A good UKULELE suggestion?

[Steve Zitelli]

I'm also looking for one so I'm not an expert but my cousin has a newer mexican Martin SO and it's sounds really nice.They are around $300 new but you can find them used for under $200 if you're patient.I think it's one of thoase items that is an impulse buy that end up getting little use so used ones are usually unplayed and like new.I regret passing up one on the local craigslist which was mint for $150.Yes they are very plain like a D15 but sound great.I also heard the Harmony Roy Smeck is suppose to be nice but I never heard or played one.

[riverman]

pono makes a uke for the dollar and the HSC that they ship in is absolutely fatastic. if you can find a used koa pono in the form you want (concert is probably a good start, but you WILL find yourself buying a baritone shortly after, I promise), you will have a fantastic instrument for not much money.

[Fran Guidry]

Originally Posted by Larry Pattis

Hey Fran:

What sized Uke does James Hill use on this video?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sTBSVuuiYM

Tenor?

I CANNOT listen to this without smiling...no matter what my mood!

Isn't James amazing?? He does fantastic workshops, too. That instrument is his signature G String tenor.

Fran

[D-utim]

Check out Snail Ukuleles. They sound great and are laminate top, back and sides. I have a tenor, that travels everywhere with me.

[donlyn]

Originally Posted by guitarjunky

I would like to start playing ukulele, but have no idea what brand to buy or where to look for one...

I don't want a toy but would like to stay in the 100-500$ budget to start... I will see later if I need to invest in something handmade...

Any recomandation of a good brand sold in Canada or USA?

Should I go with soprano or concert size?

Thanks!

When I first was looking into ukuleles a few years ago, a guitar player who also played ukulele recommended a Kala KA-STG as a good starter uke. So I got one blind on-line for about $160 (about what it still sells for now). I was, and still am, very pleased with this tenor ukulele. It's a keeper. Solid spruce top over a mahogany (presumably layered) body, it has a nice clear sound and is a great little instrument.

So allow me to recommend it to you too.

Don
.

[jim1960]

The OP posted 11 years ago. I'm betting he's already settled on a uke to buy.

[AndrewG]

Eastman make some nice, all-solid ukuleles within the OP's budget. Here...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLXl1Oh3Z1c

[gmruegg]

My nephew who runs the Denver Uke Society recommends Kala's in this price range. They are very available in most music stores. I would also recommend the tenor size and consider dropping the 4 string down the octave, but that is just my preference. By the way I ended up with a Mexican made Martin tenor that is solid koa. This should be in your price range as well. The plastic bodied ukes just seem like toys to me, but again that's just my preference.

[cdkrugjr]

For that price range look at Kala, Pono, Cordoba, Lanakai.

Kala has "good at the price point" ukes from $100 to $1,200.

The best bog-standard ukes are the "K Brands," specifically Kamaka, Kanile'a, KoAloha and Ko'olau, though like over here there are Martin partisans.

You can spend MUCH more for custom luthiery, just like here.

[BusDriver]

Have you ever looked at Kamaka Ukuleles? It’s a family owned business. They’ve been making ukuleles since the early 1900’s. They only use Hawaiian Koa. Majority of Hawaiian musicians play Kamakas including, Israel Kamakawiwaole.