Martin Smith Ukulele

cody41020

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Hey guys, I'm new to ukulele. Recently I decided to buy a cheap starter ukulele to help me learn the basics. I ended up deciding on this one-
http://www.argos.co.uk/product/5401068. Now, I had read reviews on it that were either higlhy positive or extremely negative, but I decided to take a chance on it. I have to say I'm very satisfied with it- it stays in tune pretty long, and I love the sound and the learning I get out of it. Back to the reviews- I cannot understand the claims being made at it, that it gets out of tune easily and is shoddy overall. So, preferably anyone else who has owned one of these (or anyone who knows much about ukulele products at all), what do you guys think of it? I personally love it, but should I get something more pricey but better next time around?
 
Congrats on your new uke.

Just an FYI - when you say "it stays in tune pretty long" what you may not realize is that the strings will nearly always be stretching, and this is by design, and strings are meant to be disposable/replaceable over time.

The more that you play every day, the less time it will take for the strings to stabilize and require less frequent constant re-tuning.

Mechanically there is nothing else on the use that would cause it to go out of tune other than if you have friction tuners (as opposed to geared machine head tuners), and the friction tuners might need to be adjusted.

Changes in temp and humidity will cause the wood to expand and contract, and this may cause friction tuners to require adjustment if not holding properly or not easy to turn. Geared tuners do not have this problem. For geared tuners to slip, the gear-parts would have to be really dodgy and even cheapo Chinese geared tuners that are like $5/set for 4 tuners via ebay etc tend not to slip at all. YMMV.

Good luck with the new uke, and you will find lots of info here on UU to help you learn more. :)
 
Welcome aboard. :)

It's always a chance buying a cheap uke some work, some don't, looks like you've been lucky, it will be good enough to get the basics under your belt.
Most people end up buying one or two different ukes, you can take some time to look around & see what is available for your next one. ;)
 
I have one on test. Sadly I don't think you are going to like what i have to say about it when I review it....
 
This is obviously a rather typical Chinese, cheap ukulele. The reviews will, of course be all over the place. We all have our perspectives, and those who are familiar with vastly better instruments will hate them, with good reason. Those who have only played comparable ukes will very possibly rave, with understandable reason. I would look to someone like bazmaz (above) for insight on something better for the money.
 
Yeah - don't want to pre-judge it as I've not spent a lot of time with it yet, but seems to be ticking the boxes that always worry me.

I'm not down on cheap ukuleles and there are some terrific ones out there. This seems to not be one of them. Thick plywoods, terrible finish, painted fretboard, sharp fret edges, bridge set in wrong place and so on and so on..
 
Hi Cody 40120,

All new ukuleles need frequent re-tuning until the strings settle. It's not a problem. Buying a very cheap uke is a lottery. You might get a decent one, or you could get a real clunker. It sounds as though you have been lucky. Enjoy your first uke, it is probably all the uke you need at this early stage. When you start to feel that it is restricting your progress (and you feel sure that uking is for you) look around for a replacement. By that time you will know a lot more about ukes in general, and about your own requirements.

There is a place for cheap, playable ukes. I bought a Yellow Mahalo about fifteen years ago and still have it. It doesn't get much use these days, but is an old friend, and represents a stage in my ukulele journey. Playing it always makes me smile - or is it a grimace?:)
 
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