Check Out Some Of The Best Concert Ukuleles Out There!
Looking for the best concert ukulele and unsure where you should begin? You don’t have to stay confused forever! There are many great ukulele brands that design and manufacture high-quality models of concert ukuleles for beginners and intermediates. The difficult task is trying to decipher these great concert ukuleles from one another. Here’s where our guidance comes in handy.
This detailed guide will take you through what a concert ukulele is, what the differences between the ukulele types are (concert vs tenor or concert vs soprano), and why a concert ukulele might be a nice fit for you.
Then, we’ll dive deeper into topics like concert ukulele price ranges, what to look for when buying a concert ukulele, and highlight some of the best concert ukulele brands and styles. From Donner concert ukuleles to other brands like Luna or Cordoba, read on for our thorough guide on buying concert ukuleles!
Table of Contents
The Top Concert Ukuleles
If you are sure you want to purchase a concert uke, then you can have a look at a number of top options. Below, we have included a variety of top concert ukulele models across a bunch of good/well-known ukulele brands.
These concert ukuleles have been chosen based on a variety of factors such as reviews, price, and overall function and value. Consider these among the best concert ukulele options for the money.
Last update on 2024-03-07 at 16:10
Luna Tattoo Concert Ukulele
- This Tattoo Concert Uke Takes Its Design From Traditional Hawaiian Body Ornamentation
- The Designs Were Monochromatic, Tattooed In Black Against Brown Skin
Last update on 2024-03-07 at 16:10
- Features: Laser-etched Hawaiian-inspired design, mahogany and walnut body
- Pros: Wooden body creates full-body sound, comes with gig bag
- Cons: Open tuners potentially prone to dirt
Lohanu Concert Ukulele
Last update on 2024-03-28 at 17:46
- Features: Curved-back design creating deeper sound, a number of accessories
- Pros: Strap buttons installed, comes with good strings, closed gear tuners
- Cons: Laminate wood may resonate differently than a solid wood body
Cordoba 15CM-E Acoustic-Electric Concert Ukulele
- WARM, RICH TONE: The Cordoba 15CB Bocote exudes a warm, rich tone with great unplugged projection that easily fills a small room — great for living room performances or warm...
- ONE-OF-A-KIND LOOK: Built with exotic Bocote woods from Central and South America for a unique look and sound. Dramatic dark browns, black striping, and gorgeous knotted eyes...
Last update on 2024-03-28 at 17:46
- Features: Mahogany construction for great sound quality, silver/pearl tuners
- Pros: Built-in pick-up, also comes in a pure acoustic model
- Cons: No buttons for attaching a strap (if desired)
Kala KA-15C Mahogany Concert Ukulele
- Concert Ukulele Bundle with Strap
- Gig Bag - Satin Natural Mahogany
Last update on 2024-03-28 at 17:46
- Features: Quality ukulele from a reputable company, loads of great accessories (clip-on tuner, gig bag, etc)
- Pros: Solid mahogany construction
- Cons: Open gear tuners prone to dirt and potential wearing down of the gears
Hricane Concert Ukulele
- 【QUALITY MATERIAL】HRICANE concert ukuleles which whole body was made of SAPELE, The Walnut fingerboard and Aquila nylon string.The neck was make of AGUMAN.
- 【 BEAUTIFUL TONE 】: Smooth and accurate, Hricane concert ukelele arched back gives longer sustain, fuller, warmer and a bit deeper woody tones sound ! Aquila strings...
Last update on 2024-03-28 at 17:46
- Features: Laminate Sapele and walnut construction
- Pros: Closed gear tuners, comes with a case and good quality strings
- Cons: Would require a button-less strap (if this matters to you)
Enya Concert Ukulele Nova U-BK
- ♫ Made of carbon fiber composite polycarbonate with durable construction. Waterproof and easy-to-clean body.
- ♫ Much more bright sound compares to wooden ukuleles. Side sound hole design ensures better self-resonance during playing.
Last update on 2024-03-28 at 17:43
- Features: Made from tough polycarbonate (plastic), this ukulele is made for travel due to its durability
- Pros: Waterproof, easy to clean, comes with strap buttons
- Cons: Open gear tuners, body material will resonate differently than wood (personal preference)
Donner Concert Ukulele
- 🎯[Well Made Durable Mahogany Craftsmanship] Donner concert ukulele with a smooth mahogany body produces a crisp and pleasant sound. With well-polished smooth rosewood...
