We'll keep you up to date when exciting new information is available.
You've decided to buy a ukulele, now what? Brent Butterworth is a senior staff writer covering audio and musical instruments at Wirecutter.
These materials are harder and denser than the soft plastic pieces used on many budget ukes, and they improve tone by transferring more of the strings vibrational energy into the body of the uke.
Whether thats a pro or con depends on your opinion of your ukulele playing.
It features beautiful grain and is usually used as the material for guitar and ukulele bodies and necks.
ukuleles
Everywhere from elementary-school music programs to retirement homes, people are taking up the ukulele in record numbers, and we think the Alvarez Regent Series RU22C concert uke is the best all-around choice for the average beginner.
The slotted bridge makes changing the strings easyjust tie a knot at one end of the string and slide it into the slot. The Vintage Spruce Soprano comes in a super-affordable package that includes a tuner, an instructional DVD, a nice gig bag, and a polishing cloth.
It also includes a strap and a few plastic picks, though most uke players use felt picks or no picks at all. Our testers said that the RU26T was nice but that the smaller RU22C had a fuller sound. Click here to learn more. Wholesale Exclusive: Get a Lower Price, up to 50% off. The KA-TK-C-CE Teak Tri-Top is a similar model thats good for those who want a uke with a built-in pickup and tuner, but its cutaway body gives it a much thinner sound. The see-through tuning machines work well but the tiny window on one of my tuners fell out after lugging the uke around for a couple days.
The DBU-200 adjoins finger plates inlaid with muscovite, assisting the new players in seeking out the proper marker positions. Since the nylon strings on the ukulele do not generate relatively loud sounds like the steel strings on the acoustic guitar, an amplifier or interface would be significant if you plan to perform live in a slightly bigger venue or an open space.
I want to help you find the best uke for your budget and skill level.
The Luna Vintage Spruce plays and sounds significantly better for not much more money.
Copyright 2008 - 2022 Got A Ukulele / Barry Maz - All Rights Reserved, Flight Fireball EQ-A Tenor Ukulele - REVIEW, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. However, because the differences in scale are tiny, the sounds of the soprano and concert are similar. I played several of these models in stores, and they all played as well and sounded about the same as the RU22C sample we got. It results in the Banjos distinctive tone with the uke tuning and playing style.
Learn more.
Besides, the nylon strings on the ukulele are also friendlier to beginners fingers with no callus than the acoustic guitar. Subscribe us to get the latest music news, reviews, gear demos & special deals.
The tone of it is crisp and bright.
Second, as a concert-size uke, its not too big for a kid to handle and not so small that adults cant fit their fingers between the frets. Thanks to its concert size, its a good choice for any beginner (or expert), and its low price even includes a nice case, a strap, and a tuner.
How to Get Started With the Ukulele. The Ohana SK-20 Solid Top Mahogany Soprano is a wonderful uke with a classic feel and a beautiful sound.
On the other hand, Kala offers more quality tonewood options than any other brand. Also, a solid mahogany top with a bent armrest gives it a distinctive shape.
The company consolidates high-quality woods for an affordable mix like spruce, rosewood, and mahogany.
ukulelesreview.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Fortunately, any intonation flaws I found were trivial.
They might be better off with the soprano size (the RU22S) or with our soprano uke recommendation, from Luna, below.
Very comfortable to play right out of the box. Surprisingly, its one of the few books that start out by explaining chordal playing instead of single-note playing, and playing chords is what almost all beginners really want to do on ukulele, since that gets them right into playing songs.
In addition to these, this 30-inch instrument adds a heavy-duty case with enough padding for storage, security, and mobility. You will find 18 brass frets with marking positions on the neck and top of the fingerboard. The brand has eminent top-notch tuning machines, staying your ukulele playing by rule. The Mitchell MU50SE concert uke includes a pickup and preamp, sounds great, and plays pretty well.
To help me evaluate ukulele instructional books, I tapped the talents of John Higgins, a Wirecutter contributing writer with a masters degree in music from the University of Southern California and years of experience teaching music at a private high school in the Los Angeles area and playing various instruments professionally, and Martha Nelson, who teaches ukulele (and music in general) in the New York City public school system. We take that seriously too, which is why weve asked the manufacturers of all our picks to answer some basic questions about materials, life cycle, and other sustainability issues.
But it is hard to tell a big difference between these two shapes.
This article is based on my impressions of concert-sized DUC-1, but most of the information will apply to the DUT-1 tenor and DUS-1 soprano.
Current prices and Amazon customer reviews are shown below.
Yes, we will review the best Donner ukulele.
If you need a small ukulele for kidsor for an adult who likes the look and sound of a little ukewe recommend the Luna Vintage Spruce Soprano. Most ukuleles are shipped in plain cardboard boxes that can be recycled.
