Anyway, the most common of all these ukes are the guitar shape. In fact, playing one of the Grateful Dead ukes is what inspired me to request an RU22C sample for our tests. Donner is a general instrument accessory maker based in China.
If so, hopefully, your arrival will be fruitful.
Although the electric-guitar-style Epiphone Les Paul Ukulele concert model offers less acoustical output compared with traditional ukes, it is fun to play. Further, it attaches chrome-patented tuners similar to mimic real guitars, keeping in mind the preferences of most musicians. 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. Patreon pledges, large or small, all help keep this site going!! Also, Ive been playing ukulele since my Uncle Mac gave me a Harmony soprano uke back around 1969. Basic setup and maintenance are crucial for a guitar or bass to sound its best, and some adjustments may be best left to a professional. The Kala KA-S Satin Mahogany Soprano essentially tied with the Luna Vintage Spruce Soprano, but the Luna model is usually less expensive. If you really want your uke to have a pickup, consider the Kala KA-TK-C-CE Teak Tri-Top. However, Donner ukuleles remain some of the most popular ukuleles on the Amazon platform. Sign up for our newsletter be the first to know about coupons and special promotions. In general, Donner tends to stick to just three tonewoods like spruce, mahogany, zebrawood. We also recognize that this may not paint a complete picture of a products supply chain and life cycle impact. Even temperatures and humidity changes cant affect it.
It has a loud, clear sound that really cuts through when youre playing along with other instruments, and its laser-etched soundhole rosette and triangle-shaped fingerboard inlays give it a cooler, more modern look. The downside of the DUC-1 is that it looks a little cheap. Its body characterizes the favorite mahogany wood, naturally delivering a warm and harmonic melody. This type of construction guarantees rigidity and does not absorb water or moisture. This Donner concert uke is also available in two other wood styles: the zebrawood DUC-2 and the spruce DUC-3. Not a problem functionally (many ukes have open-geared tuners) but still noticeable, The nut looks like TUSQ (a synthetic material) and I think the saddle is bone. Brent Butterworth is a senior staff writer covering audio and musical instruments at Wirecutter. Donner uke ranks among the list of renowned brands on the market evermore. The Flight TUS-50 Travel Series soprano sounds good and plays well. Kala also offers ukuleles strung with Daddario nylon ukulele strings for ukuleles that are more suited to a classical nylon tone and feel. All Donner ukuleles include a few accessories.
So, the next part informs you of various kinds of ukulele and their differences. Its available in light blue, black, or white. These models are among the most affordable and highest-rated ukuleles for sale on Amazon. I was especially fond of a larger platform & nice wood work, but still manageable. Very comfortable to play right out of the box.
In 2020 alone they announced and released 27 new ukulele lines! Kalas flagship beginner model, the KA-15S is the most popular ukulele in the world. Their customer service, build consistency, and selection make them a better beginners choice than Donner. Whether thats a pro or con depends on your opinion of your ukulele playing.
Generally speaking, there are two types of ukuleles. Notes ring out clearly up and down the neck. custom set of Japanese made Worth strings, How to Make a Good Purchase on a Ukulele Online. The back aim of the DUB-1 build is to make it capable of playing similar to a standard bass guitar. A lot of the Kala vs Donner debate stems from Donners recent rise in popularity on online stores like Amazon. Kala has a manufacturing team right at their headquarters in Petaluma, California. One of the most mentionable properties is that the room between the fingerboard and the spring remains specific. The RU22C sounds like a more costly instrument, and it feels like one, too. So many people want to learn an instrument, but so few find the time. On budget ukes I often find I need to adjust the action, but I dont think Ill need to tweak my DUC-1. Same on the acoustic guitar, manufacturers managed to integrate electronics into the ukulele. Plus, it has the look and feel of a high-quality instrument.