- 🎯[Warm Rich Sound] Donner Ukulele Mahogany top body and neck bring you a much richer, brighter, and warmer sound; High-density bone nut and saddle combine with 4 Highly...
Last update on 2024-03-28 at 17:46
- Features: Mahogany body and neck, curved back body for great sound
- Pros: Closed tuning pegs, comes with accessories (bag, strap, strings, etc)
- Cons: Acoustic-only out of the box (if that matters to you)
Hola! Music HM-124TT
- HIGH QUALITY MATERIALS: Walnut fingerboard and bridge; Mahogany wood body and neck; Bone nut and compensated bone saddle; Premium Italian Aquila Nylgut strings; See video to...
- HIGH QUALITY MATERIALS: Walnut fingerboard and bridge; Mahogany wood body and neck; Bone nut and compensated bone saddle; Premium Italian Aquila Nylgut strings; See video to...
Last update on 2024-03-28 at 17:46
- Features: Walnut and mahogany construction for nice sound, comes with good strings
- Pros: Comes with accessories, has strap buttons installed, nut made from ox bone (durable)
- Cons: Very little – no pick-up for future plug in to an amp (if that matters)
Kmise Concert Ukulele
- TOP INTONATION: Equipped with an 18:1 ratio tuner machine and high quality carbon string, this ukulele can get in tune and stay in tune better than ever. easy your playing....
- COMFORTABLE TO PLAY : With lower action and carefully sanded frets, this ukulele has superb playability, easy press down the string without tired, and fast change and play on...
Last update on 2024-03-28 at 17:46
- Features: Mahogany and walnut construction for superior sound, comes with accessories
- Pros: Closed tuners, gears made from copper
- Cons: Not able to connect to an amp (if electric is desired)
Oscar Schmidt OU5K Concert Ukulele
- Constructed of Hawaiian Koa, rosewood, spruce, and mahogany
- Classic design and superior resonance
Last update on 2024-03-28 at 17:46
- Features: Hawaiian koa body, beautiful abalone binding and rosette top
- Pros: High-quality build from a reputable brand, comes with gig bag
- Cons: Open tuners prone to dirt
What Is A Concert Ukulele And Why You Need One
Those unfamiliar with ukuleles might get a little confused by the different ukulele sizes. There’s no need to panic! A concert ukulele is simply the name of a ukulele with a medium-size in comparison to other styles of ukuleles. There are four primary ukulele sizes – soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone – and concert ukuleles are very much in the middle to smaller end of that scale.
Talking about actual size, the concert ukulele size is determined by the size of the body, neck, and how many frets are on the neck. Typically, a concert ukulele has between 15 and 20 frets on the neck with a neck length of around 23 inches.
With fewer frets on the neck, the neck tends to feel shorter compared to other types of ukuleles (with the exception of the soprano ukulele). The body is also on the smaller end – and often has a shallower depth – compared to larger ukulele sizes (like a tenor ukulele).
When it comes to tuning a concert ukuleles, the strings are tuned to G-C-E-A like a soprano and a tenor ukulele. The sound that is produced from a concert ukulele is generally a little higher in pitch compared to the larger ukuleles (tenor and baritone) but not as high overall as a soprano ukulele (the smallest main size of ukulele).
The Different Types of Concert Ukuleles
Before you purchase a concert ukulele, it’s a good idea to get acquainted with the different sizes of ukulele and the different styles of a concert ukulele. The more buying information you have, the more you can be sure that a concert ukulele is the right instrument for you.
Concert Ukulele vs Soprano Ukulele
This buying guide is meant to specialize in buying concert ukuleles. However, because the concert ukulele is on the smaller end of the ukuleles sizes, it often gets compared to a soprano ukulele by those looking to buy a ukulele for the first time. So for the purposes of this article, we’ll briefly discuss the difference between concert and soprano ukuleles.
Recall that the four main sizes of ukulele range from soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone (from small to large). A concert ukulele is a little larger compared to the soprano ukulele. The neck length is slightly longer, there are a few more frets, and the body size will be larger in comparison.
These two ukulele types produce similar sounds with higher pitches and the size difference of the space between the frets is also going to be slightly larger on a concert ukulele. We will discuss the implications for having a larger fret spacing and the player’s finger size down below!
