Vangoa Soprano Ukulele, 21 Inch Acoustic Ukulele Uke Beginner Kit for Kids Students Starter with Guide Book, Gig Bag and Strap, Black

It has a really good tune to it, and my granddaughter loves it!

My daughter is 10 and plays the uke, but to tune it is almost impossible, the strings don’t tighten.

I have like a dozen or more wooden ukuleles, from sopranos to a bass, from laminated to solid wood, from $20 ones to $200. This is my first carbon fiber. I was afraid that this would seem like a kid's ukulele because it's essentially plastic, but it does not feel like one or more importantly sound like one. I like it overall.IF you are a beginner to ukuleles, honestly I'd recommend looking around and finding a "solid top" mahogany ukulele with aquila strings... because the market is so competitive you can probably find one right around the same price as this, in soprano (the smallest) or concert (a little bigger) size. They are often made well and sound great... and at a great price. HOWEVER IF you live in an house that you just can't keep somewhat level in temperature and/or humidity, or you want to bring your uke in the car for long stretches or go places outdoors where it could get wet... I'd recommend this one! The wooden ones are much higher maintenance, especially any of them with "solid" wood. This one is NOT high maintenance, and that's what sets this one apart and makes it ideal for some.The strings don't look to be Aquila... if they were they would usually say so. And so far they do not hold tune nearly as well, but all strings have an adjustment period where they stretch and can't hold the tune as well. This is 90% plastic and those parts are water safe. The gears on the tuner as metal and would rust if you neglect them. But it's safe to say this is much much more water proof than your normal wood uke. So if you ever wanted to play in the shower, now you can. There are quite a few cosmetic issues, from shallow scratches on the back, to bad paint jobs, etc. that tell me it's not a high end product where they really pay attention to craftmanship. The frets are not as smooth as butter, like higher end products, but they aren't sharp and don't need filing. For these reasons I have to deduct a star. It also doesn't have ANY strap buttons! I always always always like to use a strap so I had to put on my own buttons... no biggie. I took a drill and made little holes through the plastic on the rear and on the neck so I could put in strap buttons. The inside plastic is white if you want to know... good to know if your instrument is at high risk of getting big scratches as they would show up then.The sound quality on this is impressive! I really like it. It doesn't sound like a toy! It doesn't have a quirky sound like many other ukes. It reminds me a bit of mahogany in how it's warm and may I say more serious than some other wood tones for a uke. It's loud and pleasant, no issues with the sound... which surprised me. That is really one of the most important features which is why it's getting a 4 star instead of a 3.The package it comes with is interesting. The bag isn't nearly as padded as many others, but I suppose maybe the plastic doesn't need as much protection. It comes with picks... which I don't use on ukuleles anyway. It has a little book to help get started that covers very basic things about ukes. Here's where I laughed... it comes with stickers to put on the frets to label where notes are... but it's NOT FOR UKULELEs! It's for guitars, LOL. It's in EADGBE... not GCEA like an ukulele, so please either toss those are give it to a guitar player as they will NOT HELP WITH A UKE! It has a little neck strap... I personally hate those and as mentioned above, I installed actual strap buttons on it.This instrument is a bit heavier than it's wooden counterpart, but that shouldn't be an issue, even for a kid. I actually got this for my youngest son (my others have wooden ones), and I feel this is a good one that might last him into adulthood. It's tough enough to survive his youth, but it's not just a toy uke. It's a real instrument, although not perfect, and I would not say this is built only for children... but it'll probably survive rough handling from children better than most wooden ones would. So if you live in an environment where you can't pamper a wooden instrument with stable temperature/humidity, or you want a uke you can take to wet areas, this might be suitable even for an adult... the sound and quality is not childish. But if you want to get your kid a nice ukulele that can survive them, then this might serve well too. I'm impressed and happy with it.

Your browser does not support HTML5 video.  I've been playing the Ukulele for a couple years. It's my first (and only) instrument. I still don't have much of a grasp of music theory, but I really enjoying playing and learning at my own pace. I originally purchased a beginner's kit not too unlike this, except that uke was constructed of wood in a traditional manner whereas this one is assembled from cast fiber-reinforced plastic parts. Also this ukulele is less than half the price (at the moment).And I know what you're thinking: a plastic ukulele? It doesn't feel cheap, actually, with the satin finish they give it (in your selected color); it's actually pretty decent. Especially for the price. It plays just as well as my other beginner's soprano (the wooden one). The biggest differences I've noticed is this Vangoa uke has a few more ounces to it; and it has a slightly less jangle-ly sound, sounding a bit warmer, but far from my concert uke – it's somewhere in between.The only criticism I have for this ukulele is that it arrived with a small crack in the body. But I can't say that it has any effect on playing. The damage must have happened during shipping as the packaging is minimal. But that it can survive something like that and still play just fine seems like a really good trait for a beginner's ukulele (particularly for children). Or, alternatively, this would make a good uke for bringing along on trips and outings where you may be reluctant to take a nicer instrument (a little water or sand isn't going to hurt this thing).I would highly recommend this as a beginner's ukulele. It's quite reasonably priced, fairly robust, and plays fine for what it is. It comes with a carrying bag, some picks, a neck strap, extra strings, and a beginner's guide. There's no tuner (which you will need, particularly at first as the strings settle), but there are tons of phone apps that do it, a lot of them free.