I'm new to ukuleles and new to music and instruments in general. I tried a chromatic harp but it didn't suit me. I think I might have more fun strumming a uke. I'm in India and wonder what models are recommended? I have a budget of 120 usd or 6000 inr. I saw Hohner ULU21s selling for that amount but if it's the same as lanikai lu21, then it's too overpriced for my tastes. The only other ukulele I saw online is ibanez iuks5 kit, which sells for that price too. I'm going to the instruments shop to see if they have ukuleles.
Also, as a classical music fan, will I find the range too limiting?
Yeah, I had doubts too that's why I asked here. I'll wait and see what my other options are before buying anything. Maybe I could go for the Lanikai/Hohner but I would feel cheated to pay a lot for something that's actually worth half.
Hi rootbeer,
I was in a similar situation for a while (also in India, looking for a good beginner Uke) and I came across the same limited options that you did. After much online research, and having played a friend's Lanikai LU-21S for a few months, I'm convinced that (with the possible exception of the Ibanez) it's our best bet here, unless of course you have a friend/relative who can bring one from abroad. Btw, I found this thread while looking for the difference between Lanikai LU-21S and Hohner ULU-21S...anyway, turns out they're basically the same instrument (Hohner owns Lanikai).
So, other options available here, like the Pluto, Ashton 100, and Granada are not something I would recommended, specially if the price difference between these and the Lanikai is not much. Among these, the Ashton is widely reviewed as being virtually unplayable because the strings are so high on the fretboard. As a guitar player (and window-shopper) of many years, I'd stay away from Pluto, since the durability and finish on their acoustic guitars is quite poor. Same goes for Granada, to a slightly lesser extent. Tried it at a shop once and found the sound to be too weak and 'plasticy'. I can't say about the Ibanez, but since they have a great reputation in guitars, the quality should be pretty decent.
As I said, I've been playing the Lanikai/Hohner for a couple of months, and while I don't really have a standard reference to compare it against, I can definitely say it's a great beginner's instrument. The sound is what a ukulele should be like, not toy-like. The construction is very neat and robust, which is important since this is an instrument you'll want to carry around everywhere and maybe handle not-so-delicately. And ukulele-reviewers everywhere say it's one of, if not the best and most popular choice for absolute beginners.
Also, since you say you're new to instruments in general, you will need a tuner. The Ibanez comes with one, but you can also get a cheap one for Rs.200-400 in any musical shop. It just needs to work.
Between Ibanez and Lanikai, I myself am leaning towards the latter, mostly because of its reputation (Ibanez is new to ukuleles) and because it's the one I've actually tried and liked. As for the price, I know it's annoying to have to pay significantly more in India than in USA, but there's just no way around that, specially for instruments, electronics, etc. If you go higher than Rs.6000 range, as a beginner you might not care for the improvement in sound/build quality, but any lower than this and it'll definitely affect your playing/learning, or the ukulele may not last very long (Indian climate is actually pretty rough on string instruments).
Finally, if you have really big hands, do look for a concert-sized ukulele. Otherwise, the soprano is just fine.
Hope this helps!
