Hi Brett,
i’ve recently bought a 23″ concert ukulele, when i play a song, it sounds a bit different from my 21″ soprano.
how can i fix it?
Hey Bonnie, a concert ukulele is going to sound different to a soprano even if it’s tuned the same. No ukulele sounds completely the same. This is okay and good!
Hi Brett,
I am brand new to Ukulele and I’m having a great time with it. I have some feeble guitar skills and experience with cheap gear, so when I went to buy a Ukulele I wanted one that would not have me wanting a better one only a short time later. I played many and liked a few that are very popular with many people here, with good reason, but in the end I really enjoyed the sound quality, build quality and appearance of the Cordoba ukes even though they seemed a bit more expensive then typical. I am ultimately very happy with the Cordoba 20TM-CE I purchased. It stays in tune great even after hours of playing. It came with Aquila strings and a very nice gig bag too. I had an amp already so I thought a pick up might be nice, glad I did cause it sounds great electric. I love my Ukulele and play at least a couple hours a day or more. Highly recommended.
That’s great to hear, Derek! Thanks for the recommendation.
I just bought an Oscar Schmidt concert Uke for $60.
Havent recieved it yet, but what do you think of them?
I’ve played one, and they are great for beginners!
I have just recently purchased a KOHALA UHU212S UKULELE mad by Lanikai. I thinks so far its pretty awesome. Your thoughts?
Lu-21 is fine as long as you don’t test drive a Martin. Well I did and now the Lu-21 sits in the closet.
Haha, this is very good advice!
I wanted to learn to play the ukelele after my daughter’s friend who had two music teacher cousins in town visiting Played every day. As my daughter explains… “They sat on the front porch every afternoon Playing the ukelele and singing… It was so much fun!” The cousins taught my daughter and her friend a few chords and the girls preceded to muddle thru Bridge over Troubled Waters, all along strumming laughing and having a great time!
They posted their “song” on you tube where I saw it on a face Book! Now these 2 teenagers are always into something and sometimes things I wish they weren’t into, but this day it was the simple pleasure of music and laughter! I’ll never forget this next part… When my daughter came home from her Friends house I remember her not even stopping to say hi but she ran upstairs and brought me the uke that her grandparents brought her from Hawaii 2 years ago and asked me if I would tune it for her! Now I have played the piano for 35 years and guitar on and off and I also helped my daughter and her friends on occasion with music theory and other related music questions when they were in the concert band in high school, so Lauren felt confident in my ability to tune her “toy” Ukelele. I say toy because it still had the price tag on the box and it said $12.99. Now I knew nothing about ukes when she asked me to tune it but, knew enough to ask her what “note” was each string supposed to be tuned to and she knew it from the music teacher cousins. And of course I was only able to get the 4th string “close” but the remaining strings were well lets just say between the low quality tuning keys and cheap plastic strings it was hopeless! She laughed but, I could see she was visibly disappointed! She is a Freshman at University of Miami and left to go back to school after spring break the next day and that is when I decided to research ukes, buy one and learn to play so I could sit on my front porch and share the gift of music with my daughter! After reading A LOT of reviews I decided to purchase the Kala K-A8. It was $69.99 and came with a soft bag for my uke, electronic tuner which I love!, and a polishing cloth.
It also came with a flyer to get started playing chords and fingering etc.
It tunes very nice and holds the tune for at lest 2 days now that it is a lil over a month old. I practice with Brett pulling up his videos on my Phone and play along with him and the sound is exact! I have learned somewhere over the Rainbow with Brett’s online instruction and plan on surprising my daughter with it next week when I drive down to Miami to pick her up because her freshman year is over! I plan on buying her a Kala uke just like mine so we can play and enjoy the music together! Thank you Brett for the awesome teaching videos and super online courses! D. Olinger
Hey Dee, that is an amazing story!! I love reading these stories, because it shows how contagious ukulele is! It’s absolutely amazing to me. Ukulele is a great thing to share with family. I have a lot of great memories with family playing the ukulele. I’m sure you’re daughter is going to get a kick out of all the progress you’ve made.
