What type ukulele should i get

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.

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. Thanks Brett for all your help. I like the size and shape came down from a concert size uke and I like the playability….

There is a buzz or vibration that puzzles me. I replaced the factory strings with Worth brown strings. Still like the uke but would like to solve my problem. Sounds like the neck is warped. Sight down the neck looking for how straight the neck is and how even the frets.

Love them. I have a friend who keeps one handy in his studio. They record wonderfully. Excellent tone. I love Flukes. So I shopped around and looked at many, many ukuleles. I discovered the Fluke, played one and loved the tone and how well it was made. The shape, like the Concert, is great as it will stand up on its own with its straight bottom edge. 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.

We highly recommend them! We have 2. Any help appriciated. I only say this because at that age she wont be bale to process the shapes of the fingerings and the strum patterns, but it will get her used to the size and allow her to become familiarized with the ukulele.

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. Dear Jeannie, What an exciting music program. It must be wonderful to share your enthusiasm with school-aged students in your community! Such work is Very inspiring to say the least. I hope I can find and volunteer for something similar in my neighborhood. 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?

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? Do you recommend buying online or picking the uke out in person? I upgraded to this version as it has a built in pickup for versitality …. Good luck. Brett- I am a 13 year old with no ukulele experience whatsoever. I only saw a girl at a camp play one once. But recently I have been doing some research and trying to figure out what to buy if I were to earn the money.

Could you help me? It would be greatly appreciated! Hi Faith, it sounds like the Makala Dolphin ukulele would be perfect for you. I would recommend saving up the extra money just because you want it to sound and play decently. The other option would be to visit your local music store and see if they have any ukuleles in stock that are in your price range.

Try them out or ask someone in the store to play and recommend you one. So, the difference between the tenor, soprano, and concert ukulele is the size? My husband is 6 foot, and want to buy one as a surprise xmas gift…. His chording will be different than the soprano, concert and tenor, but would fit his size. Keep in mind, also, that not all of the four different sized ukuleles are exactly the same length or width.

Aquila came out with GCEA strings for the baritone ukulele. FYI they sound good but they have have the space for the bigger fingers. Your 1 recommendation Makala Dolphin should include the Makala Shark. They are virtually the same. Only differences are the bridge is a shark, fewer colors and colors are less flambouyant.

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. Thanks for the comment! I imagine new hardware for the keys would really help. Did you have the LU equivalent in a baritone size or were you putting baritone strings on the soprano LU?

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 held the tune today. Oh and the book that comes with the LU has a couple misprints in the songs, the wrong Chord etc.

Is that because you tried different strings on it? It really depends on the strings. 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 also told to push on them to stretch them, and play, of course. Did you restring yours? I just bought a Lanikai LU It has nice tone I am a true beginner but am playing around with chords and melody. I played a little violin and piano. That could also be new strings. For the price it is a nice uke.

Really well made and has great enclosed tuners. Violins should have these tuners. This is the perfect concert sized ukulele.

Donna dumdee. One note… I highly recommend a case. Once the strings stretched mine hardly needed tuning. This is a very nice ukulele for the price. It has been giving me fits on certain chords.

Apparently that needs to be done with this particular model-maybe all the Lanikai models, maybe others as well. Not to mention effecting strumming and picking. I did try a more expensive Uke at the store today and will be purchasing it. The difference in the action was so striking. I adjusted the action on my soprano myself — I decided any self respecting luthier would probably charge more than my cheapo uke was worth anyway!

Changed the uke completely , easier to play, better sound, the lot. There are several you tube videos showing how to do it if anyones interested — I went for approx. 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. Try some of the clear flourocarbon strings that are available. 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. 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. Just purchased a Lanikai LU 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. So far so good, after 2 weeks it no longer needs tuning every hour. 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! I wrote up some suggested tuners over here if you want to check those out to get some ideas. You can download free chromatic tuners for your phone or computer.