However, there is a NAMM show scheduled for summer 2022, and if it does take place, well follow the new product introductions closely and get testing samples of all the models we think might be worth a few strums. Unfortunately, the sample we played had a lot of string buzz in the middle of the fretboard. Normally, the built-in preamp of a ukulele features sound control and tone control for adjustment. As with what happens on guitars, the body woods are to be carefully considered if you want your future ukulele to sound as you expect.If you've already decided what kind of ukulele to buy, then we'll pick the right accessories last. Ive reviewed audio gear professionally since 1990, and Ive probably conducted more multi-listener audio-comparison tests than any other journalist, so I have a good idea of how to make tests fair. Orlando, FL. Here are 26 of the many surprising, delightful, or kind-of-dull-but-still-really-useful things were proud to review. A strap may also be needed as holding your ukulele while standing can be tiring and affect your playing. The Oscar Schmidt Dolphin soprano is a plastic travel uke with a wooden top.
In the testing sessions weve conducted for this article, weve considered a total of about 100 ukes and tested 44 of them, including 12 for this update. Its sound was muted compared with what we heard from the Vintage Spruce. It is the smallest of the ukulele family and is also the most common ukulele associated with peoples impressions. Indeed, this adjustment is difficult to do, but the brand has already succeeded. Spruce is a popular kind of tonewood used in guitars. It sounds louder and clearer than most inexpensive ukes, its well made for its price, and all of our panelists loved its unusual styling. The Ukutune UKE1 concert uke is a beautifully made instrument for its price, with a mellower sound than the Orangewood Harper Concert Acacia, although our samples fretwork was slightly rough on the A-string side. These are low in quality and performance compared to wooden ones. Moreover, its board points look clear. In especial, the brand shows talent at making most ukes using spruce and making fulfilled with more expensive wood types like mahogany. If you prefer the Alvarez ukulele in a different size, the same overall design is available at similar prices in soprano, tenor, and baritone sizes. If you enjoy this blog, donations are welcomed to allow me to invest more time in bringing you ukulele articles. 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. These tuners work much better than normal ukulele tuners, and they keep the ukulele in tune a lot longer as well. Many players prefer to handle them for their sleek and pleasant feel. 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. However, because the differences in scale are tiny, the sounds of the soprano and concert are similar. An acoustic-electric ukulele normally incorporates a built-in pickup which allows vibrations of the strings to be transformed into signals that can be exported to amplifiers and sound interfaces through the preamp that is normally placed in the one side of the ukulele. We also found two other books worth mentioning. Therefore, when you think about shopping for a better-quality uke, the string types it holds will always be a key consideration in fixing whether to buy the instrument. Its louder than most of the sopranos, and sounds clearer, and all the notes sound even, instructor Jared Canchola said. Currently, Donner does not offer any intermediate ukuleles. If you like ukuleles made from mahogany, the Donner Soprano Mahogany Ukulele could be a good choice. In this guide, I look at good beginner ukuleles that fall within the $50 to $100 price range. 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. The Vintage Spruce Soprano does have a few minor downsides. Besides, the bridge built with maple and hardwood is perfect enough to resist the strings cut into it. 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!
For beginners, learning to play the ukulele is a friendly start. The Cordoba 15CM concert uke is a previous pick. However, Donners downsides make them difficult to recommend over other brands. Plus, it incorporates the glorious Mahogany wood at the back and sides.
The Kala KA-20S Burled Meranti soprano plays nicely and looks beautiful, but its not very loud. It doesnt look like many people had issues, but Im not sure what would happen if you have a problem beyond 30 days.
Of course, the model has always been such a design that you have to regard.
It isnt quite as good-looking or nice-sounding as the Alvarez RU22C, but it is a fantastic buy. 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. Weve used three different students in the last couple of rounds of testing: Alana Wood, a teen who has played uke and guitar for a few years; Lynn Shipley Sokolow, Freds wife, who plays upright bass in the bluegrass band The Rattlesnakes and is now learning her way around uke and guitar; and Wirecutter supervising editor Adrienne Maxwell, who has been working on her uke chops for a couple of years and has done long-term testing with some of our picks. 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. These instruments can range from $500 all the way up to $3,000. These strings are Chinese made and are a lot cheaper to produce than Italian made Aquila strings. It played decently and sounded okay, but we think a traditional model is a better choice for most beginners. Well also highlight the aspects you should pay attention to when sorting out a good instrument in the next part of this guide.
Tightening them helped only temporarily. Weve added an Other good ukes section with suggestions for a travel uke and one with a pickup, and we also added notes on the sustainability of our picks. The Harper Concert Acacia looks nicer than our top pick, plays just as well, and has a softer sound thats good for accompanying vocals. The tone is brighter and the low frequencies are weaker.
Koas tone is more focused on medium frequency. It also includes a strap and a few plastic picks, though most uke players use felt picks or no picks at all. It has a deeper and bigger tone than the others, even the tenor we tried, Fred Sokolow said. One of the noted features of this model is that it is travel-friendly due to its slim body and abrasion resistance. Please note that we cannot ship to PO Boxes.
It might be better for a somewhat older student who is serious about ukesomeone who already plays guitar, perhaps. I kept the original strings on, figuring a beginner would be unlikely to change themin part because nylon uke strings last much longer than steel guitar strings. If you want a rugged, compact uke for traveling: The Enya Nova U soprano uke is our favorite inexpensive travel uke. Donner offers a 30-day return policy. It is also small in size, and you can learn and practice anywhere and in any situation. All of those arrangements is aim to produce an enriched and brilliant tone. You will get a thin but sustainable bag to carry your instrument. Apart from these, the finished smooth rosewood fingerboard enhances your playability for hours. 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.
Its a perfect bag for day-to-day stuff, but Id recommend a hard case or heavier bag for major travel. Unlike our other picks, the Vintage Spruce has open-gear tuners, but none of our panelists considered this a disadvantage. They supply high-standard instruments at a price that even beginner players can spend the money to buy. In truth, this approach raises the purchasing ability. The DUC-1 has a slightly wider-than-usual fingerboard, which makes it easier for those with larger hands to fit three or four fingers on the fretboard for complex chordsin contrast, though, this design may make the DUC-1 a little harder to play for those with small hands. It has fully enclosed tuners that feel smoother and more precise than the open-geared tuners found on most affordable ukes. The body joins the neck at the 14th fret, which makes fingering high notes easier. The first ukulele ever created is a soprano type. Its body is made from deeply figured, beautifully finished woodgrain, and the body and fingerboard feature ivory-colored binding. For this review, I purchased a new DUC-1 concert model using my own funds. The other book worth mentioning is Ukulele Method Book 1 (by Lil Rev; Hal Leonard Publishing), which is a bit more in-depth. Our testers said that the RU26T was nice but that the smaller RU22C had a fuller sound. Copyright 2022. I couldnt find anything about a warranty online or in the packaging.
You can find a professional sounding ukulele with Kala anywhere from $150-$450.
I think this uke would sound even better in low-G tuning, so thats my plan for this one after I finish the review. The tone of it is crisp and bright. 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. Essential Elements for Ukulele Book 1: Comprehensive Ukulele Method (by Marty Gross; Hal Leonard Publishing) is our clear favorite. Donner is virtually a newly arrived to this sector compared to others. 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. Their ukuleles tend to have lots of inexpensive accessories bundled with the instruments to sweeten the deal. These are a fluorocarbon string set that many professionals prefer. With hundreds of 5-star reviews on Amazon, the KA-15S is an obvious crowd favorite. It also includes a decent soft case, an electronic tuner, and a strap. However, if youre a beginner or a fan of classic Hawaiian styled ukuleles and innovative design then Kala will probably give you a much better value. Kala and Donner use very different tuning machines on their ukulelesx. Anyway, in the case of a coming instrument with low-quality strings, you can effortlessly replace the Strings like the Italian-made Aquila Nylgut strings. The only real downside of the RU22C is that it includes no accessories.
The soprano incorporates a 13" scale length (the length of the vibrating strings) and a 21" full length. Let us know in the comments which brands youd like to see compared next! It also comes with a quick start guide booklet, free online lessons, a custom logo tote bag, and directions on how to use the free tuning feature on their application. One panelist ranked it among her favorites, but no one else had particularly strong feelings about it. It might just be the most popular beginner ukulele package of all time. The Orangewood Harper Concert Acacia is a great choice for those who want something fancier than the Alvarez RU22C at a modest price premium.
The Luna Vintage Spruce plays and sounds significantly better for not much more money. *At the time of publishing, the price was $60. The DUC-1 structurally holds concert uke properties. The mahogany Donner DUC-1 has a pleasing sound and an unusually wide fingerboard that makes it easier for adults to play but not too hard for most kids. Kala used to prioritize gear ratio tuners, and they still use them on most of their models. It comes bundled with a unique version of the popular Kala KA-15S. When youve come here through browsing, it means that you are interested in what you need to know to buy a good uke. Therefore, the DUB-1 comprises 3-band control settings such as the Bass, Middle, and Treble control properties, performing effectively.
When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. This is definitely a brand to put on your short list when shopping for a good beginner ukulele.
This is a growing problem amongst Chinese companies on Amazon in general.
We see that their promise is being reflected in the insertions of products. But everyone agreed that theyd spend the extra money on the RU22C for its better sound and easier playability. Some inexpensive ukes are hard to play, so we looked for models that let everyone (even kids) play chords easily.
The tones it offers are mellow and full so it is often used on tenor and baritone which feature heavier sounds. Also, the concert size may be a little large for some elementary schoolers to handle. The only downside is that the molded plastic frets are the same color as the fingerboard, which makes them hard to see. 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.
The Mitchell MU40 is a very inexpensive soprano thats nicely made for the pricea good choice if you want a decent uke for the absolute least you can spend. My ukulele buying guide will help you choose a ukulele that meets your needs and budget. Mahogany is a commonly seen tonewood type grown in various regions of the world.
Both of these companies offer good instruments, but the value of a Kala vs a Donner ukulele purchase takes more than just the instrument into account. Should You Have Your Guitar or Bass Professionally Set Up. Although the initial enthusiasm that comes with the purchase of a musical instrument can quickly dissipate, the low price of a good starter uke makes the investment risk much smaller than with most musical instruments. 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. Actually bought based on other reviews and didn't find this until I already owned it. This team of luthiers creates some of the best ukuleles in the world. The Harper Concert Acacia has open-geared tuners, which arent as fancy as the enclosed tuners found on the Alvarez RU22C and the Donner DUC-1, but they work fine. The construction on my DUC-1 is tight and clean. The DUC-1 is a replication of the Donner DUS-3 model alike. Be sure to check them out if you are interested. 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.
This Donner electric ukulele sets up a chromatic tuner with an LCD backlight screen, letting you observe your set tune. This Donner bass ukulele features to utilize electricity.
Consequently, it has been the best Donner ukulele for beginners.
I also get a chance to try new ukuleles during my visits to the annual NAMM Show in Anaheim, California. It has a loud, full tone with a nice low end. Even with the first sample, none of our panelists considered the action uncomfortable. Kala produces high quality beginner ukuleles and USA made professional instruments.
It is the exact same tuning as the highest four strings on the guitar so it is easiest to learn for guitar players. 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. However, a good musical instrument is not made by placing all the components on a piece of raw wood. Although the brand has appeared since 2012, they have already made a name for itself in the music industry. You may also want to buy a ukulele gig bag considering the ukulele's mobility, which is convenient for you to have on the road for practice or fun playing. While Kala is best known for their ukulele legacy, Donner is primarily a guitar pedal effects company that just got into the ukulele game. These tuners are also much lighter than standard tuners, and they can currently be found on Kalas newPremier ExoticSeries. Donner has been the center of controversy in the ukulele scene for copyright infringement and their imitation of intellectual property.
It looks much more expensive than it is, likely the result of more precise, careful workmanship, with smoothly finished frets and no obvious compromises for the sake of cost. Unlike the other 3 types of ukuleles, the baritone is different in tuning. All comments are moderated before being published. 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.
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 ukes are procurable in a variety of shapes. Alongside, spruce produces a unique, bright sound despite being one of cheap woods, becoming a trademark for the brand. This Donner tenor ukulele has the authentic bone saddle and nut, improving your instruments sound, tone, and reverberation compared to plastic ones.
In terms of fingerboard and bridge design, the company uses rosewood to design them, familiar for ease while playing.
Donner DUC400 21-inch Guitar Shape Ukulele. Hello,I bought it from Amazon recently (i know, better the local shop but it's lockdown time in Italy!) If you purchase through one of these links I earn a small commission. Yes, we will review the best Donner ukulele. *At the time of publishing, the price was $7. Many ukes made 100 years ago are still played and cherished, so the uke you buy today might even outlive you. Buying accessories one by one can be time-consuming, and you have to wait for them to arrive and pay extra. While none of the manufacturers of our top picks in this guide provided answers to our sustainability questions, there are many general statements we can make about the sustainability and environmental impact of inexpensive ukuleles. We cooperate with DHL, AU Post, TOLL & MCS. The Fender Grace VanderWaal "Moonlight" Signature soprano uke looks great but sounded thin in our tests, and our sample wouldnt stay in tune for more than a few minutes. Poor customer service, inconsistent build quality, and a lack of transparency make this Chinese based brand an inferior option to other ukulele brands. I was anxious to try one myself and see if I agreed with everybody else! Kala and Donnerare two popular music companies that offer ukuleles at the beginner price point. 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. 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 pegs are hardly working. So, to avoid trouble, we are highlighting some aspects below for you. With a longer scale, the concert produces louder sounds with lower frequencies. The Donner banjolele uses the drumhead supplied by Remo, the professional supplier. Hi, I'm Sean! Its also available in a concert-size model, the TUSL-50. The brand has eminent top-notch tuning machines, staying your ukulele playing by rule. 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. Nor do they offer a quality ukulele bass that could be counted as an intermediate instrument. I love the tone. Fred Sokolow agreed, saying, Its a little thinner-sounding than the Alvarez, but I like it.. 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. With the growing rarity of rosewood, manufacturers start to use Pau Ferro as the substitute for rosewood. 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 portabilityalthough some adults may find it uncomfortably small. Kala has a larger range of ukuleles and price points, while Donner ukuleles stick to lower priced instruments meant for beginners.
We accept returns of merchandise within 30 days of receipt.
We discuss the DUS-1 soprano model in the Competition section. With free online lessons, you can learn guitar or ukulele while your towns on lockdown. With high density, the rosewood is commonly seen on the fretboards of string instruments. Its color is clean and neat and the grain is straight. They have the fame to keep the uke in an accurate tune. 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 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. Further, the frets slide astonishingly. *At the time of publishing, the price was $100.
How to Get Started With the Ukulele. Their initial aim is to originate new experiences in music and performance. These are pretty standard for most ukulele instruments, but Donners proprietary tuners work well.
Great projection for a concert. They might be better off with the soprano size (the RU22S) or with our soprano uke recommendation, from Luna, below. One of the exceptional designs is that it comes with a side soundhole to create a good resonance effect. In effect, the prime distinction is that it is crafted to measure 23-inches in length, only two inches more than the DUS-3.
Doug Crosby A digital tuner is highly recommended because of the ukulele's special tunings. The fluorocarbon strings that came on the uke sound good, but I prefer Aquila Nylgut strings. Therere several things to keep in mind when choosing a good one. These are all great sounding yet typical ukulele tonewoods youll find used by most ukulele manufacturers. This uke has a somewhat mellower sound, nicer tuners, and more conservative styling than the Luna Vintage Spruce Soprano. The strings are of Aquila origin, comfortable and safe for fingers. It features a bright look, high density, and hardness. Donnerdeal.
Also, there is a mahogany wood design for the neck and entire body, a hive for the sweet tone. Lower quality ukes are often heavily built, and this often results in a thin, lifeless tone. Its a softer, mellower sound, which we think is better for accompanying vocals because it doesnt drown them out. Take into consideration why you crave to shop the uke first your purpose. Current prices and Amazon customer reviews are shown below. The excellent factory setup makes it easy to play for beginners and experts, and the concert size suits kids and adults alike. They have a much better reputation and are based in Petaluma, California. This DONNER Tenor youve made sounds wonderful & looks fantastic! If youve been thinking about learning to play a musical instrument, the ukulele has a well-deserved reputation as a good way to start because its one of the easiest stringed instruments to play, and most ukes cost less than $100.