Enjoy.
I have a Kala KA CEM..exotic mahogany uke….love it…finish looks silk but feels matt.. so easy to hold..no slipping …and usual tuning…sonds deeper then soprano…but with more space for fingers…
how do you feel about the makai MC-70. I got it at my local music store half off. I personally love it and all my friends who have ukulele’s continue to tell me how much they like my ukulele more than their own ukulele. I think it sounds great and looks beautiful. I got it for only 50 bucks and it’s a solid top soprano concert ukulele. I just want to know what you think of the brand and this specific ukulele. Thanks
What about the Oscar Schmidt by Washburn?
Aloha O.S. Washburn?
I’ve not played that particular one, but I’ve played other Oscar Schmidt ukuleles and I think they are great.
G’day Brett,
Thanks for the site mate, you have some really useful stuff here, keep going! I started a couple of moths back now, and purchased my first Uke, a Tanglewood Union series concert, for about $150 in australia. I find the concert size a bit friendlier to learn on, but love the soprano’s as well. Since then i have also bought a Tanglewood Lane Cove series Soprano (250), an epiphone les paul electric uke (250), and my son and his friend a couple of Mahalo soprano’s, which at about $30 are excellent for kids to have fun on, without wrecking a more expensive uke. None of my ukes i would class as “expensive” but there is a definite sound difference between my Tanglewood Soprano, and my boy’s Mahalo Soprano. On their own my untrained ear likes them both, but side by side the difference is enormous.
Next month i am looking at upgrading my concert to a Maton Concert for about $650. A fair bit more money, but Maton guitars are the best Acoustic guitar’s in the world.
I definitely have a Ukulele problem now, but it is truly a joyful one!
Happy strumming mate.
Heey
.
My first uke was a korala uks 36 I bought it yesterday for 35 euros.
you’re lessons really help I’m a guitar player and pianist as well
So I’m picking it up pretty fast but it is still strange that the bass note is the third string
thanks for the help.
Hey Nick, I play guitar and piano too, and it is a little weird at first to get used to the top string. You’ll get the hang of it.
What do you think of the Sunlight Soprano US-200? Any nuances you know about?
Hey guys, just wanted to say great post and hello from Ireland, I just wanted to give a honourable mention to the Mahalo U30 soprano, i got one of these for 25 euro, just a little over 20 dollars for those in the US and I must say was and still is the best €25 I ever spen. The U30 generally get a bad rap on th net with some saying the they have a buzz and the only 1 in 5 is work playing, well I’m just gona say at bull. The U30 is a fine uke, I did spash out and switch the factory friction pegs for a set of geared one to make tuning easier and one the strings set in I only have to turn it one or twice a week depending on how heavily I’ve been playing.
Thoughts? Opinions ?, Any other U30 lovers out there
IM thinking about buying a mahalo or a Hilo . The mahalo is really cheap and they both have plastic strings .should I buy one of those and what kind if strings should I buy to replace the plastic ones ?
I’ve been using Aquila strings and they’ve been good. I’ll probably try something different after I’m done with this set.
luna tattoo concert. just got mine out of the box and it was still in tune WTF? HOW? great sound good strings out the get go. great wood gig bag preamp and under a buck fifty. what is NOT to like.
Better sound from concert than soprano IMHO.. but i play guitar as well so that may factor.
Mellow tone. but bright. smooth action and never a buzzzzzz.
LUNA is the shizzle.
I’ve heard from a lot of folks who like the Luna Tattoo! Thanks for the review Gabriel!
Being a complete novice I took a players advice and bought a Makala Dolphin. I asked the shop to do a setup and also fit Aquila strings but they had sold out of Aquila’s and so said they would do the setup when they had the strings in stock. This gave me a chance to play the Dolphin before and after setup and the string change – the difference was huge. For the setup they have done a bit of work on the frets, the nut and have lowered the saddle about 1mm.
