TIME STAMPS (Skip ahead or go back) 0:22 The box 0:50 Gig bag 1:28 Accessories 1:38 Booklet 2:08 Strap 2:27 Discount 2:36 Rhythm shaker 2:47 Kazoo 3:02 Tuner 3:31 Strings and pick-holder 4:03 The ukulele look 4:30 Head 4:46 Action 5:08 Body 5:22 Neck 6:10 Design 6:46 Playing demonstration 7:43 Final thoughts
When I started playing in May, this was the kit I went with, and you have been my teacher, so I was very excited to see your review (and I agree about the fret wires)! You and this little ukulele have made learning to play so much fun, I honestly can't describe the joy I feel every time I practice something I've seen on your channel. Thank you for what you do!
You can easily smoth the fret wires with a nail file. I use the kind that are on a foam. Take some painter's tape and tape off the fret board so you dont harm it. Them carefully and gently file the edge of the fret wires. Just a few strokes should do it.
On the weird, frizzy hair-not an issue with me, as my hair is about 3/8” long. BUT-if your hair is feeling frizzy, the relative humidity in your house is probably low-dangerously low for your ukuleles (especially a good instrument with solid wood in it, such as your new Pono). You mentioned in a previous video that your Pono came from The Ukulele Site, so they probably included a humidifier with it. Be such to use it! I live in Florida, which is a uke-friendly environment, but-just in case-I keep inexpensive digital hygrometers (relative humidity gauges) at home and in my office, where I have ukuleles hanging. When we get into a rare cold snap and the heat comes on it the house, I check my hygrometers. If the relative humidity drops below 40%, the instruments are put in “time out”-into their cases with humidifiers.
Watched your Pono unboxing. A friend of mine lent me his soprano Pono to learn to play but I have give it back this week. So now I have to find a new one to buy. Your unboxing vids have given an older man (68) food for thought. Hopefully I'll find a concert uke that is not too expensive. I have big hands. Thank you for your spirit and enthusiasm, I will continue to watch.
This is my starter Ukulele. Nicely made instrument, action was perfect, sound is ok. Looks good but the frets were sharp on my tenor version also. Nail file and some careful sanding and no more issue. There will be an upgrade in the future, for now it's not bad.
I actually saw this on Amazon and I was stunned by the appearance cause it looks cool! I was hesitant to buy it cause the number of reviews there says that it has sharp frets and no good review on the ukulele. So glad that you reviewed it! Btw I love that you upload many videos this week! Is worth it though? I love you!
Thank you for this review. It comes at the perfect time as we are shopping for Christmas gifts. I will give this a good look for one of my two granddaughters. Thank you again
Hey Ms. B! I'm 19 years old & I just wanted to let you know I got got my first job today!!!!! I'm officially a ukulele & voice teacher!!! I hope you're proud of me :') I've been playing ukulele for 4 years & I still learn new things from you all the time! You've been such an inspiration to me & you teach so well & it has helped me with teaching my students from home but now I'm going to do it professionally!!! I LOVE YOUUUU, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING AN IMPACT ON ME! 💛💛💛💛💛💛💛
@@BernadetteTeachesMusic I start January 4th or 5th so I'm not sure yet but I'll have roughly 20 students in my classroom & I'm soooo excited to meet them!!!!
My mouth litteraly dropped when I saw the ukulele! I started to get excited when you showed the accesories and then you pulled out the ukulele... It is sooo pretty! It is unfortune though that the fret wires are sharp. I wonder how easy it is to fix it yourself. Won’t it damage the wood of the uku? You are posting so frequently again and your hard work really is appreciated! I love to find some time to relieve my stress I have through your videos. Can’t wait for the next video tomorrow! 😊
I love watching your reviews/unboxings. And really love watching your lesson. You have helped me become a better ukulele player. I started playing ukulele because my dad wanted a way for me connect/have an activity in common with him. He himself started to learn how to play guitar. I don’t want to learn how to play guitar with all of the strings. So I said I would do it if it was a ukulele. Your teaching and the ukulele teacher have helped me a lot. This past year I have been playing Church hymns in front at church. My dad just recently passed away oct 14. He was the one that bought my first ukulele and my last one. He always was so proud of me and continued to encourage me to play. Thank you for helping me get closer to my dad. I’m the viewer that told you I have 6 ukuleles, well now I have 7 which includes his 8 string Oscar Schmitt ukulele.
