Best ukulele for beginners...Wirecutter

Lohanu quality/value & comprehensive warranty

The "motivation" is apparent; it's right under the series title. WC = NYT's review of "stuff". I used WC for multiport USB-C wall charger reviews yesterday, which is the type of stuff it's prolly better at suggesting.

I'm a born skeptic, so I ask myself what the motivation for writing that article was in the first place? They gotta write something I guess. I also wonder... Take it for what it is worth, probably not much more than the article itself.

That said, as much as NYT is one of the things in life I will do pretty much anything to never be without, it's also not the most sensible source of uke suggestions, IMNSHO.
Coincidentally, just did a search on the term "ukulele" on the NYT last night & the articles were sparse, old & had a very palpable "NorthEast US/ NYC-centric feel" (as in, very "limited" in perspective, to put it politely).

I hadn't heard of Donner 'ukuleles before.
Every time I see the name "DONNER", I immediately think "Donner Pass" & "cannibalism out of desperation", LOL no disrespect intended...

Saw/tinkered on a Lohanu for $17 at the thrift store a month ago. I was very impressed. Not dirt cheap like some of the other suggestions, but the Canadian company seemed very solid, according to their site & I really liked the uke. N=only one of course, but it seemed like a good example of good QC in overseas (presumably China?) manufacturing. The defective products that slip through seemed to be covered by theie "UNCONDITIONAL LIFETIME WARRANTY on the ukulele and all accessories!" Thankfully, another guy saw/claimed the uke minutes before I did... since I need another concert like a hole in my head, LOL.

Interesting comparison w/ a cheaper Mahalo & slightly more expensive Kala here... He touches on the one make-or-break issue for me: intonation up the fretboard. BTW, one of the local shops sends back 1/3 of all the wood Kalas they receive because they just can't put them out on the floor.



I'm a born skeptic, so I ask myself what the motivation for writing that article was in the first place? They gotta write something I guess. I also wonder how many of those ukuleles that they tested were the same ukulele, from the same ukulele factory in China, just a different tag stuck inside it and a different decal on the headstock? Maybe some cosmetics to define it as one brand of ukulele or another? I also wonder what actually defines a "beginner" ukulele? What even makes a ukulele a beginner's ukulele? I'm thinking price. I think that for most people just getting into something and not being particularly knowledgeable, one does not want to sink a lot of money into it until they know a little more and know if it is really what they want to do. That goes for everything, not just ukes. But I think a beginner ukulele by definition is something that doesn't cost a lot but is still playable. Okay, that is a Mr. Skeptic view of it. Take it for what it is worth, probably not much more than the article itself.
 
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Interesting comments. My experience with Wirecutter regarding products that I know something about (tools, photography equipment, audio/video equipment, etc.) is that they do a pretty good job of recommending quality stuff even though their exact pick of, say, the top DSLR may differ from my own personal choice.

As far as the purchasing links, I've seen similar on essentially every other ukulele "review" site that I've visited so I'm not picking up on the negative aspect.
 
My first ukulele was a Donner DUC-1, and I found it great for learning. It was attractive, with mahogany that shimmered under a satin gloss finish. It came with everything I needed, including two strap buttons and a narrow strap. With the 1.5" nut width, the Donner was very easy to play. The geared tuners worked well. I still prefer Donner clip-on tuners to Snark tuners in terms of durability (I've never had one break), attractiveness (they don't look like UFOs perched on the headstock) and ease of use.

When I got the ukulele, the nut was hitched up a little on one side due to a small crumb of glue. So I flicked the nut off with a pocket knife and fixed it, lowering the action a tad in the process. I was emboldened by the surgery I'd undertaken years ago on a cheapie uke with really bad intonation. If the Donner had been more expensive, I wouldn't have dared. What I did to it improved it, but it was playable when I got it.

A year-and-a-half later I prefer the tone of my acacia tenor, so I play that more, even though the Donner is actually easier to play due to the width of the neck. The Donner serves as my travel uke.

I didn't see the Wirecutter review before I ordered it, but I did soon after and found it very encouraging, so thank you, Brent! And you're right about the price. At that point I'd been struggling to play the guitar for about 50 years, so if the ukulele had cost much more than it did, I wouldn't have bought it. I'm happy to report that I'm doing much better with four strings, have three ukuleles and am contemplating buying a fourth.
 
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