Top products from r/ukulele

We found 111 product mentions on r/ukulele. We ranked the 395 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.

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Top comments that mention products on r/ukulele:

u/BWardwell · 1 pointr/ukulele

OK!

Off the get-go, I'm gonna recommend a Kala. I started with a concert, which was a bit out of your price range, but the link I put down for eBay is showing soprano ukes (the smallest uke size) in the 60-80$ range. Kala makes supremely solid instruments; I've still got my concert uke after almost a decade, and although I upgraded to a Mele uke last summer I can pull out the Kala for impromptu jam sessions and have a good time.

Another good recommendation would be for a Lanikai. This one is also a soprano, selling at about $60. There's another soprano Lanikai being sold at around 70$ on Amazon. I don't know enough about either model to say which is better than the other, but I know that both have gotten pretty good reviews as far as starter ukes go.

One more option that might work is a Cordoba, also sold on Amazon at about 75$. This one is a concert size, so that might work better for you depending on how big your hands are and whatnot. And from what I'm seeing, it's also a total steal- they normally go for 50$ more.

In the end it all comes down to personal preference. Any of the ukes that I linked in this comment should do you fine, but you might enjoy a bigger size uke (concert, tenor) than a smaller one. You will also be paying more for a wooden one than a plastic one. If the ones I linked are still a bit pricey, I'd suggest looking at Kala's more affordable starter line Makala, which will top out at 65$ or so but also come with a bag and tuner.

If I can give one more suggestion, stay away from Luna. They have cute designs etched into the wood but they're not good for much more than kindling.

Happy hunting!

u/gr_ybones · 2 pointsr/ukulele

Hm, well if you want to perform with it, you're not likely to find anything that sounds pro-quality for $30-40 dollars. The biggest problem you'll run into with these cheaper ukes is poor quality control. So maybe some frets are a little too high and that will create buzzing. Or it's not constructed quite right and the sound is muted and dead. Or it doesn't stay in tune up the neck. Fine for someone learning, but not ideal for performing.

But, in that price range I recommend checking out the lower end Kala ukuleles. Amazon link. The dolphin / shark ukes are plastic and look like toys but are actually really good beater ukes. Even though I have much nicer ukes, I still use my Makala Dolphin when I go camping or to the beach or whatever. You also don't have to worry about leaving them in a hot car. They have a surprisingly full sound and are SUPER durable, and cost about $45. If you don't like the look of the colorful plastic ukes, a laminate wood Kala like this is fine too, but may not be as tolerant of heat or excessive moisture.

Being a bigger guy with (I assume) larger-than-average hands, you'll likely be most comfortable on a Tenor sized ukulele, but those may be out of your price range for a half-decent one. (The ones I linked above are Soprano, the smallest size, which you may find cramped). But here's a $99 tenor you might be interested in. And here are some performance-quality tenors starting at $184.

Whatever you choose, you absolutely must replace the stock stings with decent ones – it makes a big difference on these cheap ukes. I recommend Aquila strings. Make sure you buy the right size (i.e. Soprano or Tenor).

I'm not sure about the left-handed aspect. It seems to me that it'd be easier to just play it in the normal style (fretting with your left hand, strumming with your right). Otherwise you'll have to flip your strings and all chord charts and tabs will be backwards for you. And on some ukes (likely not $40 ones though) you'd have to flip the bridge to get the strings to lie right. Seems like a pain. Or I guess you can just play it upside-down, but all your down-strums would sound like up-strums. But I'm right-handed so take with a pinch of salt!

u/MrDoctorProfPatrick · 2 pointsr/ukulele

I just bought my first Uke(soprano) a few months ago and did a lot of research looking for just the right type of look and quality for a good price. I ended up settling on the Kala-SEM Exotic Mahogany

http://www.amazon.com/Kala-Exotic-Mahogany-Soprano-Ukulele/dp/B003M4S670

It looks beautiful, sounds great, isn't too expensive, and is great to first learn the instrument. I also purchased the Gig Bag just for travel purposes and I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend also getting this Kyser Capo for Uke/Banjo

http://www.amazon.com/Kyser-Banjo-Mand-Capo-Blk/dp/B0002CZVWS/ref=pd_sim_MI_12?ie=UTF8&refRID=0TRJSEMRJA3F6GXY9QXA

It will fit the instrument, and all ukes, perfectly and is a tremendous asset when learning songs in a different key that you don't yet have the capability of doing absurd fingerings for. No matter what you settle on, trust me, get that capo and it will be the best purchase. Best of luck to you on your learning!

