Where on earth to start, seriously... (AKA Will's Essay)

Ok, I've joined here today and after using the search for a number of my questions it's lead me to post a thread.

Basically I've wanted to play Uke for some time and as I am in for back surgery in 36days and I'll have some considerable time on my hands in recovery, and Ukelele cheers me up, I'm wanting to buy one to slowly learn over the summer.

My main question is, where do I start?

Because of my injury and long recovery I'll be short of money and will only have I reckon, £80-100 ($120-150) for an Uke, but after again searching online and on here, I have no idea what I want or what is affordable.

I think I'd like a Tenor and think I'd like 4 string, but after seeing everyone say I should go to a store and try a Uke I come to the question:

When I visit a store to try a Uke, what do I look for as I've only ever held one ONCE? hehe

How will I know a tenor or concert etc suits me best if I have never played a chord? I've seen a a bunch of threads with words I don't understand and lot's of people skipping things that are so called 'elementary'.

Seen as I cannot find a shop which specializes in Ukes round where I live (Sheffield, South Yorks) I do wonder how I'll know what I want and then how I'll get started?

This is very long winded I know but I hope you all understand, with the pain I'm in and the drugs I'm on (legal, prescribed) I struggle to concentrate (will be fixed by surgery, phew!) and with so much information I'm getting confused.

If anyone knows of a Uke store within 50-100 miles from me I'd appreciate it as well, I'm very sceptical about buying an instrument online and do feel hands on advice may help a lot.

Thanks in advance, any answers and time given will be greatly appreciated, if I don't thank you for your comment and input I apologise too. I'll try to take everyones advice on board.

Will.

Hello, so I'm new to the forum and have tried using the search function for my initial questions to the instrument, and after some time of being totally lost its left me writing this.

I've been wanting to play ukelele for some time now and as I'm having back surgery in 36 days, and ukelele music cheers me up I've decided it's something I'm determined to do.

So because I'm looking to buy my first ukelele and although i was tempted to buy online I'm filled with questions like; what do I want? What suits me best? Where do I buy with confidence?

I've had it explained on here that before you buy your first uke you need to know what suits you first, as to size mainly.
And that's left me in a pickle, as I have only held a ukelele ONCE in my life and when I get to a store and try a few ukeleles for comfort etc... How do I try? After never playing a chord how am I meant to now how a uke feels and what feels right?

I ask please for your help as I said, I don't know where a store is (I live in Sheffield, UK) and am at a loss as to where exactly to start?

I hope you can help and thank everyone who contributes to this thread as I know you're taking time out of your day to reply.

I also apologise if the answers have been here infront of my face on the site but as I'm in quite some pain and am on some strong painkillers, I do find my attention span running low and am easily frustrated

I've got 6-8 weeks off work with recovery from surgery, so have plenty of time to get to grips with my first uke.
But as this injury and the long recovery have affected my earnings I'll only have £80-100 to spend.

All advice is really welcome.

Thanks again,

Will

Hi, and welcome!

First, the search function here is pretty weak. You will actually have better luck finding threads here that answer your questions by using Google search!

It's pretty much impossible to know before buying your first uke what will end up suiting you best. Many people (myself included) initially find a Soprano scale to be very cramped, but later, after our fingers have adjusted, so to speak, we find that we actually like them and prefer the traditional sound. That said, a concert sized uke is a good initial compromise. The scale is long enough not to be too cramped for almost anybody, yet short enough that even those with small hands don't have any difficulty making all the stretches needed for basic chords.

It is a very good idea to purchase your first uke from someone who has a reputation for fully supporting the uke, so to speak. Online that's outfits like Hawaiian Music Supply, Mim, Uke Republic and a handful of others that hang out here. Of course, if there is a local store with good support that is even better. Just be advised that major outfits like Amazon.com, Guitar Center, and so on, as well as many ebay stores, basically just drop-ship whatever comes out of the factory and most such ukes under a few hundred dollars are a real crap-shoot. They aren't usually complete rubbish (except for the very cheapest ones) but they need to be set up and adjusted to really put them right. The outfits I mentioned above (HMS, etc.) do that setup on the ukes they sell.