The ukulele is one of the simplest instruments to learn, and a few key accessories can make getting started even easier. In reality, it features the best solid body electric ukulele, bringing a three-band EQ to let you successfully alter the tone according to your needs. This DONNER Tenor youve made sounds wonderful & looks fantastic! The excellent factory setup makes it easy to play for beginners and experts, and the concert size suits kids and adults alike. Guitar Shape: The guitar shape is the most common and standard shape of the ukulele. If so, hopefully, your arrival will be fruitful. Sounds good strummed and when playing fingerstyle.
Whether it's finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we'll help you get it right (the first time). We set a price limit of $130 because most beginners dont want to spend a lot on a hobby they may not like.
These tuners are also much lighter than standard tuners, and they can currently be found on Kalas newPremier ExoticSeries. Its top, back, and sides are all made from solid mahogany. In this ukulele review, I'll be taking a look at Lohanu's three top-selling models: theLU-T tenor, LU-C concert, and LU-S soprano. The most widely recognized material for Ukulele is the rare Hawaiian hardwood species Koa, known as the Hawaiian Koa tree, which features light brown in color and beautiful grain.
ukulele donner capo Poor customer service, inconsistent build quality, and a lack of transparency make this Chinese based brand an inferior option to other ukulele brands.
Plus, it has the look and feel of a high-quality instrument. I was especially fond of a larger platform & nice wood work, but still manageable. Of course, the model has always been such a design that you have to regard.
This is a growing problem amongst Chinese companies on Amazon in general.
For example, if youre going to get started as a new player, you are not interested in spending on something too expensive. These tuners work much better than normal ukulele tuners, and they keep the ukulele in tune a lot longer as well. Most inexpensive ukes are made largely from plywood, which is not biodegradable, although a few, such as the Luna Vintage Spruce Soprano, do have a few wooden parts that might biodegrade.
ukulele soprano donner
Without quality strings, your uke becomes virtually useless as a non-venomous snake.
As the biggest member of the ukulele family, the baritone features the deepest bass frequencies and is capable of producing the loudest sounds in the family with a 19'' scale length and a 30'' scale length.
In fact, Kalas collection is so large that you can find almost any ukulele that youre looking for on their collection page. One of the noted features of this model is that it is travel-friendly due to its slim body and abrasion resistance. Each uke is tested by multiple players, from beginner to expert, and with hand sizes from XS to XL.
I checked each ukes intonation, or the degree to which all the notes played in tune with each other and with the open (unfretted) strings.
The grain on the maple is beautiful and maple with the flame-like grain is usually used for the top of a guitar body.
The Kala KA-S Satin Mahogany Soprano essentially tied with the Luna Vintage Spruce Soprano, but the Luna model is usually less expensive. Contrariwise, the fretboard of this bass uke offers uninterrupted ease. Like the Alvarez RU22C, this uke has fully enclosed tuners, position markers along the side of the fingerboard, and a slotted bridge that lets you easily change strings.
The brand brings the Donner soprano ukulele beginner kit, achieving a reputation to provide quality performance. The only real downside of the RU22C is that it includes no accessories.
If not, there will be some problems when playing.
This helps Donner keep their products prices down. Its sound is praiseworthy and inspirational, and the size becomes perfect.
Mahogany is a commonly seen tonewood type grown in various regions of the world. So, in this ukulele buying guide, we will walk you through the important information that you may need when choosing your ukulele.
The ukes are procurable in a variety of shapes.
If you do, buy it and let us know about it in the comments section below. The Ukutune UKM2 concert uke sounds very close to our top pick, the Alvarez RU22C, at a much lower price, but the fret finish was rough along the sides of the fingerboard, and the strings buzzed at the first fret.
First, I tuned each ukulele and played it for about half an hour to make sure the strings were reasonably broken in and thus less likely to go out of tune while the testers played the uke.
