Best Beginner Ukuleles

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Best Beginner Ukuleles

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How to Choose the Best Ukulele

Do you want to learn to play one of the easiest instruments? The ukulele might be for you! This traditionally Hawaiian instrument has a distinctive sound that’s unmistakable! We’ve put together a ukulele buying guide to help you choose the best instrument! The beginning player in your life will love it. Let’s take a look at some of the things you should know before you start shopping. After, we will check out the ukulele reviews!

Best Beginner Ukuleles

Type: Ukuleles have a couple different types. There are electric ukuleles, which hook to an amp, concert ones, as well as the soprano, tenor, and baritone varieties. This just refers to the size and the sound.

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Material: Most ukuleles are made of wood in order to achieve that classic ukulele sound. These range anywhere from hardwood to maple, to basswood with rosewood or other wood type accents. Quality often depends on these materials.

How to Choose the Best Ukulele

Pieces: Beginner ukuleles tend to come in a kit, so that you have everything you need, including picks and new strings. This may even include instructional booklets or other material to help you learn how to play.

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Case: Does it come with a case? Most will, but there are some that you will need to buy a separate bag for. Cases can be hard cases, nylon bags, or padded bags for the most part.

Best Beginner Ukuleles

Size: This is the size of the ukulele. In addition to having different sizes for different types, this is included so that you get a general idea. Get the size you’re going to be most comfortable playing.

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Warranty: Do the tuners not work? Do the strings not hold a tune? If not, you could get your purchase replaced or refunded if it’s a manufacturing error. This is protection for you and your purchase!

Top 10 Products

Now that you know all you need to know about ukuleles, let’s get to the reviews! You’ll be playing in no time with the best ukuleles we could find in our research. Check out our top pick and budget pick first – they’re the best of the best for sure! But the rest of our list isn’t too shabby either, and you may be able to find the perfect new string instrument for you or the aspiring player in your life!

Kala Baritone Ukulele

Kala Baritone Ukulele
Kala is a big name in ukuleles, so much so that we had to put it on our list. This baritone instrument is big for a ukulele, so be aware of that before you purchase! It comes with a full beginner’s kit, including a gig bag (or soft case) to put it in, a polishing cloth to keep the satin finish on the instrument looking good. It also includes a digital tuner that clips onto the top of your ukulele in order to help you keep it tuned and functional. The strings are nylon synthetic, and they sound amazing! It also comes with an instructional DVD that covers this and all other types of ukuleles, so you can truly get the feel for it. The body of this instrument is made with agathis mahogany wood, and the fingerboard is gorgeous rosewood. It’s not only the best Kala ukulele we looked at, it’s also the best baritone ukulele!
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ADM Ukulele Soprano

ADM Ukulele Soprano
Our pick for the best cheap ukulele goes to the ADM Soprano version. It comes with a waterproof nylon bag to keep your ukulele in for travel and safety! It has a clip-on LED tuner that makes keeping your instrument in tune easier than ever before! It also comes with a neck strap for supporting your instrument while you stand up to play it, a polishing cloth for keeping it looking good, and plectrums, or finger picks. It has a very distinctive warm tone to it when you strum it, which we really liked. The top is made of basewood and the body is linden. It’s sturdily constructed and really easy to play once you get the hang of it. Make sure that you tune the strings when you get it! The best part about this ukulele is the number of colors it comes in: red, green, purple, and blue are among the options. That’s pretty neat!
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Donner Concert Ukulele

Donner Concert Ukulele
The Donner Concert Ukulele is one of the bigger types of instrument. It’s almost as big as a traditional guitar! The frets are marked on the neck and the top of the fingerboard for easy learning. You’ll pick it up in no time with the way these frets are clearly marked! It’s comfortable to hold because of its size and feels very natural. The fingerboard and bridge are made of rosewood, a favorite for these parts, and the strings are made of carbon nylon. It even has the right sound for a traditional ukulele! It’s easy to change the strings, taking a lot of the anxiety out of owning a string instrument. It even comes with a clip-on tuner and strap, as well as extra strings! This is a great beginner pack, and it comes with a lot of necessary accessories you’ll love to have! Even finger picks are included. The beginner in your life will love this ukulele!
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Hricane Tenor Ukulele

Hricane Tenor Ukulele
This Hricane Ukulele is one of the best ukuleles for beginners that we found! The tuners are chrome-plated for an awesome, shiny look. The fingerboard is rosewood, which offsets the Sapele-wood body beautifully. There are 12 brass frets on the neck with fret markers to help beginners learn. It’s definitely a high-quality instrument! This ukulele has such a sweet sound when it’s strummed, making it perfect for someone who just loves the sound of one of these instruments. The strings are heavy-duty carbon nylon, so you won’t have to change them out right away. The instrument is felt by hand in the factory to assure quality, and the wood is hand-dried to make sure that you’re getting the best of the best! There’s even a pretty carving around the hole in the body, so it looks custom and pretty neat! We loved how much time this company devotes to their products, and this ukulele is no different.
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Hola! Music Ukulele Bundle

Hola! Music Ukulele Bundle
This beginner ukulele bundle from Hola comes in an amazing ten different color selections! These include teal, orange, pink, green, and even purple! Such great style at such an affordable price! The kit comes with a canvas tote bag, strap for the neck, and four finger picks to help with your strumming. The body of this ukulele is maple, with a rosewood fingerboard and bridge. The strings are made of high-quality white nylon with silver geared tuners, so that entire system is good to go! You don’t need to change the strings out. There are 12 silver nickel frets on the neck with fret markers. It has a wonderful pitch! The strings are actually from the brand Aquila. A big worry with colored instruments is that the paint will detract from the natural beauty of the wood, but that isn’t the case – the paint is a thin layer, so the wood underneath shines through. We love that!
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Caramel Tenor Acoustic Ukulele

