What's the least expensive Ukulele you play regularly?

GF1

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I'm interested to hear from everyone but the reason for asking was just I was wondering whether the more experienced players move onwards and upwards and never go back to the entry-level ukes, or whether the basic models still offer any sort of charm or pleasure.

To answer my own question, I'm just starting out, and the Flight 310 Concert I picked up for GBP19 actually cost me less than the first ukulele I bought - a Makala Waterman I bought for our children - which got me interested in learning myself, which in turn brought me here...
 
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It's not so much that low budget ukes are unplayable or bad. But once you taste something higher-end, you sort of run out of reasons to regularly play something that isn't as refined and pleasant.

The only ukulele I regularly play nowadays is a Kanile'a tenor. I've no craving to play an inexpensive uke in the mean time.
 
The reason you buy a more expensive Ukulele is to play it, so no reason to play the low cost Ukulele after you get a better one, unless the low cost one is better than the expensive (you buy something wrong?)

When I have only one Ukulele which is low price, I have no choice, I only play it. After I got another much better and more expensive one, I only play the new one.
 
I regularly play my Runin soprano ukulele that cost me GBP18 brand new off Ebay. I own other, better, more expensive ukuleles, but this one resides almost permanently in my car so I play it almost every day.
It's used more like a travel ukulele. It's all laminate so I don't worry about humidity, etc.
 
I regularly play my least expensive ukes which were $150 and $210 and I own other ukes which were 2x and 3x(+) more expensive which many would consider better sounding but I think all of my ukes sound good. I've been playing my $210 uke almost exclusively for the last year because it's a thinline uke which is the most comfortable to play from my easy chair where I've been playing most of the time. My starter uke was a kit which cost about $100. I had to pay to get it set up after buying it but it played like a breeze after that. I regret having sold it because I loved the feel of how it played and I haven't quite encountered that feel since.
 
My Pono Pineapple. The weight, the feel, the tone. I absolutely love it.
 
I have too many ukes, including LFdM, Kinnard, Kamaka... etc. They often sit in their cases. I play my MaKala Shark Soprano almost everyday. It sits on the kitchen counter top of my office and I go to work 6 days a week. I think I paid about $50 for it.
 
this one resides almost permanently in my car so I play it almost every day

I've got about a $30 "Bugs Gear" peanut style uke that I keep in my car. I'm a driving instructor, so I'm in the car a lot. If I find myself waiting somewhere for a few minutes, or have a student cancel and have time to kill, I play it. It sounds like crap... but "it sounds". I actually have a lot of fun mindlessly jamming on it.
 
Concert flea in my office sitting on my desk. Most used ukulele. Ever.
 
Interesting idea for a thread. To the OP, what was your purpose, research? Curiosity?

$630 Cocobolo custom concert scale. For gigs.
For lo G stuff, $240 Ohana concert scale. Acoustic only, for my instrumental ensemble.
The only other one I play is a Good Time banjo uke, seldom, for certain Irish tunes. Don't remember the cost. It's been customized, I spent a little over $100 doing that.
 
I don't play my less-expensive ukes very often, but when I do, it's my Islander AC-4. It's actually a very nice little uke to have handy hanging on the wall.
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My cheapest uke would be a vintage Gibson banjo uke that cost me about 250 Euros but I don't really play that regularly. The one that I do play regularly and that is my second cheapest uke is a Millar TM-240. Cost me 269 GBP so slightly more than 300 Euros/Dollars. The quality of that uke is just so good, especially for the price. I'm not joking when I say that it compares favourably to some of the high-end ukes I have.
 
I have a custom made gypsy jazz style uke that cost $780, to which I had electronics added for $100, another custom all mango for $480, a custom mandolele that was $420, a used Godin Multiuke that was $400 here on the Marketplace, a $380 Kala solid cedar top with electronics, a Lanikai Thinline Bacote (butterfly wood) with electronics that was $360, a direct from China acacia koa two hole Hanknn for $120 to which I had electronics added for $75, and my last purchase, an all bamboo Aklot for $100. In the last few months, I've only been playing the Aklot, I changed the strings to black D'Addario and it sounds and plays very well.

I've been mainly playing bass uke/mini bass guitar during the week every Monday afternoon and Thursday morning, and every other Wednesday noon, Sundays being the only day I play uke now, but this thread actually prompts me to start rotating my ukes from now on.

Ukulele Collection tall.jpg



This is Michael Kohan in Los Angeles, Beverly Grove near the Beverly Center
8 tenor cutaway ukes, 4 acoustic bass ukes, 10 solid body bass ukes, 14 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 36)

Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children in hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
Member The CC Strummers: www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/video, www.facebook.com/TheCCStrummers
 
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HaHa i can list all my ukes and say they are all low end ukes nowadays..many of my ukes are 6-7 years old now and prices are much higher for the ones i own....not going to bore folks with prices i got them:eek::eek:

but to the question i have been playing my kit solid mahogany tenor from StewMac lately it sounds pretty good by accident..lol i think building with mahogany the safest for a someone like me
 
I own a $50 Amazon bought Enya which is ok but I don't play it much because it is just ok. I'm in the on-going process of bringing the action down to make it more playable.

I have a mahogany Pono that I bought used and cheap and I play that one regularly because i love it.
 
Ahh yes... It's the Petros that I'm playing in my dreams.... cost nothing; perfect intonation; and I'm able to barre every cord with ease.

"Doctor, doctor... will I ever play barre cords?" " Of course," says she. I'm happy because I could never play a clear barre cord.
 
Pono MGT Mango Tenor is now my least expensive uke that I play regularly. It was $350 when I bought it in 2017 from Mim. (She carried Ponos then.) I like the warm mango sound that it has, I keep it in re-entrant tuning. It hangs on the wall in my office for easy access. A lot of ukulele for the money.

Some time today, I am supposed to receive my Enya Acoustic Nova U tenor. I imagine that will become my most played least expensive uke. When the novelty wears off, it will go in my car. (Gonna have to step up memorizing some songs.)
 
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