Edit: Forget to mention the Kala will also come with Aquila strings already on it, so you save the money there. After about a week of playing it quite a lot every day to let them settle it stays in tune great now

u/Skaroller · 1 pointr/ukulele

If you're buying in store, be sure to ask the people there for help. Guitar Center is really good for buying ukuleles too! If you have the time, learn what GCEA sounds like, because these are the notes you tune a ukulele to. If you can recognize those notes, you'll be able to tell that the ukulele you're inspecting is tuned correctly, try a C note (with the neck in your left hand and the body in your right, press your ring finger on the bottom string on the 3^rd fret and strum all four strings). This will let you know how the sound is, but if it's subpar be sure to ask an employee what's up--the ukulele itself could be constructed poorly or it might just have cheap strings on it--one will cost lots of money to fix, the other about $5 and half an hour.

With a cheaper ukulele, I recommend geared tuners as they're much easier than friction tuners. The little turner things at the top of your ukulele are tuners, and (no duh) they tune the strings. Geared tuners have little gears, or sometimes tiny boxes that conceal the gears (you may or may not think these boxes are ugly, that's a personal choice). Friction tuners are just pegs that the strings are attached to. Friction tuners work by just stretching the string a little bit--I don't think that they affect the life of the strings in any way, but I do know that most people find them more difficult to use than geared tuners, as the movements are more precise. Geared tuners use a system of gears to tighten the string around the peg, and usually make it easier to accurately tune the string.

Obviously, check for any scratches, dings, or dents in the instrument. The fret wires (the metal lines on the board where your fingers go) shouldn't jut out over the edge of the neck, and they should be sanded down so you don't cut yourself when you play. Make sure that all the pieces of the ukulele fit together well--poorly attached pieces will affect the sound and might even fall right off!

If you're buying online, obviously you can't check for most of these things. Do a ton of research (lots of people have already given great resources, GotAUkulele is one of my go-to sources!), or go with one of the standard /r/ukulele favorites:

The Makala Dolphin is an unofficial gold standard for starter ukes. It's relatively cheap and not half bad for its price, and it comes in a lot of colors and has a cute lil dolphin for a saddle!

The Mahalo U-30 is cheaper and uglier than the Dolphins, these ukes are also not bad for the price. This was my first uke, and while the other one I own now is a lot better, I don't regret buying this one for a moment! It's probably the cheapest ukulele I would recommend to a friend--anything cheaper than this is going to be junk. It also comes in a variety of colors.

u/TribalDancer · 1 pointr/ukulele

Kaka literally means poop. And it's less than a Happy Meal. No way is it going to ever be good.

I understand not wanting to throw money at something you're not sure you're gonna like in the long run. But as a teacher who works with instruments (in my case, percussion, but it applies to any instrument) let me give you some important advice:

Your pleasure and success with an instrument relies somewhat on the quality of the instrument. When you are struggling to learn something new and the strings won't stay in tune, the sound is hollow and tinny, you get buzzing on the frets, or any other number of issues a cheap ukulele will present you with, you will get discouraged. You will believe you are the problem, but you may not be. The instrument becomes a barrier to your ability to learn.

Now look, a pro can make a "cheap" ukulele sound good, but even they have limitations on a ukulele that is $6. Even then, you're not a pro, I'm not a pro, and a cheap ukulele is just gonna sound terrible. You won't be able to figure out if it's something you've done wrong or the shitty instrument, and may just give up.

Instead, invest a bit more up front. If it doesn't work out, at least you have a re-sellable instrument! If you buy garbage like this, you'll barely be able to give it away...

This article gives a good rundown of your options at entry-level.

I 100% recommend the Makala Dolphin and Shark series. They are around $50, sometimes a bit less, and they make great beginner ukes. Sturdy, good sound, and that plucky, joyful tone that you want from a soprano uke. If the candy-like colors or plastic body options in that line are a turnoff, for a little more you can get a Kala that appears a little more refined. Kala makes the Makala line as well, and they are a good manufacturer you can trust. You will want to get new strings ASAP if it doesn't come with Aquilla or comparable good quality strings.

Also, hilariously, not one of the people pictured with the Kaka ukuleles is actually playing the ukulele it is advertising. Different bodies, wood and inlays, bridge shape, etc. China doesn't try very hard with this crap...

u/4thquartertorch · 3 pointsr/ukulele

Great! You can buy Aquila Reds on Amazon.

