Ukulele reviews
68 instrument reviews and playing impressions
szopranino
Koki'o Mini
Tamás GállI too have been caught by “mini mania”. More precisely, I have always wondered how tiny a ukulele can become while still producing a genuinely usable sound. We can dispose of the opposite end of the scale fairly quickly, because the baritone is really closer to being a small four-string guitar. But…
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Baton Rouge UR 21-S and Hafanana
Tamás GállOur latest instrument review also comes with a song arrangement – more precisely, we are going to learn the chords to a slightly more difficult song. First, the ukulele itself: I accompany Hafanana on a Baton Rouge UR 21-S soprano ukulele. This ukulele is also very pleasant to play and does not diff…
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Baton Rouge V1-S Royal
Tamás GállFor some time I have been putting a Moulin Baton Rouge V1-S Royal soprano ukulele through its paces. The brand is relatively new in Hungary — at least I had not encountered it here before. Although I generally prefer Lanikai and Kala, I have also grown fond of the Baton Rouge I tested. I will not pr…
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Baton Rouge V1-SL nat
Tamás GállI had the chance to try a simple soprano ukulele from Baton Rouge. It is made from laminated mahogany, and one interesting detail is the dark decorative strip running around the headstock, although perhaps "binding" is not technically the correct name for it. In any case, I think the narrow dark lin…
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Baton Rouge V2-S Sun
Tamás GállBaton Rouge ukuleles are made in China to German standards. This combines characteristically precise German design with an affordable product. Baton Rouge's philosophy is to produce ukuleles with excellent value for money, and to make even its entry-level instruments good enough for beginners to buy…
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Flight NUS-310 Blackbird Soprano
Tamás GállUntil now I had never held a completely black ukulele. This time, however, I got to try the Blackbird from Flight's 310 series, and it is so black that even the strings are black. Apart from that, it is essentially the same as the Flight NUS-380 I tested recently. As with that Flight, what we get he…
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Flight NUS-380 Soprano
Tamás GállLast autumn I tried a Flight tenor ukulele (this particular tenor is currently out of stock), and a few days ago a cute entry-level soprano Flight found its way into my hands. That happened because a kind ukulele-playing lady ordered one from the Ukulele.hu webshopand told me that if I wanted to, I…
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Kala KA-S
Tamás GállThis ukulele is made of mahogany and has a fairly light brown colour, with an attractive white binding around the outline of the body. Tuning should be no problem because it is fitted with good-quality geared tuning machines. When you pick it up, the chords almost seem to play themselves. That is an…
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KALA, the Colourful Little One
Tamás GállFor a few weeks I tested a fun soprano ukulele made by Kala with an unusual colour scheme. It comes from the series that recently appeared in a few photographs on the blog's Facebook page. Obviously, whether you like a uke painted this way is a matter of taste. I personally prefer the traditional na…
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Koki'o transparent ukulele
Tamás GállI am generally wary of plastic instruments. In my mind I always imagine beautifully crafted instruments made from wood and metal, so I was curious what it would feel like to hold one of these. Thinking about it, even when visiting music shops I had never really tried plastic ukuleles before. The tra…
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Lanikai LU-11 - The Perfect First Ukulele
Tamás GállLast year I made a short review of the Lanikai LU-21; now we have taken a look at its "little sibling". The phrase is in quotation marks because it is actually the same size - both models are sopranos - but the LU-11 is slightly cheaper and looks a little simpler. If you have not yet chosen an instr…
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Lanikai MA-S Soprano
Tamás GállThe good news is that Lanikai ukuleles are available in Hungary again, and you can browse them in the webshop. First I would like to introduce Lanikai's smallest model, the MA-S. "MA" is Lanikai's entry-level range, and there are also concert, tenor and baritone sizes in this family. The only differ…
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Ohana O'Nino
Tamás GállA few months ago I had already had the pleasure of trying an Ohana — a beautiful pineapple-shaped ukulele . I had always known that Ohana does not do things by halves: they make genuinely premium-quality ukuleles. This time I got my hands on a truly unusual little instrument, the Ohana O'Nino, a min…
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Tiki Uku Baby
Tamás GállRecently my eye was caught by a very small ukulele. It was not quite as tiny as the recently reviewed Koki'o Mini, but it was still a little smaller than the sopranos next to it – certainly thinner, at least. If I had to classify it by size, I would describe it as a soprano-size travel ukulele, mean…
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Baton Rouge UR 11-C
Tamás GállLast December we got to know the Baton Rouge V2-S Sun ukulele, which I have continued to use regularly and genuinely enjoy playing. In the second part of the Baton Rouge series, we try a concert-size instrument: the Baton Rouge UR 11-C. Compared with its smaller Sun sibling, it has less “visual tuni…
