The Best Ukulele in 2023

What Is a Ukulele?

A ukulele is a small, fretted, Hawaiian string instrument. It is sometimes described as a tiny guitar, but this is inaccurate. While both are fretted string instrument, they have several notable differences. While a guitar has six strings, the ukulele has only 4. The ukulele’s first string is actually higher pitched than the two strings below it, giving it a unique sound.

Things to Consider When Buying a Ukulele for a Beginner

The most important factors to consider when buying for a beginner are how well it says in tune and picking the right size. If the instrument doesn’t stay in tune practicing will sound awful, and it is easy to be discouraged. The second factor is size. If the instrument is too big or too small you will find it very difficult to play.

If you go into a music store, you will likely see some extremely cheap options for around $20-$40 dollars. It might be tempting to buy one of these and be done with it, but I strongly advise against that. Isntruemnts in this price range are pretty much guaranteed to never stay in tune. If you invest in a ukulele that is $50-$100 dollars you can get an instrument that will stay in tune, and you will have a choice in what size you want. While a $50-dollar ukulele won’t be made of quality materials and won’t sound as nice as a $500 one, if it stays in tune and is the right size learning will be fun and enjoyable and you can upgrade to a better one later. The best ukuleles are usually $500 or more.

Materials & Construction

The most important wood in determining how an instrument will sound is the tonewood. Ukuleles use a variety of tonewoods. This is a guide to some of the most common ones and how they affect the sound.

Mahogany

Mahogany is a very common tonewood, especially in cheaper ukuleles. The laminate version is called Nato wood. Mahogany has a warm, clear sound. It has a good balance between highs, mids and lows. It’s clear and balanced sound makes it ideal for those just starting out who aren’t sure of their preferences. Mahogany has a darker brown appearance.

Spruce

Spruce is very common in acoustic guitars, and that has carried over to ukuleles. Spruce is a stiff but light wood. Spruce is brighter than Mahogany, but it is also well-rounded like Mahogany. Spruce has a much lighter appearance than Mahogany.

Maple

Maple is a heavy wood with a flat sound. Maple is good at reducing feedback or unwanted overtones in an instrument. For this reason, it is often used on the backs and sides of ukuleles. The exact color of Maple varies, but it is a lighter colored wood.

Koa

Koa is the traditional wood used to make ukuleles and most manufacturers in Hawaii still prefer it. Koa is known to have strong resonance and sustain as well as a bright sound with an emphasized mid-range. Koa is believed by many ukulele players to be the best tonewood. Its high reputation and the limited supply of Koa wood means that Koa ukuleles are some of the priciest available.

Parts of the Ukulele:

Strings

The strings you have on your ukulele have a big effect on how it sounds. When buying strings, it is important to get the right size strings for your instrument. It is also important to change your strings periodically. Old strings won’t stay in tune as well, are more prone to breaking and have a muddier sound. You should change your strings every 3-6 months.

Ukulele strings are made from a variety of different materials. At first, they all had gut strings made from animal intestines. Some people today still prefer the sound of gut strings, but they are more expensive because few manufacturers make them. Most modern-day ukuleles have nylon strings, which manufacturers switched to because they lasted longer and were cheaper. Fluorocarbon strings have also been becoming more popular because they are louder, and some people find them to have a brighter sound. Occasionally you will see metal wound strings, like those of steel string guitars. Finally, there is Nylgut strings, which is a material invented by string manufacturer Aquila. Nylgut is supposed to combine the positive attributes of both nylon and gut strings.

Cheaper ukuleles will usually come with cheap, low quality strings. Investing a couple of bucks in higher quality strings is a cheap way to improve the instrument’s sound

Neck, Fretboard and Frets

The neck is the long, thinner part of the ukulele. On top of the neck is the fretboard, which has elevated lines which are the frets. The fretboard and neck have little influence on the quality of sound of the instrument. The most important thing to watch out for when it comes to the fretboard is that the frets are even. Uneven frets can cause the pitch of a note to be inaccurate or the string to buzz.