I have also heard good things about the Aquila Super Nylgut.

If you want to test out fluorocarbons, I'd give Worth clears a go. [Worth browns](https://www.t
heukulelesite.com/worth-strings-bm-brown-soprano-concert.html) are a little warmer and softer and might be even better to try first, actually!

Also, D'Addario makes great strings too, though the suggestion you got below to put tenor strings on is probably not a good choice (unless the string set specifically says it is for all sizes).

I think the key here though is that like bazmaz is saying, you'll need to be willing to try a few things until you get what you like. That's the fun (and challenging) part about strings. Challenging, because sometimes, you may end up putting something on and not liking it, and having to do another change soon. Fun, because once you find what works best for you, your instrument now feels a lot more custom- you made a creative choice to have it sound that way.

u/alexfiat · 1 pointr/ukulele

I got this from Amazon after I decided to learn the ukulele. No regrets at all, it sounds great. I even bought Aquila Super Nylgut strings to restring it but I think the ukulele I got already have those and it sounds great. You also should pick up something like this to help you tune your ukulele, kind of hard to tune it by ear as a beginner. Well, not hard but much easier to use electronic tuner.

I think you're fine buying it from Amazon, when you get good at it and know you're going to stick with it THEN make plans to buy a renown ukulele in a store or online. I hear good things even about those $30 soprano ukuleles on Amazon. Whatever you decide to buy, it's just to help get your foot into the door!

u/sebdroids · 1 pointr/ukulele

A Makala Dolphin plus a New Set of Stringswill cost you about 50$ but is probably the best option. It has a good build and is a great beginners uke, also remember that you will need a case + tuner + capo (if your into that) in order to use it properly. The Dolphin also becomes a great travel uke once you get a nicer one.

If you really want a wooden uke (doesn't make to much of a difference at a budget imho) than go with something like a Kala MK-S Bundle

u/itsoonwearsoff · 5 pointsr/ukulele

The ukulele is probably one of the easiest instruments to learn, full stop! Even if you only spend an hour a week practising, it's surprising how much you can learn.

If you're playing jazz standards, the best thing to do would be to try and learn from lead sheets and chord charts to any simple songs you can find. That said, this material can be quite harmonically complex, so you're probably better off starting by learning easy pop songs, just so you can pick up the basic chords.

I'm assuming you're American? I can't speak for the prices there, but this ukulele model is pretty universally regarded as one of the best beginner ukuleles, and they come in all sorts of colours, so going by that, you should probably not spend any less than about $50.

If you have any more questions feel free to ask :)

u/roorings · 1 pointr/ukulele
  1. aquila strings are great (personal preference but it is pretty widely accepted they are good strings). Looks like you may have a soprano there so you'll want to get the right ones for a Soprano http://www.amazon.com/Aquila-AQ-4-Soprano-Ukulele-Strings/dp/B00MXUJ394/ref=sr_1_4?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1453826535&sr=1-4&keywords=soprano+ukulele+strings

  2. Personally if I am going to change one peg, i'd change them all. I can understand not wanting to change anything on the uke but you're going to have 3 crappy/old pegs and one new/good peg. http://www.amazon.com/Grover-Sta-Tite-Ukulele-Tuner-Machine/dp/B003A67WHU/ref=sr_1_17?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1453826633&sr=1-17&keywords=Ukulele+pegs
    expensive but good. You don't have to buy from amazon, i'm only using that to show you.

  3. that tuner should be just fine IMO.

    have fun!
u/pengypengy · 11 pointsr/ukulele

I'm currently working my way through a method book called Ukulele Acrobatics: For All Levels From Beginner to Advanced

I'm currently working on week 6. As someone who's been classically trained in music (9 years on the clarinet, 2 years on the cello), I found this book as an excellent resource in learning how to play the ukulele using traditional music theory and methods.

This particular method book breaks the exercises up by days and weeks, which allows you to take your time in digesting each exercise. I especially enjoy how the author breaks down music theory, particularly establishing how to properly strum rhythm, scales, arpeggios, harmonics, etc.

I also recommend using a metronome and tapping your foot to the beat as you practice. This will help you keep a nice and steady rhythm which is so important in playing music as you could imagine.

I can see how this method book can be frustrating for those who have never studied music theory, especially for those who primarily rely on tabs and chords. But if you're truly serious about learning to play ukulele using sheet music, it is vital to have an understanding of music theory and how to properly apply techniques and this book addresses those concerns. You just need to be patient with yourself and take the time to really practice with a metronome.