I love the wood tone! It's so pretty! You're so thoughtful to sand down the frets before you give it away. My uke from Sun Star buzzes sometimes if I don't press down hard enough and I'm starting to think that the action may just be a tad bit high. It has such smooth edges though! Overall I really like it. Thanks for the review Miss B! Edit: Btw I guessed yes that the tuner would come with batteries!😆
One concern in the description on Amazon is that the wood is described as “KOA” (like that; all caps). Of course, if the wood name does not have “solid” in front of it, a customer should assume it is a laminate (thin plywood), but that is not the issue here. It is the word, “koa.” Real koa is only grown one place in the world: the big island of Hawaii. Most Asian instrument makers advertising their ukuleles as “koa” are actually using acacia. Admittedly, koa is a type of acacia but, while all koa trees are acacias, not all acacia trees are koa. Some are blackwood. Some are other varieties: more than 1,200 altogether! I point this out because, as koa only comes from one island in the center of the Pacific, real koa is very expensive. Some other varieties of acacia might be similar to koa in tone, and some might actually sound better to some ears. But-unless they grew on Hawaii, they are not koa, and should not be advertised as such. It is misleading. And before I sound like too much of a koa snob, I should point out that I just spent a bit over $500 for a solid-acacia tenor made in Asia (an Ohana). But that is how it was advertised: as acacia. They did not claim it was koa.
Absolutely beautiful ukulele! I love the darker more worn look, it feels very "antique-y" to me. There is something I wanted to point out that I know it's off topic and I apologize but I feel it's important. Regarding the receiving of notifications I noticed recently that I haven't been getting them not just from this channel but RU-vid in general. I've been a subscriber to this channel for a very long time as well as others but since I'm actively on RU-vid I never gave it much thought. I don't mean to ramble but the point I am trying to make is even though I am an active subscriber and hit the bell to receive notifications from RU-vid I recently realized that the notifications tab on my phone was switched off. I am pretty sure I had set it to on in the past as I looked back in my mailbox had received notifications up until a few months ago. Maybe during an update or reboot it was switched off but if you aren't receiving notifications definitely check your phone/tablet/computer settings even if you swear you switched the notifications setting to ON. Sorry for the long-winded post but maybe this could help someone else on here.
Did you mention the strap buttons, that is really nice. I have a neck strap for my concert, does not help too much. Also, the hair problem is from having the heat on, it causes static with a nylon rug. Sorry, part of living in the north. Maybe get a humidifier.
Hi there I’m a newbie, I just bought my first ukulele the other day and I’m so excited to have found your channel. I’ve already subscribed to you and watched a few of your videos! Thanks for all you do!
It’s a very attractive looking ukulele, sad about the fret wires. It’s great that you are always honest with your reviews. That’s why I trust your opinion and suggestions! Also... you might find if you add a room humidifier your hair won’t be as effected by static. Once the colder weather comes in and our heat turns on, the dryness in our homes can do annoying things to our skin and hair. Anyhow thanks for the review! Ps. I am almost two months in and my ukulele playing is going great, thanks teacher!
They were doing So well until... "FRET SPROUT"!! I have bought ukuleles for my church that had this and you have to be very careful in filing them down. You don't want to damage the surrounding wood on the fretboard, and I spent Hours filing them down. (The kids were So excited that the ukuleles were here and didn't want to wait for the instrument to go back, and then wait for the new one to be shipped). So, for me, it would be a major red flag. The other, lesser issue is no fret markers on the side. On the plus side I did like the scalloped headstock, and as a bass player, I liked their logo... LOL. Aquila is the "go to" brand for most of us as you pointed out. I have gone to using the Aquila Reds. Super easy on your fingers! I love the super honest reviews you give us. Your integrity is so very important and the manufacturers must recognize that. It is reflected in the rising number of subscribers. P.S. If you are going to be working on your own instruments, Amazon does have some good kits available. In these kits they will have the files for the frets as well as ones for filing the nut. Thanks for the review/unboxing, it is a beautiful instrument and I'm sure this company will most likely benefit from it and pay more attention to the issues in Q.C. regarding the frets. You don't want that issue on any instrument, much less one aimed at the market for beginners. Cheers!
