Ukulele as a gift

Hello!
I've been playing the guitar for a few years, but I now nothing about the ukulelele, and yet I want to buy it as a gift for my SO. It is a person who can play instruments very well (guitar music school and 7 years of experience in playing the soprano ukulelele).
I've been interested in buying the Arrius UK 1500 model. I like it very much in terms of design and overall performance, the sound is also very cool. I wanted to ask if someone had a chance to play it and could share their opinion, because these are not cheap things and I would like to be sure of a good choice before I make a final decision.
Thanks in advance!

I would suggest that whatever you get to make sure they have a good return policy. Also, insist that your SO be honest about how they feel about the instrument. If it were me I would get a gift certificate and let your SO choose the instrument.

MJB said:

I would suggest that whatever you get to make sure they have a good return policy. Also, insist that your SO be honest about how they feel about the instrument. If it were me I would get a gift certificate and let your SO choose the instrument.

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A ukulele is a rather personal item. I can't imagine anyone buying a uke for me that I would love. I would tell this person that you want to buy a uke and have your SO decide on the make and model.

Originally Posted by Bamboleo

I need to find an ukulele for a gift. Are there any good alternatives to Arrius UK 1500? I found a couple of cheap reviews on the custom writing service about types of wood and their durablity.

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Hi,
There are different wood types and the prices differ correspondingly. You can consider a Pono ATSH-PC Tenor Pro-Classic Acacia or a Kumu ukulele. I bought a Kumu for my son, it's his first ukulele.

This is not a brand of ukulele mentioned a lot on this forum. And the specs you can Google dont cover the info you would usually find on serious ukulele vendors websites.
I sure never heard of this brand before. It might just be a small scale production, but without without references I wouldnt buy this expensive an instrument.

Also, I would be very cautious about buying a ukulele for someone else. If you play guitar, you would probably also want to choose your next guitar rather than have someone pick something fancy with another scale length and body size that you are used to.

Did your SO specifically wish for this ukulele, or an new ukulele with a specific description?

Edit: If your SO was playing a cheap entry level ukulele, buying something nicer with similar qualities could be a risky but viable option. But with 7 years experience your SO has probably allready upgraded to a point where it takes first hand knowledge to know what to got for next.

Yeah, I would be very cautious about buying a uke for my wife. Even with a lot of research, it's hard to know if you're going to hit the exact uke they will fall in love with, or be wide of the mark. Plus, setup, strings, case, tuner, etc.

Better to give a gift certificate and let them choose. You can advise, and help them compare. But, ultimately, it's better if they have a say in the selection.

Best of luck.

The op hasn't been back since his first (and last) post...

Bamboleo said:

Hello!
I've been playing the guitar for a few years, but I now nothing about the ukulelele, and yet I want to buy it as a gift for my SO. It is a person who can play instruments very well (guitar music school and 7 years of experience in playing the soprano ukulelele).
I've been interested in buying the Arrius UK 1500 model. I like it very much in terms of design and overall performance, the sound is also very cool. I wanted to ask if someone had a chance to play it and could share their opinion, because these are not cheap things and I would like to be sure of a good choice before I make a final decision.
Thanks in advance!

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SO being significant other, a name for a partner

The person you’re talking about will already have good instruments and maybe you might mention to us what they are. It’s unlikely that the brand and model you suggest will be of any value to your SO - I’d ditch the idea - and I explain below. I also note that the Uke you mention has a rather significant price too.

If my SO (my Wife) bought me a Uke it would almost certainly be one that didn’t fit my particular tastes. Best for your SO to have the money to get what she wants or to visit a shop with her. Failing that I think that an Outdoor Uke would be a nice present for any player to receive - nice as a present to give or receive though for myself I’d buy something else for the playing purposes it meets.
https://www.outdoorukulele.com/collections/ukuleles

rustydusty said:

The op hasn't been back since his first (and last) post...

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Yes, and the OP was quite a time ago too. Still, the principle is there: beware of buying expensive instruments as presents.

My wife bought me a Mr. Mai Concert solid koawood [I think it's Acacia], high gloss ukulele for Christmas last year. She was quite proud of having done a lot of research before buying it. [No idea where she did the research.] That it had a lot of great reviews and she found a place in Hong Kong that sold it for a good price.

It's an okay instrument. Decent sound. Nicely shaped neck. Cheap no-name tuners in antique bronze finish that are a bit rough to use. But hold well when you get in tune. Tiebar bridge. Bone nut & saddle. Nice rounded black/darkbrown armrest & top binding. "Marlboro Ribbon" MOP fret markers. With a locking Sawtooth pattern across the 12th fret. White Ivoroid side markers. Attractive asymetric rosette of Paua Shell. Neat and tidy construction. All-in-all, a nice little concert.

She got me a concert size, because she thought I had too many tenors!

I take it out every now and then and play it. Just to show her that I do; and tell her that I really like it. Make her feel good and that she did good. She meant well. And I do appreciate the time and effort she put into buying it and keeping it a secret from me.

It will not replace my Pono or Rebel tenors. Let alone my K-brands, well you get the picture.

Give him a gift certificate, and go with him to the store and "help" him pick one out. Ask him why he likes this one or that one. Why is this wood better than that wood? Is the neck a good shape for his hand? Which size do you like the best? Baritone, tenor, concert, soprano? He will enjoy explaining as he tries various instruments out. That will give him as much pleasure as actually playing the one he chooses.

Or do the same as he looks at ukes online. Buy from one of the sellers that does a setup. Mims, UkeRepublic, TheUkuleleSite, etc.