Good luck!

u/herooftime94 · 3 pointsr/ukulele

I bought this ukulele about a month ago and I'm really happy with it. It has a nice bright sound and it was the perfect price. With Amazon Prime it's $26 (even less expensive than when I bought it). And just last night my Aquila Nyglut strings came in and they just made it sound so much better. With those two (provided you have Amazon Prime) it's just over $35. It's certainly not the best ukulele out there, but I'm definitely going to be happy with her until I save up for a nicer soprano or maybe a tenor uke. I think you will be too.

u/[deleted] · 7 pointsr/ukulele

Better uke setup, still cheap:

  • Lanikai 21-T. This is a tenor uke, around $120. I love mine. The strings that come on it shouldn't, so next...

  • Worth brown strings. These really helped my fingerpicking. $12.80, but the strings are cut long enough for two full sets. Crappy or dead strings will not help you develop your ear correctly. Being out of tune will also prevent your development, so next...

  • Snark SN-2 tuner. About $12.00. Finally, you need something to play...

  • The Daily Ukulele is great, and can be used to practice your rhythm playing or to develop fingerpicked versions of classics (lots of Beatles in here, and an easy uke arrangement of California Dreamin'). At a more advanced level, try Learn to Play Fingerstyle Ukulele Solos. If you have not really gotten into fingerpicking, starting this book will be a big revelation: you suck, because you can't play freaking Twinkle Twinkle Little Star the way the author arranged it (anyway, that's where I started). Learning these will be a long process, and you will probably want to make many detours, through scales practice, finger exercises, and music theory, but your playing (even for strummy things) will start improving enormously.

    I'll also assume that, since you are a Redditor and know what's up, that you don't need to be told to get a metronome like the Korg MA-30.

    So borrow a couple of textbooks instead of buying and set that money aside; that should be about enough to get all of this. Or save money some other way... A friend of mine had a serious Starbuck's habit. I don't think he even realized it, but he was dropping $5-$10 every day at Starbuck's and whining about how he had no money. Coffee at home and two months later, his first uke.

    Last, strumming... practice the living crap out of your strums. Count out loud. Use a metronome. Write down the patterns. Speaking and writing the strum patterns is important, drumming them out with your hand (off the uke) is also important. You need to think of the strum as a rhythm that's independent of your uke, like this magical, ideal, Platonic rhythm, and you with your poor wooden uke and your sad meat fingers have to try to mimic it; anything you can do to understand the rhythm better -- whether or not you do that thing on your uke -- will help improve your strum.
u/Squidessential · 3 pointsr/ukulele

Let me suggest the Kala KA-15S. I bought one of these 4 years ago when I was in your shoes (no musical background at all). I currently have 4 ukes, but often pick this one up to this day when I want to jam on a soprano.

I am definitely happy that I used the ukulele as a way to get into music. It has been a fun and rewarding learning experience.

u/TalkForeignToMe · 2 pointsr/ukulele

I can't recommend Hal Leonard's Ukulele Aerobics enough, as far as stretching the fingers and finger placement. It starts out really easy and unassuming, but has you on four-finger chords by week 3 and goes on from there. It's been a super great resource for someone like me who tends to lack direction when self-teaching. The exercises are all challenging at first, that's the point! But by the time I was on week 8, for example, I realized I could go back to week 5 and do those exercises with ease. In general, that's how practice works, but this made it quite tangible for me.

u/pixiepurls · 2 pointsr/ukulele

Makala Dolphin. The internet agrees its the best cheap uke out there, even better if you can have it properly "setup" or buy it form someone who sets them up.

Other best bet rom my personal internet research, --> Kala. Reliable. Super reliable. Again, find someone who will set it up for you.

http://www.amazon.com/Makala-Dolphin-Bridge-Soprano-Ukulele/dp/B002ZSE9ES/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395195442&sr=8-1&keywords=makala+dolphin

or

http://www.amazon.com/Kala-KA-15S-Mahogany-Soprano-Ukulele/dp/B001LU1SFO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395195469&sr=8-1&keywords=kala+soprano+ukulele

u/notrightmeowthx · 1 pointr/ukulele

I think the term you're looking for is fingerpicking. If you search for that, you should find stuff. However, some books that I either own or have seen people mention:

u/cnelsonsic · 4 pointsr/ukulele

If you follow this simple regimen, you will be prepared to play ukulele in no time at all:

  1. Put on multi-colored, flower-patterned shirt.
  2. Put on fringed straw hat.
  3. Pour yourself a pina colada. (Ideally served in a coconut.)
  4. Play "My Dog Has Fleas".
  5. Appreciate that you bought a decent uke and strings and don't have to tune it all the time.
  6. Play C, G, Am, F, while humming "What A Wonderful World".

