Guitar to Ukulele?

Okay so i have been playing guitar for quite a while now and feel very confident on it. I know physically with finger calluses ill be fine (also a bassist lol)

so what i was wondering was what would be a good lower priced (200$ or lower) ukulele that would be right for me. im looking for one that really sounds like that authentic uke sound. if you guys know what i mean. i dont know whether the soprano, or what all those different kinds are i keep looking at online sound like.

or should i just go for a entry level ukulele?

Any help would be much appreciated!

Many guitar players say knowing how to play guitar makes it easier to learn ukulele.
My Luna tattoo concert sounds really nice and doesn't sound like some cheap ukulele. I have worth brown fluorocarbon strings on it but the Aquilas it comes with sound nice too. I can't really speak much for tenor ukuleles or baritone ukes but it seems some guitar players like those?
I guess you should just walk into a couple music stores first

Welcome to UU Toothpick!

Since you already know you like stringed instruments, I would say try for something better than entry level, and you will save money in the long run. I would suggest an Ohana or Kala or Mainland. Sopranos are more uke-like in sound, but your fingers might be a bit cramped if you are used to a guitar. If you have small hands, it might be fine though. Sopranos are less expensive than concerts, but a concert size might be easier for you. I came from guitar/ banjo background, and thought I would never be able to play a soprano. But after a bit of practice, I found I could play many songs very comfortably on that size. Some songs are easier on a longer scale instrument, so I switch ukes a lot. I think you have to be more accurate with your fretting hand on the smaller sized ukes. If you are like me, you will end up with many different sized ukes eventually. If you are interested in a non- traditional style uke, I would recommend a Flea with a concert neck.
Have fun shopping, and if you can drop in on a uke group, you will get to see and hear all kinds of different ukes.
–Lori

Yeah, I also think a concert necked soprano would be a good starting point for you. Want a pickup? Can get a nice (not great) one for under $200 to get you started.
What you know about buying guitars translates directly to ukes re: woods, bracing, finish, setup, etc. etc.

I'm a guitar player for many years and picked up my first uke 2 or 3 months ago. I started with a nice Nalu Hokoa tenor and now own 4 tenors and they seem to be just the right fit for my guitar playing fingers. I have a baritone also and that is really easy to play vs the others but you don't have that ukulele sound with it more of a small guitar sound. I'm not an expert by any means and still a beginner with a lot of uke hours under my belt. My advice from one guitar player to another is tenor all the way at least for starters.

Aloha Toothpick,
Seems like a lot of guitar players are starting to look at the ukulele as a viable instrument (it's about time).
If your looking for the traditional sound, a soprano or concert are the options. You need to try and see what size you are comfortable with (how hand fits on fretboard for chords and picking) if that's possible. Maybe a concert uke with a tenor neck might suit you best. There's some in your price range. Off the top of my head, the Oscar Schmidt OU7. Just do your homework online to see what's available by manufacturers then look for the best prices, with set ups if possible. Good luck in your search for a new adventure..............................BO........................

I played guitar for several years before picking up my first uke this spring.

808boy is right - if you want a traditional 'uke' sound, go with a soprano or concert. Like Markr1, I started with a tenor and I really dig it - but I play more bluegrass/country/rock and really use it more like a mandolin or a tenor guitar, and I like the larger scale a lot. I got a couple of Dolphin sopranos for my kids - and they're playable- but, as a guitarist, I'm a lot more comfortable with the tenor scale.

I started out with a Kala KA-T, which you can get for about a $100. It's a laminate top and I've been more than happy with it as a starter instrument. That being said, Lori is right - if you know you're going to want to play it, spend a little more $$$ and get a better instrument. A couple of weeks after I got mine, I wished I spent at least $300-$500 and gotten something nicer. I've played a few nicer ukes and there is a big difference. Better sustain and cleaner intonation up the neck..... Also, if you plan on playing it with others and have an amplifier, go ahead and get an instrument with a pickup. I play a weekly bluegrass jam with some friends and even trying to mic the uke with guitar/fiddle/ bass/ piano is hard - I really wish I could plug into the PA.

I really like the Mainland tenors - there's one in my near future. They come with the option of a factory installed Mi-Si pickup which sounds great. Solid top mahogany cutaway with pickup is just under $400.....I'm rolling my pennies now.....

Alot of guitar players tend to like the tenor size because of the fret spacing.

"I really like the Mainland tenors - there's one in my near future. They come with the option of a factory installed Mi-Si pickup which sounds great. Solid top mahogany cutaway with pickup is just under $400.....I'm rolling my pennies now..... " We install the Mi-Si's here at the shop and can put one in any of our models.

Being a guitar player, for playability, get a tenor.

For a more traditional sound, use high G.

For playing guitar songs that you know on the uke, use low G.