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Baton Rouge UV11-C-SCR
Tamás GállA few weeks ago I tried an entry-level, concert-size Baton Rouge ukulele made from mahogany. On Baton Rouge's more recent models, special emphasis is often placed on coloring the headstock, and that is also visible on this instrument: The binding is particularly attractive and highlights the outline…
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Cascha Carbon Fibre
Tamás GállYes, Fibre, not Fiber. I also looked twice at first to make sure it was not a typo, because for some reason I distinctly remembered the material being spelled “fiber”. After a little online research, however, it turned out that “fibre” is also correct spelling. I first encountered the electro-acoust…
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Cigar Box Ukulele
Tamás GállWhen I wrote the post called *(l)ele a few years ago, I never thought I would soon have the chance to hold a ukulele made from a cigar box in my own hands. A few weeks ago I received a nice message from Dávid, asking whether I would like to try a ukulele made from a cigar box - one that he had built…
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Flight DUC-525
Tamás GállI recently had the chance to try a very attractive concert-size ukulele, the Flight DUC-525. The natural colour of the wood is beautiful, and I think the combination of spruce and zebrawood looks excellent. Its top is solid spruce, which gives this ukulele a wonderfully clear, crystalline tone. It c…
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Flight — DUC-525 CEQ
Tamás Gáll...or: tuning with a built-in tuner. A few months ago I already showed you the acoustic sibling of this ukulele, the regular DUC-525, and even then I praised its wood combination, tone and volume. This time you can watch a longer video about the electro-acoustic version, which differs from the acous…
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Kai KCI-100M
Tamás GállIn this blog post I would like to introduce a concert-size ukulele from the Kai brand. A characteristic feature of Kai instruments is an extra soundhole on the side of the ukulele, facing upward toward the player's face while playing. I still cannot decide whether it is mainly a design feature or wh…
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Kala KA-MC
Tamás GállNo, Kala has not teamed up with MasterCard - the letters MC stand for something else :). The beautiful body of this ukulele is made of mango wood (M), and it is concert size (C). I have been playing this Kala in several of the previous videos, so you can hear it in Pachelbel's Canon (and the how-to-…
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Lanikai FM-C
Tamás GállIn the next part of our Lanikai series, we take a look at a concert-size ukulele, the FM-C. The name stands for "Flame Maple" and the C indicates the concert size. This ukulele is made from flamed maple, so thanks to its appearance we can spend minutes hours admiring it, and its silky feel is equall…
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Lanikai LU-21C
Tamás GállThis Lanikai model number may be familiar to many people, since one of the most popular Lanikai soprano models is the LU-21, which I managed to photograph and write about during a very successful barbecue. I have also had the LU-21CE here, a concert-size electro-acoustic model. From that you can pro…
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Lanikai LU21-CE
Tamás Gáll...or: the neighbours must have loved it . For a few weeks I had the chance to put a Lanikai LU21-CE electro-acoustic ukulele through its paces. The Lanikai did not disappoint; they have made a very good little instrument. Although the LU model designation represents Lanikai's entry-level range, do…
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Lanikai MA-C Concert
Tamás GállAfter so many tenor and soprano ukuleles, I finally had the chance to test another concert-size instrument: the Lanikai MA-C, made from laminated mahogany. This is an entry-level Lanikai, yet while holding it, looking at it and playing it, I had the impression that Lanikai strives for very good qual…
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Lanikai MA-CEC
Tamás GállNot long ago I tried theLanikai MA-C , a ukulele made from laminated mahogany. This blog post and video are about the MA-C's electro-acoustic sibling. It differs from the acoustic version through its built-in electronics and cutaway body shape: Although this is also an entry-level ukulele, I can say…
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Lanikai MAS-C
Tamás GállI am not exaggerating when I say that, at least in my opinion, one of the most beautiful mahogany ukuleles I have ever had here passed through my hands a few months ago: the Lanikai MAS-C, a concert-size ukulele made of solid mahogany. A more flattering official photo could probably have been taken…
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Lanikai QM-BKCEC Concert
Tamás GállBefore Christmas, I am back with one final instrument-review post. I have now tried a third premium Lanikai ukulele, and I would like to show you a few photos and a video. Last December you could read the review of my Lanikai QM-BLCETtenor ukulele, and this autumn I wrote about its smaller sibling,…
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Lanikai QM-BLCEC Concert
