My friend buying uke to daughters 17th

Hello all!

As the only ukulele player my friend knows I have been charged with recommending a uke my friend can buy for his daughters 17th birtday. She is a tiny girl, so I think the soprano would be the right size for her, it is however been quite a while since I bought my last uke and musicguymic is no longer on ebay.

A local store is selling fender ukuleles, and I am considering just saying buy it, but it would be nice if someone had any input or other good suggestions. The budget is not an issue is what I have been told.

I don't think being a tiny girl necessarily means she has to play soprano. I do think it's a good size to start with, however, as it has the most "classic" sound and has lower tension, so pretty easy to fret. (I'm assuming she's new to the ukulele.)

There are tons of choices, but shipping to Norway may be an issue for some dealers, if you're not buying local. I have had no personal experience with Fender's ukuleles, so I can't recommend them or tell you to avoid them. There is a well-regarded shop in the UK, Southern Ukulele Store, so shipping costs are probably better than anything you might buy from a US dealer. Unless you're spending more than $800 at Hawaii Music Supply, in which case international shipping is free.

If budget is really not an issue, buy a Kamaka pineapple. If mid-range is what they're looking for, The Southern Ukulele Store sells Kelii ukes: http://www.southernukulelestore.co....-Solid-Koa-Soprano-Ukulele-with-free-pod-case
I have a concert Kelii and love it. If cheaper is preferred, Kala is a great brand and pretty easy to find, lots of soprano choices. Others love Ohana ukes too.

I agree, the most recommended manufacturers are Kala & Ohana.

I now have experience of Kala, RISA & Baton Rouge, all of which I am happy with.

Without anything to base a recommendation on other than an unlimited budget, I suggest a Martin C1K (solid koa concert) or S1 (solid mahogany soprano). Martin makes well-known and well-respected instruments which come well set-up from the factory, so you needn't be too concerned about how playable the instrument will be when it arrives. These are relatively moderately priced instruments made of solid wood, with excellent tone, so the upgrade impulse is likely to be delayed longer than may be the case with a less expensive laminate ukulele from a 2nd-tier brand, yet the cost is more prudent for something which may or may not turn out to be an enduring interest (if this will be the recipient's first ukulele).

If the recipient appreciates a modern sense of style, and/or if temperature and/or humidity control may be a concern, a Blackbird Clara might be the way to go, albeit at a higher price point.

If budget really isn't an issue, why not just pick a pretty glossy K brand from theukulelesite and get free international shipping?

On size, I'd probably lean towards starting her in the middle with a concert, but i have a bias towards tenor.

I acquired a Kamaka soprano last year and feel it's amazingly user friendly...more so than past sopranos. I normally prefer concert size, but I played it for 2 1/2 days at the last Tampa Bay Ukulele Getaway with great comfort. I don't have large hands.

adding to wayfarer75's suggestions for Southern Ukulele Store...

There's also Omega Music in the UK, and RUMC or 'Really Useful Music Company' in the UK that are also highly regarded.

Also ukulele.de, which is the RISA web site, but they also sell a ton of other brands, and IIRC, there is also thomann.de, both in Germany, I think...

I'm in the USA so cant speak from personal experience, but other folks here on the forum have said good things about the above,

as far as which uke to buy, if the girl is a very responsible 17 yr old (is that an oxymoron?) then I'd go along with wayfarer75, Gmanjeff and PhilUSAFret and skip the entry-level or mid-level and go for Pono, Kamaka, Martin or Blackbird instruments.

one other consideration is an all-solid uke vs. a laminate or composite -- as all-solid ukes need to be kept in a humidity-controlled environment at all times to prevent damage (wood shrinks when dried out, and the instrument can form cracks or become warped), whereas laminate (just about every sub-$175 USD instrument except KPK-which have some all-solid models in this price range) or composite ukes (Blackbird, Magic Fluke, Alic, Outdoor Ukulele, Woodi, Kala Waterman) can be left about without too much worry about maintaining proper humidity INSIDE the home and/or uke case betw ~35-45%...

also, sad to say that musicguymic passed away a few yrs ago from a terminal illness, that is why he's not on ebay anymore - see here: http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?87883-Just-lost-a-friend

I'd recommend a Moku concert. Contact Mike the owner and tell him I referred you. (I get nothing from him). He is a great guy and his solid wood Ukes are extremely well made. I would pick Moku over Kala and others in the $200-$400 range for sure as the workmanship on the Moku is outstanding, super clean and consistent builds. Great sound, and looks great.

My 17 year old got one for her 15th and plays it regularly. One of the best values for an ALL solid wood all around instrument. I just saw Moku at the N. Cal uke festival and his ukes still impress me. His higher end was really impressive for semi custom options, but his lower priced solid ukes are a real bargain

MS90c is a beautiful concert and my daughter is small. She actually preferred the concert over a soprano and found fingering easier than on a soprano. I'd put it on the list of options for sured as a first uke.

HOWEVER, if money is no object, Kanilea, KoAloha are top picks, or go really over the top and get a UC3K Collings concert if you can find one ;-)