Package delaysRemote Shipping Fee in Some Areas, Donner DCF-100B Concert Ukulele 23 Inch Carbon Fiber Travel Ukulele Bundle Kit with Gig Bag Strap Nylon String Tuner Picks Cloth Black, Donner DUC-230G Concert Ukulele Beginner 23 Inch with Free Online Lesson Gig Bag Strap Nylon String Tuner Picks Cloth, Green, Donner Soprano Ukulele 21 Inch Free Online Lesson Bundle Bag Strap String Tuner Pick Polishing Cloth All in One Kit - Macaron Series Ukulele Pink, Donner Soprano Ukulele 21 Inch Free Online Lesson Bundle Bag Strap String Tuner Pick Polishing Cloth All in One Kit - Macaron Series Ukulele Green, Donner DUC-200D Concert Ukulele Professional 23 Inch Mahogany Ukelele with Online Lesson Gig Bag Aquila String Pick Tuner Strap Cloth Blue, Donner DUS-3 Soprano Ukulele Spruce with Ukulele Set Strap Nylon String Tuner, Donner DUS-1 Soprano Ukulele Beginner Kit Mahogany Professional 21 inch Ukelele Ukulele Set, Donner DUC-100L Left handed Concert Ukulele Mahogany 23 Inch Professional Cutaway Ukelele Bundle Kit for Beginner, Donner DUC-200D Concert Ukulele Professional 23 Inch Mahogany Ukelele with Online Lesson Gig Bag Aquila String Pick Tuner Strap Cloth Green, Donner DUS-10N Soprano Ukulele Ukelele Beginner Kit for Kids Students 21 Inch Rainbow with Bag, Strap,Strings, Tuner, Picks, Polishing Cloth - Blue, Donner DUS-1 Tenor Ukulele Beginner Kit Mahogany Professional 26 inch Ukelele Ukulele Set, Donner DUC-405 Solid Electro-acoustic Ukulele Electric 23 inch Beginner Kit With Online Lesson EQ Gig Bag Strap String Picks, Donner DUC-200D Concert Ukulele Professional 23 Inch Mahogany Ukelele with Online Lesson Gig Bag Aquila String Pick Tuner Strap Cloth Dark, Donner DUC-230X Concert Ukulele Beginner 23 Inch with Free Online Lesson Gig Bag Strap Nylon String Tuner Picks Cloth, X-Color, Donner DUC-230P Concert Ukulele Beginner 23 Inch with Free Online Lesson Gig Bag Strap Nylon String Tuner Picks Cloth, Pink, Donner DUC-230D Concert Ukulele Beginner 23 Inch with Free Online Lesson Gig Bag Strap Nylon String Tuner Picks Cloth, Black, Donner DCF-100O Concert Ukulele 23 Inch Carbon Fiber Travel Ukulele Bundle Kit with Gig Bag Strap Nylon String Tuner Picks Cloth orange, Donner DCF-100B Concert Ukulele 23 Inch Carbon Fiber Travel Ukulele Bundle Kit with Gig Bag Strap Nylon String Tuner Picks Cloth White, Donner DCF-100G Concert Ukulele 23 Inch Carbon Fiber Travel Ukulele Bundle Kit with Gig Bag Strap Nylon String Tuner Picks Cloth Avocado green, Donner DUS-10N Soprano Ukulele Ukelele Beginner Kit for Kids Students 21 Inch Rainbow with Bag, Strap,Strings, Tuner, Picks, Polishing Cloth, Pink, Donner DUC-400 Mahogany Concert 23 inch Ukulele Professional Beginner Ukalalee Bundles Set, Donner DUS-10N Soprano Ukulele Ukelele Beginner Kit for Kids Students 21 Inch Rainbow with Bag, Strap,Strings, Tuner, Picks, Polishing Cloth, Black, Donner Kids Guitar 3-String Mini Acoustic Guitar Beginner Set Right Handed with Free Lessons, Essential Accessories, Donner DUS-10N Soprano Ukulele Ukelele Beginner Kit for Kids Students 21 Inch Rainbow with Bag, Strap,Strings, Tuner, Picks, Polishing Cloth, Purple, Donner DUS-10N Soprano Ukulele Ukelele Beginner Kit for Kids Students 21 Inch Rainbow with Bag, Strap,Strings, Tuner, Picks, Polishing Cloth, Natural, Donner DUS-10N Soprano Ukulele Ukelele Beginner Kit for Kids Students 21 Inch Rainbow with Bag, Strap,Strings, Tuner, Picks, Polishing Cloth, Orange, Donner RISING-U 21 Inch Crystal Transparent Ukulele Graphite Grey.
The Cordoba 15CM concert uke is a previous pick.
While the Kala KA-15S Satin Mahogany Soprano is a decent little uke, it just didnt catch any of our panelists attention. It might just be the most popular beginner ukulele package of all time. They supply high-standard instruments at a price that even beginner players can spend the money to buy.
A good starter uke kit at a bargain price, If you want a soprano-size uke: Luna Vintage Spruce Soprano, Upgrade pick: Orangewood Harper Concert Acacia, Sustainability and environmental impact of ukuleles, Essential Elements for Ukulele Book 1: Comprehensive Ukulele Method, How To Play the Ukulele for the Complete Ignoramus, Fender Grace VanderWaal "Moonlight" Signature, Use This Time During Coronavirus Isolation to Learn to Play Guitar or Ukulele, Uke Can Do It! It comes with two strap knobs installed (especially convenient when the ukulele club runs out of chairs), and the neck joins the body at the 14th fret to make fingering high notes easier. This Donner tenor ukulele has the authentic bone saddle and nut, improving your instruments sound, tone, and reverberation compared to plastic ones.
With high density, the rosewood is commonly seen on the fretboards of string instruments.
In truth, it holds on a lot of power and vibration in the position of plugging-in.
Unlike our other picks, the Vintage Spruce has open-gear tuners, but none of our panelists considered this a disadvantage.
When comparing Kala vs Donner youll notice a disparity in the quality of materials between the two brands.
These instruments can range from $500 all the way up to $3,000. By contrast, Kalas lineup has evolved significantly to offer hundreds of new ukulele products over the last decade.