Best Acoustic Concert Ukulele
The most popular style of concert ukulele is the purely acoustic ukulele. Ukuleles are generally acoustic by default since the sound is produced by the strings and resonates from the body. Acoustic ukuleles are not plugged into an amp to amplify the sound and make them louder.
If you are sure that you do not want to connect your concert ukulele to an amp in the future (for whatever reason), then you should buy an acoustic ukulele with no pick-up in it. A good example of a strictly acoustic concert ukulele is the Luna Tattoo – this ukulele is also beautifully designed! We’ll talk about what a pick-up is (and why you might want one) in the next section.
Best Electric Acoustic Concert Ukulele
Should you know that you want to be able to plug in your concert ukulele into an amp, you should have a look at buying an electric acoustic concert ukulele. These ukuleles have a ukulele pick-up already installed. Oh, and a pick-up is a small electronic device that “picks up” the sound generated from the instrument and sends it to the amp to amplify it to create sound!
Of course, an acoustic electric concert ukulele can still be played perfectly fine when it is not plugged in (like an acoustic). In this case, an acoustic electric ukulele can give the player a little bit more versatility (should that be important to them down the line). One of the best a/e concert ukuleles is the Cordoba 15CM-E.
A notable feature of some electric acoustic concert ukuleles is that they have a cutaway in the body. This is the area of the body higher on the ukulele neck where the body is missing or “cut away”. This allows the ukulele player to move their hand higher on the fretboard – and makes playing the ukulele easier!
Cutaways are quite popular on electric guitars and some styles of acoustic guitars for the purpose of soloing on the higher frets. A cutaway concert ukulele is a potential option for those wanting the option to learn and play songs with higher notes and/or more finger-picking.
Benefits Of Using A Concert Ukulele
If you are deciding on whether to buy a concert ukulele or a ukulele of another size, there are a number of benefits to a concert ukulele. It is important to consider how these benefits might affect you.
Generally, concert ukuleles are a good fit for people with shorter arms (like larger kids or shorter adults). This is because the overall length of the body and neck of a concert ukulele is on the shorter side. The shorter size definitely affects the player’s ability to play comfortably and hold the ukulele properly.
Concert ukuleles can also be a better fit for people with smaller fingers since the spaces between the frets are slightly smaller compared to other larger ukulele types and on a smaller fretboard. Those with larger fingers might find it cramped on the fretboard as they change chords or finger-pick on a concert ukulele.
A concert ukulele is also known for having a slightly higher overall tone. The overall tonal range is less than on the larger sized ukuleles. A player won’t be able to achieve deeper bass tones on a concert ukulele, for example. However, another advantage of the concert ukulele is that – like a soprano ukulele – the smaller overall size makes it a better choice as a potential travel ukulele.
Concert Ukulele Price Ranges
It should come as no surprise that the price of the concert ukulele you are looking to buy should be an important buying factor. With so many concert ukuleles on the market, the price can be a helpful indicator of quality.
You should be critical of the super cheap concert ukuleles – and also be mindful that you may not require the most expensive concert ukulele you can find.
The prices of concert ukuleles can change quite a bit among similar styles, brands, and even models with similar features. Let’s break down different concert ukuleles at different price ranges so you can plan your purchase accordingly.
Best Cheap Concert Ukulele
Defining the best cheap concert ukulele can be kind of tough since “cheap” is very relative in terms of monetary value and quality of the concert ukulele. However, if we absolutely had to assign values to what is “cheap”, we’d say anything under 50 dollars.
At the 50 dollar and below price range for a concert ukulele you have to be careful. While there may be some reliable concert ukuleles for this amount (many work just fine for a beginner and hold their tune well), there are also going to be many cheap, poorly built ukuleles.
If you are looking to buy a ukulele at this price range, there is a decent chance that you may have to repair or replace it in the future. A cheap concert ukulele might cause you problems from the get-go if it’s unable to stay in tune.
In cases like this, you might spend more money buying another ukulele or repairing the first one when you could have just bought a decent quality concert ukulele in the first place! That said, look at the Hricane Concert Ukulele for a cheap concert ukulele that is relatively reliable.
Best Concert Ukulele Under 200
If you are searching for ukuleles at a slightly higher price range, you will be able to buy a quality ukulele from a reputable company for under 200 dollars. To be fair, basically all of the concert ukuleles in this post are under 200 dollars and are highly-rated and/or made by some of the most-known brands in the ukulele space.