Tamás GállRegular readers may immediately recognize from the title that on the blog's ninth birthday — last December — they could read the review of my Lanikai QM-BLCETtenor ukulele . The ukulele I am introducing now is that instrument's little sibling, or more precisely its concert-size counterpart. Apart fr…
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Lanikai ZR-C
Tamás GállI would like to introduce you to a very elegant Lanikai ukulele. This concert-size instrument made from ziricote is like a small, tasteful jewelry box — except that instead of putting treasures into it, we take them out, conjuring one beautiful sound after another. Every ZR-C ukulele is unique becau…
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Ohana PKC70G
Tamás GállKati was kind enough to lend me a fantastic Ohana ukulele for a few days, a rather rare creature here in Hungary. That is not surprising: these are firmly high-end ukuleles and therefore not cheap. I was delighted to have the chance to try an Ohana with a pineapple-shaped concert-size body and a sol…
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Risa CWS - A Walnut Ukulele
Tamás GállWe ended the old year by presenting a banjolele, and we begin the new one with a ukulele review. I can wholeheartedly recommend Risa's concert-size ukulele to anyone: both to someone who does not yet own a uke and wants an instrument that is beautiful in both appearance and sound, and to someone who…
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Tanglewood TWT 16 E
Tamás GállI had heard and seen Tanglewood ukuleles several times, but until now I had never had the opportunity to try one. Finally, an example reached me, thanks in part to the help of an enthusiastic reader, Ádám. I was particularly curious about this instrument because its body is made from koa, just like…
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Baton Rouge UV71-T-SAB
Tamás GállI am always excited to pick up a type of ukulele that I rarely have the chance to compare with other examples. More precisely, I do own a resonator ukulele that I genuinely love for its distinctive sound, but I encounter other resonator ukuleles only once in a blue moon. So I was very happy to get t…
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Baton Rouge V2-T8 Sun
Tamás GállI am always happy when I get an unusual ukulele in my hands, and I definitely put eight-string ukuleles in that category because I get to try them relatively rarely. This one is made of laminated mahogany, and its appearance features the familiar Baton Rouge design elements, including the sunburst-s…
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Baton Rouge V4-TCE
Tamás GállThis tenor beauty has a special place in my heart, although I can immediately name one negative: it is no longer an entry-level ukulele, so you have to pay more if you want to make yourself happy with one. In return, however, you get an unusually beautiful creature and the thickest-bodied ukulele I…
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Cascha HH2305L – the left-handed ukulele
Tamás GállAfter a short break I am back with another blog post, and I am also paying off an old debt: in more than 13 years of the blog, I have never discussed left-handed ukuleles. A left-handed colleague attended the spring courses and needed a left-handed ukulele. I did not have one in stock, so I obtained…
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Flight NUT-310 Tenor Ukulele
Tamás GállAt Ukulele Meetup II , a fellow ukulele player was playing a Flight ukulele, and I jumped at the opportunity to borrow it from her for a quick test . It is a beautiful, large, solid instrument — perhaps one of the largest, if not the largest, tenor ukuleles I had ever held. Looking up the exact mode…
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Kai KT-90
Tamás GállI had never had the opportunity to try a maple ukulele before, so I was particularly excited to pick up the tenor-size Kai KT-90. The instrument is beautiful, just as it looks in the photos. The maple grain is a pleasure to look at and, naturally, every KT-90 has its own unique pattern. One distinct…
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Kala KA-KG-T8
Tamás GállI will decode the title immediately: this long model designation identifies Kala's eight-string, koa, tenor-size ukulele. It was an interesting sensation to strum eight strings for the first time, especially when one of them is metal — or more precisely, metal-wound. Its sound is completely differen…
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Kala RES-BRS Resonator Ukulele
Tamás GállI had always wanted a resonator ukulele because it simply looks bloody good and I like its sound as well. It is fairly difficult to obtain one here, so I had a little help from abroad (thanks, Mike and Neil!). As soon as the instrument arrived after its long journey, I could hardly wait to open the…
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Kala vs Kala
Tamás GállI am going to squeeze one last post out of these two wonderful Kala tenor ukuleles. In the previous entries I tried to describe and explain the most important features of Kala's two masterpieces, and naturally I played them a little in the videos as well. The best way to compare their sounds is to p…
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Koki'o tenor electro-acoustic
Tamás GállI normally put the exact model name of the ukulele in the title, but this time I spared you because this instrument has been given the longest, most meaningless and least imaginative model code I have encountered: U-SSPLFM-CE-T. I understand the final three letters: CE probably indicates cutaway and…
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Lanikai CDST-CET Tenor