Tightening them helped only temporarily. With the growing rarity of rosewood, manufacturers start to use Pau Ferro as the substitute for rosewood.
ukelele donner duc tuner If you want a uke with a more contemporary look: The Kala KA-TEAK-C concert uke sounds slightly fuller than the Alvarez RU22C and requires even less effort to press the strings down. The back aim of the DUB-1 build is to make it capable of playing similar to a standard bass guitar.
The excellent factory setup makes it easy to play for beginners and experts, and the concert size suits kids and adults alike.
Even with the first sample, none of our panelists considered the action uncomfortable.
The good news is that ukuleles dont become obsolete and rarely wear out, and wooden ukes can usually be repairedeither by a professional shop or, in the case of inexpensive models, by a resourceful parent with a bottle of Gorilla Glue (spoken from experience).
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. All of those arrangements is aim to produce an enriched and brilliant tone.
Honestly, it is the glory of a uke.
The DUC-1 comes with a nice case as well as a tuner, a strap, and an extra set of strings. You can purchase these strings as a stand alone pack from the Kala website.
Orlando, FL. The RU22C concert uke has a big, full, satisfying sound, plays easily, and comes in a just-right size thats comfortable for kids and adults. So, the next part informs you of various kinds of ukulele and their differences.
On the other hand, Donner ukuleles come with unbranded nylon strings that have a bright tinny sound to them.
It is time to review Donners carbon fiber ukulele. Players with bigger hands may find it better to fret on the tenor. In terms of fingerboard and bridge design, the company uses rosewood to design them, familiar for ease while playing. This bundle strategy has been very popular with beginners who arent sure what to get with their new ukulele. Our testers found the DUC-1s wider fingerboard to be slightly less comfortable than the narrower one on the Alvarez, but all of them said that both ukes played well. Donner is virtually a newly arrived to this sector compared to others.
My Donner uke came in a nice, heavy-duty cardboard box and the accessories were individually packed in little Donner-branded boxes. They are known for their inexpensive ukulele bundles that are packed with accessories.
In summary, ukuleles are different in types, sizes, and shapes, and these features directly affect the tones and playability of the ukulele. Although the electric-guitar-style Epiphone Les Paul Ukulele concert model offers less acoustical output compared with traditional ukes, it is fun to play. But it seems like a product still in development.
It offers sweet and bright sounds we usually hear from a ukulele. For this review, I purchased a new DUC-1 concert model using my own funds. To reduce the possibility of brand bias, I covered the logo on the headstock (the part where the tuners are mounted) and inside the soundhole of each uke with blue painters tape.
In general, Donner tends to stick to just three tonewoods like spruce, mahogany, zebrawood.
As the frets are closer together, Donner soprano ukuleles are great if the beginner has smaller hands.
Aside from the Google ads, I don't get paid to write this blog and for reasons of impartiality a not sponsored by brands or stores. Donner DED-300 Professional Electronic Drum Set with Bass Drum Drumsticks/Audio Cable. Its body length and fretboard scale make it the most playable one for players with big hands.
The fluorocarbon strings that came on the uke sound good, but I prefer Aquila Nylgut strings.
Or, if you prefer an instrument with a less traditional appearance, you can also get the RU22C in your choice of five Grateful Deadinspired graphics.
Some people call it the gourd shape because its upper body is smaller than the lower part.
Although softer than spruce, cedar is still a kind of hardwood. Kalas flagship beginner model, the KA-15S is the most popular ukulele in the world.
The Vintage Spruce Soprano is available in a package that includes a case, a tuner, an instructional DVD, and a cleaning cloth. When youve come here through browsing, it means that you are interested in what you need to know to buy a good uke. We see that their promise is being reflected in the insertions of products.
When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission.
With a 17 scale length and a 26 overall length, the tenor ukulele offers more resonant, ringing, and sustaining sounds than the two smaller ukuleles. In 2020 alone they announced and released 27 new ukulele lines!
Its also highly portable, so its easy to take to school or on vacation.
Further, it affixes Carbon nylon strings of Japan-made with the package. Even temperatures and humidity changes cant affect it. They have a much better reputation and are based in Petaluma, California. Alongside, spruce produces a unique, bright sound despite being one of cheap woods, becoming a trademark for the brand.
The pegs are hardly working. The Kala mxmtoon Signature concert uke looks cool, but the Kala KA-TEAK-C concert uke plays easier and sounds much fuller and more lively.
and I have to say some quality details don't match the review, unfortunately. Donners entry level ukuleles are where they shine brightest. Further, the frets slide astonishingly. It has a gentle sound similar to mahogany, but Koa has a higher density than mahogany. All Rights Reserved. Working with a good instructor is generally the best path to learning an instrument, but considering that just one lesson typically costs half the price of a decent starter uke, a good book can be a practical and affordable way to get startedand to find out if you or your child (or parent) is really interested in playing music. In especial, the brand shows talent at making most ukes using spruce and making fulfilled with more expensive wood types like mahogany. First is Ukulele for Kids (by Chad Johnson; Hal Leonard Publishing), an unintimidating book aimed at youngsters.