I would urge anyone buying their first ukulele to have a setup done by a professional. It really makes a big difference.
I am very pleased with my Dolphin and would happily recommend it to anyone as a first ukulele – it is a very playable instrument for a price that is hard to believe. Mine cost £33 including Aquila strings and the setup (they did not charge me for the setup).
Hey Jon, great suggestion to get a setup done at a music store! This is one of the big benefits to shopping locally versus online!
What store did you go that did the set up for your ukulele? So far only place I have seen that done is at the ukulele site in hawaii
Hey Brett,
I play guitar and decided to get a uke as it is easy to carry if I travel. After trying a few ukes, I bought a KOYAMA Lava Series with a pickup. It looks and sounds great, has a solid spruce top, mahogony back n sides, rosewood bridge n fretboard, Aquila strings and what appear to be good quality tuners. I used to think ukes were cute little toys, but I am really happy that I now see good ukes as serious musical instruments! Reading through your site, I haven’t come across KOYAMAs and was wondering if you have any views on these? ?Thanks for running a great site on ukes!
Hey John, I’ve not played one yet. I’ll be on the lookout. Thanks for posting a little review. There are so many little ukulele manufacturers popping up all over the place. It’s wonderful, but it’s hard to stay on top of it all. It sounds like a good uke!
my first ukulele was a cordova i actually got it in best buy for 80$ and it came with a case and a tuner its really good and this 4th of July if you buy it you get a 10$ gift card so i found it to be a good deal i also got a mahalo at amazon for 35$ it was good but i like the cordova a lot better
I just recently picked up the ukulele and have grown very fond of it. While visiting Hawaii I got a ukulele for cheap you know nothing to special. Well I put some better strings on it and tuned it with a tuner, and it sounds amazing. I have also since picked up another ukulele at a garage sale for 50 cents strings where busted but I figure I will just put new strings on it and if it sounds good great if not oh well. One of my favorite songs of all time is over the rainbow and I was so excited when I found this site. It really is great.
I’ve got a soprano given to me for my birthday, it’s made of wood, didn’t like it though I thought the thing too flimsy. So I ordered a Kamoa Victor King Signature Series Concert to play, it’s shipping at the moment, the reviews and videos I saw were good so I bought it… Anyone agrees with me??
I got a Luna guitar, what do you think of those?
Luna Ukulele*
I’ve heard from a lot of students of mine who have them and really enjoy the Luna ukuleles!
Hi, Brett…
I did not have time to read through all of those comments…WOW!…so I am not sure if someone already touched on this…I just wanted to say that a local instrument maker told me that the best advice he could give me was that the lighter Ukes tend to sound better. Not sure if this is really the case across the board, but I purchased one for $79 recently and it sounded better than the shiny $225 one I played in the same store. Has your experience been the same in that regard?
(Great website and lots of fun, btw!)
Namaste,
Mandy
Hey Brett i bought a tenor Makala Mk-T Uku and i have small fingers. Do you think that this was a good choice for me??? Whenever i tried to reach to Em it is always hard for me. Plz respond back. Thank you!
I play a Lanakai Concert electric. The tuning keys are professional quality and the Aquila strings hold their tune on stage. This is a good thing! Only $99 w/gig bag on sale on the Web. Perfect traditional size Uke that will last forever, and most Uke players accumulate 5+ instruments and hate parting with any as they become family! This site is a dream!
I’m loving my Kamoa Pineapple… so much fun. It’s my new baby, goes everywhere with me!
For a beginner, would it be best to start out cheap, or should I go ahead and get a more expensive electric uke if I know I’m gonna play it in a band?
Thanks for the helpful info!
If you know you’re going to be playing with a band, you’ll definitely want to go ahead and get a ukulele with electronics in it. In my experience, it’s a real pain to mic up a ukulele in a band setting.