Well YT just sent me the notifications today ( a LITTLE bit late) and as I am in a very tough week at school I couldn't check it by myself😭) but here I am yo thank you so so much for that. I've been watching your channel for a long time now haha and it's crazy cause we have kind of a strange connection lol I was looking for that uke just yesterday as a Christmas gift....now I'm even more excited! Thank you so much😊
Appreciate your reviews and lessons. My 10 year old is interested in learning to play ukulele so we've recently been looking on RU-vid for lessons and your channel is the best!
Ive never seen a Ukulele come with so much extra stuff. And the color is very pretty, i like a nice dark brown on a Ukulele. Nice review as always! And i dont think you have to "apologize" for pointing something out that isnt great about the Instrument. Thats what a review is for as well and you are doing a great job :)
Would adding some dimensions like nut width help too when doing reviews? I find the width helps greatly with string spacing. Many beginners go with a concert thinking the fret spacing will be easier, but the nut width has so much more to do with it. Off topic, wasn't sure if a uke review or hair model..so pretty and shiny! :-) great job as always!
Very clever design for the box. The ukulele looks very nice. The wood is just gorgeous. They should start shipping fret files with some of these instruments :D It sounds good though and there's no fret buzz :) Your reviews are the most honest reviews on RU-vid. You tell it like it is :)
Nice looking instrument. Someone will be lucky to win this. I like to watching/listening to you play. Gives me something to inspire towards. Thank you.
Another great review, Sensei, but oh, my wandering heart! If I could buy all the ukuleles, I would! I’ve lent out my ukes, keeping only one at home; it’s a soprano. My regret is that I THINK the E chord will be easier to play on a bigger finger board, but I’ll only know that once my concert uke comes back. 😉 Thanks again for creating and maintaining such a lovely channel!
This is so lovely looking and it sounds good!! Your reviews are always awesome! I love how honest you are. I was just wondering, is it quite light in your hand? It looks like it would have some decent weight. Much love ❤❤
Love the review. Sounds pretty nice. My ukuleles have aquila strings and one of the sets feels really soft too. I think it’s one specific kind of aquila strings.
Bernadette Teaches Music I totally agree. It plays so easy. I wish I saved the card that said what strings it were. But ofcourse I threw that away...:/
I bot a tenor electric with onboard EW and tuner. Mine came with nicely dressed frets. Looks like QC is a little weak. But, at $65 delivered I would have been happy even if I'd had to do some fret filing.
You are the best teacher....! I am going out today to buy my first instrument. I play guitar so I should be ok with your help. I went to Guitar center last week and picked up one and played the cords you shown me and It sounded really good. I can't wait to get one and start watching you all the time. Thanks Berrnadette...!
Nice review. Thanks! My hair is crazy right now, too. I have waist-length hair and live on the north shore of Lake Tahoe. It's very dry here! LOL Cheers, Jules
YOU PLAY THE UKULELE SO BEAUTIFULY...and my teacher , you are soso pretty ..and I feel you are a realy kind hearted person.. I love you so much!!!!even I dont know why I like you so much..
Ms. Bernadette IS a very beautiful Lady. Striking in fact. As I have been learning from her, I have seen her true beauty though. It comes from within, she is Kind, Generous, and teaches us from a love of the music, the instruments, and most importantly, the people she is teaching. I am continually inspired by all these qualities in her. Bonus Plus... She has two beautiful cats that sometimes appear in her videos... LOL. Love to Kit-Kat and AriGato! Cheers!