Caramel Tenor Acoustic Ukulele
This ukulele from Caramel is unique on our list because it has a rod in the neck, a truss rod, which allows you to adjust the size of the neck for different arm lengths. That’s a pretty awesome feature for smaller kids! The boy is made of zebra wood, which we hadn’t seen before. The nut and saddle for adjusting the neck are said to be made of buffalo bone, which is neat. It’s the best tenor ukulele we’ve seen! The strings are Aquila brand, and there are open geared tuners. 18 frets run the length of the neck so you have plenty of room to learn how to play. The construction is solid and it has a pretty neat sun design around the hole in the body that looks really cool. It also produces a neat, rich sound with the current strings, so you will not have to replace them with beefier strings right away.
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Diamond Head Ukulele

Diamond Head Ukulele
Diamond Head is a pretty popular name in ukuleles – they make some very high-quality pieces as a result! Their beginner’s line is no different at all. It comes in 11 different colors including a unique yellow-gold and three different shades of blue. The tuners are made guitar-style, and they’re geared so you can tune them easy enough. The bridge is easy to take off and tie on, to make it easy to change the strings out entirely if you want to, or when they need it. Each color comes with a matching-colored gigbag. The ukulele itself has a maple body, and the pain has a high gloss quality that’s pretty amazing, or so we think. It’s got an amazing sound quality and is fun to play. IT fits well in your hands and you’ll be playing in no time! We think it’s the best ukulele for sale, and definitely the best ukulele to buy for the beginner in your life!
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Kangaroo Ukulele

Kangaroo Ukulele
The Kangaroo Ukulele is specifically made for children, so if your little one has started to show some interest, this is the perfect instrument to get them! It’s affordable enough that if they lose interest or it’s just not the instrument for them, you aren’t out a lot of money. It’s not a huge investment that you have to encourage. But it does have a classic ukulele sound that everyone will love. It works really well and has a sturdy design that won’t be broken anytime soon. It comes with a book to help teach you how to play, which is very effective, it turns out. That and the colors it comes in make this our pick for the best beginner ukulele, for someone who has no idea what it is, to begin with. It’s small enough for little hands and the strings aren’t going to be hard on their fingertips. We love that it’s an instrument specifically for kids!
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Ellen Electric Concert Ukulele

The Ellen is the only electric ukulele on our list! And with all of the extras it comes with, it’s no wonder why. As it’s an electric ukulele, it requires an amp to work – which comes conveniently enough in this beginner package! That’s pretty amazing, we think, considering amps are usually pretty expensive by themselves. It also comes with extra strings and a strap to keep it supported around your neck. The amp comes with a battery and a power adaptor, so you can play it on the go or at home! It has a warm sound that is only magnified by the electric properties. We’ve named this our best electric ukulele. It comes with a padded case that’s pretty nice to carry everything around in, and there’s even extra space between the frets so you can learn how to play. The strings are nylon and perfect for the electric sound, and not to mention it looks pretty sleek!
The Ellen is the only electric ukulele on our list! And with all of the extras it comes with, it’s no wonder why. As it’s an electric ukulele, it requires an amp to work – which comes conveniently enough in this beginner package! That’s pretty amazing, we think, considering amps are usually pretty expensive by themselves. It also comes with extra strings and a strap to keep it supported around your neck. The amp comes with a battery and a power adaptor, so you can play it on the go or at home! It has a warm sound that is only magnified by the electric properties. We’ve named this our best electric ukulele. It comes with a padded case that’s pretty nice to carry everything around in, and there’s even extra space between the frets so you can learn how to play. The strings are nylon and perfect for the electric sound, and not to mention it looks pretty sleek!
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POMAIKAI Soprano Ukulele

The POMAIKAI soprano ukulele is one of the best soprano ukuleles on our list. It comes in mahogany and blue, so there is something for the traditionalist as well as someone who wants something fun. The strings are made of nylon and they’re super flexible to allow for a different quality of sound. These ukuleles look really attractive! There are fret markets along the side of the neck to make it easy for beginners to find them. It is the classic size, in addition to being lightweight and easy to play. The body is basswood with black hardwood fingerboards. There are 12 frets along the neck, made of shiny metal so it is easy to find them. This whole kit is an affordable price for beginners, and it has the sound quality you want! The finish on both paint jobs is really glossy, so make sure to keep it polished so it keeps looking amazing!
The POMAIKAI soprano ukulele is one of the best soprano ukuleles on our list. It comes in mahogany and blue, so there is something for the traditionalist as well as someone who wants something fun. The strings are made of nylon and they’re super flexible to allow for a different quality of sound. These ukuleles look really attractive! There are fret markets along the side of the neck to make it easy for beginners to find them. It is the classic size, in addition to being lightweight and easy to play. The body is basswood with black hardwood fingerboards. There are 12 frets along the neck, made of shiny metal so it is easy to find them. This whole kit is an affordable price for beginners, and it has the sound quality you want! The finish on both paint jobs is really glossy, so make sure to keep it polished so it keeps looking amazing!
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About the Author

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Kimberly Graf

Expert Researcher and Writer

Kimberly Graf is a researcher and writer for GeekWrapped.com. She covers kitchen, cooking, and home products.

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Article last updated on:

September 30, 2019

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TOP PICK

Kala Baritone Ukulele

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