    You are now ready to play.
u/vanilla_twilight · 3 pointsr/ukulele

Something like the Makala MK-S might work for you. It sounds better than the super cheap plastic-y ukuleles but still maintains the nice "cheap" twangy, kinda stereotypical ukulele sound. I've got one myself and it's pretty well built, never had trouble keeping it in tune, intonation problems, or felt like it was about to fall apart in my hands.

u/mstell77 · 1 pointr/ukulele

Concerts have a sound closer to the classic uke sound, which I like better. I've played a Córdoba 15-CM a bit, and it sounds great. It's usually around $100. But it's all about what feels best to you.
Córdoba 15-CM

u/Quarter_Twenty · 4 pointsr/ukulele

I took a free ukulele class at the local Guitar Center that they have once a month. It was just me and one other guy. In just an hour, the teacher had tuning the ukulele, playing a few simple songs, understanding how to read ukulele music from a page, and pointing us to tons of other resources for learning. If you can find anything like that, it'll save you a ton of time. The teacher answered a hundred questions and helped me pick an instrument to buy. I also bought a clip-on Snark tuner which essentially do what many ukulele phone apps also do. I bought a few beginner books, including this Hal Leonard Ukulele Method Book 1, which was helpful, and a 4-chord songbook to practice with.

Don't miss the "Related Links" at the right side of this page.

A few pieces of advice.

  1. If you don't play a stringed instrument, your left-hand finger-tips are going to hurt like hell for about a week. Keep playing. That pain all goes away.

  2. Some chords that seem very difficult to get at first will definitely become easier over time. Practice...

  3. When you learn something one way, it's very hard to unlearn it and do it a different way. I got into playing quickly, learning on my own. By the time I started working with a teacher, 3 months in, he had to tell me that the way I had learned to finger some of the chords, was OK, but not the best way to do it. There's no one-way to do some things, but certain ways will make things harder for you later on. I'm stuck now feeling that some ways to hold a chord feel natural, while the recommended ways can feel less comfortable.

  4. Have fun!
u/Darth_insomniac · 3 pointsr/ukulele

If you're just beginning, I don't think it will really matter too much. I was also very conflicted about what ukulele I should purchase first, but then I saw this video on youtube... and it stuck me that probably the most important thing will be the amount of practice you're willing to put into learning.

I ended up getting a kala pineapple ukulele, and have actually been pretty happy with it. For my level, I definitely didn't need a very expensive one!

Also: do ukuleles cost more in Slovenia? On amazon.com, you can get the makala MK-S for about $50, which is about 47€...

u/jz88k · 2 pointsr/ukulele

$210? Try $100:

http://www.amazon.com/Epiphone-Paul-Acoustic-Electric-Ukulele/dp/B0053CUHMG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369104416&sr=8-1&keywords=les+paul+ukulele

And as for an amp, there are some pretty inexpensive ones out there, but it sounds fine acoustically, too. I have Aquila strings on mine, and I think it's lovely. :)

u/VIJoe · 3 pointsr/ukulele

The Daily Ukelele has a section full of kid's songs. Provided that you are still new to the uke (as am I), I would generally recommend the book as well. A wonderfully put-together fakebook. Good luck.

u/SittingFox · 3 pointsr/ukulele

I did my very first string change not too long ago. There's going to be all kinds of opinions on what strings to get. I bought these Aquila strings. They're regular soprano strings (gCEA, with the high g string). I found the string-changing tutorial on Got a Ukulele to be helpful.

As for how to get started playing, I suggest checking out Cynthia Lin's tutorials, as I have found them to be the most friendly and they go slow. Read through the playlist rather than just blindly going in order. Like the chord-changing video actually is fit for if you need further help with lesson 1.

Do you have a tuner? They are really rather helpful, though you can try starting out with a phone app. The clip-on tuners will be more accurate than an app, but it's better than nothing. New strings take time to finish stretching out, so you will find yourself tuning often at first and for a little while.

u/mrhappychappy · 9 pointsr/ukulele

I use a Kyser Banjo capo! It's lasted me years and fits pretty nicely since it's made for an instrument with a similar sized neck to a ukulele.