The four strings of the baritone are tuned in G3-D3-B3-E4 starting from the lowest strings.
Despite its bigger-than-expected sound, the RU22C retains the clear, singing high-pitched tone for which the uke is loved.
However, in our tests its sound was somewhat more muted than that of the Donner DUC-1 and Alvarez RU22C. Good tonewoods are very important, but the craft is also key.
We liked the sound and playability of the Lanikai LU22CGC about as much as that of the Alvarez RU22C, but the classical guitar-style bridge made this model harder to restring. Some of the app text is in Chinese, we found it difficult to get the uke connected via Bluetooth, and the all-black fingerboard and black frets make it much more difficult to pay when youre not using the app. Unfortunately, the sample we played had a lot of string buzz in the middle of the fretboard. Overall, the various wood material combined constructions provide a conspicuous sound and resonance.
Just to throw a tenor into the mix, we tried the Alvarez Regent Series RU26T, which has a spruce top instead of the mahogany top of the RU22C. Stay in the know about all the latest gear, reviews, and lessons with our Newsletter! The Ibanez UEWS5 concert model has a body cutaway that makes fingering high notes and chords easier, but most panelists thought the sound wasnt as enjoyable as that of our top picks.
Here are 26 of the many surprising, delightful, or kind-of-dull-but-still-really-useful things were proud to review. This team of luthiers creates some of the best ukuleles in the world. The round profile body and back is the feature of the pineapple-shaped ukulele. Donner offers a 30-day return policy.
It is essential. Great projection for a concert.
Rightly, mostly better quality ukes place premium standard strings. Donner DUC400 21-inch Guitar Shape Ukulele.
While Kala is best known for their ukulele legacy, Donner is primarily a guitar pedal effects company that just got into the ukulele game. All Rights Reserved.
Adding a case, a strap, and a tuner typically costs $30 to $40. Hello,I bought it from Amazon recently (i know, better the local shop but it's lockdown time in Italy!) Go to the stage with this instrument, and your band will gaze at it in distrust.
Its a previous upgrade pick, and we still love it, but its currently available only on Ohanas site at a price considerably higher than what it cost when we first tested it.
It focuses on whats most important (chord strumming), and it has a cool repertoire of tunes, though it works best if a teacher plays the accompaniment parts.
You've decided to buy a ukulele, now what? Brent Butterworth is a senior staff writer covering audio and musical instruments at Wirecutter.
These materials are harder and denser than the soft plastic pieces used on many budget ukes, and they improve tone by transferring more of the strings vibrational energy into the body of the uke.
Whether thats a pro or con depends on your opinion of your ukulele playing.
It features beautiful grain and is usually used as the material for guitar and ukulele bodies and necks.
ukuleles
Everywhere from elementary-school music programs to retirement homes, people are taking up the ukulele in record numbers, and we think the Alvarez Regent Series RU22C concert uke is the best all-around choice for the average beginner.
The slotted bridge makes changing the strings easyjust tie a knot at one end of the string and slide it into the slot. The Vintage Spruce Soprano comes in a super-affordable package that includes a tuner, an instructional DVD, a nice gig bag, and a polishing cloth.
It also includes a strap and a few plastic picks, though most uke players use felt picks or no picks at all. Our testers said that the RU26T was nice but that the smaller RU22C had a fuller sound. Click here to learn more. Wholesale Exclusive: Get a Lower Price, up to 50% off. The KA-TK-C-CE Teak Tri-Top is a similar model thats good for those who want a uke with a built-in pickup and tuner, but its cutaway body gives it a much thinner sound. The see-through tuning machines work well but the tiny window on one of my tuners fell out after lugging the uke around for a couple days.
The DBU-200 adjoins finger plates inlaid with muscovite, assisting the new players in seeking out the proper marker positions. Since the nylon strings on the ukulele do not generate relatively loud sounds like the steel strings on the acoustic guitar, an amplifier or interface would be significant if you plan to perform live in a slightly bigger venue or an open space.
I want to help you find the best uke for your budget and skill level. The Luna Vintage Spruce plays and sounds significantly better for not much more money.
Copyright 2008 - 2022 Got A Ukulele / Barry Maz - All Rights Reserved, Flight Fireball EQ-A Tenor Ukulele - REVIEW, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. However, because the differences in scale are tiny, the sounds of the soprano and concert are similar. I played several of these models in stores, and they all played as well and sounded about the same as the RU22C sample we got. It results in the Banjos distinctive tone with the uke tuning and playing style.
Learn more.
Besides, the nylon strings on the ukulele are also friendlier to beginners fingers with no callus than the acoustic guitar. Subscribe us to get the latest music news, reviews, gear demos & special deals.
The tone of it is crisp and bright.
Second, as a concert-size uke, its not too big for a kid to handle and not so small that adults cant fit their fingers between the frets. Thanks to its concert size, its a good choice for any beginner (or expert), and its low price even includes a nice case, a strap, and a tuner.
