The ultimate ukulele buying guide

Everything that matters when you're choosing a ukulele: the four sizes, the woods, how it's built, and the ones I'd buy at every budget.

Marco Cirillo
Marco Cirillo
26 min read · 7 chapters

Hey guys! Marco here.

If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’ve already fallen in love with the ukulele, or you’re about to. Maybe you heard someone play one on YouTube and thought, “That sounds incredible. I need one of those.” Or maybe you’ve been playing guitar for a while and you’re curious about what this little four-stringed instrument is all about.

Either way, welcome. You’re in the right place.

Now, here’s the thing. When I first started exploring the ukulele, I was completely lost in the world of tonewoods, sizes, and string types. There’s a lot of information out there, and a lot of it is confusing, contradictory, or just way too technical.

So I wrote this guide to be the thing I wish I’d had when I started: simple, honest, and practical. No jargon for the sake of jargon. No snobbery. Just the stuff that actually matters when you’re trying to find the right ukulele for you.

Let’s get into it!

  1. 01 The four sizes Soprano, concert, tenor and baritone, and who each one suits. →
  2. 02 Tonewoods Koa, mahogany, spruce, cedar and acacia, plus laminate vs. solid. →
  3. 03 Fretboards Rosewood, walnut, maple and ebony, and how much they matter. →
  4. 04 Construction Setup, bracing and tuners: why build quality beats fancy wood. →
  5. 05 Strings & accessories Strings, tuners, capos, cases, straps and humidifiers. →
  6. 06 Recommendations My shortlist across four budgets, from £35 to the dream tier. →
  7. 07 Final thoughts Six pieces of advice I'd give a friend before they buy. →