This is the one: http://www.amazon.com/Kyser-Banjo-Mand-Capo-Blk/dp/B0002CZVWS
And here it is sitting on my Koyama tenor: https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/s720x720/547985_3524614034716_1344819432_n.jpg

Hope that helps!

u/ignoramus012 · 1 pointr/ukulele

The Makala MK-S was my first uke and it still serves me well. It also fits your budget. The strings it comes with are OK, but if you want some better ones, go for these Aquila strings. This Snark Tuner is also a nice thing to have.

u/flukewhale · 2 pointsr/ukulele

I'm playing through Mel Bay Learn To Play Fingerstyle Solos for Ukulele right now. Has some great songs that progress in difficulty as you go. It comes with a CD, which is helpful for me.

u/Crowsby · 1 pointr/ukulele

I'd pick up a cheap snark tuner for around $10. The online/app ones are fine, but it's really, really nice having a dedicated one handy right next to your instrument at all times.

u/alabibecia · 2 pointsr/ukulele

I started with this ukulele and I love it. It's pretty inexpensive, the sound is great for a beginner uke (though, I'm no expert), and it comes with a soft case. I got this uke, a tuner that can clip on, and a beginers book for around 70.00.

u/tonyvila · 3 pointsr/ukulele

I got my Luna Concert Tattoo from Amazon for $90. Looks great, great intonation.

u/fmpundit · 1 pointr/ukulele

I bought this one when I seen someone else on her asking a question about Uke’s as an entry level. Kala is was very popular in the thread. I was not disappointed. After playing a poorly made cheap uke that was lent to me. This was totally different and boosted my enjoyment and learning.

u/trumps_only_regret · 2 pointsr/ukulele

So I bought this Ukulele, which is seemingly forever on sale for $30.

I'm very happy with it, sounds great, holds a tune for a long time, highly recommend it if you're looking for something cheap but still good.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008277N80/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

u/kibiplz · 2 pointsr/ukulele

I have this one from luna https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003L7VQMA and i'm very happy with it. It has a nice even sound to it, and i might be biased but i went to an ukulele class and mine was one of the best sounding ones.

u/Nephthyzz · 2 pointsr/ukulele

Kala KA-15S

u/monogammee · 1 pointr/ukulele

I have been going through Ukulele Aerobics book, which has a dedicated section on fingerpicking, scales, licks and runs. It can get pretty challenging pretty quick, but since its an exercise book, you can practice as good as you can get and go back and forth.

u/Phr34Ck · 2 pointsr/ukulele

Hello player!

I bought some Ukulele books myself not long ago. Please note that I'm a total beginner so you might not find them as useful as I found them. The books are:

u/SmileAndDonate · 1 pointr/ukulele


Info | Details
----|-------
Amazon Product | Cordoba 15CM Concert Ukulele
>Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charitable organization of your choice. By using the link above you get to support a chairty and help keep this bot running through affiliate programs all at zero cost to you.

u/StringyLow · 1 pointr/ukulele

The Hal Leonard book is pretty good.

It looks like a used copy is less than $2.

u/SovietSputnik · 2 pointsr/ukulele

I got my Kala K-15s about 3 years ago. Best starter ukelele I could find back then for my price range (I think it was more expensive then). And the mahogany finish is very nice. I still play with it today, it has been through a lot and has been my companion in hard times.

https://kalabrand.com/collections/ka-15-series/products/ka-15s

Lone $55

https://www.amazon.com/Kala-KA-15S-Mahogany-Soprano-Ukulele/dp/B001LU1SFO

Bundle $75

https://www.amazon.com/Kala-Ukulele-Mahogany-Soprano-Polishing/dp/B077KLP9XH/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_267_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=0FNS5F5ZW713X7KJZNBE

u/DieWaldmenschen · 2 pointsr/ukulele

http://www.amazon.com/Hal-Leonard-Ukulele-Method-Book/dp/0634079867

I liked this book to help teach me to the picking notes on the ukulele, if you are interested.

u/baldylox · 1 pointr/ukulele

I sell a lot of ukes - mostly vintage. What kind of price range are you looking in?

