Ukelele buying Help Needed

[Nightwatchman9270]

My wife expressed an interest in a ukelele. Although there is plenty of advice on brands I was wondering what the uke players thought in terms of brands.

 

Also no one brings up size. What size should I get? What is a concert size? Should I just her a soprano or tenor? I like the fact that a baritone is tuned like a guitar so it would be easy for me to learn.

 

Any good tutorial suggestions? How long do strings last? Seems like nylon would last longer.

[SnorkelMonkey]

Strings last a very long time on a Uke. I've had a set of Worth's on mine for a couple of years and they still sound great. They probably don't go bad as quick as guitar strings because there's no wound metal strings, nylon is resistant to sweat/grease, and you don't ever really bend them? A good player with a great sound on the cheap, check out a Flea uke. Look for one used in good condition. IMO they are a little pricey for what you get buying them new but used they are fantastic deals playing and sounding very much like a higher end model.

[Stackabones]

Start with a soprano, something like a Lanakai LU21 is a good bet. Baritone is cool, too -- but it doesn't have the classic uke tuning. The classic uke tuning is still easy for guitarists, but you have to transpose. Play a D chord on guitar and then transfer the same thing to uke and it becomes a G chord. Same shape, different name.

 

Ukes use nylon strings, not steel strings (though there are electric ones nowadays that steel strings).

[Nightwatchman9270]

Thanks guys ! What is a concert size? I guess you are right, I didn't look at the intervals of the open strings. You are right same intervals so chord shapes should be the same.

[Stackabones]

Basic uke sizes are soprano, concert and tenor -- these three use the classic re-entrant uke tuning (gCEa), though the tenor can also be tuned to low-G (GCEa). Those sizes are smallest to largest in terms of body size and scale length. Tenor is a good size for guitarists transferring over to uke, but really all can be used and most just get a soprano. Bari is a more recent invention, and it's larger than the tenor and tuned like a guitar, DGBe.

[SnorkelMonkey]

Like stack's saying suprano is the most popular. That's the size that most identify as the uke sound. Uke is mostly revolves around chords and there's tons of free tab sites these days with an incredible amount of songs to choose from. There was a bit of a Uke craze a few years back do in part to some popular movie (that I didn't see )? It got a jolt in the arm with forums and tab sites popping up all around. Not to push the Flea ukes, I don't work for them btw, but they have a scale that's somewhere between a soprano and a tenor with a little wider string spacing. It gives your fingers a little more room which is pretty nice. In the standard tuning if you learn a few chords you'll be up and running in no time flat. Good luck!

[Stackabones]

I'm blanking on the flick. What was it?

[SnorkelMonkey]

The Flea ukulele. They also make the Fluke. Made in the USA, they use a cheaper process but build the uke around a really nice sound board, they sound really good and are built like bricks (uke bricks that is). You can also stand them up on a shelf and grab them when you get the itch.

 

[masterbuilt]

A concert uke has a little longer neck than a soprano and a little more space between the frets. I prefer concert over soprano any day. Depending on what price range you want to meet, you can find a lot of difference in performance.

 

In solid wood tops, back and sides, you can expect good performance with modest price from Ohana. The Mainland Ukes are a little higher price, about $300 on average for high-quality, great performing ukes. My most expensive uke is the KoAloha Pineapple Sunday. It is $1500, hand-built in Hawaii. It is a concert body with a tenor-scale neck. I also have their "Super-Concert" which runs $930 and is a beauty. So, the upper-end of the scale can cost as much as a Martin or Taylor guitar.

 

I'd strongly recommend Ohana, Mainland, or Kala Ukes for reasonably-priced, great performing ukes.

[BlackHatHunter]

I went through what the OP is going through recently, and if you look for it, the thread must still be there

 

I ended up w/ a Tenor uke, that was the right size for me in terms of room for the fingers and overall comfort.

I chose an 8-string because I liked the fuller sound.

 

i didn't get a Koa uke, which is what I wanted, mostly because I wanted to buy locally and I couldn't find one w/ a pickup, the tenor scale and a price I could afford

So I ended up with a Lanikai w/ nato top and sides. I strum it every day, and I am now teaching the uke to my 10yo son, and he loves it. Knows 4 chords already, he's having a blast.

[panhandler]

I have a concert sized MAINLAND concert UKULELE and I love it! I'm still not proficient at it, but workin it none the less... Many feel these are the best bang for the buck, and I wont disagree.
http://www.mainlandukuleles.com/

[kurtdaniel1]

I've got a Lanikai LU-21CE Concert electric that runs $129 or you can get the LU-21C without the pickup for $79, which i used for my ukulele lessons. These are fantastic for the money. I would recommend the Concert size over the Soprano just because the longer scale makes things not so cramped and the tuning is a bit more stable? If you're willing to spend a bit more ($300-$500) I'd check out the Pono ukes. They usually come with a killer hard case and are just fantastic ukes in that price range.

[Pine Apple Slim]

Id rec a soprano, or a least a concert size. I have an AnueNue Papa which is lam mahogany a soprano w the longer concert neck, a super suprano if you will.

rec going the extra mile from a rep dealer, musicguymic on ebay is good, for good strings and a set up.

Although I had good luck with my AnueNue straight from Zsounds, came with Aquilla strings.

[masterbuilt]

 

Unfortunately, Musicguymic is no longer selling. All is not lost, go with Masterbuilt's recommendation on brands, he has tried them all. On size, for a beginner with no experience I'd say a soprano. Those are easiest for anyone, and some of us even (gasp!) prefer them. Nylon strings do last a long time, but I find mine going out after a month or so, you can tell when the tuning isn't as spot on. Then when you check the underside of the strings, you'll feel divots and that does affect the intonation and tuning. But a casual player will have a set for a year, if not more. String-wise Aquila are popular, and any string that's fluorocarbon will be more stable. Remember, it's tuned like a guitar, in a sense, so the chord shapes are the same, but different keys. Heck, you may even grow to like one yourself.

 

 

Neal, have you had a chance to play the Ohana SK-38? Not a bad Martin #2 knock-off. I was impressed with it. Louis Wu sent me the one we reviewed in the last issue of Ukulele Player. It has considerable volume and the tone is much warmer than I expected.

 

_Mick

[BlackHatHunter]

As a late add-on to this thread, I must admit that the two ukes I use the most are my two baritones... there's something about that size that is very comfortable for me.