He'll love you for paying attention to his hobby and listening to him describe why he chose the uke he did.

If he already plays guitar, you might consider a baritone.
The difference being that a baritone is tuned like the four treble strings of a guitar, so he could use all the chord shapes he already knows to play in the same key.
Also Guitarists are picky. A gift card to instumental store of choice is probably the best bet.

granch72 said:

If he already plays guitar, you might consider a baritone.
The difference being that a baritone is tuned like the four treble strings of a guitar, so he could use all the chord shapes he already knows to play in the same key.
Also Guitarists are picky. A gift card to instumental store of choice is probably the best bet.

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I think a lot of people who've played uke for a while are picky, too - everyone starts to develop a favourite feel and sound, and that's not necessarily easy to guess or gauge for a gift. I liked someone's suggestion earlier about taking the recipient to a store and experiencing with them the process of choice. But then I am one of those people for whom shared experience means more than just a snazzy gift does.

Instead of a ukulele, you should buy a gift certificate from a musical instrument store because a musical instrument is a personal thing for many people like me. Last year I gave a great gift to my wife for her anniversary. I bought 5 gift certificates for her to her favorite stores so she could choose what she wanted for herself. I also ordered a gift basket: www.jetgiftbaskets.com , and put the certificates in that basket. It looked nice, and she was very happy. You could also give a gift certificate and present it nicely, like a gift basket or something like that.

Bamboleo said:

Hello!
I've been playing the guitar for a few years, but I now nothing about the ukulelele, and yet I want to buy it as a gift for my SO. It is a person who can play instruments very well (guitar music school and 7 years of experience in playing the soprano ukulelele).
I've been interested in buying the Arrius UK 1500 model. I like it very much in terms of design and overall performance, the sound is also very cool. I wanted to ask if someone had a chance to play it and could share their opinion, because these are not cheap things and I would like to be sure of a good choice before I make a final decision.
Thanks in advance!

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Don’t!

just get your SO a gift card. I would hate it if someone robbed me of the joy of trying instruments and picking the one I like.

Here's what I would do if I was blessed with a ukulele-playing partner: get a Jay Lichty or a Moore Bettah. The SO will understand the value involved and there's no trying before buying because those brands are all unique. Gift cards are lame gifts. If you actually have daily communication with the SO, you will know all the little things they like such as cutaways, neck profiles, etc. For example, I just turned around and asked my wife what's my favorite mode and she said either the Aiolian or the Phrygian. She isn't even a musician and she nailed it. Then you bespeak the uke and give it to him/her.

ripock said:

Here's what I would do if I was blessed with a ukulele-playing partner: get a Jay Lichty or a Moore Bettah. The SO will understand the value involved and there's no trying before buying because those brands are all unique. Gift cards are lame gifts. If you actually have daily communication with the SO, you will know all the little things they like such as cutaways, neck profiles, etc. For example, I just turned around and asked my wife what's my favorite mode and she said either the Aiolian or the Phrygian. She isn't even a musician and she nailed it. Then you bespeak the uke and give it to him/her.

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That's actually a lovely thought, if those are the ukes you can afford. Go with a luthier-built instrument, of high quality, and it'd never not be appreciated (plus then it has a reasonable resale value, lol). I'd be totally ok if my hubby decided to splurge on a Lone Tree or Ray Vincent uke for me... I do keep sending him hints, just in case. You never know And that's sweet that your wife pays attention. My family listen to me play, and tolerate me blathering on about uke this and guitar that and did you know? and oooh look at that gorgeous wood grain (well, my husband is a woodworker, so he can appreciate that last one). They are like that about my knitting and crocheting too; I've driven them mental with all of the useful-to-me information that they really couldn't care less about, but will smile and nod and make neutral non-discouraging noises.

I know what you mean about hints. Although black or grey are the only permissible colors for manly headwear, I have mentioned several times a green stetson fedora to my wife made of rabbit felt and costing just under $400 but what's a few C's for the one you love?

ripock said:

I know what you mean about hints. Although black or grey are the only permissible colors for manly headwear, I have mentioned several times a green stetson fedora to my wife made of rabbit felt and costing just under $400 but what's a few C's for the one you love?

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Oooh.... yes that sounds very much worthy of a few hints. Nice choice.

ripock said:

I know what you mean about hints. Although black or grey are the only permissible colors for manly headwear, I have mentioned several times a green stetson fedora to my wife made of rabbit felt and costing just under $400 but what's a few C's for the one you love?

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For that price or a little more you could get a custom hat. Stetson is a shell of itself and has only been a licensed name for decades. While some of their modern offerings are good, on the whole they lack attention to detail and have had issues with the dye bleeding.

InTuneWithUke said:

For that price or a little more you could get a custom hat. Stetson is a shell of itself and has only been a licensed name for decades. While some of their modern offerings are good, on the whole they lack attention to detail and have had issues with the dye bleeding.

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I've always been a fan of Akubra hats. I wonder if they're still what they say they are?

ploverwing said:

I've always been a fan of Akubra hats. I wonder if they're still what they say they are?

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For a modern production hat Akubra is about the best value you can get. On the whole I'd buy a modern Akubra before a modern Stetson, although there are exceptions. The felt isn't pounced as nice as a custom, but for an everyday hard wearing hat Akubra is a good investment. I have two Akubras in my hat collection.

When Stetson was still an independent company Akubra held the license to make hats under the Stetson name. The Akubra Campdraft is equivalent of a Stetson Open Road, so if you like that style get a Campdraft.