For my android phone i got an app called gStrings. 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. 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. You can watch a UTube video of this instrument by going to the follwing link. 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? I am so happy to find out what action means! Now I finally know what it is…. There are a couple way to do this, which I find not to be much trouble or risky. One of the first things I do when buying a uke is turn it flat, at eye level, and check out the action. If, by chance, the actioin is too low on a uke, or even one of the strings, you will hear a buzz.

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. 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.

Any thoughts on this model? I have the little green Mahalo in the header image. I love it! I have the Lanikai banjolele concert size and it is terrific fun! I found the tone to be much more full on the solid back. Hope you get your hands on one soon! I love my banjolele.. It is sometimes better for some songs than the uke. I have a Mahalo too. Mahalo makes a great entry-level ukulele! Such a cool sound….

When I started I was borrowing my friends and I ended up getting it as a hand-me-down. I, for instance, have become pretty good at tuning by ear. I completely agree with the advice of borrowing a friends ukulele.

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.

Hi Brett, my first try here, I have worked from your site in part as a beginner player. I belong to what I term as the Old Age Teenager Club, us old fogies that meet once a week to have a bash at playing the Uke.

I have been now just over a year and have so much to learn. At 81 it takes a little longer perhaps. By the way, reading some of the comments about Baritones,I must confess that I could NOT get my head around playing Baritone chords when all music was in the norm, ie re entrant, so I had them re strung using the lower G, sounds fine,Aquila strings of course, they are great.

Absolutely fantastic machines, love em to bits,so too is the Concert. I cant let these Ukes down and so I will be signing up for Tuition from your good self, all the jollies from Sydney Australia.

Ern Stroud. By the way for those that wonder?? Ukulele Acquisition Syndrome. I have two soprano Ukuleles, one Leolani and a solid mahogany Islander. Different sounds but like them both. 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 want to do some more strumming lessons eventually. Dear Brett, Your strumming video s are such a benefit to new players.

I also loved the blues uke video lesson. I was going over this pattern one day at a local park and before I knew it some parents sat down nearby as their children started dancing.

I just started playing ukelele six months ago. Your lessons have really helped a lot. The learning and fun factor curve seems so quick, compared to my experience learning to play other instruments such as the piano, flute, violin or guitar. 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! The tones just sound so much richer then the 4string ones. 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. Hi Brett — thanks for your great work on this website! Best riff so far on this instrument …. Kashmir by Zep …amazing!!!! I really appreciate your strumming and chording tips. The only warning I would give is that you may have a hard time finding strings in music stores, but they are available at online sellers.

One thing I forgot to mention was try to find a friend who plays ukulele you can bring to a music store. You might even ask someone in the music store to play the ukulele too. Just started about August last year. Looks nice too which is a bonus. Today is my first time on your site by the way.

Good stuff. If you want to see a particular model in action check out youtube- lots of people do reviews of their ukes there.. My Christmas present uke was found there. Still waiting for Christmas to open it.. I believe there is no mid priced uke comparable to the oscar schmidt ou5 or ou7. The looks, playability, workmanship and sound beats them all, in my opinion…john. I have an oscar schmidt OU2 concert…has been a great thing to learn on….

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! 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 yeqar-old granddaughter was here for the weekend and picked up my Ukulele as a first time user. I ordered her a Kala Makala Tenor Ukulele as a starter instrument. Sounds like you got a great deal! 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. What a wonderful gift you can give her! Yes, when I was in Hawaii a couple weeks ago I tested a lot of Ukuleles. They have got the key to building quality instruments for for every need.

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. 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! Thank you! I am not very familiar with that ukulele, but it looks like it could be a good first ukulele.

Other than that, it might be worth the try! 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. I bought a Luna concert last week. I am troubled with the intonation on the first 2 frets.

Ukes have trouble with intonation, which is a shame. Ah bummer. It sounds like you got a sour one. Is there anything you can do to help make this better? Also, you might try putting fresh new strings. 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. Some brands of the instruments offer them with or without a cutaway. Typically a cutaway will be an electro acoustic model. A: You can visit our shop at any time during our normal opening hours. You can make yourself at home here, have a cup of Yorkshire tea or coffee and spend as long with us as you may you need to make your choice.