Good luck with the surgery and hope you fall fully in love with the uke!

John

Thread out of moderation queue. Sorry for the delay.

Dingler said:

If anyone knows of a Uke store within 50-100 miles from me I'd appreciate it as well, I'm very sceptical about buying an instrument online and do feel hands on advice may help a lot.

Click to expand...

Welcome to the UU. It is hard to recommend a uke store within 50-100 miles from you when you don't state where you live.

Mandarb said:

Welcome to the UU. It is hard to recommend a uke store within 50-100 miles from you when you don't state where you live.

Click to expand...

He does. Two paragraphs up. Sheffield, South Yorks(hire). I haven't a clue about UK ukulele stores, though.

Good luck with your hunt, Will. There are all kinds of different ukes out there. Try to get the best quality you can for your money. Solid wood if possible. It really does make a difference. And if you don't have uke stores within reach, buy online from good dealers with reasonable return windows.

Ah, my home town, left it 40 years ago!
There is a uke meet I believe
http://www.ukulelesundays.co.uk/
Get yourself down there, talk to people, explain your problems, they'll probably let you hold a few to see which size feels more commfortable for you.
They also may have suggestions for localish shops.
H

Here is how it went for me:

When I started a month ago, I got a useless plywood soprano as part of a set and it seemed so small that I instantly bought a concert, convinced that the soprano size would be too small for me. Then after a bit I got curious about the tenor size and bought one. It felt less portable than I had expected, but sounded awesome, and so another week later I got curious about a proper soprano. Irresponsible as I am, I bought one of those as well and now had one of each in my first month of learning the ukulele (just upper entry level instruments, nothing completely extreme, but also not trash: the soprano was around €150, the concert €100, the tenor €270'ish).

I can obviously only speak for myself, but even after having practiced with each of them for at least a couple dozen hours per, I have only discovered that I don't necessarily need a concert (which originally had been my first choice), and that I cannot decide between the tenor and the soprano. I like different things about them: I very much like the "format" of the soprano, how portable it is, and how it "feels". I however also very much enjoy the fuller, more harmonic sound of the tenor (both have Martin M600 strings, both are solid wood: the soprano mahogany, the tenor acacia). If I had to pick one right now, I would go with the soprano, which initially was my least favorite choice. The frets seemed impossibly small at first, but are quite comfortable by now. But this is just if I had to decide right now. I switch a lot between them and probably won't make up my mind any time soon.

In other words, I certainly couldn't have gone to a shop and know my preference just by holding them. My first impression changed quickly, and even after hours with each size, I'm still torn. If your hands and fingers are average-sized and your inquiry is not hand-related, I think that perhaps starting with a soprano is not a bad idea. But you mentioned you wanted a tenor. What's the preference based on? Tenors cost more usually, so quality-wise you get a better soprano with the same money. But everyone is different and has individual preferences. It's hard to guess what might or might not work for others.

One thing I also learned: Getting a properly set up instrument is important. With cheaper ukuleles, the "action" is often too high, which means you need more pressure to hold down the strings. Definitely buy from a place where setups are done (I don't know which UK stores do it -- here in Germany I only found very few vendors who offer it). Also, strings matter. Cheaper ukes frequently come with GHS strings, which even to my beginner ears do not sound good. Aquila Nylguts or one of the flourocarbon string brands (Martin, Worth, Living Waters, etc.) are better choices. I only tried Nylguts and the Martins, and of the two I definitely prefer the Martins. But that too is totally subjective.

Thanks John for the reply, I was tempted by some of the deals on ukes from ebay etc but as you said and I had reservations about, you may have a uke that looks good and is made by a good company but comes with problems with and you're then stuck with it and need to spend money sorting or what not.

I'll visit the sites you mention and have a look around, it's nice knowing which sites have a good reputation for supporting the uke. It's good to support those doing their utmost to make buying a fun experience.

