Monoprice Idyllwild Sapelle Soprano Ukulele w/ Gig Bag, Tuner, Strap & Strings EXPIRED

Quote from jondaman : Way easier than guitar and hurts your finger much less. You can start playing couple easy songs in a week or so (not well but you can).

Great time to learn

Anyone know how this compares to the Kala brand ones that sell on Amazon for around $50-$60? I see it has the Aquila strings which supposedly are premium strings.

Tempted to grab one at this price with the case and all the extras.

EDIT:
I see they sell the Ukulele and the case for $30 and that one has a lot of reviews so this is probably the exact same thing but includes the tuner and strap for the extra $5.
https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=610300

Quote from dealboy12 : Anyone know how this compares to the Kala brand ones that sell on Amazon for around $50-$60? I see it has the Aquila strings which supposedly are premium strings. Tempted to grab one at this price with the case and all the extras. EDIT: I see they sell the Ukulele and the case for $30 and that one has a lot of reviews so this is probably the exact same thing but includes the tuner and strap for the extra $5. https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=610300

Kalas at this point are the most common brand, and they're generally very good ukes, no matter what the price point, and they make everything from bargain stuff all the way up to seriously high end instruments. Whatever Kala you're looking at is almost undoubtedly better than a Monoprice brand. There's probably nothing wrong with this uke, but if it's something you're really interested in, consider starting with the Kala or an Oscar Schmidt, as a better instrument is generally easier to learn on. Bonus points if you go get it from a local music store instead of Amazon, though that's a bit dicey these days.

Also, don't be fooled by the "premium" strings. I love Aquilas, they're great, and use them exclusively on my far too large collection of ukes. However, even as "premium" strings, they're about two bucks for a wholesale cost and 6 or 7 dollars at the local music store. Don't pay anything extra for nicer strings, they're dirt cheap.

Quote from powerslave12r : Anyone know how this one compares to the Cordoba Soprano U1MS https://www.musiciansfriend.com/f...000001000? [musiciansfriend.com]

I've played the Cordoba one in store before and it definitely plays very smooth. Judging by looks on this deal, I think you can't go wrong for just wanting to learn.

Quote from FearAndLoathing : You know you're a hoarder if....

you buy an instrument that you don't intend to play?

I wrote an in-depth post the last time a ukulele deal was featured on the front page. If you need some guidance in ukulele buying, feel free to check it out! (It's the featured comment)

https://slickdeals.net/e/12399430-hricane-concert-ukulele-23inch-bundle-with-gig-bag-32-99-free-shipping

Quote from eb50 : How hard is this to learn? Looking for some thing for my b8 year old

Not hard at all. My 7 y-o son picked it up no problem. Helps to have some background in music theory, understanding of scale, know what chords are but there are tons of YouTube videos out there with free lessons to get anyone started. I taught my kids to play strictly from YouTube.

Sweet, my eldest wanted one of these.

Quote from slickd888 : Not hard at all. My 7 y-o son picked it up no problem. Helps to have some background in music theory, understanding of scale, know what chords are........

Hey thanks man, you just saved me from throwing $35 into the ocean.

Quote from dealboy12 : Anyone know how this compares to the Kala brand ones that sell on Amazon for around $50-$60? I see it has the Aquila strings which supposedly are premium strings. Tempted to grab one at this price with the case and all the extras. EDIT: I see they sell the Ukulele and the case for $30 and that one has a lot of reviews so this is probably the exact same thing but includes the tuner and strap for the extra $5. https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=610300

I second the other comment that Kala and other more reputable brands with trusted reviews would be the better way to go. There are tons of cheap ukulele on Amazon and I suspect you'd get what you paid for. While many are probably made in the same factory, there can still be a difference between models based on the material, craftsmanship etc.
I got my daughter started on a Kala beginner bundle and it is very solid. It's what most schools use too. She has since upgraded to an Enya EUC-MAD and couldn't be happier.
For a beginner ukulele I personally highly recommend the Enya Nova U. Don't let the toy-like look deceive you, just google for reviews. It's great even for non-beginner as a go-everywhere travel, everyday uke. The carbon fiber material makes it virtually indestructible so you don't have to worry about kids handling it, the action came just right without needing any adjustments, very easy to play, no problem with intonation, surprisingly good resonance for the material. The only negative is the fret lines are in the same black color as the fret board (part of the same piece) so can be hard to see in dim lighting. Most people can still play it, but for people who are bothered by it, easy fix is paint the lines or put some stickers on the frets which many beginners do.
Bottom line is I'd skip these cheap no-names and get something more quality even for a beginner to set them on a right path.

Mandolins waaaaaaaay cooler just imho if you want a little fun guitar-like toy. I sold my Uke, still screw with the mandolin often.

I posted a deal recently for a much better ukulele, Mitchell 40, concert size for only $28. You don't really need the tuner and strap, I recommend getting that instead.

Quote from eb50 : How hard is this to learn? Looking for some thing for my b8 year old

Not bad at all! Easy to push down the strings compared to a guitar. Lots of quick easy songs to learn too.

Not sure if this was mentioned but Fender offering 3months free lessons.

Quote from livelifeup22 : I posted a deal recently for a much better ukulele, Mitchell 40, concert size for only $28. You don't really need the tuner and strap, I recommend getting that instead.

Link to that? I don't see it posted