Reviews of Ukuleles, Books, Gear, and Albums

Sometimes all you need is a second opinion – or at least a different opinion – to lean you one way or the other on an issue!

Here is a collection of ukulele reviews I’ve done on products I’ve had pass through my life. Most reviews were initiated by my love for an item. Some items were provided for free for me to try. I’ve tried to disclose all of these for transparency sake. That said, I generally don’t post ukulele reviews that are negative. Provided review items that just weren’t up to snuff aren’t on here. Better to pursue the best than avoid the worse, in my opinion.

Beware though! It’s easy to fall into the trap of taking opinions as gospel – especially when the review reflects positively on your preconceived notions. A review is nothing more than that: an opinion. I try to cover all bases here and represent pros and cons in an objective way, but my ukulele style is likely to be very different than yours.

Not reviews, but recommendations, I have two other pages of stuff I think you might like.

Looking for birthday or holiday gift ideas for your favorite uker? Try my gift guide.

If you need to purchase some gear, consider using my Sweetwater affiliate link. They provide amazing customer service and anything you buy will gain me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

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Ukulele Reviews:

BE-DC Solidbody Baritone by Pono

A high-quality, feedback-resistant performance machine.

E3 Evolve Steel String Electric by Kamoa

A slick archtop ukulele with dual humbucker pickups for the rocker at heart.

Farallon by Blackbird

A high-end ukulele made from Ekoa and perfect for demanding environments.

OU55CE Baritone by Oscar Schmidt

A big budget baritone with a cutaway and a pickup.

The Outdoor Tenor By Outdoor Ukuleles

Plastic durability like never before.

I only ever review ukuleles that are my personal favorites or are put in my hands because someone looked me up. I’m so content with the instruments I play that you won’t find many reviews in this section. I have written about my main two ukes over the years, though not so much as reviews. More like their stories: my tried and true Kamaka HF-3 tenor and my Moore Bettah Ukes custom tenor.

Hands-down, the largest and highest quality source of ukulele reviews is Barry Maz’s site, Got a Ukulele. How he manages to write so much about so many ukuleles is really impressive to me. If you’re in the market, give his site a peek.

Gear Reviews:

Fishman Loudbox Mini Amp

One of the best ukulele amps for the money. Loud and portable.

Line 6 HX Stomp

A compact gigging effects pedal solution for acoustic players.

Mobius Ukulele Strap

A simple, but inovative strap that allows you to support your ukulele hands-free without altering your instrument.

Roland AC-90 Acoustic Amp

The best-sounding acoustic amp I’ve ran across.

Book Reviews:

Arpeggio Meditations For Ukulele

Daniel Ward’s 16 fingerpicking studies get you in tune with your uke.

He Mele Aloha: A Hawaiian Songbook

THE Hawaiian songbook. If you don’t have it and you play Hawaiian music, well…

The Music Lesson

Victor Wooten’s masterpiece on the spiritual side of music. Absolutely fascinating.

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