(ps if a forum moderator pops by can you merge this with the other thread. I posted two when I noticed my first thread hadn't posted, thanks)

As someone who got their first uke as a Christmas pressie and has then just bought 'online' (based on lots and lots of research), I'd definitely say you have two choices when it comes to choosing the 'right' size - either buy one of each, or go to a real shop and physically put one of each in your hands and see which you think is more comfortable. I went down the former route, much to the 'amusement' of my wife! (NOT!)

I started with a Soprano, then got a Concert and then a Tenor - and for me, the Concert is the 'ideal' size, as it's got a nice tone with a fretboard that doesn't involve too much of a finger stretch. Having never really played a stringed instrument before, and having no real use in my little finger, the Concert fretboard suits me - but that's just me.....

I'd also STRONGLY suggest that you buy from a shop that does proper setups, because even though I've found setting my own ukes up 'part of the experience', it's not for everyone - and a nicely setup uke makes an absolute world of difference. On that front, there are a few 'mail order' shops like Clifford Essex Music who setup their ukes before posting them out (there are others, both over here and abroad, but I've only got first hand experience of CE, and I can't say enough good things about their customer service!). As it happens, the concert I have was from them - it's the solid mahogany Aria ACU 250 - and at £110 delivered, complete with a decent case and fully setup, I reckon it's a bargain!

Anyway - you've definitely come to the right place for advice - this is without doubt the friendliest forum around and there's always folk willing to give you some help.

Let us know how you get on!

Thank you all for the replies.

Firstly I'll reiterate I wrote this thread and when after a while it wasn't posted i wrote it again, hence two very similar threads with the same title so if a moderator could merge the 2 it would make replying to comments etc much easier,thanks.

Yes HMS I'm now looking into ukelelesundays, I'm going to contact them via facebook and see what's going on, a meeting with them will probably do me some real good.

wayfarer and Mivo, I'll most likely look towards buying online if somewhere close isn't available as a considerable drive will cost money anyway.
The thing is Mivo that I suggested Tenor for no reason other than a slight lean toward it that I can't explain.

If Concerts or soprano's are cheaper and as you say, can be better quality for money spent I may go mid-table and buy concert, then depending in the future after surgery with soprano and tenor I can buy and try those to see how things go.

Does that make sense?

I, too, am in line for back surgery. And it's my opinion that a ukulele is just what you need; as it never fails to make ME happy. I, however like all the sizes and haven't been able to pick a favourite yet, so I'm not much help to you,... other than also "feeling the pain".

Good luck with your surgery!

No question it can not only look like a junkle out there, but it actually can be to a newbie .

Without endless explanation and a million reasons of what where and why, I will say this . Some may agree . Some will also agree . But to put it in really simple terms from what I consider failry knowledgable efforts through my own successes and failures , I say this in short .

Yes, size matters . Only you can decide two absolute factors of importance . One is what scale . Personally, I say start with a concert . It's middle road . Second, I say finding one on UU that is in good used condition is another real smart bet . Lot's of folks on here selling used ukes at fair prices . No warranty usually, but so what is how I feel . Thridly, Go ahead on and make it seem what feels like a little painful on your price point . Just dig in and expect to really drop about $300 on one . It's just the price point that you really start getting into decent quality in general .

4th, but not least . For sure it is a mind boggling jungle out there deciding which uke even if you know your price range . Trying to decide best bang for the buck is one tough task if you are not already in the know .

With that said and as it has been mentioned , if you are going to by new, find a store that specifies in ukes . And all nearly all costs, avoid big box music stores for ukes . It just isn't smart in ost cases . Again, buying used here is a good idea. As far as brands go, I personally feel good telling you that Ohana would likely be my first choice and if you went with a Mainland you'd serve yourself quite well . Yes, there are others . TONS of them . But those two you'd likely do fine with from a percentage of happy players on those two brands .

Then of course you are kinda stuck with what kind of woods to go with . OMG ! That's the biggest can of worms I know of around ukes . Me personally, I am a solid spruce top guy with mahogany back and sides for newbies . I've got several of that from production ukes to custom hand built luthier ukes . It's a wonderful middle ground .

From those elements, even the most descriminationg players and uke owners in here would tell you that all is pretty sound advice in general .

Recap .