Just got back from Honolulu/Waikiki and decided to get a Ukulele as a souvenir. I was going to get a “toy” from the local ABC gift shop for about $12, but decided to check out the local Pua Pua Ukulele shop in Waikiki. They played several for me and I decided to go with their recommended Ami Ami Long Neck Soprano (Model ASLN). It’s the size of a soprano and the longer neck offering more space between frets and notes. I’m loving it. I took some guitar lessons and I must say I feel I’m learning
(and getting) the ukulele much faster. I got the ukulele, a hard case, and a chromatic tuner for about $138 after taxes, which I am very happy with. Ami Ami (or Amina) is designed exclusively by Pua Pua Ukulele, though they sell many other high quality Ukes. I figured it would be more of a souvenir to get their brand. I was also tempted by Costco, which sells a Kohala brand Ukelele for $99 which comes with a soft case and a chromatic tuner. But I love my ukulele!
FYI: Pua Pua Ukulele’s website is http://www.hawaiianukuleleonline.com
Hey I just got my uke today, it’s a kamoa (e series) soprano, ever tried it out?
Hello
great site, this is very helpfull for the uke beginner I am !
I just bought a Lehua Soprano. this brand does not look so famous. Do you know it?
thanks
Best regards
I like my Stagg US20 and US40. I`ll get them from ebay. My kids and i try to learn the tabs by ourselves and have really fun. But the strings can be better. Which are do you prefer?
I have just started teaching kids in my school ukulele, there’s a pilot running throughout the region. We have been issued with Mahalo ukes and despite the initial constant retuning of 20 ukes my kids love it! For me it makes no difference how much they cost they ALL get treated like a priceless vase – if they learn to respect and appreciate a cheap one then if they continue learning they will certainly appreciate a more expensive one. I must admit the Mahalo’s are perfect for kids, I bought my 8 and 3 year old one too. I just love the sound and its great that kids get success very quickly with them. I have 2 classes of 10/11 year old kids hooked! Such a fab wee instrument!
Anyone know a good crossover uke? I play guitar and want to learn uke. I’m looking at about 100-150 dollars.
Hi,
Whats your opinion on the Mahalo ukulele (soprano)?
Thanks
Great article! I really like the Mahalo uke, it sounds good and comes in different colors which make is fun. Thanks for the info!
Hi Brett,
I picked up a concert sized Mitchell at Guitar Center recently, and have been favorably impressed with the low action and rich tone. Spruce/rosewood build, and abalone inlay – very pretty. It’s right at $100 and comes with decent sounding strings that hold their pitch (sorry I don’t know the brand).
I can’t decide if I like the stock tuners, but so far they’re doing the job. They seem a little loose, though.
My only gripe is that I’m not getting any play time: my 5 year old keeps taking it away so she can practice!
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Mitchell-MU70-12-Fret-Concert-Ukulele-103815981-i1171408.gc
Hi,I am a 60 yr. old Grammy. When I was a kid I had a hand me down uke….loved it.
Now I’d like to buy one to tinker with….my kids want to buy one for my upcoming birthday. They have $125 to spend….I could kick in some $$$. What uke do you recommend?
I have to be honest, I splurged £65 for my ukulele, it is a spruce laminate top concert ‘ukulele by Kauai. I would easily recommend it to anyone, maintains its tune for way more than three hours of straight playing and jamming with others and it sounds simply fantastic too. To the trained ear, it may sound similar to a mandolin at first, but it is simply magnificent as an instrument.
After starting with a “Lazy” brand soprano, I moved up to a Kauai Mahogany laminate Tenor ukulele (KUT-55) which I picked up in the sales for the bargain price of £35. I’ve got to admit I’ve been very impressed with it – and like yours it really does hold it’s tuning for hours. It has a much fuller, almost guitar-like sound (which I rather like) and just feels really nice to play.
