Cheap/Affordable Uke Recommendations?

Twiggy

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So I have decided that as a personal challenge, I will try to learn an instrument, but I also don't want to make it too challenging, so after my research it seems Ukulele is something doable and that I would like as well.

I see that there are both acoustic and electric ukuleles, from what I have seen electric ukulele is pretty damn cool, but seem to mostly be $100 or above, most nearing or exceeding $200, some much more.

Being that I am rather low on money, and that I don't want to be spending a lot of money on one, just in case I give up (even though I will certainly give it my best shot) I don't want to spend much more than $50CAD on one.

From what I have seen there do seem to be many options on ebay, but the vast majority of them seem to be from China, and I have no idea about their quality, but I'd expect them to have some issues from YouTube reviews I have seen on a couple of them.

It seems I should stay away from anything by Maholo even though they are very cheap.

I think electric would be very cool, but for affordability's sake and maybe for being easier to learn, I think I'd be best off with an acoustic one at first, and then get an electric when I get more familiar and advanced.

So anyone have any recommendations or tips on decent acoustic Ukes within and maybe just a little above my price range?

Thanks.
 
If you don't have a nearby ukulele dealer (someone who specializes in ukes, not just a large music dealer who happens to stock a few ukes), you might consider the Flight Travel Ukulele. (Review below.) Durable, set up well, sounds good. It should be close to your price range. Good luck, and welcome to ukulele world!

https://www.gotaukulele.com/2018/04/flight-tus50-travel-soprano-review.html
 
Thanks for the quick response.

I looked into that TUS50, it seems it could indeed be a good candidate. However it's not currently available on amazon and on ebay the shipping prices tend to range from almost $50 to literally $163 dollars, putting it well out of my budget range. I will see how much it'd be directly from the manufacturer.

I don't think there is a ukulele dealer in my area, but I never checked before, so I will, but don't have much hope.
 
Kala is a good brand to look at. If you can stretch your budget a bit there are some decent choices under $80. Unfortunately, some of the great deals available in the US don't always translate when ordered from Canada. I'd say Enya is a good choice, but the Amazon Canada prices aren't as good as Amazon.com. Similar to what you found with Flight.

The "got a ukulele" site linked above has reviews on lots models so you can cross reference with it if you want a good opinion on something.
 
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$50 CAD ==> ~$38.50 USD.

At $50 CAD, I doubt that you can easily locate a decent, playable ukulele. If you can go to ~$66 CAD (~$50 USD), I have had good luck with the China-made Kmise brand. They are readily available, at ~$50 USD, on EBAY. I suggest you get either a tenor or concert size. If you buy from EBAY, be sure the seller has a rating of 99.5 or higher.

In general, China-made ukuleles come with their strings a bit too high above the fretboard and the frets may be a bit uneven. This can make them a bit difficult to keep in tune, & the notes will not play very true above the 5th or 6th fret. However, they are usually okay as bangers to learn the basics on. Oh yes.... sometimes -- just sometimes -- you might get lucky & get a peach of a cheap ukulele. It happens!!!

Be aware: on a new ukulele, the strings will stretch a lot. You may have to re-tune the uke every 10 minutes or so of playing time on the first day. It should settle in after about a week of re-tuning, and string-stretching, and acclimation to your home's environment. Be patient -- give your new uke at least several days of persistent use so it can get comfortable with its new home and owner.
 
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Your budget seems simply too low to me and at that price you’re quite likely to end up with a Ukulele shaped object rather than something that will serve you well. So, IMHO, you need to have a rethink and raise your budget to cover what's cheap but still worthwhile buying. I do not know what shipping costs are in Canada but beware that for a cheap Uke a large part of your $50 Canadian could be spent on shipping costs and only a (too) small part on the Uke.

I’ve found great value in buying second hand goods and by carefully setting an instrument up I’ve made inexpensive ones play quite well. You might choose to follow that route, a little careful but not too difficult craft type work will repay you well.

Makala brand instruments gave me a good start and are inexpensive. The Dolphin Soprano model is very durable and lots are available second hand; a Makala Concert (MK-C) served me well and in some ways I was daft to let it go, but I sold it to make space for other things. Mahalo isn’t a brand you’ll see recommended here but they are widely available and sometimes it’s a case of ‘needs must’. If Mahalo is all you can find and afford then buy the best of their models that you can, set it up well, fit some good strings and give it a go. I sorted out an old, well worn but seemingly carefully used second hand one and it ended up being a useful instrument - a friend of mine now has it as a beater or a spare Uke.

(Edit. George Elmes, who is a professional player from Ireland, did this thought provoking video some years back and I suggest that you watch it : https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0nf4BiossT8 . It really challenged some of my preconceived ideas and prejudices.)

Good luck.
 
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Twiggy,
I also recommend the Flight Travel Ukulele (Model TUS35) as a very good, inexpensive starter uke. (They come in a variety of colors, too, which is fun.) I bought mine through a reputable online store in Britain. Their web address is: www.musicroom.com. I just checked their website and can confirm that they still sell the TUS35 model. The price is £39.99. Their flat shipping rate to Canada is £5.99. Even when you convert the pounds to CAN dollars, this is an excellent price for a very well-made, easy to play, good sounding ukulele.