You will be able to try various brands and different ukulele models at all price levels to help you make your choice. We have dedicated staff that are ukulele specialists and can play all styles of mandolin. We will help you to make the right choice of mandolin and then continue to help you along your musical path after you have bought from us. We shall always be here for you at the end of the phone to help you with any technical questions.

Any ukulele that you purchase from us will be set-up in our workshop by the same technicians that set-up our top end models so you will have no worries about its playability.

A: Build quality and reliability is what defines a professional ukulele. So, we are in the ideal position to give you professional advice and help you to make the right choice in upgrading your ukulele. A: Popular music can be played on all sizes of ukulele.

The most popular ukulele type for normal sized persons is the concert uke. The smaller soprano ukulele is excellent for children and the tenor and baritone ukes are easier to play for persons with larger hands. A: Here at Eagle Music we have an on-site workshop manned by ukulele technicians, we set-up and repair ukuleles on a daily basis. We will look after you as a valued customer after you have bought your ukulele and give you our technical support.

We shall be here whenever you may need us in the future to service your ukulele and will give you our best workshop price quotation for any work that may be needed.

A: If you are not completely satisfied with a ukulele that you purchase from us, you can return the ukulele to us for a full refund or a replacement. Every ukulele that we sell has a warranty.

Some of the lower priced ukuleles we sell will have a twelve month warranty. Some of the higher end ukuleles that we sell carry a lifetime guarantee against parts and workmanship.

A: We carry a superb range of the highest quality accessories for all the ukuleles that we sell. A: We offer you a comprehensive range ukulele spares and parts including ukulele strings tuning machines, pick-ups etc. We work closely with all the ukulele makers that supply us, and can also obtain any custom parts and retro-fits that may be available.

A: The choice of ukulele for playing popular music is really your own choice. All the different size models are suitable, but the main point to note is that different sounds are produced by the different sized models. A: In short, yes it does. You have to take each instrument on its own values. Just because an instrument is made in the Far East does not mean that it is an inferior instrument.

In general quality is relative to price. It is true that a high priced hand built ukuleles will be a much higher quality than a low priced, low end Chinese factory made ukulele. Also, we offer some ukulele brands eg.

Eastman and Tanglewood that are manufactured in the far east to the highest quality build specification. On the downside, however, solid woods come at a hefty price. Laminated ukuleles are those made of a blend of several layers of thin wood.

Laminated wood is mostly used in ukuleles for beginners, allowing manufacturers to offer budget ukuleles that also happen to be of very high-quality and produce sufficiently acceptable tones. Not to mention, laminated ukes are incredibly durable. Ukes at that price point guarantee subpar quality when it comes to both sound and build quality.

And of course, the woods used in the construction will be of low build quality, and the result will only be a pure disappointment. Finally, I want to touch on two aspects that could make a huge difference in your ukulele playing experience: strings action and strings type. That can be very tedious. That will result in an intolerable buzzing noise, so you want to target a balance between both.

Strings make a huge difference in how your ukulele sounds. They pave the way for high tension, making the ukulele much easier to play and enabling you to produce top-notch tones. While there are many brands and types of strings, Aquila strings are the safest and most popular. Aquila Nylgut, in particular, is extremely durable and produces a beautiful sound.

I prefer them more than nylon strings! The larger size gives the tenor a deeper, fuller sound with a resonant, almost bass-y tone. The tenor ukulele also projects better than the concert, making the volume a bit louder. The Tenor XL is a newer type of ukulele that has been growing in popularity over the last few years.

This unique size is larger than a traditional tenor ukulele. It offers even more comfort to those with larger hands. Our Tenor XL models come with a longer neck, a longer body, and a wider lower bout than traditional tenor ukuleles. The Tenor XL also has a deeper and warmer sound with more resonance due to its increased lower bout size. Another benefit of this size increase is excellent string spacing and louder projection than traditional tenor sized ukuleles.

Baritone is the next step up from the tenor in size. The baritone ukulele has the longest scale - about three inches longer than the tenor - with the widest fret spacing of all the sizes we offer. The neck on a baritone is also wider than the tenor.