What instrument for a beginner?

I have a flea for sale in the market place.

Another Ukulele said:

I agree with the ‘proof of concept’ statement. My first Uke was a $20 ‘toy’. I had fun ‘playing’ with it so I graduated up.

So unless you are certain you want to invest, go inexpensive. If you KNOW you want to really delve into this wonderful instrument, spend the money and purchase something that won’t frustrate you.

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I disagree. Get something that won't frustrate you from day one.

Kaelrie said:

I disagree. Get something that won't frustrate you from day one.

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I agree with Kaelre's disagreement, especially when you do the math. For my re-entrant uke needs I ended up with a $2200 Kamaka custom.

I know a lot of people are like OMG!

But think of how most people do it: a $50 crappy uke, then a $100 slightly less crappy Kala, then a jump up to a $200 Ocsar Schmidt, then a jump up to a $400 Cordoba, then up to $600 Pono, then up to the Kamaka.

What is the math? 50+100+200+400+600+2200=3550

Or you could save up ( or even pay in monthly installments) and spend $2200 for a Kamaka. That's a savings of $1350.

So, the math dictates that you shouldn't pay for a succession of sh*tty made-in-China assembly-line ukes...and then buy a good ukulele; you should save one or two thousand dollars and just pay for a hawaiian ukulele.

ripock said:

I agree with Kaelre's disagreement, especially when you do the math. For my re-entrant uke needs I ended up with a $2200 Kamaka custom.

I know a lot of people are like OMG!

But think of how most people do it: a $50 crappy uke, then a $100 slightly less crappy Kala, then a jump up to a $200 Ocsar Schmidt, then a jump up to a $400 Cordoba, then up to $600 Pono, then up to the Kamaka.

What is the math? 50+100+200+400+600+2200=3550

Or you could save up ( or even pay in monthly installments) and spend $2200 for a Kamaka. That's a savings of $1350.

So, the math dictates that you shouldn't pay for a succession of sh*tty made-in-China assembly-line ukes...and then buy a good ukulele; you should save one or two thousand dollars and just pay for a hawaiian ukulele.

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I agree on not going too cheap to begin with, but in your math you are forgetting that a lot of people leave it ar their crappy uke, or find themselves quite happy with $300 uke.
Take into account that a lot of people can't afford $2000, or $500 for that matter, and are not going to start a saving account of they don't even know if they like ukulele.
But I am happy for you that you found joy enough on ukulele to go all the way for the best!

For a beginner I would just suggest that of you can afford a $200 ukulele (or whatever the amount is for you) without sweat, dont get one for $50 because you like a good deal. By getting something a little better there is less chance you will need an upgrade, and if you upgrade, more chance you will keep it as a beater for camping etc. And it is surprisingly easy to sell second hand ukuleles, even low end ones, if you don't like it.

I don't want to be a recrudescence to this thread, so I'll just say one more thing and depart. When I was a boy I paid $23.89 a month for a flute. It seems that I was paying that for years. So, yes, I was probably paying a lot of interest, but at least I was able to play my flute. I mention this in passing because I have seen in some of the big sites (Elderly, Sweetwater, Reverb) that they offer financing through Affirm or some other permutation of Synchrony. Accordingly, if you set your heart on a $500 uke, you can get it now and pay it over time. I'll leave it at that.

3 days and 25 posts later, the OP hasn't checked back on this thread...

UkerDanno said:

3 days and 25 posts later, the OP hasn't checked back on this thread...

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OP frozen in front of computer with decision paralysis

Good discussion even if the OP is sidetracked, frozen or incapacitated. Very interesting discussion that I am sure several people are happy to read.

donboody said:

OP frozen in front of computer with decision paralysis

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Or done talking and now playing!

rainbow21 said:

I am always a bit surprised that there is so much feedback on going cheaper to save money on a first ukulele. I would look for one that sounds good and plays well first. Most "beginner" ukes do not fall in this category since most of those that get one want to "upgrade" once they decide they like it.

I would consider a budget around $200 and then call Mim (or another excellent seller) and give her the parameters of what you are looking for and your budget. Let her guide you to a good choice. You should get a good instrument that plays well to give you the better chance of success.

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I think this may be because having your instrument out of it's case and always there is a key to playing more. I would never leave my tasty ukes on the couch, but the Makala concert I have gets lots of abuse because it gets left wherever and never sees the inside of a gig bag. As a result it is always ready for a short session with no forethought. I grew up respecting instruments and being super careful with them, but now I afford that respect only to the nicer stuff!