Best Ukuleles

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Best Ukuleles

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How to Choose the Best Ukulele

The ukulele, despite being one of the easiest instruments to learn, also has a distinct sound that most people associate with Hawaiian and Island cultures. For everyone enthusiastic to learn, we’ve compiled a ukulele buying guide to help you choose the instrument that will have you up and playing in no time. These are great for beginners. Let’s look at some of the things you should look for when ukulele shopping.

Best Ukuleles

Type: There a few different types of Ukuleles. Electric Ukuleles hook to an amp. There are concert ukuleles, tenor, soprano, and baritone varieties as well. The type affects both the sound and the size of the instrument.

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Material: Most ukuleles will be made of some type of wood. This helps it achieve that classic ukulele sound that everyone strives for. The most common wood types are maple, basswood, and rosewood. Better ukuleles are made of better wood!

How to Choose the Best Ukulele

Pieces: Some of the ukuleles in this list come with picks, new strings, and a case. Some even come with materials that help you learn how to play. This is the number of things that come with the ukulele.

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Case: Most instruments on this list come with a case that you can use to carry the ukulele from gig to gig, or just store it in. These are mostly nylon bags or padded bags.

Best Ukuleles

Size: These are the dimensions of the ukulele. This will affect the sound, and all the different types of ukuleles are defined by different sizes. Go for the size you’re going to be more comfortable playing.

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Warranty: If there is something on your ukulele that doesn’t work, you can get a refund or a replacement sent to you within the warranty time frame. It helps to protect your instrument from manufacturing errors!

Top 10 Products

That’s about all you need to know about ukuleles! Now we can get to the ukulele reviews. It’s a simple instrument, and we’re sure that you’ll find exactly the right one for you. You’ll be playing in no time! All of your friends will be impressed. Take a look at our top pick and budget pick first, but give the rest of our list equal consideration as well. Get the perfect fit for the aspiring magician in you!

Kala Baritone Ukulele

Kala Baritone Ukulele
Kala is the go-to brand for great quality ukuleles, so it obviously had to come in at the top of our list. It’s a baritone instrument, so it’s rather big for a ukulele. Be aware of that so you don’t expect something smaller. It’s one of the best ukuleles for beginners on our list because it comes with a full kit packed with goodies to help you get going, including a soft case, a cloth to polish to wood, and a digital tuner. Keep your synthetic nylon strings sounding great with no effort! Included as well is an instructional DVD with this ukulele and other types as well. The mahogany wood that makes up the body creates a great sound. Whoever the beginner in your life is, they are absolutely going to love this set. The fingerboard is done in beautiful rosewood, and the entire instrument is well-crafted with high-quality craftsmanship. We sure you’ll love it!
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ADM Ukulele Soprano

ADM Ukulele Soprano
ADM is one of the best cheap ukulele brands that still maintains quality while providing an affordable price. This particular ukulele comes in purple, pink, and teal – as well as black, brown, and blue. It comes with a nylon bag that will keep water and damage from coming to your ukulele. The LED tuner clips onto the head of the instrument to make sure that it is always ready to play. The neck strap that comes in this kit also helps to support the instrument while you’re standing up. It also comes with a variety of finger picks and a polishing cloth. This soprano ukulele has a warm quality when you strum it, due to the Lindenwood body and basswood top section. This ukulele is sturdy and very easy to play. We love all the colors that it comes in, so it’s easy for you to accessorize your ukulele experience. It doesn’t get much easier to learn to play!
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Donner Concert Ukulele

Donner Concert Ukulele
The concert ukulele, like this Donner-made model, is a bigger instrument than most of the others. It’s the next size down from an acoustic guitar! You can easily see the frets on this model, and they are marked to make it easier to learn how to play it. Because of the size, it might be more comfortable to play for someone who is used to the traditional guitar size. The fingerboard and bridge pieces are all made of rosewood, which is remarkably sturdy and allows the pieces to function well. It has the traditional ukulele sound, with the added bonus of coming in a kit. This contender for the best cheap concert ukulele comes with extra strings so you don’t have to purchase new ones, a clip-on tuner to keep it sounding great, as well as a shoulder strap and finger picks to help you learn. It’s a comprehensive kit for a beginner to playing the ukulele.
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Hricane Tenor Ukulele

Hricane Tenor Ukulele
This ukulele from Hricane is one of the best tenor ukuleles we could find. The tuners on the head of the instrument are shiny, plated in chrome so they add a nice touch to the design. The fingerboard is rosewood, of course, which is a nice offset to the dark hardwood of the body. Twelve brass frets allow you to learn easily by being extremely noticeable on the darker fingerboard. It’s got a sweet, island sound when you strum it, and the strings are made of carbon nylon – these are high-quality strings that won’t bust on you, and you won’t have to change them out. We love that it’s hand-verified for quality and that the wood is hand-dried – there is a lot of craftsmanship that goes into making one of Hricane’s ukuleles, and we love that they take the time to do it without relying on a machine. It’s even detailed for a beautifully finished piece!
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Hola! Music Ukulele Bundle

Hola! Music Ukulele Bundle
Hola! Music carries one of the best ukuleles for beginners. This is a complete set with a lot of extras. The best part? It comes in ten unique colors to fully customize your ukulele experience. You can’t beat that! The colors that are available are blue, teal, purple, red, pink, orange, green, mahogany, brown, and black! The paint is finished beautifully so you don’t have to worry about it looking bad. They are beautiful instruments that even beginners can appreciate. The kit comes with a canvas tote bag to carry it in, as well as a strap for comfort and picks to strum it with. The strings on these ukes are high-quality white nylon strings, that go beautifully with silver-geared tuners and 12 silver nickel frets. It’s a gorgeous combination that makes this instrument really pop! The paint does not at all detract from the natural beauty of these instruments, and that is wonderful!
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Caramel Tenor Acoustic Ukulele

