Concert<\/em> ukes are the next size up. Most adult beginners find this size the easiest to play. Sound is midway between tenor and soprano.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tenor<\/em> ukes are still larger. Usually more expensive. May be big for small hands. Bigger, mellower sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Baritone<\/em> ukes are the largest. They also use a different tuning. Because they use a different tuning, instiructional videos and books for the smaller sizes do not apply to them \u2014 so they are not recommended if you’re new to the uke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are five ukuleles I\u2019ve actually played. All sound pretty good and play in tune. In order of increasing price (2025 prices).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Makala Dolphin Soprano \u2014 ~$80 on Reverb (plastic back, wood laminate soundboard). Cheap and durable, and has been the uke of choice for many school uke programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Flight UTS-35 Soprano \u2014 ~$80 on Reverb (all plastic). I own several, and use them to teach kids how to play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Outdoor Ukulele: Soprano \u2014 ~$205; Tenor, ~$225; buy direct \u2014 www.outdoorukulele.com (all poly-carbonate). I own a soprano and tenor; they are tough and durable, and I use them around the campfire or any place I don’t want to use my good all-wood ukes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n aNueNue Color Concert \u2014 ~300 from World of Ukes (all wood and solid wood top). I have owned several, loved them, but sold them on to beginners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fluke Concert \u2014 ~$300; buy direct \u2014 magicfluke.com (plastic back, wood laminate soundboard). I’ve never owned one, but have played the. They sound great, are durable, and are used by professional uke players (Jim Beloff has done recordings with his Flukes).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Got a Ukulele website is the most trustworthy source for online reviews. Unfortunately, Baz is no longer updating the site. Plus, reading his reviews teaches you what to look for in a good uke. Listening to his videos allows you to compare ukes fairly (he always plays exactly the same thing for a sound sample). \u2014 www.gotaukulele.com\/p\/ukulele-reviews.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Look for a dealer who does a basic quality check. A good dealer will check over every ukulele they sell for quality issues. Some dealers also do adjustments called \u201cset-up\u201d to make the uke easy to play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is not an exhaustive list, just some ideas to get you started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mim\u2019s Ukes:<\/a> Full range of ukes. She is known for her excellent set-up, and sets up every uke herself. As a result, she takes limited numbers of online orders. (I have not purchased ukes from her, but know people who rave about her customer service and set-up.) \u2014 mimsukes.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n World of Ukes:<\/a> English company, wide range of ukes, he does a full set-up, ships to U.S. (I have purchased ukes from him, and was very happy with the customer service and the set-up.) \u2014 worldofukes.co.uk<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Ukulele Site:<\/a> This used to be my go-to online uke seller, but in the past couple of years they’ have focused ‘ve turned most of their efforts to selling their own brand, \u2018Oli. However, if you don’t want a \u2018Oli uke, they do still sell a small range of high-end ukes; probably the best place to buy, e.g., a Kamaka. Basic quality control on all ukes, more extensive set-up comes standard with high-end ukes. \u2014 theukulelesite.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aloha City Ukes:<\/a> Reputable dealer, wide range of ukes, basic quality control and set-up. (I have purchased ukes here, and got good customer service.) \u2014 alohacityukes.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reverb:<\/a> Online marketplace for musical instruments. Wide range of new, used, and collectible ukes. Their \u201cprotection plan\u201d promises you won\u2019t get stiffed by one of their online sellers. No set-up. \u2014 reverb.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sweetwater:<\/a> Reputable online music store selling mostly cheap ukes. They don’t do a full set-up, and may not do quality control, but they have excellent return policies and great customer service. (While I haven’t purchased ukes from Sweetwater, I’ve purchased other music supplies from them, and they have great customer service and very competitive prices.) \u2014 www.sweetwater.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n Amazon: Buyer beware! Online uke forums carry sad tales from people who got unplayable ukes on Amazon. Plus, their prices are often higher than reputable dealers. Do NOT buy ukes from Amazon!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Most in-person music stores carry a fairly limited selection of ukuleles, and often the salespeople don\u2019t know much about ukes. If you buy in person at one of these stores (e.g., at Guitar Center), bring an experienced ukulele player along to check over the ukes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are a limited number of in-person stores specializing in ukuleles. Examples: England has World of Ukes and Southern Ukulele Store. Chicago has Aloha City Ukes. Hawai’i has several stores. Search the internet or ask on uke forums for suggestions near you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Always tune your uke before you play it. Watch Youtube videos to learn how to tune.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tuning apps on your phone work great. But if you\u2019re playing in a group, your phone will pick up ambient noise, making it hard to tune. A clip-on tuner only picks up the sound of your uke, so you can use it to tune in a noisy room. Less than $20.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Standard tuning for a uke is: G for string closest to your chin as you hold the uke, then C, then E, then A for the string farthest from your chin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are three types of \u2018ukulele bridge \u2014 tie bridge, slotted bridge, or pin bridge. In addition, there are two types of \u2018ukulele headstock \u2014 standard headstock (with tuning pegs that stick up from the headstock), or slotted headstock (with tuning pegs that stick out into the slots in the headstock). The three videos below show all these possibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How often should you change \u2018ukulele strings? Barry Maz of “Got a Ukulele” has common sense advice.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n “How to change ukulele strings”<\/a> with Barry Maz of Got a Ukulele (Youtube video). Includes both<\/em> the tie bridge and<\/em> the slotted bridge. With a standard headstock. If you want more info on slotted bridges, Barry Maz has a video showing just slotted bridges<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “How to restring a tie-on bridge ukulele”<\/a> with Alex Beds of the Southern Ukulele Store (Youtube video). With a standard headstock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “How to restring a ukulele with bridge pins”<\/a> with Alex Beds of the Southern Ukulele Store (Youtube video). With a slotted headstock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are so many different brands of uke strings. How do you choose? Two good basic choices:<\/p>\n\n\n\n D\u2019Addario Nylon EJ53 (Jake uses these)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aquila Nylgut (widely used)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strings by Mail<\/a> is a reliable online seller with competitive prices \u2014 www.stringsbymail.