UkuLidl

we tigers

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Today I bought a ukulele at the Lidl. The Lidl is like the Aldi; a really, really cheap low-budget supermarket. They advertised the uke for about 20 euro, so I thought I'd give it a chance. My eight year old niece would like to learn how to play, so I thought this would make a nice gift.

It is by some weird brand called Clifton and it's made of basswood. The paper inside the uke says 'handmade quality' and some German address.

The little/Lidl soprano is heavier than my Pono tenor and so far I've not been able to get it in tune... The strings are absolutely shite and the tuners are of the same quality. The nut is to high so at the first fret the sounds completely off.

I'm going to try some Aquila's on them, adjust the nut, and we'll see what we get. Somehow I've got the feeling that I'll be buying a pink Makala Dolphin for my nice next week...
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woah, I didn't know they sold ukes at Lidl! I'm going to go tomorrow and take a look.
 
you'll get better stuff for about 40€ ++
Even if you give this toy to a little child it stays poor stuff. Especially as a kid you'll quickly motivation if you try playing with lousy equipment and ask the parents before you give a way noise makers ;-)

Lidl is better in cheese and salami than instruments.
 
This ukulele is why (almost) everyone in Germany thinks the uke is a toy, and asks you why you would spend 90€ on one when you could get one at Lidl for 20€.

Maybe if you replaced the tuners, it would stay in tune, but then you'd have to invest money and time into it... I think this one is meant more for Deko than for playing.
 
True. It'll probably end up on the floor next to my ten month old twins and their toys as something to beat around and play with. Money down the drain, me thinks...
 
Use it to practice set up techniques, etc. Lots of posts on UU. good luck.
 
I decided to fool around with the Ukulidl and start abusing it to try make it playable.
I sanded it to remove as much as material as possible; try to make it more resonant. Then I sanded it with 1000 waterproff sading paper and polished it wwith a car polisher. then I lowered the nut and the saddle and strung it with Aquila's.

It looks like s**, but I managed to get a chord out of it!

before the abuse:
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work in progress:
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and the 'result':
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Hi there, just joined, seen that lidl uke online and wondered if its worth buying, after the modifications and decent strings....does it sound in any way half decent?...im not opposed to modifying it, heavily, if necessary...if it sounds like total crap, and is no use at all to me (to see if i can put the time in to get in any way decent at it) it'll be grand for my 2 year old daughter, and hopefully encourage her to learn to play music (and save my other intstruments from her).
 
Do NOT buy it!
I compared it 1on1 with a Makala Dolphin and the Dolphin sounds much much better. The Lidl uke is money down the drain
 
Unsurprisingly it seems there will be huge variation

The one I bought (see review http://www.gotaukulele.com/2011/11/clifton-lidl-ukulele-kit-review.html ) had pretty decent setup.

My gripes were thick body, naff strings and awful tuners (though mine do hold)

I bought as was reading many online in Uk considering buying. Therefore bought and reviewed. I'd still recommend a Makala Dolphin if funds are limited, but if you must get a Lidl, take a tuner, tune one up and check nut and saddle height, that tuners hold and that frets are set well
 
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