What Ukelele Should a Beginner Get?

Every ukulele instructor will tell you that you will learn faster and better on a good-sounding ukulele. They are absolutely correct!  Unfortunately, most low-end ukes sound terrible.  But this does not mean your first ukulele should be expensive. It seems silly to pay extra up-front when starting a new hobby, when there's a real risk you'll not pursue it.

Instead, I usually suggest to my fellow ukulele beginners (I'm a perma-beginner myself) that they start with an inexpensive uke on sale at a local music store (ideally a ukulele store, and certainly not Walmart). Then also buy a set of D'Addario strings (not the best, but absolutely the best bang-for-the-buck), a replacement saddle, and a replacement nut, all of which costs about $10 total.

Load two apps on your phone: A ukulele tuner app (I like DaTuner Pro) and a metronome app (I like Metronome Beats). Instructions for tuning a ukulele are easy to find, if they are not included with the ukulele. Then go to a local ukulele meetup and learn a few chords and couple songs, just enough to begin to get a feel for your uke. The goal is to know how your uke sounds as-is.

Next, learn the basics of ukulele setup, how to adjust the feel and the sound. There are many good YT videos about DIY uke setup. There are also YT videos of luthiers competing to see who can make the worst ukulele sound best using only basic setup techniques (no disassembly and rebuilding). The results are impressive!

I view learning basic uke setup (string replacement, nut and saddle adjustment, checking intonation) the exact same way I view learning basic bicycle setup (setting the seat height, changing tires and tubes, cleaning the chain, adjusting the brakes, etc.). Sure, you could pay someone else to do all that, but the money saved by learning to do it yourself can instead go toward buying your next upgrade!

My own very basic luthier skills were developed while I was in the US Navy, after paying next to nothing for a used acoustic guitar that had a great name but sounded horrible. It was a relatively rare model made in the 1970s by the Kiso-Suzuki Violin Company (the maker of Suzuki violins) that was never imported to the US. I soon discovered the truss-rod was broken, and would cost more to replace than I could afford, as the neck would need to be removed. After much experimentation, the final changes I made were to switch to heavy steel strings to pull the neck up, and to replace the nut and saddle to better position the strings and to dial in the intonation.  It was difficult to play, but sounded great.  (When it became clear I had no talent for the guitar, I sold it for triple what I had paid, and the new owner took it to a real luthier to replace the truss rod and undo my hacks.)

I've done the same setup for my beginner ukes: I bought inexpensive wood ukes on sale (always under $100, generally closer to $50) of each size (Soprano, Concert, Tenor, Baritone), then made each sound as good as I could for $10 in parts (strings, saddle, nut).  Next, I played them alongside each other to see which felt best in my hands. For the Tenor and Baritone, I also tried both high-G and low-G strings, along with solid and wound strings.

The only times I went to a professional luthier were when I broke something or failed to improve the sound. While the luthier trip cost more than replacing the uke (and the luthier was not thrilled to be working on junk), I felt it was an investment I needed to make to learn what I did wrong and how to prevent it next time. From my perspective, I was actually paying for our conversation (a tutorial) rather than for the uke repair itself. (Note: I recommend using luthiers who also make instruments from scratch, basically the difference between an engineer and a technician.)

When I decided I wanted high-G Tenor uke (the sound of a Concert in a larger Tenor body), I started shopping to find the best instrument that would fit in my limited budget. I finally bought a great uke that was on sale at a local store for less than 50% of MSRP. The thing about that particular uke is that it had been sitting on the wall unsold for at least a year because it didn't sound great compared to the less expensive ukes next to it.  The uke also wouldn't hold its tuning for more than a day, and the store had never had a luthier look at it (at the time their luthier was an external contractor, not an employee).

One minute in my hands and I could tell the strings weren't right, and when I asked if they were original, I was told a shopper had over-tightened and broken a string, and a store clerk had installed a replacement set. Obviously the worst strings they carried, which I suspected were also the wrong size!  I negotiated the price down even further, then told the store I'd buy the uke if they tossed in a set of premium Aquilla strings.  The deal was made: I got a $400 uke for $150!

All I did was replace the strings.  Everything else was perfect!  This is the uke I play most, and it is sitting next to me while I write this. It sings so sweetly when played well, and lets me know in no uncertain terms when I make a mistake, which makes my limited practice time far more productive. As my playing technique slowly improves, my cheap ukes also sound better!

As I said at the top, ukulele teachers are correct when they say you will learn better and faster on a good-sounding uke. But no beginner needs their first uke to be expensive, unless they have money to burn. Instead, start with an inexpensive sale uke, then add $10 for strings, nut and saddle.  Put in the time and effort needed to learn to do the setup yourself. You will learn your new instrument inside and out, and will also have the pleasure of playing a great-sounding bargain!

Once you know you will be playing the uke forever, then start shopping for a killer deal on a much better uke.  Be patient.  During this time, let your skills improve so they will shine when you get your first quality uke.  You'll have earned it!