10 Best Ukuleles 2024 in Australia

The ukulele is a member of the guitar family and is made in the shape of a small guitar, about the length of one's arm, with 4 nylon or gut strings. The ukulele originated from the American state of Hawaii. The ukulele is an extremely popular instrument among those who want a carefree and small instrument that one can play anywhere and can play anything. The ukulele is featured in a surprising amount of songs from multiple genres such as  Indie Pop, Alternative, Country, Jazz and many more. Famous artists have used the ukulele in their songs such as The Beatles, Twenty One Pilots, Van Morrison, Billie Eilish, Bruno Mars and many more.

We’ve composed this buyer’s guide to help you make the right decision when selecting a ukulele. It'll help you:

• Choose the right type of ukulele,

• See useful tips about that type of ukulele,

• Select the right brand of ukulele,

• Find accessories you may need for your ukulele.

Types of Ukulele:

• Pocket Ukulele:

  • The pocket ukulele is 41 cm in length with up to 12 frets.

  • The tuning of the pocket ukulele:

    • D

    • G

    • B

    • E

  • The pocket ukulele has a range from G to E.

• Soprano Ukulele:

  • The soprano ukulele is 53 cm in length with up to 15 frets.

  • The tuning of the pocket ukulele:

    • G

    • C

    • E

    • A

  • The pocket ukulele has a range from C to A.

• Concert Ukulele:

  • The pocket ukulele is 58 cm in length with up to 18 frets.

  • The tuning of the pocket ukulele:

    • G

    • C

    • E

    • A

  • The pocket ukulele has a range from C to C.

• Tenor Ukulele:

  • The pocket ukulele is 66cm in length with up to 19 frets.

  • The tuning of the pocket ukulele:

    • G

    • C

    • E

    • A

  • The pocket ukulele has a range from G to D.

• Baritone Ukulele:

  • The pocket ukulele is 74 cm in length with up to 21 frets.

  • The tuning of the pocket ukulele:

    • D

    • G

    • B

    • E

  • The pocket ukulele has a range from D to A♯.

• Bass Ukulele:

  • The pocket ukulele is 78 cm in length with up to 18 frets.

  • The tuning of the pocket ukulele:

    • E

    • A

    • D

    • G

  • The pocket ukulele has a range from E to B.

• Contrabass Ukulele:

  • The pocket ukulele is 81 cm in length with up to 16 frets.

  • The tuning of the pocket ukulele:

    • E

    • A

    • D

    • G

  • The pocket ukulele has a range from E to B.

Items that Can be Used with Your Ukulele:

• Ukulele Case:

  • This is a specially designed case to store your ukulele in and transport it and any accessories safely.

• Ukulele Strap:

  • This is a strap that you connect to the ukulele and use to help you play when standing up or moving.

• Ukulele Picks:

  • These are small triangular pieces of plastic that come with varying thicknesses, that is used to pick or strum the string on your ukulele.

• Spare Strings:

  • After a lot of playing, strings tend to break and it is therefore wise to purchase and keep spare strings handy for any emergencies.

• Ukulele Capo:

  • This is a clamp that one can use on the neck of the ukulele to transpose the notes or to avoid using bar chords.

• Instrument Cable:

  • This is a cable that you use to connect your ukulele to your amplifier and get more volume.

• Amplifier:

  • This is a type of speaker that you plug instruments into amplifying their volume and in some cases change the treble and bass elements of the instrument.

• Ukulele Stand:

  • This is a specially designed stand for you to place your ukulele on when you are not playing or when you don't need to place it in a case.

• Polishing Cloth:

  • This is a cloth that you use to keep your ukulele clean and pristine with no smudges or dust on it.

• Tuner:

  • This is a small device that you clip to your ukulele and use to help you tune your strings to the appropriate pitch.

• Effects Pedal:

  • This is a pedal you can connect to your ukulele using an amplifier, which allows you to use certain effects such as distortion, mirroring, reverb and more.

Tips for Consumers:

• Different shapes of ukuleles:

  • Pineapple

• • Boat Paddle

• Parts of a ukulele:

• • Tuning Heads:

    • This refers to the knobs on the top end of the neck of the ukulele, that an instrumentalist can use to tune the ukulele and make sure all strings are in tune.

  • Frets:

    • Frets are the raised lines on the neck of the ukulele are that indicate where you should play the chords to achieve a certain pitch.

  • Fret Marker:

    • These are dots that can be found on the frets of the ukulele that help instrumentalists find the correct fret when playing music.

  • Rosette:

    • The rosette it often the ornamentation around the opening of the ukulele under the strings.

  • Bridge:

    • This is the small raised rectangle on the body of the ukulele, to which the strings are attached.

    • It is important to make sure that your bridge is adjusted and set properly for proper playing, this can be done personally through online tutorials or through a professional at a musical instrument store.

  • Body:

    • The body refers to the largest part of the ukulele where the soundhole is and where you strum the strings.

  • Neck:

    • A ukuleles number of frets depends on the type of ukulele. The more frets listed, the longer the neck and the harder it'll be to reach.

  • Head:

    • Head refers to the piece wood on the end of the neck of the ukulele, to which the tuning keys are attached.

Different Brands of Product:

• Lanikai:

  • Lanikai promises to provide “Real ukuleles for real musicians” and fulfills this promise by being one of the best manufacturers of ukuleles around the globe. Lanikai headquarters are currently located in Mount Juliet, Tennessee.

• Mahalo:

  • Mahalo Ukuleles was created in 1999 by Kikutani Music when they were naming a new range of instruments. Mahalo Ukuleles are some of the most played ukuleles in the world. Mahalo Ukuleles headquarters are currently located in Guangzhou, China.

• Oscar Schmidt:

  • The Oscar Schmidt company was founded in 1871 and was incorporated in 1911. They are a manufacturer of guitars, ukuleles and accessories for musical instruments. The Oscar Schmidt company is currently located in Buffalo Grove, Illinois.