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n The string closest to your chin (as you hold the uke) is the G string, also called the 4th string.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The string beyond that is the C string, also called the 3rd string.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The string beyond that is the E string, also called the 2nd string.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And the string farthest from your chin is the A string, also called the 1st string.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The frets are numbered from the nut down towards the sound hole. So the fret closest to the nut is the 1st fret, next one is 2nd fret, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These help protect your uke, make your uke easier to carry, and usually have a place to put things like a tuner, spare strings, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gig bags range from thin bags that provide little protection, to structured bags that are heavily padded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cases have a hard shell, and provide more protection for your uke. If you want to buy a case for your uke, the cheapest option is a canvas covered hard case; Uke Crazy is one brand \u2014 both Kala and Lanikai sell this case under their own brand name, and Sweetwater sells the Kala-branded version for about $50.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Straps are NOT necessary, but some players use them to provide more stability when playing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Standard straps require a strap button \u2014 that\u2019s a dingus at the end of the body to which one end of the strap attaches. The other end gets tied to the headstock just above the nut. It\u2019s best to get a luthier or guitar tech to install the strap button for you. They can sell you a strap, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you don\u2019t want to install a strap button on your uke, there are ukulele straps with a clip that goes in the sound hole to hold them up. One example is the Fremont ukulele strap by Kiwaya, ~$20 from theukulelesite.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n The \u201cUke Leash\u201d is another option that requires no strap button, but it\u2019s sort of a partial strap, which not everyone likes. ~$20 from ukeleash.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n Store your uke in its case or gig bag when you\u2019re not using it. Even if you have a plastic uke (which are quite durable), you\u2019ll want to protect the strings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep your uke away from temperature extremes, e.g. don\u2019t leave it in a hot car in summertime. (One exception is the Outdoor Ukulele, which has been tested for temperature extremes.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you get an expensive all solid wood ukulele, get a hard case. Then learn proper care of wood instruments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Regular lessons really help you progress. For in-person lessons, many guitar teachers can get you started with basic ukulele. For online lessons, you can find teachers who specialize in ukulele; one example in the Boston area is Anne Ku \u2014 www.anneku.com\/classes<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are MANY uke tutorials on Youtube. Ukulele magazine has a great first ukulele lesson to get you started.<\/a> Ukulele magazine\u2014 ukulelemagazine.com \u2014 also features topnotch teachers with their teaching videos. Check out the tutorials featured by the magazine, decide which teachers you like best, then search for them on Youtube. A few reputable online teachers include Cynthia Lin, Sarah Maisel, James Hill, Aaron Keim (Americana), and Samantha Muir (classical).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" BUYING A UKE 1. What\u2019s a Good \u201cFirst Ukulele\u201d? For your first instrument, expect to pay about $100. Yes, you can get cheaper ukes, but you want something that\u2019s playable and doesn\u2019t sound bad. If you can spend a little more than $100, you\u2019ll get a better-sounding uke that\u2019s easier to play. a. What size … Continue reading “Ukulele resources”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":56,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-13391","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/yauu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13391","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/yauu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/yauu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/yauu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/yauu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13391"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/yauu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13391\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13406,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/yauu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13391\/revisions\/13406"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/yauu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/56"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/yauu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13391"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}b. Four suggestions for beginner ukes<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
c. Review sites<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
2. Where To Buy a Ukulele<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
a. Reputable online dealers<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
b. Other online sellers<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
c. In-person music stores<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
STRINGS AND TUNING<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Tuning Your Uke<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. How to restring a \u2018ukulele<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
a. restring a \u2018ukulele \u2014 tie bridge and slotted bridge<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/yauu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Restring-ukulele-tie-and-slotted-1024x665.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nb. restring a \u2018ukulele \u2014 tie bridge<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/yauu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Restring-uke-tie-bridge-1024x665.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nc. restring a \u2018ukulele \u2014 pin bridge<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/yauu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Restring-ukulele-pin-bridge-1024x665.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n3. Buying new uke strings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR UKE<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Naming the Strings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Numbering the Frets<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Cases and Gig Bags<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. Straps and Strap Buttons<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. Caring for Your Uke<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nLESSONS AND VIDEOS<\/h2>\n\n\n\n