Live ‘Ukulele

The first thing to consider when buying an ‘ukulele is how much money you are willing to spend. Prices increase with the quality of the ‘ukulele. Try and find the “range” that your future ‘ukulele is in on the list below, this will shorten your search in the long run.

• Bad - This is where the fifteen dollar ‘ukulele that you might buy at the ABC store fits in. Don’t ever buy one of these if you are serious about learning how to play.
• OK - An ‘ukulele that would be acceptable to start on (I started on one). This is probably a $40-$80 soprano or concert ‘ukulele.
• Good - $100-$300 concert or tenor size ‘ukulele that would satisfy most strummers to their dying day.
• Better - Solid wood, maybe a pickup or cut-away. At this point you might get a handmade ‘ukulele. $300-$600.
• Semi-Best - Handmade, solid wood, good quality tuning pegs, $700 and up. This is G-string, Kamaka, and Koaloha territory.
• Custom - These are made just for our heroes like Jake Shimabukuro, Herb Ohta Jr., and James Hill - start practicing.

When you get to the music store:

Look down the neck to make sure it is straight and doesn’t twist one way or another.

Fret and play every note on each string all the way up the fretboard to make sure that none of the notes buzz.

Run your hand down the edges of the fret board to see if the frets are smooth. If they aren’t, they might cut your hand when playing.

Check intonation by playing the twelfth fret harmonic and then playing the note on the twelfth fret, do this for all the strings. If on one of the strings the two pitches differ radically, as you play up the neck the pitch of the note goes sharp or flat. The intonation of an ‘ukulele is usually off by a little bit because it does not have an adjustable bridge like an electric guitar.

Make sure that the nut and saddle are lined up over the neck or one of the outside strings might slide off the fret board when played carelessly.

Check for dings and scratches.

Play every ‘ukulele in your “range” that the shop has to offer. If none of them sing to you, walk away and go back to the shop in a week or two. Do this until you find the one you love.

Just remember that it’s your money your spending.