Headstock

The headstock is at the end of the neck of the ukulele. The headstock also doesn’t have any impact on how the ukulele sounds. There are several different headstock shapes, the most popular is the three-pointed crown headstock. Some heads are slotted, and others are solid. Usually the brand name is on the headstock, and some headstocks have decorative designs.

Tuning pegs are incredibly important because if you have bad ones your instrument will never stay in tune. There are two types of tuning pegs, friction pegs and gear pegs. Friction pegs rely on the friction between the peg and the headstock to keep the string in tune. Gear pegs use an interlocking gear system to keep the string in tune. Usually gear tuners will do a better job at keeping a instruemnt in tune but tend to be more expensive.

Soundboard and Soundhole

The soundboard is the wood on top of the body. The soundhole is the hole under the strings. The soundboard and soundhole have the biggest effect on how a ukulele sounds. The tonewood used in the soundboard has the biggest effect on the overall sound of the instrument. The size of the soundhole in relation to the size of the body influences the instrument’s sound. Usually a smaller soundhole increases the amount of bass sounds heard.

Bridge, Saddle, and Nut

The bridge is the part of the ukulele on the body where the strings go in. On top of the bridge is the saddle, which creates tension in the strings. On the end of the fretboard is the nut, which is usually made of the same material as the saddle. The height of the saddle and nut affect action, which is how high the strings are off the fretboard of the guitar. A low action makes it easier to press down the strings and therefore easier to play, but if the action is too low it can cause the strings to buzz and give the instrument a muddy sound. A higher action makes it harder to press down on the strings, but some prefer the tone or feel of a higher action.

The saddle and nut are usually made of either plastic, bone or some other synthetic material such as Tusq. Cheap ukuleles have cheap plastic saddle and nut, Tusq is usually considered mid-grade quality, although some prefer its sound over more expensive choices. Most consider bone to be the best material available and its used on the most expensive instruments.

Shapes & Sizes

Shapes

Ukuleles come in a variety of shapes. The most common is the guitar shaped ukulele. The pineapple shape is another popular shape that matches the ukulele’s island feel. The boat paddle shape resembles that of a boat oar, it has an oval shape with a flattened bottom. There are also banjo ukuleles which look and sound like a miniature banjo.

Sizes

Ukuleles come in four main size. In order of smallest to largest they are soprano, concert, tenor and baritone. The first three are all tuned the same. The baritone ukulele is tuned like the high four strings of a guitar. Usually a concert size is a good choice for beginners, not too small and not too big. If you do have large hands though you may want to start with a tenor.

Other Considerations

Acoustic vs. Acoustic-Electric

Some ukuleles have a pickup installed that allow them to be plugged into an amplifier. While this comes in handy if you start playing shows, acoustic-electrics are more expensive and usually beginners won’t need an acoustic-electric. If you are already a musician playing shows and you want to start using the ukulele in your performances, it may be a good idea to start with an Acoustic-Electric.

New vs. Used

Most people think it is best to buy instruments new. This usually means you can trust there is nothing wrong with it or be able to return it if something is wrong. If you buy used however you can usually get a better sounding instrument for the same amount of money. Some stores and websites even have return policies when buying used instruments. Both options have their benefits.

Accessories

If you are a beginner, you may be wondering what accessories you will need. A tuner is essential for beginners and clip-on tuners are relatively inexpensive. A case is also probably a good idea. Hard shell cases offer more protection but are more expensive than soft cases. Lastly, you may want a strap. Ukuleles are typically played without a strap, but you may feel more comfortable with one.

A Brief History of the Ukulele

Ukuleles are a traditional Hawaiian instrument. It was invented in the 1800’s and was based off various Portuguese guitars. People sometimes use the British spelling “ukelele.” The instrument became popular in the continental United States between the 1920’s but declined in popularity after the 1960’s.

Some popular Ukulele songs