Ukulele Warehouse

There are an increasing number of options when you are looking to buy a ukulele. So much so that it can be a bit tricky knowing where to look. Here are a few options for you to consider.

Buying from a Ukulele Shop

If you live close to a dedicated ukulele shop (such as the Duke of Uke), then that's a great option. The staff should be able to help you out a great deal and you'll have plenty of ukes to try out before you make your choice.

Buying from a Music Shop

Unfortunately, most of us aren't lucky enough to live close to a dedicated ukulele shop. Many musical instrument shops (such as Musicians Friend and Guitar Center) will sell ukuleles. However, the range of ukuleles will be much more restricted and you are much less likely to get good advice on what to buy.

Buying a Ukulele on the Internet

Buying a ukulele online is a very good option. The choice of instruments is far beyond what you'll find in any shop. This is particularly true on eBay where the selection is massive and growing all the time. So long as you pay attention to the seller's reputation and check out plenty of ukulele reviews online, then you should have a good idea of the best ukulele to buy online. The net is where I bought most of my ukuleles and, despite a couple of unsatisfactory experiences, overall I've been very happy with most of my online ukulele purchases.

Not sure where to start when choosing your first ukulele? Here are a few tips on how to buy a ukulele

Get in touch with ukulele players

If there's a ukulele group near you, get yourself down there. You'll be able to try out a whole heap of ukuleles and get a good idea of what you like and what you don't like. The other players will also be likely to give you plenty of great advice on what to look for and where to buy it.

Buying from a Store

If you're lucky to have a ukulele shop nearby, you're in luck. Be sure to try out as many ukuleles as you can. The sound of ukuleles can vary a great deal, even within the same brand and the same model. This is particularly true of cheaper, entry-level ukuleles made in the Far East where construction can be a bit hit and miss.

Buy Online

By far the biggest selection of ukuleles for sale online is at eBay. You do have to be a little careful, but if you get a ukulele from the right dealer it is the best place to go. Two sellers you can be confident in are musicguymic and ukulele4u. Check the description of the ukulele. If it includes set-up and a good set of strings (such as Worth or Aquila), then it's well worth paying that little bit extra for. A well set-up, nice sounding ukulele will give you much more pleasure during those early, sometimes frustrating, practice sessions.

If you're just looking to buy a ukulele for the first time, the huge range of choices out there can be very daunting. Here are a selection of ukuleles that are very popular with first time buyers and will give you a decent quality ukulele at a good price so you can test the waters of ukulele playing without breaking the bank.

Lanikai LU-21 Ukuleles

From what I've seen, the Lanikai LU-21 is the best choice for a first time player and it's very popular. The LU-21 range is Lanikai's budget range of ukuleles. It has geared tuners which are pretty much essential for a budget ukulele (cheap friction tuners tend not the keep in tune very well).

It's one of the few budget ukuleles that comes in all the standard ukulele sizes. Making it very appealing to the increasing number of people wanting to start on the tenor ukulele.

Makala Ukuleles

Makala is the budget line of ukuleles for Kala. As well as coming in the standard natural wood look, they also come in bright shades with a dolphin motif: very popular with kids. The best place to buy these online is from musicguymic. He makes sure these ukuleles are well set up and have good strings on them. For a beginner, this is a life saver. So many cheap ukuleles are poorly set up and if you're a beginner you're likely to get frustrated and give up if you can't produce a decent sound.

Mahalo Ukuleles

Probably the most popular beginner ukulele in the UK, Mahalos are cheap and cheerful. Being cheaply produced, the ukuleles can be a little inconsistent. But there are legends that one in every five Mahalo ukuleles sounds fantastic. So if you get a chance to try before you buy, be selective.

With the increased popularity of the ukulele there's more and more choice when it comes to buying a ukulele. So if you're looking to get one, where do you start?

How Much Does A Ukulele Cost?

If you're buying a ukulele, you've probably got a good idea of the price you're willing to pay. You can spend pretty much whatever you like on a ukulele. You can pick up a very cheap model for less than $20 or you can pick up a top of the range model or a vintage instrument for over $10,000.

The best place for a beginner to start is probably in the $50 - $100 range. This will give you a good starter ukulele that should be playable and have a reasonably good sound (something that isn't always the case with the very cheapest instruments).

Which Brand Should I Get?

The most popular first time ukulele around at the moment is the Lanikai LU-21. It is very reasonably priced and well constructed. It is even used by professional musicians such as Zach Condon of Beirut.

Where Can I Buy a Ukulele?

There are a few dedicated ukulele shops around (particularly in Hawaii and California). But if you're not lucky enough to have one of those near by, the best place to buy a ukulele is online.

The widest choice of ukuleles online is undoubtedly on eBay. Some people are wary of buying on eBay, but so long as you use a respected seller (check their feedback), you should have no problems at all. Two particularly respected ukulele sellers on eBay are musicguymic and ukulele4u.

If you are desperate not to buy online, Guitar Center and Musician's Friend do have a good selection of ukuleles. You can check out their ranges online. But don't expect any great ukulele advice from the sellers there.

Meet Local Ukulele Players

If you are lucky enough to have a ukulele group nearby, it's definitely worth going along and trying out a few different ukuleles. Most groups are very welcoming to new members and will gladly give you plenty of pointers on what to buy.

Jump In And Buy One

If you're looking to buy a ukulele for the first time, the best thing to do is just jump in and buy a reasonable quality uke. Once you've got the taste for it, you'll have a large collection on the go before you know it.

On this Uke Warehouse we'll be giving you invaluable tips to help you buy a new ukulele with reviews, information and videos to aid you in deciding which ukulele is the best choice for you.

As well as ukuleles, we'll be looking at all the ukulele accessories such as cases, stands, tuners and many more.