I love the ukulele! I love it when teachers actually tell their students what is the best buy for them and walk them through it on how it works. Especially for beginners.(like me) It really helps. Thank you so much for sharing this ukulele.😊🤗😁
Great review, I really appreciate how honest you are. It is really helpful especially when I am going to stop renting my uke and take the leap to purchase one. :-)
Helloooooooo. Do I detect a hint of colour in your hair? Please advise urgently as mine is falling out and I would like fond memories of it being colourful before its all gone.! 😉
Really great review thank you, i was looking at getting the Vangoa UK10 tenor semi acoustic version- which has some good reviews. You have helped me make my decision to try one from this company 👍happy new year🥂
Thank you for another wonderful review. I haven’t got a ukulele yet but I’ve been watching your videos for beginners and ukulele reviews and I’m anxious to go and get one. I commute from BWI to the Eastern shoreFor an hour and a half drive. I listen to your video reviews for beginners end it helps me pass the time and makes me more anxious to go and get a uke.
This ukulele looks so nice, I also love that you said you'll try and sand them before you send them to the winner, it's so nice of you, and it shows how much you actually care ^_^
I've been so focused on the 30 day challenge I am now trying to take in more information and I really appreciate the unboxing as I look to move beyond my DIY kit that was gifted to me!! Trying to figure out a real purchase is slightly overwhelming do Thank You! I will weave these into my family viewing (I think I will be constantly behind what ever is currently being posted but that's ok! It's just about the learning to me)
Beautiful ukulele, Bernadette! I have a suggestion on the static in your hair, by the way....something I've done for years, especially when I had longer hair and lived in a drier climate: try using a dryer sheet (like Snuggle, Bounce, etc. I used to keep one with my hair brushes all winter long. I know it sounds silly (but it works!!). Just rub it gently on your hair, and the static in your hair disappears! It also leaves a nice smell, too. :)
@@BernadetteTeachesMusic I also have used an anti-static brush for years. It really helps when the humidity level drops. I found a great one at Amazon, and it's the only style I use now (I think I must have at least half a dozen of this model of hair brush). Even my husband loves to use that brush. It helps with static a LOT! :) It's called the Spornette Anti Static Vent Brush #9000-MF, and currently sells for just under $10 on Amazon (it's run between $5 and $10 over the last few years). Well worth the money, IMHO.
Just bought my first ukulele (a tenor) a couple of weeks ago off Amazon, I had no idea of good and bad manufacturers of ukuleles and after looking at Amazon reviews I ended up going for a solid mahogany top uke, with piezo pickup and built in tuner, cost me £61 all in, with strap, picks, case, and cleaning cloth, no kazoo!. I had never heard of the make and so didn't expect it to be good, just hoped it would be playable and a change from my usual guitars. The company was Aklot, the intonation is great, the frets are very well finished, it sounds great, really melodic (I am no expert but it sounds really nice), It stays in tune now the strings have bedded in, oh yes, there are spare strings as well. After buying it and being suitably impressed I have been checking out reviews on RU-vid and it looks like I made a great choice, purely through luck, not judgement. I recommend it if you are looking for a cheapish but good ukulele.
Hi Bernadette, That's a nice looking uke. Seems like a good deal. Do you know how much the discount is? The sharp frets would not bother these old rough hands.😁
Hahahaha "these old rough hands" -you're so funny! The rep mentioned that they would have crazy discounts... like 50% off for the first few people who contacted them.
i"ll trade all the bling for well dressed frets. Now for me, its not a deal breaker. I don't hug up on the neck like a lot of people do AND, i've been playing fretted instruments for over 2 decades and I'v learned a bit on maintaining them. Sharp fret ends is better defined as "fret sprout". Usually, even when you get them with sharp ends, the factory dressed em right, its just in shipping, from china to usa in this case, and then to your location, they had to travel through several different climates. Wood can react to weather and if that neck shrinks a bit, sharp ends. A decent file, heck you could probably do it with a finger nail file, and some masking/painters tape to protect the fretboard and edge of the neck wood, and a little filing.....and you can resolve it.
