Ukulele Buyer's Guide (Beginners) Comparing Size, Brands, and Prices

Looking to purchase your first ukulele? Here's a buyer's guide to help you make find the ukulele that is right for you. This video is not sponsored. The majority of the ukuleles shown in this video were borrowed from Heid Music where I teach. Heid Music is an official dealer of Kala, Ohana, Cordoba, and Lanikai products. Some ukes featured in this video I have purchased myself or received as PR samples, and they are clearly labeled below.

The following links are affiliate links where I will receive a portion of the sale.

Sopranos:

Concerts:

Tenors:

Baritone


Katie DeNure is a music teacher at One Music School which offers private Guitar, Voice, and Ukulele lessons online via Skype.

For students located in the Appleton, WI area, Katie DeNure also offers private guitar, voice, and ukulele lessons (in person) at her music studio in downtown Appleton, WI. Group lessons are also available.

#Ukulele

[OneMusicSchool]

WARNING: Cheap Ukes - :27
Uke Sizes - 1:23
Finding the right size - 3:30
Headstocks and Action - 4:11
Materials/Tonewood - 5:06
Sopranos - 6:21
Concerts - 11:17
Tenors - 13:13
Baritones - 15:37

[garcemac]

As a 58 year old lifelong guitarist finally looking for his first good quality ukulele - this is the only video I need. Brilliant job!

[evelinhorvath]

This is such a great begginers guide! It's great to have youtubers like you❤

[redpinkinyourcake]

I don't play ukelele or guitar.
I'm just looking for a new hobby due to my psychiatrist's advice but I see your smile and your passion when you play and this really made my day.
Thank you for the video.
I hope you have a good day too.
(I love the tones too! It sounded cheerful and sweet. I used to play my country's traditional stringed instrument for 10 years which I got no passion in and I think ukulele will be the first instrument that I will get to choose and come to love)

[highvoltage]

The way she looks so happy while she plays

[matt-lx]

I own the Kala long neck soprano and I absolutely love it. The tone to my ear is surprisingly good for it's price range and thick top. I end up recommending the Kala long neck to my friends along with the Cordoba 15cm, which I also own. I would love to see more companies making long neck sopranos.

[imagecarolyn]

I just wanted to pop in and say how much I enjoyed this video. I can just tell how much you enjoy playing each one, how you smile and just get lost in the music. I’m a beginner ukulele player and I can’t wait to enjoy playing at least half as much as you do :)

[Jenny-kgzb]

I have a Lanikai ACST-B. I absolutely love it! It is my first uke, and it is my baby! My concert is a
Balnna Concert, but it's really more for fun, it's rainbow colored, and my soprano is a Hricane which is a nice uke, but just a bit small. I am awaiting the arrival of my Kala Voyager edition "Guidance" in the mail. It's a tenor. Can't wait!

[Joe-mzdc]

You are so incredibly positive and it's inspiring and wonderful and a joy to see. When I started playing guitar at 9 years old I took lessons at the local music store. He was a great guitar player but he was extremely grim and unfriendly. He was a Spanish fellow who took everything very seriously and he didn't like me for some reason. Probably because I was the only one with steel string guitar while the others played a classical. Or something. I'm not sure. But his negativity could have dissuaded me from playing guitar. When I look back on it it amazes me that I actually persisted and continued with the guitar despite that not so great initial impression from that teacher. If I had had a teacher as positive as you I'm sure it would have made a world of difference. You are really sparking and helping people and improving their lives with your wonderful skills but also your amazing character and professionalism. I'm sure you've heard this from your students but let me just say you are a wonderful teacher. Thank you very much.

[Sarakatiuska]

Kala Mandy Harvey is one of the most beautiful ukeleles I've seen in my life! I am definitely adding it to my wish list, first position! Wow... I'm in love!

[Raj-xbvy]

God have I just found the best uke channel on the YouTube!!!
I love everything about this.

[katyhenderson]

I learned so much about ukes from this video! I feel confident to buy one now.

[sirmaestrothehorse]

I have the Mandy Harvey uke and it's my baby I absolutely recommend it!

[paweenapanyaporn]

I just happy to see your beautiful smile when you play every Ukulele. I see the love and happiness in that smile. Beautiful sound you show us make me feel happy and want to learn how to play it. My son has to return the Ukulele to his teacher as the school end. I will get him one tomorrow. Thank you so much for all the info you provide us. So appreciate your VDO.😊🙏🏽

[creatingbeauty]

I have one of the Flight Travel Soprano ukuleles and I love it. It's great. I very much like the tone of it. It's lightweight. It's cute. It's pretty. It can't ever get fret sprout because the neck and the frets are all made of plastic. It isn't to say I wouldn't get a wooden uke one day and perhaps face that issue, but for now I'm very pleased with my Flight Travel uke and I believe I'd always want to have one (meaning down the line when I might have more than one uke, I'd always want to have a Flight Travel as one of them. For now, it is my one and only and I'm happy I chose it to start with.) I also like the tone of it more than I like some of the wooden ones, and I prefer it over some ukes that cost more. Great video, Katie. I've very much enjoyed it!! XOXO

[arc]

This is great, thanks for the diagrams and close-up photos. I didn't know that frets numbers can vary within the same size ukulele. Appreciate all the details about each brand. Cool to see the Flight travel uke and the Kala Exotic Mahogany tenor as I'm a happy player of both :) Thanks again for all your help and time you invest in creating your videos. Happy day.

[Kittywolf]

Just wanted to say that seeing the joy on your face while playing is beautiful! I can really tell how much you enjoy the instrument. I’m struggling to learn... but it’s always nice to see people enjoying the instrument. :)

[yeoarellano]

Thank you! 😊 for sharing your opinions and showing how each one sounds and details. The choice will depend on each person's budget, the sound that one likes best, and the appearance of the ukulele.🌸

[MichaelStoneham]

This is a great overview for new beginners, great Job.
Here are my thoughts and comments after watching it again today.
1. While in general with Soprano ukuleles, as you said, being smaller people find their hands can feel cramped, having a wider neck can help make them less cramped for people with bigger hands.
2. Plastic is not always found on cheap travel ukes, while some are, like the Kala waterman, Makala Dolphin/Shark, Kala Ukeadelic, some of the Enya uke models, other ukes like Ovation, Flea, Fluke, and Outdoor ukuleles are not cheap these more expensive ones tend to have ABS plastic.
3. Laminate Vrs Solid wood: generally with laminate they will be less likely to crack due to temperature varying. Also the tone will stay the same as when you buy it. With solid ukuleles they can be a bit more prone to cracking in extreme temperatures, but a good thing is the sound bets enter and improves with age.

[shield]

My first Ukulele was a Journey UC310 concert. It has a solid mahogany top and laminate back and sides. The only real issue was that it needed a setup since the strings were really high. Once setup I changed the strings to Martin fluorocarbon and the ukulele sounded fantastic and highly recommended.