How to Get Started With the Ukulele. The Ohana SK-20 Solid Top Mahogany Soprano is a wonderful uke with a classic feel and a beautiful sound.
On the other hand, Kala offers more quality tonewood options than any other brand. Also, a solid mahogany top with a bent armrest gives it a distinctive shape.
The company consolidates high-quality woods for an affordable mix like spruce, rosewood, and mahogany.
ukulelesreview.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Fortunately, any intonation flaws I found were trivial.
They might be better off with the soprano size (the RU22S) or with our soprano uke recommendation, from Luna, below.
Very comfortable to play right out of the box. Surprisingly, its one of the few books that start out by explaining chordal playing instead of single-note playing, and playing chords is what almost all beginners really want to do on ukulele, since that gets them right into playing songs.
In addition to these, this 30-inch instrument adds a heavy-duty case with enough padding for storage, security, and mobility. You will find 18 brass frets with marking positions on the neck and top of the fingerboard. The brand has eminent top-notch tuning machines, staying your ukulele playing by rule. The Mitchell MU50SE concert uke includes a pickup and preamp, sounds great, and plays pretty well.
To help me evaluate ukulele instructional books, I tapped the talents of John Higgins, a Wirecutter contributing writer with a masters degree in music from the University of Southern California and years of experience teaching music at a private high school in the Los Angeles area and playing various instruments professionally, and Martha Nelson, who teaches ukulele (and music in general) in the New York City public school system. We take that seriously too, which is why weve asked the manufacturers of all our picks to answer some basic questions about materials, life cycle, and other sustainability issues.
But it is hard to tell a big difference between these two shapes.
This article is based on my impressions of concert-sized DUC-1, but most of the information will apply to the DUT-1 tenor and DUS-1 soprano.
Current prices and Amazon customer reviews are shown below.
Yes, we will review the best Donner ukulele.
If you need a small ukulele for kidsor for an adult who likes the look and sound of a little ukewe recommend the Luna Vintage Spruce Soprano. Most ukuleles are shipped in plain cardboard boxes that can be recycled.
The ukulele is one of the simplest instruments to learn, and a few key accessories can make getting started even easier. In reality, it features the best solid body electric ukulele, bringing a three-band EQ to let you successfully alter the tone according to your needs. This DONNER Tenor youve made sounds wonderful & looks fantastic! The excellent factory setup makes it easy to play for beginners and experts, and the concert size suits kids and adults alike. Guitar Shape: The guitar shape is the most common and standard shape of the ukulele. If so, hopefully, your arrival will be fruitful. Sounds good strummed and when playing fingerstyle.
Whether it's finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we'll help you get it right (the first time). We set a price limit of $130 because most beginners dont want to spend a lot on a hobby they may not like.
These tuners are also much lighter than standard tuners, and they can currently be found on Kalas newPremier ExoticSeries. Its top, back, and sides are all made from solid mahogany. In this ukulele review, I'll be taking a look at Lohanu's three top-selling models: theLU-T tenor, LU-C concert, and LU-S soprano. The most widely recognized material for Ukulele is the rare Hawaiian hardwood species Koa, known as the Hawaiian Koa tree, which features light brown in color and beautiful grain.
ukulele donner capo Poor customer service, inconsistent build quality, and a lack of transparency make this Chinese based brand an inferior option to other ukulele brands.
Plus, it has the look and feel of a high-quality instrument. I was especially fond of a larger platform & nice wood work, but still manageable. Of course, the model has always been such a design that you have to regard.
This is a growing problem amongst Chinese companies on Amazon in general.
For example, if youre going to get started as a new player, you are not interested in spending on something too expensive. These tuners work much better than normal ukulele tuners, and they keep the ukulele in tune a lot longer as well. Most inexpensive ukes are made largely from plywood, which is not biodegradable, although a few, such as the Luna Vintage Spruce Soprano, do have a few wooden parts that might biodegrade.
ukulele soprano donner
Without quality strings, your uke becomes virtually useless as a non-venomous snake.
As the biggest member of the ukulele family, the baritone features the deepest bass frequencies and is capable of producing the loudest sounds in the family with a 19'' scale length and a 30'' scale length.
In fact, Kalas collection is so large that you can find almost any ukulele that youre looking for on their collection page. One of the noted features of this model is that it is travel-friendly due to its slim body and abrasion resistance. Each uke is tested by multiple players, from beginner to expert, and with hand sizes from XS to XL.
I checked each ukes intonation, or the degree to which all the notes played in tune with each other and with the open (unfretted) strings.
The grain on the maple is beautiful and maple with the flame-like grain is usually used for the top of a guitar body.
The Kala KA-S Satin Mahogany Soprano essentially tied with the Luna Vintage Spruce Soprano, but the Luna model is usually less expensive. Contrariwise, the fretboard of this bass uke offers uninterrupted ease. Like the Alvarez RU22C, this uke has fully enclosed tuners, position markers along the side of the fingerboard, and a slotted bridge that lets you easily change strings.