I’m currently looking for my first uke and this website is awesome! What a wealth of information. I’ve been researching brands. Is anyone familiar with Lucky Penny? Description seemed very much like some of the others mentioned here.
I own a Makai PK-55, it’s one of those budget soprano ukes, and I love it! I’d recommend it for beginners
I prefer Lanikai(soprano) that u recommend above.
I have been playing now for about a month. I went with the coolness factor and got a tenor Fender, and I love it. Very sweet uku. Also, love the site, it has been a BIG help on my new journey!
Hi, I have only been playing for about 6 months and I am addicted. I started out on a Mitchell MU 70 concert great little uke very happy and bright. For mothers day my kids got me a Oscar Schmidt OU6LCE tenor, very low action and fun to plug into an amp. My husband surprised me with an Islander MT 4 by Kanile’a he has been really great about my new obsession. My newest uke is a Pono MHT solid mahogany set with a low G and I love it. Your site and courses have been wonderful, thanks so much I know I wouldn’t play as well as I do without this site is a wonderful resource.
I am a professional musician and got into ukulele when I had to play for the show “Chicago”. I had to pick up banjo, mandolin, and uke very quickly (I already played guitar and Bass for many years). I ended up buying a Luna Tattoo and it has been a great instrument. Good sound, intonation, etc. I recently changed over to the low G and really like it.
I am also a school music teacher for elementary kids and I decided to add ukulele to the classroom. With a limited budget I decided to go with the Diamond Head uke and for the money (@ $30 on Amazon) they have been great. They hold tune very well and out of the 12 I bought only one or two had a “thin” tone and I suspect better strings might help that out. Several students have ordered their own and I beleive it to be a decent beginner uke for kids. They are holding up well in the classroom and I am teaching 1st grade through 5th.
If you are looking for an inexpensive introduction to the uke this might be a decent choice. I have some students who bought other brands (Mahalo, etc.) and I have not found the sound to be necessarily better – at least not enough to justify the added expense if money is an issue.
I have always advised students to buy the best instrument they can afford at the time. If that is a cheapie, then learn on it and you will have a better idea of what to look for when you upgrade. Keep the cheapie around to take on campouts or to the beach.
My fingers are raw. I played guitar as a kid and into early adult life. I only really learned a few folk toons so I did not get very far with it. My father was a world class trumpet player and old school. I beat scales into me on guitar and Piano at the same time. He wouldn’t let me learn songs. Wax ON Wax OFF!
Really it made me lose interest.
I better approach I think is to learn scales, learn theory but learn some tunes at the same time.
I am learning Dream a Little Dream on my third day and I’m finding it hard to hold down F7.
I have a lanikai concert ukulele. Intonation seems a tiny bit off, but I dont care at this point. I am wondering if there is a better string I could use that would help me brake my fingers in slower.
My index finger had a run in with a table saw years back and grooved the bone out a little so it is even worse then the rest. F7 right next to the nut is really hard to deal with.
Any thoughts?
I mean F minor not F7
If you live in the UK I recommend Dawsons music cheap own brand Redwood ukelele , I have the concert with the zebra wood body , it was 65 quid, plays lovely , just needed a quick nut set up As it was a bit too high .
Hi brett,
I just bought today a Kala k-s ukulele is this ukulele has a good quality sound?
And is thiS a good ukulele? I need your opinion about my new ukulele because this is my first time to play this instrument.
Thankyou.
I started to play with a Johnson baritone since I have tremor which prevents me from playing my classical guitar these days. To this day it continues to remain in tune and sounds adequate for a first baritone experience. Since then have added an Oscar Schmldt OU-53 and a Luna “Big Wave”concert to the arsenal. I must admit that I really enjoy playing them for church. MY. oU-53 has a stick on pick-up that in conjunction with my first generation Mort Pandora unit suits all my needs. Not all Johnson hies are flawed you just have to play them to find a good one. I purchased mine from Musicians Friend about 10 years ago.
how about the lanakai lu-21 pineapple
I am a (quite) amateur acoustic guitar player, and am looking to purchase a good-very good quality uke. Which model will perform well, keep its tune, and last a good while?
hey! i want to buy my first uke, and i don’t wanna spend more than 50$.. I can not decide between the dolphin makala and the pineapple makala.. any recommendations?