A concert ukulele for 200 dollars or less will definitely meet the needs of a beginner ukulele player and even most intermediate players. Now, you definitely can go over this price range but – as a beginner – there isn’t really a need to at this point.
Check out the Oscar Schmidt (acoustic) or the Cordoba (electric acoustic) for good examples of concert ukuleles by reputable companies at this price range of under 200.
Things To Look For In A Good Concert Ukulele
Concert ukes – like the other types of ukuleles – are intricate stringed instruments with quite a bit of variation between makes and models. If you are looking to buy a good concert ukulele, here are a handful of the buying factors you should consider.
When searching for good concert ukuleles, one factor we won’t dive into here is the best concert ukulele brands. This is because – as we have mentioned above – a few good ukulele brands make a variety of good concert ukuleles. Determining which brand best specializes in concert ukes specifically isn’t overly important since many do a great job. To learn more, you can read about the best ukulele brands.
Material of Body
The materials that make up the concert ukulele body will undoubtedly impact the overall strength, quality, and sound of the instrument. Fortunately, there are different body materials from plastic and laminate to solid wood which you can choose from.
A solid wood concert ukulele is said to produce the best sounding concert ukulele. However, there are other aspects of the ukulele that affect the sound (which we’ll discuss below). A laminate ukulele (wood pressed into layers) can also produce a lovely quality sound. Laminate body ukuleles – or ukuleles with a mix of wood and laminate – can often be more affordable than a solid wood ukulele.
There are also plastic concert ukuleles which are definitely more durable and better for packing and traveling with. However, the overall intonation is sometimes not as good as a wooden body uke. In terms of types of wood that make the best concert ukuleles, koa and mahogany are very popular, reliable woods.
Tuners/Tuning Pegs
Having solid tuners/tuning pegs is important for the overall function of the concert ukulele. Good tuners/pegs hold tuning – and without that, you can’t play the ukulele properly no matter what you do. Poor quality tuners that slip over time will make any player frustrated by having to re-tune often. They can also be extra money that you don’t necessarily want to spend to have to replace them.
When considering what makes a good tuner, we like to check to see if the backs/gears are open or closed on the back of the headstock. With open tuners, you can see the gear mechanism behind the headstock. Closed tuners have a round casing over this gear.
Open tuners are more likely to get dirt, hair, sand, or just dust in them – but this is also very dependent on where you take your ukulele and how well you treat it/clean it. If you know you are rough on your personal belongings – or if you want to play your concert ukulele outside (like at a beach) – closed-back tuners with a cover might be for you.
Concert Ukulele Strings
Another pretty important aspect of your concert ukulele is the strings you have on it. Strings can have a big impact on overall sound quality so it’s important to know the strings that are on your concert ukulele (if it comes with them) and which strings you can/should buy, if necessary. Sometimes stock ukulele strings are good but sometimes they are not so great.
Typically, ukulele strings are/were made from nylon (plastic) but there are other materials used today like fluorocarbon. Many people ask “What are the best concert ukulele strings” and – of course – the answer varies depending on the sound you want to achieve and personal preference for your unique playing style.
The good news is that ukulele strings are easy to switch out. That said, different concert ukulele models might require slightly different techniques needed to re-string it. Ukulele bridges come in slotted, pinned, or traditional tied version.
You can always buy new strings made from different materials with varying gauges to change the sound. Check out the D’Addario EJ87C or the Aquila Super Nylgut AQ-103 if you are looking for popular concert ukulele strings.
Concert Ukulele Construction
Aside from these specific buying points, there are other aspects of the uke that you will want to consider if you are looking for a good concert ukulele. Specifically, have a look at the overall quality of the construction with regards to the neck, the frets, the bridge, nut, and saddle, and the headstock.
- Cheaper woods and poorly set frets might pop up over time
- The material of the saddle and nut (bone or plastic) can impact sound quality
- What wood is the fretboard? Will it need to be oiled often?
- How solid is the neck attached to the body?
- Are there ukulele strap buttons on the concert ukulele? Will you use them and – if so – do they feel secure on the body or do the buttons have movement?
And there you have it – a rundown of some of the best concert ukuleles out there. A concert ukulele is a great idea if you are looking for a ukulele a bit on the smaller end. We hope this buying guide gives you lots to consider when buying a concert ukulele and helps you with your search for the perfect instrument for you!
As always, Happy Strumming,
-E