Caramel Tenor Acoustic Ukulele
Aside from being a gorgeous piece of artistry, this Caramel ukulele is the best beginner tenor ukulele we could find. We’ve classified it as a beginner ukulele because of the truss rod embedded in the neck piece. This truss rod allows this long piece to be adjusted for different arm lengths. It’s great for kids or younger people who want to learn how to play – and it’s both comfortable and stylish! There are 18 frets running along the length of the neck, giving you plenty of room to learn how to play. The strings are Aquila-brand, so they are already really high-quality, and the tuners have open gears for ease of use. It’s great for someone who hasn’t picked it up before to try and learn what they’re doing – everything about this ukulele is geared towards helping you learn. That’s an invaluable feature! This ukulele only comes with the instrument. You can pick out the things you need yourself!
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Diamond Head Ukulele

Diamond Head Ukulele
A lot of people really seem to like Diamond Head ukuleles. They are a popular brand that delivers consistent, quality instruments at a price that you’re going to absolutely love. There are 11 different colors and styles in this beginner’s line of instruments. It comes in black, dark blue, brown, and green, as well as pink, red, white, light blue, mahogany, and purple. The last color is a yellow-gold that we haven’t seen on any other type of ukulele! We love all of the bright rainbow colors, and the price combined with that feature makes this the best cheap ukulele on our list. The body is made of maple, and the pain colors are painted on with high gloss paint that will look great and last a long time. The sound quality is similarly amazing, and it fits perfectly in your hands. Soprano ukuleles like this one are the smallest and easiest to play, so you can’t go wrong!
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Kangaroo Ukulele

Kangaroo Ukulele
Are your kids the ukulele enthusiasts in your family? Good news! This Kangaroo Ukulele is specifically made for kids. It’s the perfect instrument to get to start them out, as it comes with an electric tuner, a songbook with step-by-step instructions that are really easy to follow, as well as a shoulder strap for little arms, a carrying case, and two picks to strum with. It comes in a small variety of colors to make kids excited about it. It’s small enough for little hands, and the strings aren’t hard so their fingertips will stay comfortable while they play. What’s great about this ukulele is the fact that it’s affordable. If your child loses interest down the road, you aren’t out a whole lot of change. And if they love playing the instrument, you can always go with an upgrade! There’s no risk! This makes it the best beginner ukulele for the youngest of the beginning players!
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Ellen Electric Concert Ukulele

One of the best concert ukulele brands is Ellen – and this time, they’re coming in with the only electric ukulele on our list! It comes with so many extras, it’s a full kit without any extra pieces to purchase! It requires an amp, but don’t rush out and buy one: this beginner package comes fully equipped with an amp that works perfectly with the ukulele. Usually, amps are expensive on their own, so this is a great deal! It also comes with extra strings, and a shoulder strap for extra support. This is especially useful because the concert ukulele is the biggest one that you can buy. It comes with a padded case that will store everything that comes in this package but the separate amp. That’s still pretty amazing! There’s a battery as well as a power adaptor for the amp, so you can even play on the go! It’s the best electric ukulele we found!
One of the best concert ukulele brands is Ellen – and this time, they’re coming in with the only electric ukulele on our list! It comes with so many extras, it’s a full kit without any extra pieces to purchase! It requires an amp, but don’t rush out and buy one: this beginner package comes fully equipped with an amp that works perfectly with the ukulele. Usually, amps are expensive on their own, so this is a great deal! It also comes with extra strings, and a shoulder strap for extra support. This is especially useful because the concert ukulele is the biggest one that you can buy. It comes with a padded case that will store everything that comes in this package but the separate amp. That’s still pretty amazing! There’s a battery as well as a power adaptor for the amp, so you can even play on the go! It’s the best electric ukulele we found!
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POMAIKAI Soprano Ukulele

POMAIKAI is another one of the best ukulele brands that in the business right now. There are two available colors for this instrument – mahogany, which is a more natural wood color, and blue. Whether you want something traditional or fun, you can choose the version that’s best for you. The nylon strings are flexible and allow for different sound qualities – which is a nice feature. These aren’t throw-away strings! The finish on the paint is glossy, so you can keep it polished with a microfiber cloth to keep wowing your friends with your skills! There are 12 frets on the neck, easy to find because of their shiny metal. You have a lot of room to learn to play, and this kit (ukulele and case) is extremely affordable, especially if you aren’t sure if ukulele is for you quite yet! It’s lightweight and fun, and that makes it a pretty awesome buy in our opinion. It’s also really good quality.
POMAIKAI is another one of the best ukulele brands that in the business right now. There are two available colors for this instrument – mahogany, which is a more natural wood color, and blue. Whether you want something traditional or fun, you can choose the version that’s best for you. The nylon strings are flexible and allow for different sound qualities – which is a nice feature. These aren’t throw-away strings! The finish on the paint is glossy, so you can keep it polished with a microfiber cloth to keep wowing your friends with your skills! There are 12 frets on the neck, easy to find because of their shiny metal. You have a lot of room to learn to play, and this kit (ukulele and case) is extremely affordable, especially if you aren’t sure if ukulele is for you quite yet! It’s lightweight and fun, and that makes it a pretty awesome buy in our opinion. It’s also really good quality.
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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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