Kala KA-MK-P Makala Pineapple-Style Soprano Ukulele

Let's start by saying I'm not a uke expert at all - only 3 weeks in at this point. I decided I wanted to re-establish a new musical foundation for myself after a few years of musical atrophy and began my search for the perfect cheapo uke (classically trained on viola, self taught drums & analog synth). For 50 smackers I wanted something that was going to last and sound good enough to encourage me to play. This bad boy fits the bill, with the added bonus that I don't have to hear comments like "what is that a mini guitar?" The fret board seems well made so far and the action height seems adequate, or perhaps on the low side. The low-ish action makes it easier to hit the right fingerings but also easier to create string buzz when I play really hard. I was surprised at how stylish and sturdy the wood looks and feels - big bonus. The faux ivory parts are all cheap plastic, some of which have those plastic break off nubs from when they were cast, making those parts look and feel cheap (as expected). I got a chance to play a blonde Lanikai soprano uke recently (martin strings) and could tell that it was probably worth its price at 3x the cost of this, but if you're just starting out or need a beater this pineapple can't be beat.I don't normally plug other products in reviews but I feel that these two form the essential uke starter kit:1) Don't waste your time with the mystery strings shipped with this instrument. If you're going to take the time to tune up properly then get some strings that can keep up. It took me about 3 hours of tuning, playing, and working the strings to get it to hold a solid tune, and I'm glad that when the process was over that I had good sounding strings at the end of it as a payoff. Aquila, Martin, or D'Addario: Aquila Premium Ukulele Strings - Soprano2) I highly recommend the Ukulele for Dummies book for the first timer. Have a gander at the reviews... Since I'm no expert at this instrument I will usually take the book around with me if I'm taking the uke. They're travel buddies, especially if I'll be jamming or playing with a friend. Add a few chord family printouts and you're good to go.Ukulele For Dummies (For Dummies (Lifestyles Paperback))** I tune up with a pitch pipe from a viola & I recommend this as a good way to stay mobile and in tune in all weather and in all modes of dress!

I love my little Uke. I bought it for myself as a Christmas gift to myself. I realized within a day that it would indeed need "Aquila AQ-S Nylgut Soprano Ukulele Strings." The difference in tone, sound, and quality was just amazing after purchasing and putting on the strings. Seriously - invest in good strings. Remember a good sounding instrument is fun to play, a bad sounding instrument gets left behind.Now that being said. For any new Uke players out there, remember that the strings are nylon and not steel, so you need to stretch your strings and tune tune tune. For the first several weeks you will be tuning every time you pick up your instrument. Then suddenly it will only be once a day.This uke came with a nice little chord chart that was super helpful. The pineapple shape takes a bit of time to get use to, it does slip from time to time. But as far as quality, looks, and sound are concerned, I have not been disappointed in the Makala brand (I also have a standard one with the dolphin as well). Change, stretch, and tune those strings.The funnest instrument to play and teach!

My new Makala pineapple uke, a copy of Ukulele for Dummies, Aquila strings (as promised, after a few weeks they have stretched and stay in tune and sound good), Snark SN-2 tuner and some patience have made this a really fun addition to the other things I do. And all for less than $100 thanks to Amazon. I am moving forward s-l-o-w-l-y but surely and doing what the book says to do -- I consider the book an indispensable purchase. I was going to get a uke case right away, but just leaving it lying on top of surfaces around my house and work makes me pick it up for just a few minutes at a time, strum a few chords, dabble with a little note finger picking, then put it down and do the other things I have to do. If I had it in a case I would not be using it as much as I do, and for me to use it a lot in short bursts is keeping it in tune and getting a little better every day. I can see this is something I will be doing and enjoying for a long time. I have gotten a lot of inspiration, knowledge and ideas by also watching some of the many YouTube uke teaching and performance videos. If you have not yet looked, go to YouTube and search for Jake Shimabukuro and James Hill videos. And to see incredibly beautiful ukes go to ukemaker.com

I purchased this ukulele to learn how to play due to loving its sound and uniqueness. After reading plenty of reviews for other ukuleles, I settled on this one. Why I picked this over the Luna was due to the high reviews on here and style (bought the pineapple body).This instrument comes with aquila strings, which I do have to say are pretty nice and do sound great once the strings have time to stretch (about a week if playing everyday, but also depends on temperature/humudity). Others suggest to replace the strings upon receiving it, but these strings are perfectly fine once it has time to stretch. Quick note about the strings and tuning, the instrument needs to be tuned as mine was no where near close to being in tune. You can use free ukulele apps for tuning (not as accurate but better than nothing) if you do not have a tuner.One thing I do not like about the ukulele is how lightweight it happens to be. It almost feels as if you are lifting a box of tissues. The instrument is mostly in perfect condition, except a few "blemish" spots near the sound hole. Pretty much the area is not as polished as the other parts of the body, which is only noticable if the light hits it just right.Another minor complaint is that pressing down on the strings on the first fret require more strength than the other frets, which can make it hard to get a nice sound out of the instrument (especially if there are no calluses on the fingers yet).But for the price, this is a great ukulele. The pineapple has a warmer and louder sound to it, which is why I ordered it over the traditional body.