If you want to go inexpensive, there are a lot of different versions of this uke:

http://www.amazon.com/Kala-MK-S-Makala-Soprano-Ukulele/dp/B00172UVG8/

It's a great deal for $50. I got my sister one for her birthday. It has a dolphin-shaped bridge. She likes dolphins.

u/giantstonegoat · 2 pointsr/ukulele

If you really want to buy from Amazon this is better for not much more https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001LU1SFO/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469747858&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=kala&dpPl=1&dpID=41LxikpFbcL&ref=plSrch I have two different Kalas and love them, although I didn't buy them from Amazon so they would have been checked before I ever even saw them.

u/foodparsed · 2 pointsr/ukulele

I can tell you a bit about the ukuleles I've owned. My first ukulele was this Kala soprano ukulele, which was a laminate model. My second ukulele was this Kala concert ukulele, which was solid spruce. Now, I definitely prefer the sound of solid wood to laminate, but the difference is pretty subtle.

By the way, it might be hard to find a ukulele in that particular price range. I've found that laminate ukes are generally around $50-70 and solid wood goes up to $200.

u/tepr · 6 pointsr/ukulele

Wilfried Welti has put together some excellent ebooks of fingerstyle classical music - some of the text is in German, but the music is understandable even if you only speak English:

http://ukulelehunt.com/2008/11/12/wilfried-weltis-ukulele-tabs/
http://www.dsp-arts.com/publishing/shop/en/Ukulele-E-books/

If you want a physical book, this one is quite good:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Learn-Play-Fingerstyle-Solos-Ukulele/dp/0786673427

u/zzguy1 · 1 pointr/ukulele


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008277N80/
This seems low enough to be shady, is diamond head any good? It has good reviews but a low price so I don't know what to make of it.


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FY5O1OC/
This one seems more reasonably priced, but again I have no experience with these different brands so if you have a good brand/uke for a somewhat low price i'd love to hear it.

u/Kojax08 · 1 pointr/ukulele

I will recommend the Makala Soprano. I bought one last year when I was in college for around $50. It sounds great for the price! (the sound isn't quite as twangy as some of the other cheaper uke models that I have played)

u/tani_P · 1 pointr/ukulele

I play a Bushman Jenny Concert that's pretty crispy sounding! They also make a soprano size. Whatever uke you end up with, I'd suggest seeking out a solid wood one, not laminate, and using Aquila strings.

u/Reivax79 · 4 pointsr/ukulele

I first tried Aquila New Nylgut AQ-15 Tenor Ukulele Strings - Wound Low G but I didn't like the tone of the wounded low G. After that i got a set of D'Addario EJ99TLG Pro-Arté Carbon which I'm currently using and prefer. I have yet to try the Aquila red's that everyone is recommending. Reds supposedly the best of the best but have a short life. For now I have have no plans to switch the D'addario set, it's just fine for my needs. I'm a causal player so take it with a grain of salt. Reds look fire tho.

u/joeyGibson · 2 pointsr/ukulele

Buy a copy of The Daily Ukulele and start working on the songs in it. http://www.amazon.com/Daily-Ukulele-Fakebook-Jumpin-Songbooks/dp/1423477758/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330824569&sr=8-1 Also, try to find a local Uke group and meet up and play with them. In the Atlanta area, we have the Southeast Ukers who get together twice a month. I attended for the first time in February, and spent three of the most fun hours I can remember. Everyone there had their copy of The Daily Ukulele, and people would call out songs from that.

u/Caelrie · 1 pointr/ukulele

Sure, here are some quality concert ukes in the same price range:

Cordoba 15cm

Enya EUC-X1M

Kala LTP-C

Kala KA-C

Keep in mind that even with these, you're buying from the factory if you order from Amazon. That means the music store isn't there as a middleman to send bad ones back to the factory. ALL music instruments require this middleman to keep from occasionally getting duds, even the top brands. It's part of why music stores exist.

So keep your packaging until you're SURE it's a quality instrument. This should be standard practice whenever you buy any musical instrument from a ukulele to a harmonica to a trombone.

u/grumbledore_ · 1 pointr/ukulele

This Land Is Your Land

Crazy

Danny Boy

These were the first three songs I learned and they were quite easy.

