Looking for the best beginner ukulele for adults? You are in the right spot!
Here I review 10 beginner ukuleles that fall between $75 and $200 in the beginner range, with a size that is befitting adults, those with fat fingers and uke players with big hands who are new to the ukulele.
This list contains cheap beginner ukuleles, and some of the best starter ukuleles for adults.
These are quality Ukes from reputable manufacturers, not toys.
This list of Ukulele reviews contain high quality, proper musical instruments that will allow you to learn to play the tunes you want, right away.
After the reviews of the 10 Best ukulele for beginner adults, there is an FAQs section to answer your questions.
Enjoy!
10 Best Beginner Ukuleles for Adults Reviewed
Luna Tattoo Concert Ukulele
Voice and scale: Concert gCEA
Scale Length/Overall Length: 15 inch scale, 23 inch overall length
Frets: 20
Luna Tattoo Concert Ukulele Review:
I am over the moon for this Luna Tattoo concert Ukulele. I love it so much that it is the Ukulele I chose for my own sound healing instrument collection.
It has a warm, rich, authentic sound and looks fabulous.
This Uke is way more than I expected for the price paid. It has mother of pearl inlay on the frets and the pegs are a matching pearlescent. Plus, the wood on the face is carved, its not a print.
This uke stays in tune because it has gear tuners vs friction tuners which allow for stable notes and easier fine tuning. Friction tuners rely on the resistance between the peg and the hole, which is less desirable than an open gear system.
It comes with a gig bag too which is a nice bonus.
I love the concert size, as an average size adult woman, its a perfect fit!
In my opinion its the best ukulele for beginners.
Enya Concert Nova U Ukulele
Voice and scale: Concert GCEA
Scale Length/Overall Length: 17” Scale and 23” total length
Frets: 18
Enya Nova U Concert Ukulele Review:
The Enya Nova U Concert Ukulele is prized for its resistance to water and weather, and its durability as well. Note however the metal on the uke will rust overtime if it stays wet, so its not technically waterproof.
Aside from durability, thanks to the body being a mix of carbon fiber and polycarbonate plastic, people also like the unique look.
The price is pretty good too, another factor making it a great beginner ukulele for adults who just want to try the instrument out before investing more.
A few drawbacks noted are the sound is not as rich as that from wood ukuleles, and I have noticed the neck is a bit narrow compared to other concert ukuleles.
Ranch Tenor Ukulele
Voice and scale: Tenor GCEA
Scale Length/Overall Length: 26″ total length, 18 inch scale length
Frets: 18
Ranch Tenor Ukulele Review:
The Ranch Tenor ukulele is a popular entry level ukulele that has been around for a while and earned a solid reputation as one of the best ukulele for the money.
It is a great value because a padded gig bag, extra strings, a tuner and a shoulder strap are included with each ukulele.
This ukulele is laminate, as are many starter ukuleles, and it has a rich resonance and bright sunny sound that will not disappoint.
Another thing I like is that this Ukulele is gear tuned for precision tuning.
The tenor size Ranch ukulele is a good ukulele for adult size and it is comfortable for larger folks.
I also think its really cool that Ranch Ukulele created a FREE set of 12 Ranch Ukulele Beginner Lessons so you can quickly get started.
Cordoba 15TM Tenor Ukulele
Voice and scale: Tenor tuned to GCEA
Scale Length/Overall Length: 26 inch total length, with a 17 inch scale
Frets: 19
Cordoba Tenor Ukulele Review:
This Cordoba Tenor Ukulele is a great choice for beginner adults and is one of the best ukuleles for big hands.
Why?
Its got a fret board that is 1/8 inch wider than standard and that extra space makes a difference if you are a ukulele player with fat fingers or bigger hands.
This uke also has BIG sound, meaning strong resonance and projection.
This cheap ukulele for beginners has an excellent price point, especially compared to the quality and attention to detail that went into crafting it.
For instance…
It has gear style tuners which get a precision tune and stay tuned better than friction style tuners. It also has an attractive inlay around the sound hole.
Bummer that it does not include a gig bag though…but its still the best ukulele for fat fingers.
KALA, 4-String Tenor Ukulele
Voice and scale: Tenor Scale GCEA
Scale Length/Overall Length: 17″ Instrument length: 26.125″
Frets: 18
Kala Tenor Ukulele Review:
This tenor ukulele is designed for adult beginners.
It not only sounds and looks great but it comes with a few extras to get you started. It has a gig bag, a digital tuner and a getting started booklet to facilitate learning.
The size is great. Larger size is great for beginners and in my opinion tenor size is the best ukulele size for beginners.