The brand brings the Donner soprano ukulele beginner kit, achieving a reputation to provide quality performance. The only real downside of the RU22C is that it includes no accessories.
If not, there will be some problems when playing.
This helps Donner keep their products prices down. Its sound is praiseworthy and inspirational, and the size becomes perfect.
Mahogany is a commonly seen tonewood type grown in various regions of the world. So, in this ukulele buying guide, we will walk you through the important information that you may need when choosing your ukulele.
The ukes are procurable in a variety of shapes.
If you do, buy it and let us know about it in the comments section below. The Ukutune UKM2 concert uke sounds very close to our top pick, the Alvarez RU22C, at a much lower price, but the fret finish was rough along the sides of the fingerboard, and the strings buzzed at the first fret.
First, I tuned each ukulele and played it for about half an hour to make sure the strings were reasonably broken in and thus less likely to go out of tune while the testers played the uke.
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The Cordoba 15CM concert uke is a previous pick.
While the Kala KA-15S Satin Mahogany Soprano is a decent little uke, it just didnt catch any of our panelists attention. It might just be the most popular beginner ukulele package of all time. They supply high-standard instruments at a price that even beginner players can spend the money to buy.
A good starter uke kit at a bargain price, If you want a soprano-size uke: Luna Vintage Spruce Soprano, Upgrade pick: Orangewood Harper Concert Acacia, Sustainability and environmental impact of ukuleles, Essential Elements for Ukulele Book 1: Comprehensive Ukulele Method, How To Play the Ukulele for the Complete Ignoramus, Fender Grace VanderWaal "Moonlight" Signature, Use This Time During Coronavirus Isolation to Learn to Play Guitar or Ukulele, Uke Can Do It! It comes with two strap knobs installed (especially convenient when the ukulele club runs out of chairs), and the neck joins the body at the 14th fret to make fingering high notes easier. This Donner tenor ukulele has the authentic bone saddle and nut, improving your instruments sound, tone, and reverberation compared to plastic ones.
With high density, the rosewood is commonly seen on the fretboards of string instruments.
In truth, it holds on a lot of power and vibration in the position of plugging-in.
Unlike our other picks, the Vintage Spruce has open-gear tuners, but none of our panelists considered this a disadvantage.
When comparing Kala vs Donner youll notice a disparity in the quality of materials between the two brands.
These instruments can range from $500 all the way up to $3,000. By contrast, Kalas lineup has evolved significantly to offer hundreds of new ukulele products over the last decade.
Tightening them helped only temporarily. With the growing rarity of rosewood, manufacturers start to use Pau Ferro as the substitute for rosewood.
ukelele donner duc tuner If you want a uke with a more contemporary look: The Kala KA-TEAK-C concert uke sounds slightly fuller than the Alvarez RU22C and requires even less effort to press the strings down. The back aim of the DUB-1 build is to make it capable of playing similar to a standard bass guitar.
The excellent factory setup makes it easy to play for beginners and experts, and the concert size suits kids and adults alike.
Even with the first sample, none of our panelists considered the action uncomfortable.
The good news is that ukuleles dont become obsolete and rarely wear out, and wooden ukes can usually be repairedeither by a professional shop or, in the case of inexpensive models, by a resourceful parent with a bottle of Gorilla Glue (spoken from experience).
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. All of those arrangements is aim to produce an enriched and brilliant tone.
Honestly, it is the glory of a uke.
The DUC-1 comes with a nice case as well as a tuner, a strap, and an extra set of strings. You can purchase these strings as a stand alone pack from the Kala website.
Orlando, FL. The RU22C concert uke has a big, full, satisfying sound, plays easily, and comes in a just-right size thats comfortable for kids and adults. So, the next part informs you of various kinds of ukulele and their differences.
On the other hand, Donner ukuleles come with unbranded nylon strings that have a bright tinny sound to them.
It is time to review Donners carbon fiber ukulele. Players with bigger hands may find it better to fret on the tenor. In terms of fingerboard and bridge design, the company uses rosewood to design them, familiar for ease while playing. This bundle strategy has been very popular with beginners who arent sure what to get with their new ukulele. Our testers found the DUC-1s wider fingerboard to be slightly less comfortable than the narrower one on the Alvarez, but all of them said that both ukes played well. Donner is virtually a newly arrived to this sector compared to others.
My Donner uke came in a nice, heavy-duty cardboard box and the accessories were individually packed in little Donner-branded boxes. They are known for their inexpensive ukulele bundles that are packed with accessories.
In summary, ukuleles are different in types, sizes, and shapes, and these features directly affect the tones and playability of the ukulele. Although the electric-guitar-style Epiphone Les Paul Ukulele concert model offers less acoustical output compared with traditional ukes, it is fun to play. But it seems like a product still in development.
