In Praise of Cheap Ukes

I have overindulged on Caramel Zebrawood Ukes. I have them in all sizes from Soporanino to Baritone. All were less than $85 with electronics! Most needed a setup but they play well and are intoned well. I also have two Ohana's that sound a lot better and are easier to play, but cost 3-5 times what the Caramels cost.
I haven't found many $200 ukes that can compare to my Caramels, after they were set up.
 


Locally made, Acacia All Solid Top, Sides and Back selling for around $60 in my country.
 
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So, here's the thread we were talking about in another thread! Yay!

I just bought an Enya Sapele Tenor Uke for $67. I love it!

I also have a teal Makala Shark that I love!
 
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The first long neck soprano I bought, Kala KA-SLNG (my fourth uke), is still a favourite of mine, yet it is one of the cheaper ukes that I have. :D

(The first 3 that I bought were all Makala, (tenor, concert, & soprano), nothing wrong with them at all, & I am just about to pass them on, along with a perfectly good plastic concert uke.)
 
Mine is an Ortega RU5MM (concert) and it cost me 73 euros, without the shipping. So, about 100$, I think. I love it :)
 
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I've got a Donner soprano that and an Enya round body X1 both well under $50 delivered.
Both of these seem pretty nice, but they were improved by a string up grade to Martin 600s.
The Donner gets a ton of use since its my car/work/take along instrument.
 
The first long neck soprano I bought, Kala KA-SLNG (my fourth uke), is still a favourite of mine, yet it is one of the cheaper ukes that I have. :D

(The first 3 that I bought were all Makala, (tenor, concert, & soprano), nothing wrong with them at all, & I am just about to pass them on, along with a perfectly good plastic concert uke.)

About a week ago I received a used Kala KA-SSLNG, solid spruce top super soprano and it is a great sounding and playing uke.

Here is a group shot of my current in house "cheap uke" line up. I have lent out a Gretsch laminate tenor and a Islander AS-4 long neck soprano.
Cheap is a relative term and these were all under $150.00 . The Gianinni baritone I bought used here and it was really beat up but the neck was straight, it was solid with no cracks and it plays and sounds great. It is fun to have casual ukes sitting around the house to pick up and play when the mood strikes.

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I have an Epiphone Les Paul concert that was $99 from Guitar Center - I also had a 15% off coupon so it was $85.
I bought it just for the way it looks, but it turns out it is actually quite well built, over-built actually, I am sure I could take out a couple of zombies with a crack to the skull without much damage :D
The sound, especially unplugged, leaves a LOT to be desired, but it plays very well, the wood is pretty, and the finish is high quality. Plugged in it is a real hoot to play. I have used it in a few Seasons videos.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6RLmyp56t0
 
I have a Rubin RS101 Zebrawood soprano that I bought brand new off ebay for £18 including delivery from China.
It resides in the back of my Land Rover and I play it almost every day when I'm early at work. It's not the best uke, but I still love it.
 
I'm amazed how nicely the colourful Mahilele with ABS back plays!!! Might be cheaper in the US (most ukes seem to be) but between £40 - 45 here is a brilliant bargain IMO.
 
Love my cheap uke, it is my favorite. It's a soprano Mahalo Rainbow series in a sickly colored neon-orange/pink I bought for $25. I leave it laying under chairs, in my car for weeks in 100 degree weather, and I beat on the back and sides of it like it is a bongoele. Has just as good intonation as my more expensive ukes and a pleasant (although slightly quieter) music box sound. It's great having a beater laying around and it gets played a lot more than anything else I carefully handle.
 
I'm amazed how nicely the colourful Mahilele with ABS back plays!!! Might be cheaper in the US (most ukes seem to be) but between £40 - 45 here is a brilliant bargain IMO.
I agree. They are hard to get here--I've only seen them at Amazon where they are, I think, about $50-60. The Flight travel uke at Thomann seem to be identical, for a little less, and mine arrived in 3 days from England.
 
I agree. They are hard to get here--I've only seen them at Amazon where they are, I think, about $50-60. The Flight travel uke at Thomann seem to be identical, for a little less, and mine arrived in 3 days from England.

There are some on eBay.co.uk https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/223015570780

and fortysevenwolves.co.uk

I think they are only UK shipping though. The only other places I've seen them are buying from Italy.
 
We already know that Deach loves his $99 uke.

And I've said ad nauseum how much I ADORE MY DOLPHIN(S).

I also play the bejesus out of my Kala watermelon.

Both of these, under 100 clams.

So. Who has got a favorite cheap uke? Ground rules: under 100 smackers, not including shipping.

At the end, I'll put together the whole list.

Yes, cheap ukes can be great. I got an Enya concert on Amazon for $18.21 delivered. it was one of those sales that last just a few hours. I also got an Enya tenor for about $50, and I converted it to a resonator. I also like the Waterman. It's a decent uke that resists damage. My first uke cost about $20 from an ABC store in Hawaii, and I used it for several years.
 
I was sent 13 ukuleles for my Peru music project - so - I got to evaluate a number of cheapies. The best were Makala and Cordoba. They had a nice resonance and were easy to play. Their finish was nice. I have a huge appreciation of cheap ukuleles - as well as the generosity of some UU members - as they make music possible in this poverty stricken part off the world. I like also the fact that they are inherently stable and can live with some rough treatment.
 
There are some on eBay.co.uk https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/223015570780

and fortysevenwolves.co.uk

I think they are only UK shipping though. The only other places I've seen them are buying from Italy.

Thanks. According to the Italian site (which is owned by Aquila) they don't ship to the US. Thomann worked great for me. I bought one from Amazon too, but sold it last year and missed it so much I had to get another.
 
Thanks. According to the Italian site (which is owned by Aquila) they don't ship to the US. Thomann worked great for me. I bought one from Amazon too, but sold it last year and missed it so much I had to get another.

I love them actually - its probably not as good as my Ohana which was well over twice the price, but for a starter instrument I'd recommend to anyone.
 
I found this thread when researching cheap but enjoyable ukes for a gift. I ended with a Makai solid spruce concert pineapple. While it was more expensive than the $40 ukes in this thread ($130 with shipping), I was surprised at the value, tone and playability found in this relatively “cheaper” solid spruce instrument.
 
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