This ukulele was co-created by Kala Ukuleles and Mandy Harvey. Mandy was featured on the show Americas Got Talent and is famous because even though she lost her hearing at 19, she is an extremely talented ukulele player.
The design on the face of the ukulele was crated by Mandys sister.
I love this uke and believe its one of the best tenor Ukulele under $200 dollars.
Lanikai Concert Ukulele
Voice and scale: Concert size with gCEA scale
Scale Length/Overall Length: 14.8 inch scale length with 24 inch overall length
Frets: 18
Lanikai Ukulele Review: Top Pick for Best Beginner Ukulele for Adults
The Lanikai concert size ukulele is a good choice for beginners with big hands who still want a smaller uke.
The concert size is not quite as big as the tenor, but the neck on the Lanikai is wider than an average size concert ukulele so it is still apt for larger hands.
I also really like that this uke has buttons for the strap, not all ukes come with that. The open gear tuners are a classic touch that add to the vibe of this ukulele.
This ukulele has a full rich sound, holds a tune, and has a long lasting sustain I find pleasing.
The cost to value ratio is great, and I consider this ukulele among the best ukulele for beginner adults out there.
Donner Tenor Ukulele
Voice and scale: Tenor Size, GCEA Scale
Scale Length/Overall Length: 17 inch scale, 26 inch overall length
Frets: 18
Donner Tenor Ukulele Review:
This Donner tenor size ukulele has several reasons its one of my top picks for best beginner ukulele for adults.
The tenor size means its good for those with large hands, larger size adults and those who want a tenor with more bass sound to it.
I love that even at its low price it comes with high quality Aquila strings and a button for the shoulder strap, although the shoulder strap itself is thin and unimpressive. I replaced mine with a ukulele strap with cats on it.
Another feature this uke has that not all do is an arched or curved backside. This allows the sound waves to bounce back more efficiently than a flat back, projecting the sound better.
Flight Elise Ecklund Concert Scale Long Neck Soprano Ukulele
Voice and scale: long-neck soprano. gCEA
Scale Length/Overall Length: 24.25 inch overall length, with 15 inch scale
Frets: 15
Flight Concert Scale Long neck Soprano Ukulele Review:
If you are tall, or have long arms, this ukulele might be a good fit if you do not want to opt for a larger concert or tenor ukulele.
It has a smaller soprano body, but the neck is a longer Concert scale length. Best ukulele for adults that want a small uke body with a neck that is long enough for adult arms.
I love the stunning sunset motif and the perfect tonality.
The Aquila sugar strings are loud and resonant, but squeak at first. This squeaking will diminish as you play it.
Flight has a solid reputation as a ukulele manufacturer because they use quality components and are known for fine craftsmanship, such as using gear tuners on their ukes.
The sound board of this ukulele is linden wood and the back is rounded ASB plastic for maximum resonance. In other words, its small but has big sound.
Overall this is an excellent cheap ukulele for beginners who want a smaller bodied uke.
Ohana Tk-10 Tenor Mahogany Ukulele
Voice and scale: Tenor Size GCEA
Scale Length/Overall Length: 17 inch scale length with 26.5 inch overall length
Frets: 19
Ohana Tenor Ukulele Review:
This simple high quality laminate mahogany ukulele from Ohana is a prized beginner ukulele. It has a sweet clear tonality, with a booming resonance that satisfies. It is not as fancy as the high end Ohana models, but it lives up to the brands rigorous quality standards at a beginner ukulele price point.
As far as sound and quality it rivals ukes that cost hundreds more and is a steal. Its one of the best tenor ukulele under $200 dollars.
The open gear tuners run smoothly, the bridge and nut are bone for clear, clean vibration and sound, and the song of this ukulele is rich, mellow and big.
Ohana is headquartered in Long Beach California and the company has a great reputation as a fine instrument maker.
The tenor size is great for big guys and this model is one of the best starter ukulele for adults.
Enya Tenor Ukulele
Voice and scale: Tenor size GCEA scale
Scale Length/Overall Length: 17” inch scale length with 26” overall length
Frets: 18
Enya Tenor Ukulele Review:
This gorgeous ukulele is a steal for any beginner ukulele player. It has a sound quality that is sweet and warm, and better than many more expensive ukuleles.
The craftsmanship and attention to detail of this ukulele are of far more value than the relatively low price it costs to purchase one.
To prove my point check out the goodies this uke has:
Strap buttons, slotted head stock, two-tone gear tuners, BEAUTIFUL fret markers, gloss finish, mother of pearl inlay around the sound hole and a nubone nut and saddle for superlative sound and vibration transmission.
This Ukulele has earned its spot on this list of best ukulele for beginner adults.
