Is the stagg US10 a decent ukulele (for a beginner)?

I cannot comment on the specific uke - it's cheap for sure, so don't expect wonders. I know that I wouldn't have bought one with only twelve frets. It is the classic size and all, but ukulele tabs will often go above the 12th fret.
 
Oh, but i thought 12 frets was good :(
Aren't the much-loved beginner's ukuleles (eg Makala,Lanikai...) also 12 frets?:confused:

Yes. I have a soprano and tenor, with 12 and 19 frets, respectively. I don't know about others, but I don't often go above the twelfth fret. If you're planning to play mostly chords, it should be fine.
 
This isn't the most popular brand for ukuleles, so can I ask why you're looking to get one? Is it because it's sold at a local store? If so, go down and just play around with it a bit, check if the frets buzz a bit.
If you're just looking for a good beginner's uke, a makala dolphin set up by MGM can't be beat. And don't worry about the 12 fret thing, many people love their soprano ukes, and you can always get a bigger one later anyways, once you have the experience to play those high fret songs.
 
Stagg are stamped from the same pattern as Ohana, Mainland et al. However, there is a definite difference in the levels of attention to detail in things like cosmetic appointments such as binding, and in choices of hardware etc. Most of all the level of quality control varies a whole lot.

We have had two Stagg ukes - both at the top of the Stagg range of Mahogany ukes. I had a concert and my wife has the soprano. My wife's is very good. The tuners are cheap, but they're usable and otherwise it is a nice, loud, sweet sounding soprano. My concert on the other hand had serious issues with a misaligned bridge that made accurate intonation impossible until I made a pretty bizarre field modification to the bridge saddle.

I've played a couple of other Stagg sopranos and found them both slightly iffy. One had a bridge misaligned so that the strings were too close to the edge of the fretboard on one side, and the other just didn't sound too great.

On balance, if you get a good Stagg then they are not far away from Ohana and Mainland in basic quality of construction and sound, and can be great value. My wife's soprano is a very nice uke.

The downside is that, in my experience so far, the good Staggs are not as commonly found as the flawed ones.
 
I bought a Kala Makala dolphin uke for my daughter from MGM for $36. Since then I've owned three separate ukes myself, costing as much as 6 times that, and these days when I pick up my daughter's uke and strum it a little, I think it sounds absolutely fantastic for the $36 I spent on it.
 
And don't worry about the 12 fret thing, many people love their soprano ukes, and you can always get a bigger one later anyways,
I didn't (mean to) suggest anything larger than a soprano, just to look for models with more frets, like 14-15. Just something to keep in mind when juggling your options ;)
 
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