Hi Brett fantastic website, i am 70years young and have never played a musical instrument much to my regret other than a brief encounter with guitar which i love but that was in my youth and could’nt master, do you think i am wasting my time and kidding myself on that i could possibly get a tune out of a ukulele, on the other hand i even like the look of them so it would always be a nice ornament then maybe some of my grandchildren would be tempted to take it up, i am thinking of buying a kala concert or tenor and i would definitely need a tuner, no fool like an old fool eh, any thoughts on what my choice is
If you have large hands, you should definitely get a tenor. C: Unless you have nimble, small fingers! I couldn’t imagine my father playing on something as small as a concert size! I just bought a kala ka-c (concert) for my boyfriend and it is a wonderful starter uke, i’d definitely recommend that or the tenor size if youre not concerned about losing that “soprano ukulele” sound and don’t want to be discouraged because of a small fretboard.
Hope you don’t mind, i thought i’d put my two cents in.
hey! I just ordered a ukulele but I kind of regret it now and want to exchange it for a different brand. I’m on a tight budget because I’m a college student, so I initially ordered the Rogue Soprano uke. However, I read reviews that said it was horrible. Do you know anything about it?
Also, since I am planning on returning that one, I am looking at the Mahalo Soprano uke. What do you think of this ukulele?
Hey guys!
I’ve been playing Ukelele for a year now, and I’m also a guitarrist and pianist, dont have much trouble with learning to play new instruments.
I’m looking for a middle/high quality Tenor Ukelele to record in my home studio and to play live (that’s why I’m looking for Cutaway-Electric Ukeleles )
What product would you recomend to me for this use? My estimation is between 250 and 400 USD.
I’m trying to decide between 3 ukes:
- Lanikai CK-TEK Tenor Koa Ukulele Fishman Preamp, or zebrawood/monkeypod models (maybe its too expensive) $389
- Lanikai LQA-TCA Quilt Ash Tenor Cutaway Electric $349 with case, cables, tuner, stand, etc
- Oscar Schmidt OU8TLCE Ukulele Tenor Spalted Maple $329 with hard case
I think im buying the Oscar Schmidt one, I have seen some Kalas around that price, or higher, but Oscar Shcmidt models are insane.
What would you recommend? I seek a very good sound, and a great wood model.
Thanks you!
I live in Mexico, so finding a ukulele locally was difficult. After a trip into the Guadalajara music district I found and purchased a Fender Hau’oli Tenor Ukulele, which included the gig bag, a Musical La Flauta Magica. Paid $1980 Mxn pesos .. which translates to about $155 US. Absolutely love it. Has a great tone. I’ve seen them for much more online so I think we got a great deal.
I didn’t feel like sorting through all the comments, but just in case no one touched on this, don’t forget that even though some starting ukes don’t have perfect intonation, a lot of the time this is just a sign that the nut slots or the saddle height are too high. When the strings are depressed, it ends up bending them slightly too far and thus creates a slightly higher pitch than desired, especially further up the neck. This can be remedied by filing down the nut slots and removing the saddle then filing down the bottom of it and replacing it back in the bridge. The action also drastically improves ease of play. On one starter ukulele i bought (a Luna tattoo concert uke), the nut slots were so high that i had immense trouble barring the first fret and a little trouble playing single strings on the first fret. Now, i’d probably recommend taking your ukulele to get a professional setup done, especially on starter level ukes to address intonation problems and the action, but for the avid DIYer, you could always just find something (i used a metal nail file) and file the slots a bit. It worked perfectly. C: Next i may address the action and file down the frets a bit since i think they’re a bit high (it seems a lot of companies manufacture their stringed instruments with high action to avoid fret buzz and hide uneven frets/necks, even though it makes it impossible to play, especially for beginners with weak hands… which is ironic because its usually prevalent in beginner level instruments) but other than that, for the price i got this ukulele at ($79), it really can’t be beat. came with a free gig bag which i plan to pad myself, and i can easily fix what TINY tiny bit of intonation problems it has. It plays beautifully, especially for the wood used, very sweet mellow sound that resonates rather long. Not to mention the beautiful design on it!