Ukulele for Adult Beginners FAQs
Best Ukulele size for beginner adults:
There are 4 main ukulele sizes, with a few additional sizes that are more boutique, custom or uncommon sizes.
The 4 main ukulele sizes are Soprano, Concert, Tenor and Baritone.
For a beginner adult ukulele player I recommend either a concert or tenor ukulele because the size and scale are just right. Sopranos are quite small and can be frustrating for someone who is only just starting to learn.
I also do not recommend the larger baritone ukulele as a starter ukulele because the scale and sound are so different from other ukes.
Comparing scale length of a Soprano Ukulele to a Tenor Ukulele
The smaller the ukulele, the less space between the frets.
Ukulele frets compared between a soprano Ukulele and a tenor ukulele. You can easily see that there is more space between the frets on a tenor ukulele as compared to the smaller soprano ukulele.
This means a tenor or even a concert size, which is the size between soprano and tenor, are easier to play for adults and those with big hands or fat fingers.
Personally, although a baritone ukulele has plenty of space, IMO its not the best ukulele for a beginner because they have different tuning and a much deeper sound than a tenor, concert or soprano uke.
The ideal size for an adult starter ukulele is either a concert or a tenor ukulele, or if you are smaller person, maybe a soprano ukulele.
What is Scale Length? What do I need to know before I choose my Uke?
On a Ukulele, the scale length is the distance from the nut to the saddle of the Ukulele.
On a soprano ukulele the scale length is usually just between 13 and 14 inches. Thats not too much room to work with.
A concert ukulele has a bit more space. The scale length of a concert ukulele is about 15 inches, and those few extra inches make a difference. I am an average size adult female and I like the concert size ukulele.
A tenor has two more inches than a concert. The scale length of a tenor ukulele is usually 17 inches and has enough room for larger folks.How to play a ukulele with big hands
Do you think your fingers are too fat for a ukulele? Think again!
There are several ukulele for big fingers and you can find a ukulele for big hands easily.
In my opinion, the best ukulele for fat fingers is the Donner Tenor Ukulele. But I also like the Cordoba 15TM Tenor Ukulele as a less expensive option for those with bigs hands.
So you want to know how to play a ukulele with big hands? Get a tenor ukulele, that’s how.
My friend Pirate Stu confirms this with his video here. Lol. He is hilarious.What does it mean when a Ukulele has open gear tuners?
A ukulele can have several types of tuners. The two most common are gear tuners and friction tuners.
Friction tuners can be found on Cheap ukulele for sale. Friction tuners use the tension between the screw and the hole. They must be tight enough to hold the string, yet loose enough to turn and tune the string. These can wear over time with tuning and are not ideal.
Gear tuners are my preferred tuners and they are found on all of the ukuleles in this list of Best beginner ukulele for adults.
Gear tuners use a gear system that locks into place. You are able to get precision fine tuning and the string will stay in tune for a longer period of time.
The difference between open gear tuners and closed gear tuners of a ukulele is that on an open gear tuner the gears are exposed, which gives the uke a vintage vibe. Closed gear tuners simply include a cover over the gear.
I prefer open gear because of the classic look and vibe, but that is purely aesthetic and both open and closed gear are great.How Much for a Ukulele?
How much do ukuleles cost? Well, since we are discussing beginner ukuleles, I would say you can expect to pay between $90 and $200 for a decent ukulele.
Most of the ukuleles on my list fall within that price range, although one or two may be more expensive. But there are plenty of great ukuleles for under 200 dollars.Any good ukuleles on Amazon?
Amazon does not make Ukuleles, they only sell them. At least I have yet to find an amazon basics ukulele, but it would honestly not surprise me if one showed up in my feed one day. lol.
But, many of the finest ukulele brands do, in fact, sell their ukuleles on Amazon.
The makers and brands of ukuleles on Amazon include:
Luna
Kanile´a
Ranch
Cordoba
Kala
Lanikai
aNueNue
Flight
Ohana
Enya
Fender
Martin
Donner
Flight
So you can see, amazon ukuleles for sale can be great ukuleles.
If you are interested in a smaller ukulele, I have. a list here of the best soprano ukuleles on amazon here.
This wraps up my list of the the Best beginner ukulele for adults. I hope you find a ukulele that suits you.
If you are interested in a smaller ukulele, I have. a list here of the best soprano ukuleles on amazon here.
If you are interested, I will share with you that I am a Reiki Energy Healer and practice sound healing as well. I have written many articles on sound healing instruments including singing bowls, gongs and shamanic drums. Check them out!
Until next time!
Much love and all the best to you!
Katie Lyn
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