Turtulele is inspired by Sea Turtles and is from the little tropical island of Cebu, Philippines. I have owned more than 30 ukes in my life, and I currently own seven ukes (in four sizes) plus two ukulele basses. Fortunately, any intonation flaws I found were trivial. Brent Butterworth is a senior staff writer covering audio and musical instruments at Wirecutter. In all of our uke evaluations, we have relied heavily on the opinion of Fred Sokolow, who is one of the world’s best-known ukulele instructors, a revered author of instructional books for stringed instruments, and a contributing editor for Ukulele magazine. Plus, it has the look and feel of a high-quality instrument. 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 painter’s tape. It isn’t quite as good-looking or nice-sounding as the Alvarez RU22C, but it is a fantastic buy. I also had a chance to play many ukes while walking the aisles of the January 2020 NAMM Show in Anaheim, California. now $143. Since 1989, he has served as an editor or writer on audio-focused websites and magazines such as Home Theater, Sound & Vision, SoundStage, and JazzTimes. He regularly gigs on double bass (and occasionally ukulele) with Los Angeles–area jazz groups. Photo: Rozette Rago, The DUC-1 has enclosed tuners. 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. 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. $199 The Oscar Schmidt OU28T is an eight-string tenor uke at an unbelievably low price, but its relatively high action and string tension make it extremely difficult for us to play. The Turtulele is a full fiberglass ukulele specially designed for the great outdoors. All of our panelists said the RU22C played beautifully everywhere on the neck, and no one noted any string buzzing. Thanks to its concert size, it’s a good choice for any beginner (or expert), and its low price even includes a nice case, a strap, and a tuner. The DUS-1’s strings are slightly higher off the fingerboard, making it a little harder to play than some other sopranos we tested, and in our tests it didn’t sound as clear and ringing as the Luna Vintage Spruce Soprano. The Turtulele is a full fiberglass ukulele specially designed for the great outdoors. I didn’t like the clumsy placement of the strap knob on the heel of the neck, and a couple of testers complained that the fret ends felt rough. The Alvarez Regent Series RU22C is the ideal starter ukulele for many reasons. Capable of adapting to temperature of -4°F to 140°F, and humidity of 10% -90%, from the desert to polar regions, it won’t let you down. FREE SHIPPING. Photo: Rozette Rago, Unlike our other picks, the Vintage Spruce has open-gear tuners, but none of our panelists considered this a disadvantage. It sounds louder and clearer than most inexpensive ukes, it’s well made for its price, and all of our panelists loved its unusual styling. It was such a relief when the government stepped in and declared the use of turtle shells illegal for guitar making. “It’s louder than most of the sopranos, and sounds clearer, and all the notes sound even,” instructor Jared Canchola said. Third: it does nothing for the guitar as an instrument and the list goes on. It’s also highly portable, so it’s easy to take to school or on vacation. The ukulele is one of the simplest instruments to learn, and a few key accessories can make getting started even easier. Also, while the action (aka string height) on the first sample we tried was slightly high for a soprano uke, making us push down a little harder to fret a string, a second sample and one we tried in a store had action about as low as that as the other good sopranos we’ve found. We’ll keep an eye out for them and any other new models that appear in music stores and at online retailers, and add them to this guide as soon as we have a chance to try them. What better way than to incorporate such advocacy with what is considered to be the most popular instrument in the world. The Carlo Robelli UXM soprano has a surprisingly full sound, a slim-body design that should make it easy to play for kids, and a built-in pickup, too, but the two samples we tried had too many string buzzes for us to tolerate. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. The Ohana SK-20 Solid Top Mahogany Soprano is a wonderful uke with a classic feel and a beautiful sound. The Kala KA-S Satin Mahogany Soprano essentially tied with the Luna Vintage Spruce Soprano, but the Luna model is usually less expensive. Initial experiments were done in late 2013 for the technical aspects of sound production and resonance. To help me evaluate ukulele instructional books, I tapped the talents of John Higgins, a Wirecutter contributing writer with a master’s 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. It might be better for a somewhat older student who is serious about uke—someone who already plays guitar, perhaps. Still, we anticipate some new models being introduced around that time. Photo: Rozette Rago, The Vintage Spruce Soprano is available in a package that includes a case, a tuner, an instructional DVD, and a cleaning cloth. The soprano First Act Discovery Ukulele is extremely inexpensive, but we think it’s of insufficient quality for anyone other than a small child. The construction quality of the Eddy Finn Minnow soprano uke seemed poor relative to that of other ukes we tested in its price range; it made cracking sounds when I initially tried to get it in tune. The Luna Vintage Spruce Soprano is smaller than our other picks, making it a great choice for kids or for adults who like soprano ukes for their lilting, high-pitched sound or their portability—although some adults may find it uncomfortably small. This title by Marty Gross offers an affordable, accessible way to start strumming immediately. The slotted bridge makes changing the strings easy—just tie a knot at one end of the string and slide it into the slot. $219 We at DWYC, Inc. thought that there must be a sustainable yet acceptable alternative. I play uke in jazz and Latin jam sessions and on demo recordings, and I’ve played several jazz gigs on uke in New York City clubs. For the longest time, it has been a widely accepted notion that wood (solid or veneer) is the only material for the top or soundboard of a ukulele. now $38, Regular price $159 The Luna Vintage Spruce Soprano has a powerful sound, a kid-friendly size, cool styling, and an appealing price. A plastic ukulele is much tougher and more resistant to weather changes than the wooden one. Kilimanjaro. The Cordoba 15SM is the soprano version of the Cordoba 15CM. All of our testers liked the mahogany Donner DUC-1, and none voiced a major complaint about it—and that was before they found out that it’s one of the least expensive concert ukes we tested, and that it comes with a nice case, a clip-on electronic tuner, a strap, and an extra set of strings. Press the space key then arrow keys to make a selection. Photo: Rozette Rago. They also feature top-rated Aquila nylgut strings for improved sound and playability. “As a beginner’s uke, this is a slam dunk,” instructor Phil Ernst said. It includes strap buttons on the bottom and on the heel of the neck, a feature rarely found on a concert uke. Expect 4-5 days delivery time. thought that by using fiberglass we can create turtle-inspired designs for ukuleles but this time the goal is to create awareness and appreciation towards these magnificent creatures. Although the electric-guitar-style Epiphone Les Paul Ukulele concert model offers less acoustical output compared with traditional ukes, it is fun to play. Surprisingly, it’s 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. Or, if you prefer an instrument with a less traditional appearance, you can also get the RU22C in your choice of five Grateful Dead–inspired graphics. Previously we named the Monoprice Idyllwild Sapele Soprano as our budget pick, but its availability is so sporadic (and its price fluctuates so much on Amazon) that this time we’ve chosen to remove it as an official pick. “I love the tone.” Fred Sokolow agreed, saying, “It’s a little thinner-sounding than the Alvarez, but I like it.”. Our sample didn’t stay in tune long, though. One can actually think of the Turtulele as an utility ukulele. It has a loud, clear sound that really cuts through when you’re playing along with other instruments, and its laser-etched soundhole rosette and triangle-shaped fingerboard inlays give it a cooler, more modern look.