:shaka:

I'm saving up for a Mainland concert. You might want to check them out. One of the best bangs for your buck around that price range from what I've read. Concert will give you the "ukey" sound you want, and a little extra fret space for your fingers than a soprano, so you won't be as shocked coming from guitar. They're a little over $200 but not much. Under that price all I can tell you is get something that is set up and strung with decent strings before you buy it. I made that mistake.

I play guitar and bass and went straight for Soprano. It felt ridiculously small at first (to the point that there was no benefit in trying them out in a shop as I couldn't really play it)
However, after an hour at home it felt good and after a few days felt great. A guitar now feels ridiculously big and unplayable (not helped by the fact I haven't touched it for months)
I am happy with Soprano as it is now the only instrument I really play but would probably not pick one if going back and forth between guitar.

I am one of those long time guitar players that adapted to ukulele. I have been playing guitar my entire life pretty much and picked up the ukulele 20 yrs. ago when I relocated to Honolulu. It wasn't natural at first as the chord inversions are different, and the overall size of the instrument is so different and alien to lifelong guitar players. But you do adapt. My girl is a virtual virtuoso on the instrument and really taught me all the chord inversions and such, but with a lot of practice and playing along to people like Iz, Willie K, and others of her cd favorites, I picked it up with no issues save the fretboard size, which is no longer a problem. If you are a guitar player and switch, it's a bit of getting used to but it works nicely.

Curiously, I can play Hawaiian style as I have attended many Kanikapila's in relatives backyards and in jams, but I mix it with my mainland style which is predominently Texas blues and rock, the results are interesting...;-)

Markr1 said:

I'm a guitar player for many years and picked up my first uke 2 or 3 months ago. I started with a nice Nalu Hokoa tenor and now own 4 tenors and they seem to be just the right fit for my guitar playing fingers. I have a baritone also and that is really easy to play vs the others but you don't have that ukulele sound with it more of a small guitar sound. I'm not an expert by any means and still a beginner with a lot of uke hours under my belt. My advice from one guitar player to another is tenor all the way at least for starters.

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I've got to echo this. Go for the tenor. I've got a Mainland tenor that I absolutely love. They aren't much over $200, and are a good basic choice for a low cost starter instrument.

Go to a music store that carries soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone ukuleles. Play every ukulele on the wall. Whichever size feels and sounds best to you will be the best place to start.

TheOnlyUkeThatMatters said:

Go to a music store that carries soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone ukuleles. Play every ukulele on the wall. Whichever size feels and sounds best to you will be the best place to start.

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Good generic advice but didn't hold true for me. The one that would have felt most comfortable in a shop would have been a Baritone due to size when coming from guitar. I needed much more time to get accustomed to the smaller size so just purchased a cheap Soprano to see if it was for me.

I just purchased my first uke a couple of months ago. I don't play guitar, so I'm starting from scratch. In addition to UU, I found the following site helpful, they also have some really nice deals on affordable ukes.

http://www.theukulelesite.com/

I tried my high school teacher's banjo uke around 1967, and couldn't get my guitar-playing fingers into the frets. In 1973 when a job teaching ukulele was at stake, I finished the first book in less than three hours in the car, on the way home, while my wife drove. It's amazing what the human body can do, when there's a will. If you want the traditional ukulele sound, go with the soprano/concert.

I've been struggling to learn the guitar for about 5 years (see my member intro). I recently started making a little progress when I decided I HAD to try the ukulele. That was maybe 4-5 weeks ago and all I've been playing is the ukulele--and having a ball! So last night I picked up the guitar that's been sitting lonely and played around on it.

Man, everything on it felt so BIG (well it is a jumbo but still), and it sounded so LOW. The strings were so long they almost felt mushy, they vibrated so much. And it was HEAVY!

Just thought I'd let you know that returning to the guitar (at least for me) was a very strange and odd experience. I don't intend to give it up, especially since playing the uke so much makes playing the guitar a lot less uncomfortable.

But I'm enjoying the uke so much right now I'm in no hurry to return to the guitar.

Doug

I went from guitar (15+ years) to ukulele for the first time this past year, and so far it's been a one-way ticket. Now when I pick up a guitar, they feel comically oversized and I don't quite know what to do with the extra strings.

I recommend going down to your local Guitar Center and trying out the different sizes of ukes in person; but naturally don't buy from them. The traditional size is a soprano, but you might find it comically awkward to play at first. Tenors to me sound too much like a guitar, so they're out. For that reason, I chose a concert for my first uke. Plinky enough to sound ukeish, but not overly awkward to play.

As far as buying, I'd check out UkeRepublic.com. Setup is key to a uke in that (or any) range, and they set up all the ukes they send out. In that price range, you'll find Mainlands and Ohanas, both of which I've played and have been very impressed with.