Tamás GállRecently the gremlins of technology played a trick on me (all right, I simply was not paying attention), because I accidentally embedded a ukulele-review video in the Hull a Pelyhes Fehér Hó blog post. So some of you may already have seen the introduction to this beautiful Lanikai ukulele. Of course…
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Lanikai CDST-T Tenor
Tamás GállAbout two months ago I had the chance to try a very beautiful electro-acoustic Lanikai ukulele with a solid cedar top, the CDST-CET. This time its non-electronic counterpart, the CDST-T, stayed with me, and unsurprisingly it made a positive impression. There are two differences between the previousl…
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Lanikai FM-CET
Tamás GállThe Lanikai FM-CET is made of flamed maple and is a truly eye-catching ukulele. I already introduced its smaller acoustic concert-size sibling, also made of flamed maple, back in December 2019. This, then, is the bigger brother, with a cutaway body and onboard electronics. You get the excellent qual…
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Lanikai MA-T Tenor
Tamás GállNot long ago I wrote a blog post about the Lanikai MA-C concert-size ukulele, and I did not have to wait long before I could also try its tenor-size big brother and show it to you. The entry-level MA-T tenor, like the concert model, is made from laminated mahogany. In terms of quality and playing ex…
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Lanikai MAS-CET
Tamás GállI would like to show you one of Lanikai's best ukuleles. Of course, tastes differ and appearance also matters a great deal, but if we look at the most important characteristics of a ukulele, this Lanikai certainly belongs among the truly excellent instruments. “MA” refers to mahogany, “S” means soli…
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Lanikai OAK Tenor
Tamás GállOr by its official name, the Lanikai OA-CET. In many places, however, this unusually attractive ukulele with its silky feel is simply listed as OAK, referring to the oak wood. Many thanks to Olivér for giving me the opportunity to try his electro-acoustic tenor ukulele , which he recently bought fro…
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Lanikai QM-BLCET
Tamás GállThe blog is nine years old today! Wow — nine years ago I would never have guessed what would grow out of that passing thought to start the Hungaria Ukulele Blog . The last two years have probably been the busiest: you have been able to see and hear a huge number of instrument reviews. This year we w…
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Lanikai ZR-T
Tamás GállI recently had the chance to try a seriously impressive Lanikai: a beautiful tenor-size ukulele made of ziricote. The workmanship is excellent in every detail and the finish is immaculate. Even running your hand along the neck is a pleasure: the wood feels silky and the fret ends are perfectly round…
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Lanikai ACST-B
Tamás GállBaritone ukuleles do not come my way very often, so it is always exciting when I get to try a genuinely large ukulele. This is not an entry-level instrument either, as it has a solid acacia top. That is where the model name comes from: ACacia Solid Top — Baritone. It is practically a miracle that I…
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The baritone ukulele I.
Tamás GállThe baritone ukulele has probably been the most neglected ukulele category on the blog so far. I can finally fill that gap because I recently had yet another birthday (I stopped counting some time ago), when my family surprised me with a wonderful, custom-made ukulele. A baritone, no less. I had tri…
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The baritone ukulele II.
Tamás GállI warmly recommend the first postabout the baritone ukulele. If you have not read it, it may be worth starting there. Now I will continue the thoughts begun in that post, share a few more details about this wonderful instrument, and I have also made a ten-minute video. The instrument's specification…
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Trying a Baritone Ukulele
Tamás GállWhenever I write a blog post about a ukulele I have tested, I usually use the brand and model designation as the title. That would have been difficult this time, because a fantastically beautiful custom-built baritone ukulele stayed with me for a few days. Apart from its unusual body shape, one of i…
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Kala Soprano Banjolele
Tamás GállIn this blog post we take a look at Kala's banjolele, officially designated the Kala KA-BNJ-BK-S. I did not dare put that full model name in the title of the post in case it frightened anyone away . Not long after the blog started, I already wrote a post about the banjolele, but at the time I could…
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Kala U-BASS
Tamás GállNot long ago I published a post called "Bass! That's Heavy!" about Kala's bass ukulele. Now I have had this interesting instrument for a few days so that I could try it myself. The U-BASS is essentially a bass guitar transplanted into a baritone-size ukulele body. It arrives in a very sturdy hard ca…
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Baton Rouge V2-G Sun guitalele
Tamás GállThis is the first guitalele review on ukulele.hu, so I am not even sure where to begin. Perhaps an honest confession belongs at the start: I cannot really play guitar. I can fret and play a few things on one, but for now I still prefer four-stringed instruments such as ukulele and bass guitar. I was…
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