It offers sweet and bright sounds we usually hear from a ukulele. For this review, I purchased a new DUC-1 concert model using my own funds. To reduce the possibility of brand bias, I covered the logo on the headstock (the part where the tuners are mounted) and inside the soundhole of each uke with blue painters tape.
In general, Donner tends to stick to just three tonewoods like spruce, mahogany, zebrawood.
As the frets are closer together, Donner soprano ukuleles are great if the beginner has smaller hands.
Aside from the Google ads, I don't get paid to write this blog and for reasons of impartiality a not sponsored by brands or stores. Donner DED-300 Professional Electronic Drum Set with Bass Drum Drumsticks/Audio Cable. Its body length and fretboard scale make it the most playable one for players with big hands.
The fluorocarbon strings that came on the uke sound good, but I prefer Aquila Nylgut strings.
Or, if you prefer an instrument with a less traditional appearance, you can also get the RU22C in your choice of five Grateful Deadinspired graphics.
Some people call it the gourd shape because its upper body is smaller than the lower part.
Although softer than spruce, cedar is still a kind of hardwood. Kalas flagship beginner model, the KA-15S is the most popular ukulele in the world.
The Vintage Spruce Soprano is available in a package that includes a case, a tuner, an instructional DVD, and a cleaning cloth. When youve come here through browsing, it means that you are interested in what you need to know to buy a good uke. We see that their promise is being reflected in the insertions of products.
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With a 17 scale length and a 26 overall length, the tenor ukulele offers more resonant, ringing, and sustaining sounds than the two smaller ukuleles. In 2020 alone they announced and released 27 new ukulele lines!
Its also highly portable, so its easy to take to school or on vacation.
Further, it affixes Carbon nylon strings of Japan-made with the package. Even temperatures and humidity changes cant affect it. They have a much better reputation and are based in Petaluma, California. Alongside, spruce produces a unique, bright sound despite being one of cheap woods, becoming a trademark for the brand.
The pegs are hardly working. The Kala mxmtoon Signature concert uke looks cool, but the Kala KA-TEAK-C concert uke plays easier and sounds much fuller and more lively.
and I have to say some quality details don't match the review, unfortunately. Donners entry level ukuleles are where they shine brightest. Further, the frets slide astonishingly. It has a gentle sound similar to mahogany, but Koa has a higher density than mahogany. All Rights Reserved. Working with a good instructor is generally the best path to learning an instrument, but considering that just one lesson typically costs half the price of a decent starter uke, a good book can be a practical and affordable way to get startedand to find out if you or your child (or parent) is really interested in playing music. In especial, the brand shows talent at making most ukes using spruce and making fulfilled with more expensive wood types like mahogany. First is Ukulele for Kids (by Chad Johnson; Hal Leonard Publishing), an unintimidating book aimed at youngsters.
The four strings of the baritone are tuned in G3-D3-B3-E4 starting from the lowest strings.
Despite its bigger-than-expected sound, the RU22C retains the clear, singing high-pitched tone for which the uke is loved.
However, in our tests its sound was somewhat more muted than that of the Donner DUC-1 and Alvarez RU22C. Good tonewoods are very important, but the craft is also key.
We liked the sound and playability of the Lanikai LU22CGC about as much as that of the Alvarez RU22C, but the classical guitar-style bridge made this model harder to restring. Some of the app text is in Chinese, we found it difficult to get the uke connected via Bluetooth, and the all-black fingerboard and black frets make it much more difficult to pay when youre not using the app. Unfortunately, the sample we played had a lot of string buzz in the middle of the fretboard. Overall, the various wood material combined constructions provide a conspicuous sound and resonance.
Just to throw a tenor into the mix, we tried the Alvarez Regent Series RU26T, which has a spruce top instead of the mahogany top of the RU22C. Stay in the know about all the latest gear, reviews, and lessons with our Newsletter! The Ibanez UEWS5 concert model has a body cutaway that makes fingering high notes and chords easier, but most panelists thought the sound wasnt as enjoyable as that of our top picks.
Here are 26 of the many surprising, delightful, or kind-of-dull-but-still-really-useful things were proud to review. This team of luthiers creates some of the best ukuleles in the world. The round profile body and back is the feature of the pineapple-shaped ukulele. Donner offers a 30-day return policy.
It is essential. Great projection for a concert.
Rightly, mostly better quality ukes place premium standard strings. Donner DUC400 21-inch Guitar Shape Ukulele.
While Kala is best known for their ukulele legacy, Donner is primarily a guitar pedal effects company that just got into the ukulele game. All Rights Reserved.
Adding a case, a strap, and a tuner typically costs $30 to $40. Hello,I bought it from Amazon recently (i know, better the local shop but it's lockdown time in Italy!) Go to the stage with this instrument, and your band will gaze at it in distrust.
Its a previous upgrade pick, and we still love it, but its currently available only on Ohanas site at a price considerably higher than what it cost when we first tested it.
It focuses on whats most important (chord strumming), and it has a cool repertoire of tunes, though it works best if a teacher plays the accompaniment parts.