New uku player, input?

leggomyriego

leggomyriego

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Hey everyone, new to this and all. Been on youtube for a while and decided to pick up on the ukulele. Never played before ><

I looked around town, either the shops had really cheap over priced ukuleles or don't even carry them at all. I looked around videos online to see what size/sound i like ( since I don't have the chance to try one in person) and I think I either want a Concert or Tenor. After looking around I think I might order this one

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Lanikai-LU21T-Tenor-Ukulele?sku=512522

( oops sorry forgot to add the link XD )


$100 was my limit and that one seemed to have pretty good reviews. Any suggestions or input? =D
 
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leggomyriego said:
Hey everyone, new to this and all. Been on youtube for a while and decided to pick up on the ukulele. Never played before ><

I looked around town, either the shops had really cheap over priced ukuleles or don't even carry them at all. I looked around videos online to see what size/sound i like ( since I don't have the chance to try one in person) and I think I either want a Concert or Tenor. After looking around I think I might order this one



$100 was my limit and that one seemed to have pretty good reviews. Any suggestions or input? =D
Click to expand...


what's this one? theres no picture or link :eek:
 
Save up for a good one.

:
leggomyriego said:
Hey everyone, new to this and all. Been on youtube for a while and decided to pick up on the ukulele. Never played before ><

I looked around town, either the shops had really cheap over priced ukuleles or don't even carry them at all. I looked around videos online to see what size/sound i like ( since I don't have the chance to try one in person) and I think I either want a Concert or Tenor. After looking around I think I might order this one

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Lanikai-LU21T-Tenor-Ukulele?sku=512522

( oops sorry forgot to add the link XD )


$100 was my limit and that one seemed to have pretty good reviews. Any suggestions or input? =D
Click to expand...

I would highly recommend you save a bit more for a uke or you will fall into the same trap I did. I own the uke you reference. While it is not a bad uke, if you do find yourself getting the uke fever you will outgrow it quickly. The intonation is OK for chords but really took some setting up to get it to sound good for finger picking. Replace the strings right away as the ones supplied stretch and stretch and it makes tuning between every song a necessity. Some D'Addario or Aquila strings have a higher tension and make playing easier. Don't get me wrong I had a gas with the thing but you'll find yourself moving on to a better quality uke sooner than later, and a better uke is actually easier to play.
Now if I could only do something about that out of tune voice of mine...:eek:
 
Ah ok... Would you reccomdend any type of tenor ukulele? I'm totally oblivious to what is good ( sound and price wise ) I mean, I don't want to spend A LOT. Is there anything that would have pretty nice sound and that could last me for a while in the 100-200 range? Links would be awesome :D
 
shedly said:
I would highly recommend you save a bit more for a uke
Click to expand...

Objection.gif


My first uke was about £25. And buying a fairly expensive uke as your first is surely a silly thing to do. If you don't like it a whole lot, you'll find yourself with a silly instrument and $100 less. My advice is to get a cheap one and see if you like it. Then make an investment!

Or, enter Deach's competition for global ukulele happiness.
 
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I am a happy owner of the electric version of the Lanikai LU21-T. I've been strumming away with it for over a year.

It stays in tune, and has a nice mellow tone. Going up the neck, you may encounter intonation problems, but this shouldn't be a problem for a beginner.

Its volume is no great shakes, due to the laminated woods used in its construction. The sound doesn't jump off of this ukulele. It's got enough for personal use, but expect to really dig into it at parties.

I've made over 20 YouTube videos with it, and I would gladly make 20 more.
 
shedly said:
:

I would highly recommend you save a bit more for a uke or you will fall into the same trap I did. I own the uke you reference. While it is not a bad uke, if you do find yourself getting the uke fever you will outgrow it quickly. The intonation is OK for chords but really took some setting up to get it to sound good for finger picking. Replace the strings right away as the ones supplied stretch and stretch and it makes tuning between every song a necessity. Some D'Addario or Aquila strings have a higher tension and make playing easier. Don't get me wrong I had a gas with the thing but you'll find yourself moving on to a better quality uke sooner than later, and a better uke is actually easier to play.
Now if I could only do something about that out of tune voice of mine...:eek:
Click to expand...

I understand what you're saying about falling into a "trap," but what if he saves up for a $300 ukulele and decides that playing the uke isn't for him?

Then he's just out 300 bucks. So there's a "trap" the other way too.

The Lanikai is low-risk, low-investment.

I do agree with you about the strings, however. Getting some new strings on that Lanikai will make a big difference.
 
i have a $100 concert sized Mitchell...which according to my local uke store, this uke has a really nice sound, great quality, great intonation, and a nice v shaped fretboard? stem? (you know stick that extends from the body to the tuners that the fretboard is mounted to)????

Man, I really need to learn some ukulele terms! Quick tips?????

Anyhow, I see no need in a $300 uke right away. As a cheap one, or a $100 one will get you where you need to be. FWIW, I still play my $30 hilo with upgraded strings, and that's all I really need too. If I would have changed the strings out earlier, I never would have bought the $100 one.
 
If you could stretch your budget closer to $200, I would suggest the Kala solid spruce top tenor such as this one. I find that these solid top Kalas actually sound better than more expensive laminated Kalas such as their Mango or Koa series.

A little past $200 perhaps this Ohana with the solid mahogany top would be a good choice too.

If you want to stay at the $100 range, pick something from musicguymic on ebay such as this Makala. You should at least get a playable instrument that way. Big sites like Musician's Friend have good return policies but the instruments aren't setup and they don't pack them particularly well. I once ordered a uke from Musician's Friend and had to return it due to a snapped neck upon arrival. The one I got back had a gash on the soundboard. So you might be taking your chances with MF.
 
AH! Thanks for all the input you guys. It's been helping me a lot. I'm gonna follow what most of you said and start off with a okay priced one and just invest in a higher quality one once I get the hang of it all.

So far I have my mind set still on the Lanikai, and if not that one, maybe the KALA that GX posted. Or I may just wait for the results of the winner of the Tenor that Deach is giving away since i entered ( I'm still crossing my fingers! )

XD haha I can't wait to start playing and maybe start posting some videos to show my begginer progress >.<
 
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