Wallet friendly Ukes

Graham Greenbag

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 15, 2017
Messages
2,194
Reaction score
1,201
Location
U.K.
By chance I happened upon a video of a good player using a Mahalo U320c (about $70) in an instrumental piece (just playing, no singing) and was impressed. Whilst they are very affordable other Ukes of that brand haven’t encouraged me to think any worth more than a second look, but this video raises a question in my mind and challenges my prejudice : https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ur_CroYRtGU . The moto of the retailer behind the video is “reasonably decent guitars that won’t break your wallet”, the idea sounds good to me.

Asking the forum what wallet friendly Ukes are will get a thousand different answers. Instead I’d like to ask for video links to ‘reasonably decent Ukes that won’t break your wallet’ being played relatively well in instrumental only pieces and some supporting comment to go with each link. For ‘won’t break your wallet’ I suggest a limit of roughly $120 and for well played I suggest comparative to the video above (so not undemanding, how good can you find). I suspect that there are some surprises out there.
 
Last edited:
So many out there, I happened to walk into a shop yesterday and found this Snail UKS-220 Rosewood, very well made and I'm really liking the sound. I paid about $120. I wasn't looking to buy another and hubby this morning said the obsession word.....and nice gig bag too. I'd be thrilled to get this as a gift.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xulZt0deWUg
 
I love that uke!

Sadly the UK version (Alic) of that that I tested had frets that wore down easily. Might have been down to an early review sample as I haven't seen other complaints - but mine certainly did.
 
Instead I’d like to ask for video links to ‘reasonably decent Ukes that won’t break your wallet’ being played relatively well in instrumental only pieces and some supporting comment to go with each link.

My apologies to those that missed the above in my original post and my thanks to everyone who has taken the time and trouble to respond.

There are some great sites for Uke reviews but links to them and the expert words there are just not what I’m looking for.
 
Last edited:
If you go to Mim's youtube videos, she demos a lot of ukes. And the great part is that they are consistent. There is 103 videos to watch. Take your pick.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mims+ukulele

Some things translate better across the Atlantic than others, I wasn’t so sure about Mim until I listened to these two Videos:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CfC4m1hpYpQ
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eQMtHnj5GS8

To me she comes across, in those videos, as who she is. The other Mim videos are great in other ways, but to me they are, if less so than other sites, there to assist sales (obviously that’s perfectly reasonable and I both appreciate and value what she does). I hope I haven’t said anything negative here but if so it’s totally unintentional and I’ll happilly retract it.

In contrast to reviews and sales videos what I’m looking for is near total impartially in which the viewer and listener come to their own conclusions totally un-influenced by what anyone has to say.

Here’s an example of what I’m looking for: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YHOdBIt2u1I
A Lanikai LU21 Tenor, in non electric form I guess that it can be bought for less than or roughly $120.

And another example: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PahKDQ6i1yI
A Jack Daniels or Peavey Compser, last I saw they were about £85 in the U.K.

And another: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UaWPEcPQ7_0
A Baton Rogue ur3c, it might be just over the $120 mark
 
Last edited:
Cordoba 15CM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wrcC2q_vLc
Goes for around $99 USD.

I think it's important to note that one of the main things with any budget instrument is making sure you get it from a place that actually inspects for flaws and duds and sets it up. Then you make sure you get a good one. Quality control at the factories where they're made isn't going to be as high, so you may get a complete dud followed by a great instrument coming off the line. So that makes it difficult to judge a specific model.
 
Last edited:
These are good videos that people have posted.
This thread harkens back to the "a good player can make a crappy instrument sound great" theory. It's really the player, not so much as the instrument.
Those of us who are merely Just-OK players like myself buy nicer ukes because we hope (pray) that the nicer uke will make us sound better!
 
These are good videos that people have posted.
This thread harkens back to the "a good player can make a crappy instrument sound great" theory. It's really the player, not so much as the instrument.
Those of us who are merely Just-OK players like myself buy nicer ukes because we hope (pray) that the nicer uke will make us sound better!

Along those lines the OP could listen to any of the HMS videos, they are as non-biased as they get. Go to HMS vimeo channel and watch the Kala, Cordoba, Islander and Gretsch videos, all under $150.00. But yea Corey can make a cardboard box sound wonderful. I can make a $3000.00 custom sound like crap.

