What to look for in an expensive ukulele - Road to High-end

Whether you’re just looking to start your music journey with an ukulele or already have an experience and an existing ukulele to fiddle with, one thought always comes to mind; what if I get an even better spec’d ukulele? To keep progressing your skills and chops, you’ll always want to look for ways to improve your overall tone. High-end ukuleles will definitely come to mind. In this quick read, we’ll show you what to look for in an expensive ukulele. If price is not an object, then here’s how you get the most out of your upgrade!

The Right Size

Regardless if you buy an expensive or cheap ukulele, if you buy the wrong size, the experience will be way less than optimal. Okay, maybe we’re exaggerating this, but to be honest, we aren’t. Imagine having to move your fingers around tiny fret gaps. Supposedly easy songs wouldn't be so easy to play and think the other way around, if you have short fingers and the distance between frets are too far apart. They’d say Concert ukuleles almost covers both worlds and almost equal convenience, but since you’re willing to dish out a bit of dough, why not get the most comfortable one you can get right?

Included Accessories

You’re already prepared to spend some hard-earned cash so it better be good. Yes, there are tons of ukulele makers that provide high-end ukuleles up there in the enthusiast levels of price ranges, but some of them share the same common potential caveat; lack of useful accessories, if any at all. Tuners, strap, cleaning cloth, extra strings etc. A good bundle will be ideal for either starting ukulele players or even ones who are just upgrading from their current ukulele.

Build Quality

Right off the bat, most beginners or intermediate players may not be able to tell yet if an ukulele’s build quality is good enough. If you’re looking for the best of the best, you can never go wrong with an Ukulele that is made out of Koa just like this one. Why, you ask? Well, ukuleles from Hawaii, which they are crazy popular for, are usually made from Koa, which is native to them. If you really want that very particular tone, go for an ukulele made of Koa.

Laminate or Solid Body?

This one’s a bit tricky. For sure, Solid Body is usually considered the higher-end type of build for an ukulele because it produces a somewhat more resonant tone, but there’s a catch. It is very much subject to weather effects. This isn’t something people should worry about with laminate wood. So which one is better for a high-end setup? Solid wood’s a good choice, but this boils down to how extreme the weather changes are going to be in your country. 

Price

And here you thought we’d never talk about prices because what, we’re talking about high-end ukuleles? Technically, yeah high-end ukuleles are usually expensive, but there are some ukulele prices that’ll make your head spin. Think $5000. No, maybe even up to $8000 for the absolute chad of a price. Ukuleles in this price range usually are pretty well-known brands that have been around for ages, but you’re looking for high-end ukuleles right? 

Not something to burn money with (well mostly that). High-end ukuleles don't exactly equate to expensive ukuleles. Sometimes you just have to look. Features, quality, accessories. They can all be great without breaking the bank. High-end is an experience. Not just a cost!