This book (and the Leap Year book) is great for starting out - so many songs and you can learn more and more complex ones as you go.

u/MalteseCow · 1 pointr/ukulele

You can get away with that for a little while if you have a good ear. Good clip-on tuners are less than $10, though...

u/dumptruckman · 6 pointsr/ukulele

Definitely a Makala Dolhpin! The thing is practically indestructible since it's mostly made of plastic. It sounds great too if you put some Aquilas on it. I know you said she's not destructive but this thing will last forever because of its durability.

u/esushi · 1 pointr/ukulele

When I bought it it was $15 less than it is now listed, but it does look better than the product image.

u/rainbowbattlekid · 1 pointr/ukulele

I don't have a better pic of the instrument itself rn. I got it recently from a relative, and had to fix up the body a little, and wanted to oirder strings today while I'm at work if possible, but I just want to make sure I'm getting the right size. Would these work? https://www.amazon.com/Aquila-armoniche-Ukulele-Soprano-Regular/dp/B003UYY05O/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1506350793&sr=8-5&keywords=ukulele+strings

u/quince23 · 4 pointsr/ukulele

Just buy the uke. Kala has several models for $55 or less on Amazon with free shipping. Ukulele is much easier to learn than guitar, and there's not really that much that carries directly over. Both are fretted instruments, but they have totally different fingering patterns and chords. Some strumming patterns are similar but the actual technique is different. You hold them differently due to the vast size difference. Etc.

u/wikipediawhore · 1 pointr/ukulele

It's going to be tough to find anyone selling a uke at that price on Reddit and/or Craigslist... If you can scrounge up another 30 or so bucks you can get this: http://www.amazon.com/Kala-MK-S-Makala-Soprano-Ukulele/dp/B00172UVG8/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1345579530&sr=1-1&keywords=kala+makala+mk-sd. It's a great beginner's model, cheap, and doesn't feel like a toy.

u/suckitifly · 1 pointr/ukulele

According to the amazon page for the 15CM, it shares mahogany wood with the 20 seires, and says "mahogany top, back, and sides" which makes me think it's solid, but down the page when it talks about the 30 series being top of the line "features all solid woods"...so then anything less than a 30 is laminate? I am confused 😝

u/RedToby · 1 pointr/ukulele

I'm partial to the Snark SN-2 tuner myself. Get the SN-2 All Instrument tuner, it's more versatile than the "Ukulele" tuner and costs the same.

For the short term, try a smartphone app, or if you can tune by ear, there are youtube tutorials that play the tones.

u/DAN_HARMONS_PAJAMAS · 1 pointr/ukulele

I bought a Makala MK-S and a set of Aquila strings. I also bought a soft case and Snark tuner. All have served me well for almost two years.

u/mbkuang · 2 pointsr/ukulele

I'd go with the Cordoba 15CM for that budget. It's $99 on Amazon

u/InstagramLincoln · 2 pointsr/ukulele

Look up anything by Aaron Keim. He has a few small books on various techniques that go with his YouTube channel.

Another highly recommended book is Ukulele Fretboard Roadmaps. It is not specifically fingerstyle related but it really helped me understand the ukulele more.

u/eu-guy · 1 pointr/ukulele

I am also a beginner and considering buying this $50 one: www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001LU1SFO/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1396315571&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40

It has a lot of positive reviews despite being 'cheap'. But I dont know anything about music instruments, so I am not sure yet. People here tell I should spend at least $100. Maybe I'll buy the $50 one. If it turns out I cant keep myself motivated enough to play, I will not have wasted that much money. But then again, maybe the cheap one will sound bad enough for me to think it is my playing that is bad. Oh well.

u/dishtowel · 3 pointsr/ukulele

This book by Jim Beloff talks about this in depth.

u/Barles-Charkley · 1 pointr/ukulele

A Makala ukulele sounds right up your alley!

u/ap66crush · 8 pointsr/ukulele

So unfortunately that is a toy ukulele...you likely have a striped tuning peg. You could technically replace the tuning pegs, adjust the action, and get an ...okay... sound out of it...but for that time and trouble I would just get an actual instrument (even if it is a cheaper model) and move forward from there.

Especially if you are a newer player. It is easy to get frustrated trying to learn on an instrument that isn't consistent, and this one never will be.

Check out these for something in the same price range, that is certainly playable: http://www.amazon.com/Kala-Makala-Dolphin-Soprano-Ukulele/dp/B0037CMDE4/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1395261683&sr=1-1&keywords=mahalo+dolphin+ukulele

u/GravityTortoise · 1 pointr/ukulele

So would This be a bad one to get

u/Euthalius · 0 pointsr/ukulele

If you're using guitar strings, why not use the actual g string? It will probably work but won't sound as good as a ukulele string, since the tension will be not as strong. Try to find D'Addario pro arté strings or aquila red series in low g for tenor on Amazon. Both have unwound g strings.

Edit: links