Best ukuleles 2024: Top acoustic ukes and the best electric ukuleles for all

To play anything well takes time and practice. But generally, yes, ukuleles are fairly easy to play, in that they are light and not at all cumbersome, so almost everyone can hold one properly straight away, particularly if it’s a soprano or concert size you’re looking at. Ukes have a relatively short scale so the frets are close together too, meaning that a lot of chord shapes are easy to achieve for small hands. It’s also easy to strum with your fingers or a plectrum.

So far, we've been looking at the soprano uke, which is the most popular and widespread model available. But it's not alone in ukedom. The concert ukulele is slightly larger by a couple of inches and usually boasts 14 – 17 frets to the soprano's 12 – 15. Tuning is the same, but it can be easier for larger-fingered players to get their digits around its slightly bigger frame and fretboard. A concert uke should have better bass response too, but the downside is that it's not quite so portable.

A tenor ukulele is considerably bigger than a soprano. If a soprano is typically about 21 inches long, then the tenor will be 26 inches or more. Again the tuning is the same but the fretboard can have room for 19 or more frets. A fantastic choice for performers who value bass response and a higher treble range, despite the increase in size.

The baritone ukulele is an interesting choice. With a body length of 30 inches plus, and a less elongated shape, it looks more like a regular guitar. The similarities don't end there. With 21 or more frets it feels more guitar-like and, what's more, the tuning is the same as your favorite acoustic too. It still only has four strings but these are tuned to DGBE. The only downside is its comparatively vast size.

The best ukulele for beginners is probably a soprano uke. Thanks to its small size and narrow fret spacing, it’s perfect for players with smaller fingers and less hand strength to get to grips with. Also because of the small body size, they’re easy to wield and lightweight too, perfect for taking to school alongside your backpack.

Now, we know this sounds a bit confusing - but bare with us and it will all make sense. Take the six open strings on a guitar in standard tuning: EADGBE. Discard the two bass strings (the thickest ones) and you're left with DGBE. These are the same notes as the seventh fret of a ukulele. The fretboard map is exactly the same, it's just been shifted, or transposed, up seven frets (or down five).

Look at it another way. The open strings on a ukulele in standard tuning are GCEA. Pick up your guitar, ignore the two bass strings and you'll find these notes at the fifth fret. Studying a fretboard diagram for just two minutes will make all this much clearer but essentially if you can play chords on the guitar then you can play them on the ukulele, you just have to move up seven frets or down five.

OK, there is one other important difference but it's really not a biggie. The fourth string, which is the one closest to a cloudless sky if you really are lucky enough to be playing on a tropical beach, doesn't produce the lowest note. In fact, it produces the second highest. So, looking at open strings again the third string C is actually the lowest, followed by the second string E, then the fourth string G, and finally the first string A. This is called re-entrant tuning and it’s an idiosyncrasy inherited from the cavaquinho before it, and the lute before that.

But why would you do that, we hear you ask? Some say that centuries ago it was impossible to reliably manufacture accurate bass strings so a higher string was always used. Others believe that a high fourth string makes certain chord voicings easier to play. Whatever the truth, most of us would agree that it's a re-entrant tuning that gives the ukulele its unique, characteristic sound.

If the complexities of ukulele tuning fill you with horror (they really shouldn't) then consider a Yamaha Guitalele, which is essentially a uke-sized guitar. Buy some high-tension strings and you can even tune it exactly the same as your guitar, and get the fretboard map to match.

In terms of construction, the wood used to make a ukulele can drastically alter the sound of the instrument. What appeals to your ear will differ from person to person, but as a rule of thumb, 'darker' woods work better on the higher soprano ukulele, while 'brighter' woods work better on tenor and baritone ukuleles.

With acoustic instruments, solid wood, as opposed to laminate or layered wood, is usually preferred. Solid refers to how the body is constructed. Solid wood vibrates more freely than layered wood, resulting in a richer sound. It also changes and matures slightly over time as it gradually breaks in. Top-end ukes might feature a body with all-solid wood construction, whereas some might have just a solid top, and layered back and sides – these still sound great, but are slightly more affordable than fully solid.

All of the options in this guide can be played unplugged. So, if you’re sitting at home and fancy having a quick strum, you’re going to be able to hear it properly. However, acoustic ukes will have a deeper body which makes them louder and more resonant. Their primary objective is to sound good as they are.

Electric ukuleles on the other hand have been designed to be used in conjunction with an amp. Sure, you can play them unplugged, but you’ll find that you get the most out of it when put through an amp or PA system. Some acoustic ukes do have pickups built into them though, so you get the benefits of an acoustic ukulele, but with the advantage of being able to plug it in, should you want to, at gigs, etc.

We've established that the ukulele shares so many similarities with the guitar that any half-decent guitarist, once they've overcome a few quirks, will quickly become a uke-wielding ninja.