Consider used from some known person on UU .
Concert scale for the middle ground .
$300 price range for sanity sake.
Solid spruce top solid mahogany ( or similar ) for yet another reliable tried and true middle ground.
Ohana or Mainland is hugely agreeable with most players of those who have owned one and or played one .

The best of the best for your hunting and weclome to the jungle .It's a more friendly jungle as you become more knowledgable .


5150

I got to thinking about your original post and poked around a bit for something that I would personally feel pretty ok if a close friend of mine were to be asking the same questions you are asking . This is a link to what would be what I think is a good answer . It's likely not the perfect answer, but I am no so sure there is a perfect answer . This also not to say that any one uke is less and or more than another or that this uke is the best uke in the world . it's just to say that without a doubt I am confident this is a pretty sweet starting point for about anyone .

These ukes sound wonderful, are well built, made by a known reputable company and resell quite well . This uke is also built in a tenor scale . You'd not be payinf for a bunch of bling you don't want and you'd be getting a real nice tone out of it most likely .

Just my input . Not the answer to all global difficulties . I just think it is a real solid middle ground start point for about anyone .


http://cargo.ukerepublic.com/product/ohana-ck-38-solid-mahogany

All brilliant replies thanks for taking the time to write them.

I'm beginning to see I may need to buy online but if I do to buy from trusted places with good reputations and that send out ukes fully setup.

I'll check the FS section and will probably go Concert as has been said it's midrange size wise.

I'll have a good look throughout the day and check the Ohana CK-38 out properly, I may push the boat out more and see if I can fund more money but as I said, I'm a little squeezed for cash atm.

And thanks Porridge Face, I hope you achieve the best possible outcome with your back surgery too. Mines scheduled for the day before my 4th wedding anniversary so I'm hoping me and my wife have a good present with a pain free me on the 2nd of May

Dingler said:

All brilliant replies thanks for taking the time to write them.

I'm beginning to see I may need to buy online but if I do to buy from trusted places with good reputations and that send out ukes fully setup.

I'll check the FS section and will probably go Concert as has been said it's midrange size wise.

I'll have a good look throughout the day and check the Ohana CK-38 out properly, I may push the boat out more and see if I can fund more money but as I said, I'm a little squeezed for cash atm.

And thanks Porridge Face, I hope you achieve the best possible outcome with your back surgery too. Mines scheduled for the day before my 4th wedding anniversary so I'm hoping me and my wife have a good present with a pain free me on the 2nd of May

Click to expand...

Try Eagle Music in Huddersfield. It's one of the few UK shops with a huge range of Ukuleles. Also, they stock both Mainland and Ohana so you can try both and see what suits you:

http://www.eaglemusicshop.com

Matt

^ Thank you very much Matt, I see they're only 50mins drive from here.

There range looks extensive and I'm sure they'll be great to help me pick my first uke.

I'll investigate promptly.

Dingler said:

^ Thank you very much Matt, I see they're only 50mins drive from here.

There range looks extensive and I'm sure they'll be great to help me pick my first uke.

I'll investigate promptly.

Click to expand...

You're welcome. I'm hoping for a trip to Eagle next time I'm t'up North. I've bought mail order from them with excellent service.

Hope you manage to get the uke that feels right. Only you'll know what feels right. Having said that I'd get a Mainland!

Dingler said:

Firstly I'll reiterate I wrote this thread and when after a while it wasn't posted i wrote it again, hence two very similar threads with the same title so if a moderator could merge the 2 it would make replying to comments etc much easier,thanks.

Click to expand...

Threads merged.

As much as I'd like the Ohana CK38 I've not got £200 to afford one

I've had a good gander and what seems most affordable and doable (postage charges are a real pain too), is this:

http://www.eaglemusicshop.com/concert-ukuleles/ohana-pack-ck-10.htm

My only concern is it's quality (sound and material wise).

I've heard it being played and it sounds good for what I'd pay.

If over the next few months I really enjoy ukulele and want to carry on, I can always sell this and spend more money on the Ohana CK38 if I'm really liking the Ohana, or try something different by visiting a store and trying some out.

Surgery is in 4 weeks today so I need to get my uke sorted soon hehe