I bought my 1st soprano ukulele only a couple weeks ago I had no music knowledge at all so was total beginner you are such good teacher and I watch ur videos and have already learned so much at an incredible speed it’s amazing my progress due ltd a practice and using ur videos I’d love win that ukulele su much love the look and not able to afford one at mo been suffering bad mental health but since I started learning ukulele my life is so much happier if I was to win it really change my life for the better would lift me so high I can’t explain just how much it would mean too me I know I won’t win so best think ways to I could find the money to buy one thanks well I will keep watching ur videos ur such amazing teacher I couldn’t have learned so much without you thank you so much x
This is such a good-looking ukulele ❤️. My first one had a very plain look and didn't have any accessories with it - not even a simple case 🙈😅. I had to buy all the things separately. 🙉
Hablas español verdad Bernadette? Yo tengo ese ukulele, y considero que está a muy buen precio por todos los aditamentos con los que viene acompañado. Excelente para principiantes del ukulele! Saludos desde Mexicali, B.C.
It looks very nice. I like the shades of the wood on the back. Anyway, I think the best beginner kit on amazon is the aklot. I hope you'll review it 😊 Kisses 😘😘
Elena Bellitto Lotito hi Elena! 👋🏼 Yes, the pattern on this ukulele was very special. Glad you liked this one :) If Aklot sends their uke, I will definitely review it!!
Out of curiosity, have you or anyone in the comments, ever played a Mango uke? I’ve been looking at them because the grain structure is gorgeous but I was hoping to hear some testimonials beforehand. Thanks in advance! -Donte
170 comments, Best if I just say Hi Ms.B. Another great honest review. Beautiful looking ukulele, sounds good too. Pity about the frets, easy fix. All those accessories kinda balance it out. Happy day.
As a beginner I am wondering if my instrument has a high action. How do I tell if it is too high? I am not sure by looking because I dont know what it should look like. Is there a measurement? Thanks
Measure the distance from the 12th fret to the G string. If it is more than 3mm, the action is too high. Ideal height for most players is 2.3-2.5 mm. There are RU-vid videos that show how to remove a saddle and sand it (just a little at a time!). Measuring action near the nut (up near the head of the ukulele) is more difficult, as it involves using feeler gauges, which most people don’t have (plus it takes some time to get accustomed to how the gauges should feel). A better test is to find a chord shape that is easy to play at the fifth fret with light finger pressure and then to try the same chord shape near the first fret. If you have to press really hard, the nut needs filing (have a guitar tech do this, as it is easy to screw up).
It should be about 1.5mm from the bottom of the strings to the top of the first fret. An easy way to check this is to stack 3 playing cards and slide them under the strings at the nut. The cards should be touching the bottom of the strings. If they dont, your action is probably to high.
Thank you I will try both. My grandpa gave me this ukelele years ago before he passed and I'm finally trying to learn it doing the 30 day challenge. I am really hoping it isn't too high🤞
teach i have a question how do i learn new strumming patterns? bc i only know d-d-u-u-d-u and whenever i try to do another one involuntarily i go back to the classic... it's quit frustrating
some name oh I totally understand! I have a bit of an unconventional recommendation. Look up strumming tutorials for different instruments here on RU-vid. You can search for Spanish guitar strumming patterns or mandolin, banjo, etc. You’ll find some fun patterns that way ❤️
I just started and ended up with a very toy-ish looking ukulele. On a budget but I’d love to win this. I love music and always put it on back burner due to having to work and provide for my kids. ❤️
I love this ukulele it’s so pretty. I really like that you put a lot of detail into your reviews it really helps those of us who are trying to figure out what the best ukulele would be for us to buy.😊
Wow. That is pretty. My eyes popped when it came out of the bag. Too bad about the sharp fret wires. I was pretty excited about this one until that part came to light. The price is good. The sound is kind of okay. How much does it cost to have the fret wires sanded?
Hi Bernadette. It looks like the ukulele design was created by artist Aaron Kuehn ~ whose designs concentrate on using calligraphic/word elements.Very clever. Even the chord names show the correct shapes! Love his work ~ he has a site on the internet.
Hi Brigid. I just received a message from Aaron. I'm going to ask the company about this looks like it's his work but his name has been removed... I'm waiting to hear back from Aaron before I message the company.
