Hi Sabrina!
My hubby is interested in getting a Uke, or Ukelele. He wants something authentic and nice, but not too costly. Any advice? He has never played before...Thanks so much!
Hi Alissa!
I have not played the Ukulele, though I have a couple of them, of uncertain quality, waiting for strings in my closet. I think a roommate from days long past must have left them for me.
So I asked my Ukulele pro Facebook pal, Ian Emmerson, who plays in the smashing Uke duo known as
The Re-Entrants, in the UK. Here is what Ian replied -
"
There is so much available nowadays, that it's difficult to nail something down easily. I would say not to spend too much if you are a beginner - there's no guarantee they'll stick with it, and with the markets at the moment, there's no guarantee on resale value that there may have been a couple of years ago.
Kala and Ohana both make very decent models which are way above the entry level Makalas and Mahalos, and are playable at any level. I still play both. I'd think about getting solid wood over laminate, but really, if they're beginning, staying in tune and having good intonation is far more important. I'd definitely be looking at Kala and Ohana. And unless they come with decent strings, changing strings would be the first priority, to Aquilas or Worths."
Lest it be thought that Ukes are not serious musical instruments, here is an audio recording of the song I first heard Ian performing, that compelled me to become his Facebook friend - the theme from the UK TV series,
Lovejoy (which I love and watched every episode of).
And here is a video of the Re-Entrants rendition of
Tainted Love.
Cheers!
