Where to start in buying a ukulele?

[d34uxd34ux]

I'm hoping to buy my boyfriend a ukulele for his birthday. I don't know instruments, though, and I have no idea how to even start considering what kind, what size, what material, etc. If I'm hoping to spend around $100-$150, what should I look for in a decent quality uke?
Thanks!

 

[JHC]

I hope you are sure that he wants a uke, keep away from the plastic breeds try this link:

http://ukulelehunt.com

 

[marval]

Hello, welcome to the forum.

I know very little about ukuleles, but Colin's link should help you.


Margaret

 

[teddy]

Hello and welcome to the forum. As well as Colins link have you tried Googling it, to pick up as much information as possible. Wiki might help as well. Also try and trace someone locally who plays.

teddy

 

[rootsmusic]

Picking a size depends on personal preference, and how much volume you want out of the instrument. Baritones will be louder, but sopranos and concerts have a nice sweet light sound to them. Tenors are nice because they have decent volume but still sound sweet. One thing to keep in mind is that the baritones are tuned differently than the rest of them, and it can additionally be tuned like a bass guitar which can be cool.

In terms of a top, solid tops are always better. It might be hard to find one in that price range, but you could look around for a solid top ukulele. They'll sound better over time since solid tops get better with age like wine does.

Also, some ukes have a truss rod which is a nice feature if you ever need to adjust the neck. Over time the action (how far the strings are from the fretboard) might get high and you'll need to do an adjustment, or if the neck bends.

And yeah, definitely stay away from the plastic ones!

Tyler Beatrice
Online Guitar Source
http://onlineguitarsource.com

 

[teddy]

Hello rootsmusic and welcome to the forum. Were do you hail from and what are your musical prefferences

teddy

 

[rootsmusic]

Hi Teddy, Thanks for the welcome. I'm from New York, just south of Albany.

I play guitar primarily and listen to everything from Chopin to Bob Marley. Really anything that is good!

 

[teddy]

Sounds like you will fit in well here.

teddy

 

[tashbil7]

Hi! May be too late, but we sell ukuleles [link removed] Loads of information on our page to help you pick the most suitable uke!

 

[ericwood992]

Hello,
I obviously don't have any idea about your boyfriend or his experience with Ukes. I can only speak from personal experience; when I bought one for myself, I paid too much, couldn't master the fingering, and had to sell it. So my advice is not to pay too much for the first one! As JHC said though, it should be a wooden one!
Best wishes,
Eric.