Inexpensive Concert Ukuleles

kim009

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Hi everyone! I am hoping that someone out there will have some suggestions for me. I am looking to purchase around a dozen entry level, concert size ukuleles to help start a stroke survivors music rehab program. I know that sopranos are out there in droves under $30, but I think that sopranos might be too difficult for stroke survivors to manage and tenors too hard to hold. I thought concert size would be just about right. I would like to keep the cost under $30 because I will also have to supply tuners somehow for the ukuleles, too. I am selling my production ukuleles that I no longer play to help finance getting the ukuleles. I am a stroke survivor that now plays fingerstyle music every day and I am hoping to pay it forward. The group that I met with has about a 10 interested members and I am sure that if we are successful, more will join in. Again, looking for suggestions for low cost, concert size ukuleles. Thanks eveyone!!!
 
This was the absolute cheapest I could find (bearing in mind that it hasn't been set up, so you might have your work cut out for you):
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/folk-traditional-instruments/aria-concert-ukulele/620627000010000
spending 599 gets you 100 bucks off right now, so it's still more than you wanted to spend, but not dreadfully so. Maybe you could go with pitch pipes instead of digital tuners? I'll start poking around for a decent deal on snarks in the meantime.
 
Thanks Metricfuture, I did see those previously, but was still hoping to find something around $40 for concerts. These stroke survivors are unable to use pitch pipes as most of them have facial muscle loss, which precludes them from being able to blow into the pitch pipe. I keep asking every music dealer that I meet up with to see if anyone wants to donate tuners, but so far, no luck. I am personally paying for the ukuleles and keep hoping that the economy hasn't hardened the hearts of every store owner out there. I really appreciate the quick response, this project is quite personal to me and I need to have everything in place by mid-January 2012.
 
Here is a oscar schmidt concert for 49.49....they are good ukes....amazon has 15 of them currently...oh yeah..sopranos is always alot better to learn on..that's why its a beginners type uke...
good luck..hope you get better too..and thank you for what you are doing..yes tuners are good thing to buy..if they cannot tune them, they sound bad and lose intrest...http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...ou2+concert+ukulele&sprefix=oscar+schmidt+OU2
here is a really good tuner to me..http://www.metronomes.net/CherubChromaticMateWst-550C.htm
 
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Hey Kim, I have a Fzone FT-800 tuner I could donate to the cause if it will help you out. Just let me know. Mark
Thanks Metricfuture, I did see those previously, but was still hoping to find something around $40 for concerts. These stroke survivors are unable to use pitch pipes as most of them have facial muscle loss, which precludes them from being able to blow into the pitch pipe. I keep asking every music dealer that I meet up with to see if anyone wants to donate tuners, but so far, no luck. I am personally paying for the ukuleles and keep hoping that the economy hasn't hardened the hearts of every store owner out there. I really appreciate the quick response, this project is quite personal to me and I need to have everything in place by mid-January 2012.
 
Kim009,

Have you contacted manufacturers directly? If you gave them press rights that may entice them to either donate or really discount instruments.

The only other thing I can think of, as long as it wouldn't make you uncomfortable, is to set up a collection here. I don't want to speak for anyone else, but I'll send you a tuner.

Best of luck. Sounds like a noble project.
 
Yup, I'll echo connor013. I'd kick in on this in a heartbeat, this is a pretty admirable cause.

ETA: practice is starting soon, and I told my baritone player (first to show up, this time)about this thread, if you pm me the address each one of us will send you a tuner.
 
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This is a GREAT cause and thing you are doing. I am guessing there are plenty of donations to be had.
When I started a seniors group at an elder care center I got donations (money, ukes, tuners, stands, etc.) from members of a few uke groups.
PM you address and I will kick in some stuff.
 
Is there a 501c3 Non Profit agency that can purchase the ukes for you? May be able to contact a distributor (there's a Lanikai rep on UU) and get a case wholesale! Not sure where you are located. Maybe MIM or Uke Republic can advise on wholesale source. Good luck, sounds like something I'd like to do too.
 
I want to thank everyone for such generosity. To tell the truth, I was overwhelmed last night with all the responses. Later today, I will be PMing everyone that has offered to send a tuner. Again, everyone's generosity means so much. When I spoke to the stroke survivor's group I stressed what a wonderful support community it is and that playing a uke could open up a new world of friends for these folks, besides just other stroke survivors. This last year not only has the music done wonders for me, but the friends that I have made has made me feel whole again. Here is a link to a video that was made when I went to the Tunes in the Dunes ukulele camp this past September. This was a college project for one of our campers. It speaks mostly to my stroke and shows the wonders of the ukulele. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xR98jUJgBhI Again, thanks everyone and I will get those PMs out!
 
I would also like to help. My grandmother is recovering from her second stroke. She is 82 yrs old and loves to play piano but no longer can. I would love to be a part of helping out another stroke victim. Thanks for what you are doing,,,I think its a awesome thing!!!!!
 
Again, would like to thank everyone. After selling a couple of my ukuleles, I was able to actually order 14 tenor ukuleles to kick start this group. The donation of tuners is appreciated so much. We hope that this rehabilitation program will blossom into rehab for all sorts of traumatic medical events, not just strokes and that our success will be the blueprints for the rest of the hospitals in the Portland/Vancouver area. Hopefully, we kick off the program in mid-January. So many wonderful forces at work!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Hey Kim, I shipped out your tuner today per USPS for the cause.
 
I didn't get the particulars (pm and such) but if you're still in need of anything, the offer still stands, just let me know.
 
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