So you’re ready to pick up the Ukulele? You have friends who have told you how fun it is and you are ready to take your first step.
It’s time to purchase/aquire your Uke.
If you have a friend who plays there is a good chance they have already purchased more than 1 and would let you borrow their beginner Uke. Now you are shopping on the web or browing through your local music stores and wondering which one you should purchase.
You can find Ukuleles ranging from $50 to over $5000 dollars. In this post I want to point you to a great starter and a couple options if you are certain that you want to plunge a little deeper in with a more expensive instrument.
You can find many Ukes under $100. Some are real instruments that would be good starters, but many are just toys and not worth purchasing.
Best Starter Uke Under $100
After trying out and purchasing many starter Ukes one stands out as the best starter in the Sub $100 category. The Makala Dolphin and Makala Shark are the best starters we have tested when we looked at price and performance. These little Ukes are colorful like many of the toy models in this price range, but they play strong and punchy and holds their tune.
Most Ukes in the Sub $100 category suffer from poor tone (due to their materials) and construction. The plastic in these Uke actually helps the instrument resonate and makes your playing fun while keeping their cost down. You will be very pleased with these starter Ukes and they can take you a long way. Grant always keeps a fresh one that He lets his kids play with or hands it to his guests to teach them with. If something happens to it, He hasn’t lost a major investment and they sound nice enough that starting players will enjoy themselves.
Best Mid Range Starter Uke $250-$500
This field of Ukes is filled with many great options. Grants daily driver sits in this field. It’s a beautiful Kala that He loves. But the starting mid range Uke that is fun and a great investment is the Fluke. The first Uke Grant picked up was his friends Fluke. It was sitting in the back seat of His friends SUV and Grant started strumming it on a trip. He tried the chord shapes he knew from the guitar and was surprised as that weird looking plastic-bodied instrument began to sing.
Grant recommends this because of how bright and loud this instrument is. The molded thermoplastic makes this a very durable Uke, and its flat bottom lets the instrument stand up when you set it down. The first Ukes Grant bought were dissatisfying because He first played a Fluke. When He finally got one of his own, He’s been strumming it ever since.
These great instruments are made in the USA by a company that backs them up. The neck board on Grants first Uke was thermoplastic and after years of strumming had worn down the bottom fret from countless c chords. The Magic Fluke Company was happy to repair the instrument and Grant got it back in great shape.
If you take these to your local Ukulele club you will always stand out. They are louder than the Ukes most players will bring and you will have a great time strumming along with this punchy and durable instrument.
Yes, these are Subjective Recommendations.
Every Strummer has their own tastes and preferences. These two recommendations are here to give you a great place to start. We are not sponsored by these companies but have purchased their instruments(along with many others) and been impressed with the product. Kala, Cordoba, and Luna all make great Ukulele in the $200 price range. Grant owns and has played many of these models and enjoys them all.
How important is the Wood type of my first Uke?
The dream is that everyone would have personally crafted KOA Uke, direct from master Luthiers. Until that becomes a reality you won’t find a great KOA wood Ukulele under $600 and you won’t have the skills to make one sing until you’ve been playing for a while. The recommendations we’ve made here are for your highest enjoyability at the best entry price point. You can order your own Custom Uke in the years to come, but get started on a Makala, or Fluke and work your way up to needing something more.
What Size should I buy?
Makala Dolphins and Sharks only come in the Soprano size now. But Flukes can come in larger sizes. Most men will be more comfortable starting on a Concert or Tenor sized Uke. The larger scale helps when you have big hands. But Grant and Chris both have long hands and have learned to adjust to whatever scale they are playing. Most men prefer the Concert or Tenor. Many women also prefer to move up to at least a concert, especially as they are starting out. As you advance you might want to challenge yourself with smaller and smaller sizes. It’s fun watching a master play on a tiny Sopranino!