Tips and advice on choosing a ukulele

Choosing a ukulele can be difficult if you don't have any prior experience with stringed instruments. But The Ukulele Daily is here to lend a helping hand!

The woods the ukulele are made of is probably the most important thing to consider in terms of quality of sound, volume and tone.

Cheaper ukuleles tend to be made out of laminated wood, or sometimes even plastic. Neither which are ideal for making a ukulele.

Solid wood ukuleles have a better sound. The 'top' or 'soundboard' of the ukulele produces the majority of the sound of the ukulele. It is this piece of wood that makes the difference. Buying a ukulele with a solid top, but laminated back and sides is a good choice for a beginner.

If you're buying a ukulele to learn to play an instrument, consider spending a little more. Buying a very cheap ukulele means that the manufacturer has had to cut the quality of the materials and parts used. Cheap machine heads (tuning keys) will have your ukulele going out of tune quicker, which can be very frustrating.

If the ukulele is for a child under three, a cheap instrument may not be a bad idea. But make sure it will at least stay in tune. You're training their ears after all!

If they still enjoy playing after they learn the basics, consider upgrading to something a bit less basic.

A lot of cheaper ukuleles generally have intonation problems. This means that if your ukulele might be in tune when you play open strings, but further up the neck, the instrument can be out of tune.