Jan (a Canadian now living in Oregon)
 
Cordoba, baton rouge, flight, makala, all cheap and need setting up, might get a fairly good one. Avoid Lohanu, Mahalo, hilo, and other much crummier brands.
 
Your low budget puts you on the border between a toy and an instrument. Maybe try to save a bit longer until you can afford a true instrument. Some libraries also have ukes that can be borrowed without expense. As for an electric uke you will also need an amp to use it which is another large expense and limits its use. I suggest you wait with electronics until you perform for larger groups.
 
Thanks all for the responses.

I will see how much I can raise my budget by.

As for electric things, that will still be a long ways away, and if I am still playing after that much time, then I won't mind putting more money into things.

I'm just on a fixed disability income, and don't want to spend all that much on something which I do run a good chance of just giving up on and no longer using after a short time if I get frustrated.

@Jan D,

I will check out your source, thanks.

Another option will be to check the local music stores, because even though they may not specialize in Ukes, there will be absolutely no shipping costs involved, just the item price and the 13% sales tax.
 
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Twiggy,
I also recommend the Flight Travel Ukulele (Model TUS35) as a very good, inexpensive starter uke. (They come in a variety of colors, too, which is fun.) I bought mine through a reputable online store in Britain. Their web address is: www.musicroom.com. I just checked their website and can confirm that they still sell the TUS35 model. The price is £39.99. Their flat shipping rate to Canada is £5.99. Even when you convert the pounds to CAN dollars, this is an excellent price for a very well-made, easy to play, good sounding ukulele.

Jan (a Canadian now living in Oregon)

Wow, that shipping rate is insanely cheap!

Also, as mentioned above, I should have said Makala as it's the more affordable line of Kala. Probably your best bet for buying locally, but Jan's suggestion is a good deal. Depending where you live you might look for a Makala MK-S or Dolphin for ~$70-$75.
 
Seems I can get a Makala off ebay, for just about $80CAD: https://www.ebay.ca/itm/MAKALA-SOPR...hash=item4aeefc198b:m:mZJlSZb_NS-ypSVy_KTAExA

I'd go for the black one. Is this the same Makala, or a scam/fraud/knockoff?

Edit: I just noticed that there's also $12USD of import charges, so that kind of brings it to piratically $100, so scratch that.

There is this one though, only about 2 hours from me, free shipping, and $45CAD. From the pictures it looks Okay, but then again, I don't really know what to look for. I am not able to find any info about them online either. Looking it up on youtube gives me back some ukulele covers for some reason. "CNBLUE". https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Ukulele-Con...236938?hash=item1cc17c5bca:g:duIAAOSwvtxdQn3f
 
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Cnblue could be the colour of the bag. Cheap ukes are all pretty much the same and the name of them has little meaning. Some are ok some are not. If it's really bad you can probably return it.
 
^ That shipping is really impressive.

I am still considering that source, though it won't let me see the real cost without creating a guest account.

I did create one, with the shipping and everything, in total, it says it'll cost me 49.99 euro, meaning $73 Canadian dollars. Can be doable then for sure.
 
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Okay, I just bought the TUS35, from musicroom, thanks Jan D!

Cost me $75.84 Canadian total, with the shipping, conversion, paypal fees, etc.

I got the black one, because that's my aesthetic.
 
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If you like yellow, Amazon.ca shows the yellow Flight TUS-35 in stock for CDN$50.85 and free shipping. [FONT=Verdana,Arial,Tahoma,Calibri,Geneva,sans-serif]https://www.amazon.ca/Flight-TUS-35YW-4-String-Ukulele/dp/B07SHJSRW7/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=flight+ukulele
There are also Makala Sharks from CDN$70 shipped and an Enya Concert at CDN$70 after a coupon [FONT=Verdana,Arial,Tahoma,Calibri,Geneva,sans-serif]https://www.amazon.ca/Enya-EUC-200A-Beginners-Fingershaker-Polishing

These are all generally well regarded starter instruments. Personally, I'd lean towards the Flight. My Flight TUS-35 is my cheapest and one of my favourite ukes, and it almost hits your $50 price point. The Flight and a different Enya are the only ukes that I have that didn't need a setup (either by myself or by the vendor - thanks, Mim!) to play well. The general hazard from Amazon (and other non specialist vendors) is that the instruments don't come set up for playability and need some work done on them. They can be very frustrating to play before that work is done.
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Okay, I just bought the TUS35, from musicroom, thanks Jan D!

Cost me $75.84 Canadian total, with the shipping, conversion, paypal fees, etc.

I got the black one, because that's my aesthetic.

Congratulations, from what I’ve read over time here I don’t think that you’ll be disappointed. I’ve updated my earlier post with some additional detail that might help someone else in a similar position to you (starting off, limited budget, exposed to high shipping costs). For other starters: local music shops usually aren’t price competitive and don’t carry much of if anything in the way of Ukes, however it’s nearly always sensible to check them out and particularly so if shipping costs are high. Sometimes you avoid excessive shipping costs, you can test before you buy, you take away the actual instrument that you test and you can avoid the expensive mistake of buying something that looks OK for you on-line but in practice isn’t.

After purchase you need to figure out lessons and a group of similar folk to play with.
 
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