Untitled Page

On Buying a Uke

There is a wide range of ukuleles on the market, made from solid wood, laminated

wood, fiberboard, plastics, or a combination of those materials. Prices range from a

few dollars to many thousands, but price does not always indicate quality and tone.

If you are buying your first ukulele, take an experienced player along to help you

choose. Look for a music store with a range of ukuleles tuned and ready to play. If

you go to a store that has ukuleles still in boxes or untuned, that’s a sign that the staff

cares little about the instrument. Shop elsewhere.

Take your time and listen to as many instruments as possible. You will find a marked

variation in the quality of sound between better ukuleles even of the same brand and

model. A solid wood instrument will actually improve and become more mellow with

age and use. Keep this in mind when purchasing a ukulele. Most inexpensive

ukuleles come with poor quality strings and will benefit from a set of synthetic nylon

strings like Aquila Nylgut or Worth. (When you replace the strings, change one at a

time so you can copy the original knot sequence.)

Purchase the best instrument you can afford with the best tone and best action. (The

action refers to the distance between the strings and the frets; a well set up

instrument is easy on the fingers and a delight to play.) A local music store is

probably the best place to begin. Avoid online sales of second-hand ukuleles unless

you can try the instrument first. And keep in mind that a serious musician rarely sells

a good instrument.