Combine this with the type of recording equipment and how much editing and effects are done post recording and you have a can of worms. In other words I don't put much stock into audio samples I hear on line. See above about great ukes sounding crap and vise versa. As an example I can record my Ko'olau tenor with a good mic and it sounds wonderful, full, rich and very articulate. Recorded with just my phone and it sounds flat and dull in comparision
 
Last edited:
Just a note of caution here.

All wallet-friendly ukes are produced by a factory to a specification, and there's no money in the budget for individual adjustments. But wood is individual - even two consecutive slices from the same plank behave differently.

So there is quite a lot of variation between examples of the same brand and model. At a guess, 80% are OK, 10% are excellent and 10% are real dogs. For some brands the percentage of awful ones is worryingly high! Some vendors improve your chances by rejecting the dogs - I'm pretty sure Mim does that, and that the others reputed as good do so too.

This means that buying the same brand and model as in the video might not get you an equivalent uke. That's not to say these videos aren't helpful at all, they will show that at least some examples of that model are good (and there are brands/models where none of them are good, so these won't feature).
 
Cordoba 15CM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wrcC2q_vLc
Goes for around $99 USD.

I think it's important to note that one of the main things with any budget instrument is making sure you get it from a place that actually inspects for flaws and duds and sets it up. Then you make sure you get a good one. Quality control at the factories where they're made isn't going to be as high, so you may get a complete dud followed by a great instrument coming off the line. So that makes it difficult to judge a specific model.

Yes, I think that you have got it about right. It’s kind of the mature view to take that looks beyond dogma, see’s the broaderer view and has a bit of pragmatism.

The Uke that you suggested is popular and, yes, the recording is done by its manufacturer so maybe it’s fair to question it a little (as some seem to be). However not everyone is dishonest and I listened to a different video by the same manufacturer of a different instrument and didn’t think much to how the other instrument sounded (if you’re going to do some ‘adjustments’ then why not make both Ukes sound great?)

Recordings by anyone are indicative rather than absolute but they are still good to hear, and the most reliable (in terms of not being ‘fiddled with’) will be from individuals who just want to share music and let us know in passing what make and model Uke they are playing.

If you can afford a custom Uke them then perhaps this thread isn’t for you; seeing someone make great music on a $100 well set up Uke is going to spoil your day if you still sound rubbish on $500’s worth of Uke. Sorry but, as is true of most things, it’s the skill of the user rather than the cost of the tools that counts. Though, of course, the very best players will sound their best on the best instruments.

I think that the HMS videos are great in some ways and potentionally misleading in others. The players there really get the best out of each instrument but in doing so they show you its limits too, don’t expect to sound like them ‘cause the vast bulk of players never will but rather understand how far it could take you. From what I see and hear the bulk of people buy a Uke (and several more) that could play at levels far higher than they will ever achieve and neglect to put the practice work in.

My thanks to those that have put up video links, I look forward to seeing more. Wallet friendly Ukes have a lot to offer, it’s just a case of finding the ones that are more worthwhile having and enjoying - then just set them up properly and play like a pro’.
 
Last edited:
Here’s another expertly played but cheap Uke. The player (David Buckingham) may well be known to some of you and has (from viewing his other videos) some more expensive Ukes too. Amazing what music a skilled player can make with a basic instrument.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DufynU7y4Wc
 
I just received my VTAB TS2401 Concert Ukulele, purchased mostly based on Barry's review. He doesn't lie...it's a terrific bargain at US $115. A beginner-to-intermediate player on a budget would be hard-pressed to find a better instrument at twice the price.
I think the new VTAB ukes are some of the best value ukuleles I have played for some time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Is8D-Oyfx-4
 
Here's Dr. Bekken on some real-cheap baritones:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzeAfkcbN0s

Thanks, that’s the type of stuff I was wanting to draw to members’ attention. I’m not familiar with the brands or the costs, but Dr Bekken sure seemed to get something worth hearing out of them. Isn’t Dr B a professional player? I guess he could afford to play really expensive instruments but he chose to demonstrate what could be done with a limited budget.

A Kala supplier does something similar for their Soprano, Concert and Tenor Ukes. Depending on where you buy the Tenor might breach the $120 mark but the other two are (obviously) cheaper. Interesting to hear them as individual Ukes played well and then to compare them to their ‘siblings’ : https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wrDZfJDnYU8 .

To my ears the recording is honest and true, no enhancement there as it matches what I’ve heard from the Kala Sopranos and Concerts that I’ve heard at clubs local to me, etc. I wish I could play as well as the chap in the videos though, guess he’s got talent and practices a lot too, and those two are what makes an an OK Uke produce great music.
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom