The construction on my DUC-1 is tight and clean. If you purchase through one of these links I earn a small commission. Most ukuleles have tops made from darker woods such as mahogany, but the Vintage Spruce Soprano has a spruce top, basically a smaller version of whats found on most acoustic guitars. 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 similarly priced Flight TUS-50 Travel Series soprano doesnt have this problem because its molded frets have a silvery finish, but the TUS-50s rounded back makes it tough to balance on your lap. You can purchase these strings as a stand alone pack from the Kala website. Kala and Donner use very different tuning machines on their ukulelesx. The Kala KA-S Satin Mahogany Soprano essentially tied with the Luna Vintage Spruce Soprano, but the Luna model is usually less expensive. The Oscar Schmidt Dolphin soprano is a plastic travel uke with a wooden top. Each uke is tested by multiple players, from beginner to expert, and with hand sizes from XS to XL. 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. In this ukulele guide, well give a detailed overview of how Kala and Donner compare, including their construction, value, and more. Its body characterizes the favorite mahogany wood, naturally delivering a warm and harmonic melody. Koas tone is more focused on medium frequency. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing to save people time, energy and money when making buying decisions. In short, it is such a kind of instrument that inspires you to raise your musical skill. Donner also has soprano and tenor versions. Subscribe us to get the latest music news, reviews, gear demos & special deals. As a beginners uke, this is a slam dunk, instructor Phil Ernst said. It has a loud, full tone with a nice low end. If you enjoy this blog, donations are welcomed to allow me to invest more time in bringing you ukulele articles. Alongside, spruce produces a unique, bright sound despite being one of cheap woods, becoming a trademark for the brand. At its best, the Populele 2 Pro turns learning ukulele into a compelling, PaRappa the Rapper-style video game. It features beautiful grain and is usually used as the material for guitar and ukulele bodies and necks. 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. If youre looking for more comparisons, look at our Kala vs Cordoba guide to see how those two brands stack up against each other. 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. Although the shape does not affect the tones as much as the tonewood, it is worth mentioning for the subtlety. Unlike our other picks, the Vintage Spruce has open-gear tuners, but none of our panelists considered this a disadvantage. Although the electric-guitar-style Epiphone Les Paul Ukulele concert model offers less acoustical output compared with traditional ukes, it is fun to play. Its color is clean and neat and the grain is straight. Whether it's finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we'll help you get it right (the first time). I want to help you find the best uke for your budget and skill level. The beginner collections include Kalas budget friendly Makala line and the Waterman line. As a result, consumers prioritize keeping their choice lists the products of the company. The body joins the neck at the 14th fret, which makes fingering high notes easier. You will find 18 brass frets with marking positions on the neck and top of the fingerboard. Fortunately, any intonation flaws I found were trivial. I had to send back the first copy because one peg was broken (from factory, no package damage) and on the second copy they are badly mounted. Moreover, its board points look clear. However, Kala has a huge mid range collection of ukuleles. These are low in quality and performance compared to wooden ones. In general, Donner tends to stick to just three tonewoods like spruce, mahogany, zebrawood. But to be honest, you can put Donner among the few classified brands, making the best instrument on the market. 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. No brand exists exclusively in manufacturing the best uke on the market. 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. Brent Butterworth is a senior staff writer covering audio and musical instruments at Wirecutter. The Donner DU-1 series are surprisingly good ukuleles for the price. Further, it attaches chrome-patented tuners similar to mimic real guitars, keeping in mind the preferences of most musicians. Any uke mentioned above will enable you to become a great player, unquestionably. The DUC-1 comes with a nice case as well as a tuner, a strap, and an extra set of strings. How to Buy A Ukulele: The 2022 Ukulele Buying Guide, The Best Beginner Ukulele: My Top 7 Picks (2022 Edition), The Best Ukulele Brands & Good Uke Brands for Beginners (2022 Edition). Many readers are concerned about how the manufacturing, shipping, and normal use of the products we recommend impact the world we live in. It offers sweet and bright sounds we usually hear from a ukulele. If you like ukuleles made from mahogany, the Donner Soprano Mahogany Ukulele could be a good choice. Also, Ive been playing ukulele since my Uncle Mac gave me a Harmony soprano uke back around 1969. With high density, the rosewood is commonly seen on the fretboards of string instruments. It is time to review Donners carbon fiber ukulele. However, we havent encountered a ukulele made from recycled materials or that can practically be recycled. We prefer the Enya Nova U for travel because the TUS-50s rounded plastic back can make it more difficult to hold, but the TUS-50s molded frets have a silver finish that makes them much easier to see. This is just a personal preferenceyour mileage may vary! Their initial aim is to originate new experiences in music and performance. Also pleasantly surprised with this instrument! It might just be the most popular beginner ukulele package of all time. In this review, Ill be looking at Donners top-selling ukuleles: the DUS-1 soprano,DUC-1 concert, and DUT-1 tenor. 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. 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. Plus, it incorporates the glorious Mahogany wood at the back and sides. The Ohana SK-20 Solid Top Mahogany Soprano is a wonderful uke with a classic feel and a beautiful sound. We also tried another version of this uke, the Luna Tribal Soprano, which has a mahogany top with a laser-engraved pattern inspired by totems of the Pacific Islands. 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. Besides, the carbon fiber instrument does not crack or warp like wooden ones. 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 armonic note is 3mm far from the 12th fret. This Donner electric ukulele sets up a chromatic tuner with an LCD backlight screen, letting you observe your set tune. In truth, it holds on a lot of power and vibration in the position of plugging-in. So, you might take one. From traditional woods like koa, mahogany, and spruce to sustainably harvested exotic options like ziricote, ebony, and mango wood, Kala has more than enough variety to choose from. Their ukuleles tend to have lots of inexpensive accessories bundled with the instruments to sweeten the deal. These strings are Chinese made and are a lot cheaper to produce than Italian made Aquila strings. With the growing rarity of rosewood, manufacturers start to use Pau Ferro as the substitute for rosewood. The grain on the maple is beautiful and maple with the flame-like grain is usually used for the top of a guitar body. Your donations all go back into the site to allow me to keep bringing you reviews, and in the end the ukuleles acquired are given to local schools and charities. For this review, I purchased a new DUC-1 concert model using my own funds. 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. 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. All of our testers liked the mahogany Donner DUC-1, and none voiced a major complaint about itand that was before they found out that its 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. The DUS-3 places the spruce material at the top. It might be better for a somewhat older student who is serious about ukesomeone who already plays guitar, perhaps. For now, lets glance over quickly at some of the quality Donner ukuleles. 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. So, the next part informs you of various kinds of ukulele and their differences. We liked the look, feel, and sound of the Oscar Schmidt OU2 concert uke, but a couple of the tuning knobs buzzed because they were loose. If so, hopefully, your arrival will be fruitful. Subscribe now for unlimited access. The round profile body and back is the feature of the pineapple-shaped ukulele. The Luna Tattoo Concert Mahogany is a very nice uke that our testers generally liked, but it didnt sound as lively as the Alvarez RU22C. Buying accessories one by one can be time-consuming, and you have to wait for them to arrive and pay extra. I couldnt find anything about a warranty online or in the packaging. Plus, you can listen to your playing sound conspicuously. The Orangewood Harper Concert Acacia is a great choice for those who want something fancier than the Alvarez RU22C at a modest price premium. Our panel of instructors and students loved this models sound and styling, and its size is perfect for kids and adults alike. 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. 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. Fortunately, the brand has many options to pick according to your needs. The Luna Vintage Spruce Soprano has a powerful sound, a kid-friendly size, cool styling, and an appealing price. 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. Essential Elements for Ukulele Book 1: Comprehensive Ukulele Method (by Marty Gross; Hal Leonard Publishing) is our clear favorite. Even temperatures and humidity changes cant affect it. In 2020 alone they announced and released 27 new ukulele lines! Although the panelists liked pretty much everything about the RU22C, they picked it mostly for its sound. 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. The pegs are hardly working. The first ukulele ever created is a soprano type. All of our panelists said the RU22C played beautifully everywhere on the neck, and no one noted any string buzzing. I honestly wasnt expecting this level ofcraftsmanship, playability, and tone from a mass-produced budget uke. The Mitchell MU70 concert model looks and feels shockingly nice for its price. These models are among the most affordable and highest-rated ukuleles for sale on Amazon. It doesnt look like many people had issues, but Im not sure what would happen if you have a problem beyond 30 days. I was anxious to try one myself and see if I agreed with everybody else! Kala ukuleles use Italian madeAquila strings. Kala even uses these strings on their least expensive instruments, which has played a role in the companys reputation for quality at every price point. This carbon fiber uke features a one-piece design. The ukes are procurable in a variety of shapes. Everyone said it offered a clear, full sound and had a fingerboard width that made it easy to play. A digital tuner is highly recommended because of the ukulele's special tunings. In fact, Kalas collection is so large that you can find almost any ukulele that youre looking for on their collection page. We cooperate with DHL, AU Post, TOLL & MCS. One of the noted features of this model is that it is travel-friendly due to its slim body and abrasion resistance. The Gold Tone Little Gem Banjo Uke falls outside of our price window, but we thought wed include it here because its the only good, cheap banjo uke weve tried. We discuss the DUS-1 soprano model in the Competition section. Very comfortable to play right out of the box. 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. We independently review everything we recommend. 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. So I asked two experienced teachers, John Higgins and Martha Nelson, to give me their opinions of nine of the best-reviewed uke books. Well also highlight the aspects you should pay attention to when sorting out a good instrument in the next part of this guide. 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. If you can find it in stock for its original asking price around $40, its a great choice. 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. 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. The only downside is that the molded plastic frets are the same color as the fingerboard, which makes them hard to see. With a longer scale, the concert produces louder sounds with lower frequencies. 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). Its a softer, mellower sound, which we think is better for accompanying vocals because it doesnt drown them out. This Donner tenor ukulele has the authentic bone saddle and nut, improving your instruments sound, tone, and reverberation compared to plastic ones. Donner DUC400 21-inch Guitar Shape Ukulele. The samples of the Flight DUC380 Topaz and Flight Elise Ecklund concert ukes we tried had major problems staying in tune. The tone of it is crisp and bright. Hi, I'm Sean! 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. The other book worth mentioning is Ukulele Method Book 1 (by Lil Rev; Hal Leonard Publishing), which is a bit more in-depth. Kalas beginner ukuleles tend to have more of a focus on quality over quantity and seek to add value to their ukuleles in a variety of ways. It loses a little warmth as you move up the neck, but thats normal for a uke made from laminated wood. We'll keep you up to date when exciting new information is available. It plays as well as our top pick but has a softer sound, which is probably better for accompanying vocals, though it wont cut through as well in ukulele jams. 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. 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. Generally, although mahogany has numerous varieties and they are a little different in details, it tends to generate warm and rich tones with rich mid and low frequencies. Please note that we cannot ship to PO Boxes. 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. On budget ukes I often find I need to adjust the action, but I dont think Ill need to tweak my DUC-1. When it comes to tonewood selection, Kala is hands down the winner of this comparison. 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 RU22C concert uke has a big, full, satisfying sound, plays easily, and comes in a just-right size thats comfortable for kids and adults. The soprano-sized DUS-1 will be a little more bright and treble-focused, while the tenor-size DUT-1 will have more bass and volume. 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. I love the tone. Fred Sokolow agreed, saying, Its a little thinner-sounding than the Alvarez, but I like it.. Let us know in the comments which brands youd like to see compared next! Therere several things to keep in mind when choosing a good one. With very little to offer over $70, Donners business strategy is to provide lots of value for under $100. Attention to detail is excellent. Its a perfect bag for day-to-day stuff, but Id recommend a hard case or heavier bag for major travel. The Vintage Spruce Soprano is available in a package that includes a case, a tuner, an instructional DVD, and a cleaning cloth. Lower quality ukes are often heavily built, and this often results in a thin, lifeless tone. Currently, Donner does not offer any intermediate ukuleles. Some inexpensive ukes are hard to play, so we looked for models that let everyone (even kids) play chords easily. 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. A longer scale means there is more room for each fret and between stings. Some also include a tuner in the preamp. If you want a rugged, compact uke for traveling: The Enya Nova U soprano uke is our favorite inexpensive travel uke. However, Donner ukuleles remain some of the most popular ukuleles on the Amazon platform. They are known for their inexpensive ukulele bundles that are packed with accessories. For the price, Im genuinely impressed with the fit and finish on this uke. The best thing about most ukes of this brand is that the quality model comes in very affordable price ranges. Besides the instrument, a Donner digital tuner, a pack of picks, a quality gig bag, a strap, and a set of quality nylon stings are included in the all-in-one bundle, which can save you a lot of time as a beginner. It features a bright look, high density, and hardness. With the growing demands in ukulele, manufacturers begin to adopt spruce in ukulele. We set a price limit of $130 because most beginners dont want to spend a lot on a hobby they may not like. I asked the testers to judge each uke based on the criteria that we consider most important for a beginning player: After the testing was complete, I revealed the prices, which in some cases inspired the panelists to elevate a good, affordable uke over a slightly better but much costlier model. The lack of trade shows and the shipping and production issues now affecting almost all industries has made us reluctant to predict anything about new uke introductions for the coming year. We also recognize that this may not paint a complete picture of a products supply chain and life cycle impact. When comparing Kala vs Donner youll notice a disparity in the quality of materials between the two brands. 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. The main reason why is that it simply looks a lot nicer, with beautiful figured woodgrain and ivory-colored binding around the fingerboard and body. If you do, buy it and let us know about it in the comments section below. The guitar-shaped ukulele features a beautiful curve in the waist of the instrument, and cutaways on the upper body are also provided on the ukulele for more accessible higher frets and solo playing. However, the edges of the frets arent as smooth, the look is less traditional, and the wraparound string attachment on the bridge is more difficult to manage than the string slots found on the RU22C. This DONNER Tenor youve made sounds wonderful & looks fantastic! 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.
Lit Cosmetics Water Resistant Glitter Base, Wintec Half Riser Comfort Pad, Broan 30-inch Range Hood, Black, Nine West Round Sunglasses, How To Read Digital Marketing Report, Plunge Neck Mini Dress, Gopress And Foil Machine Spotlight, Chief Mounts Tech Support,