However, if you can afford to pay a little more ($105 for it with no gig bag included so get yourself a nice hard case) then I can’t stress how much better the Kala ka-c that i picked up for my boyfriend sounds, with NO extra work needing to be done. It has some “nubone” technology or rather where they precision engineer the nut and saddle and its brilliant. The wood is much more solid and it resonates a bit longer. It doesnt quite sound as mellow as my luna, but its definitely louder and easier to play, and sounds absolutely delightful!
DO NOT buy the kala ka-cem (exotic mahogany), the body shape is much smaller and i can honestly say i find the wood to produce an ugly, tinny, obnoxious tone and it doesnt project well at all. This may just be me, but i’m not at all a fan.
The moral of the story is, though, that you can buy a starter ukulele and improve it. It’ll sound and play like you spent WAY more on it! Don’t let crappy chinese manufacturing hold you back.
Hi there, I got this cheap little Soprano Diamond Head (model DU-109) to start myself off in learning how to play the ukulele via internet how-to’s. I’m wondering if I should replace what appears to be plastic or maybe plain nylon strings. I’ve only found one review on my (purchased for around $10-20 at the store) uke. Should I replace the current strings with Aquila strings or get another ukulele that might be of a better quality? Thank you.
My first (and only) ukulele is a Kohala Kine-O soprano ukulele. It has a nice sound but it does produce a slight buzzing noise due to some manufacturing errors in the frets. But, oh well, it was $40. I am planning on upgrading in a couple of months anyways.
Keep in mind that one aspect of cheaper ukuleles is possible difficulty of staying in tune, or intonation. It could be due to imprecisely placed frets, tuners not staying put, but either way, or the action being too high, it can make playing frustrating. Getting a professional setup is very important, but even more important with less expensive ukuleles because of poorer quality control.
I’m all about the Mahalo U30 ukes. we’ve got three of them in my house so far and a friend of mine has 5 or 6… most of them (these days) come off the production line sounding really good. the nuts generally don’t *need* any adjustment, my little girl’s is nearly perfect all the way up the neck (we’ve checked it with a snark), and sounds as good or better than much more expensive ukes we’ve put it next to. I wouldn’t bother buying anything else for a beginner. In the UK we pay from about 15 GBP for these…thats 23 USD.
Any reviews/comment on aNueNue Ukuleles? There’s an uke shop (Here in Philippines) that highly recommends the aNueNue ukuleles. Need some reviews please help. Thanks!:)
What about the Luna ukulele? What is the nicest sounding wood that ukuleles are made out of? When a ukulele is electric does that mean I can only play it when it is connected to the amplifier? Or can it be used with and without being connected to the amp? Thanks
What are your thoughts on a Luna Concert Mahogany Ukulele? This will be my first purchase for a Ukulele, and it is in my price range. Yes, i am a beginner, but i want to get a quality Uke at a reasonable price!
I’ve just started looking into buying a ukulele, mainly because I saw one with a v shaped body. but there are some great tips on here which I will be considering so thank you.
I’m a mediocre ukulele player who’s looking for a new ukulele. I don’t want to spend a lot of money on one but would still like to get a good quality. Also I would like for it to last, do you have any ideas and if so where should I buy it (Internet or shop). Maholo
This article has been so helpful. Is the Makala Dolphin only sold online? Also, what’s your opinion on Diamond Head ukes?