The playing technique required is very similar, requiring very few adjustments. The obvious difference is size. Not only does the ukulele feel much smaller to hold but the fretboard is much smaller too, so allow some time for your fingers to get used to the tighter spacing.

It's rare to find steel strings on an acoustic ukulele but there's nothing to stop you from using a pick on nylon strings. Ukulele-specific picks, made from felt or leather, yield a more mellow sound that is definitely worth experimenting with.

Alternatively, there's no better time to learn to pick with your fingers, which will give you the most control over dynamics. The sound of flesh and nail-striking nylon will give you the most authentic tone possible and will help you to eke out the very best from your uke.

Most musicians want an inexpensive ukulele that they can have fun with as a second instrument. Highly portable and relatively robust, in that they can be tucked out of harm's way, they're fantastic for busking and for travel. You could even take one on a camping trip.

Their fun-loving vibe, and toyish good looks, mean that they're not always regarded as serious instruments, and unfortunately the world is flooded with cheap, poorly made examples.

Just like the nylon guitar market, it pays to spend enough to buy one that plays well and sounds phenomenal. Intonation should be spot on, the neck should be straight, frets should be well-finished and the tone should offer more than a gutless plinky-plonky cacophony that can jeopardize even the most enduring relationships.

Investing upwards of $/£/€50 will arm you with an instrument that sounds good and is easy to play. Spend a bit more and you'll be buying improved build quality, tone, and playability. Spend a lot more, say $/£/€250, and you'll begin to discover better tonewoods, decorative inlays, and an even richer tone.

Custom ukuleles can easily cost $/£/€4,000 or more, which may appear crazy but it's worth remembering that these are essentially mini-guitars that take just as much skill to build as any other high-end instrument. You'll be investing in an heirloom quality ukulele that's visually, and sonically, a work of art.

So, can you live without a uke in your life? For better or worse, ukulele music has certainly been a feature of our lives for the past 140 years but are you ready to make some? And are we ready to listen to it?

Ukulele-tinged music may be most dominantly established in Hawaiian culture but during the early 20th Century the instrument found huge popularity in folk, jazz, and vaudeville.

Its popularity waned after the 1960s but more recently the uke has benefitted from a resurgence in interest. This has been fuelled by the skills of traditional Hawaiian virtuosos, such as Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, as well as the somewhat tongue-in-cheek efforts of ensembles such as The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. Since it was posted in 2006, composer and YouTube sensation Jake Shimabukuro has racked up more than 17 million views for his rendition of George Harrison's My Guitar Gently Weeps.

The sound of the ukulele is so unique, and so readily identifiable, that mindless one-dimensional strumming can easily become the world's most irritating noise. Even the banjo or, god forbid, the bag-pipes can be less agonizing to endure. But pop performers, such as Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift, are now using the uke sparingly and judiciously to infuse their performances with interesting new flavors and textures (Eilish even has her own Fender signature model).

We love the uke for its ability to bring a dash of eternal sunshine to impromptu, alfresco singalongs with your mates. In a world dominated by cookie-cutter, homogeneous commercial pop we also welcome its ability to bring something fresh and exciting to the mix. So, yes, we heartily recommend you go straight out and buy one, but only on the condition, you learn more than three chords…

What we'd give right now to spend an afternoon relaxing on a tropical Hawaiian beach. Soft, white sand beneath our toes, aquamarine waves lapping up against the dazzling shoreline, tall palms swaying in the cooling breeze, surfers riding that perfect break...

Now, what's that we can hear? It's a chilled hula band – the hypnotic beat of the Pahu drum, the otherworldly sound of a lap steel in full song, and the unmistakable strum of a ukulele. The fabulous little ukulele, what could be more Hawaiian than that?

Hold on a minute! It turns out the ukulele isn't really Hawaiian at all. Back in the 1870s, Portuguese sailors from Madeira introduced the very similar four-stringed cavaquinho to the islands, and within a few years immigrant Madeiran cabinet makers started crafting them for the local market.

Kalakaua, the last king of Hawaii (aka the Merrie Monarch), was so taken with the diminutive instrument that he liked nothing better than to serenade his guests with his playing and singing. The story goes that his Vice-Chamberlain, an excitable little Englishman and fellow uke obsessive named Edward Purvis, became so dextrous at playing that he was nicknamed the flying flea or 'ukulele' in native Hawaiian. His nickname became synonymous with an instrument that will forever be associated with Hawaii.

All very quaint 'n quirky, but what does this teach us? The Portuguese sailors probably favored the cavaquinho because it was simple to play and easy to stow on a cramped sailing ship. Let's face it, they would have struggled to smuggle a piano on board. King Kalakaua, and his court, found it irresistible because it was fun to play and sounds great. So, if you're looking for an instrument that sounds unique, is easy to travel with, and is impossible to put down then go buy yourself one of the best ukuleles in this guide.