Comments on: Lanikai Ukulele

By: sverre

sverre — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:16:49 +0000

i just got myself a lanikai lu-11 soprano and love it. i’ve been stuck with a stagg us10 for about a year, and this is a huge improvement.

Overall	Not Rated	Sound	Not Rated	Playability	Not Rated

Value for	Not Rated	Looks	Not Rated	Construction	Not Rated

By: Loretta Prescott

Loretta Prescott — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 01:00:57 +0000

My husband just bought me an LU- 21 TE. It has aquila strings and a pick up. I am new to uke and only played a little guitar, but this is a really great sounding instrument and the chords are easy to learn and play. We like the deeper soud than the soprano model provides, but it is still rustic and nylon-y sounding. I think it is a good value and a great introduction to the instrument. Walrus productions makes a laminated chord chart that is simple to read and virtually indestructible (www.walrusproductions.com).

By: Grace

Grace — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 16:26:43 +0000

I run a Ukulele Club at the K-8 school where I teach, so I have new ukers between ages 6 and 14. With no model recommendations from me, all but one student showed up with either a Makala MK-S or a Lanikai LU-11.

I’ve never been much of an equipment hound for whatever instrument I’ve played, but I have trouble finding any significant differences between these models – they both have a decent warmth of sound and hold in tune fairly well. They even have a remarkably similar appearance. These similarities are unsurprising as the man behind Kala, Mike Upton, started the company after leaving Hohner, Lanikai’s parent company. Throw in the fact that you can regularly find these for $45-50, and they really establish a standard for entry-level ukes.

As always, the right starting uke for you is best found by going to a music shop and trying different instruments out. However, if you’re shopping in the under-$100 range, don’t be surprised if you’re left holding one of these two.

By: Brooks Cruzen

Brooks Cruzen — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 07:40:10 +0000

I have a Lanikai LU-21 with aquila strings and I have to say for the price it sounds great. Like the video reviews say it’s absolutely above the toy ukulele price range. My first was a Stagg US20 that i got for $35. A decent start. It was playable, but had awful intonation, and the stock strings didn’t sound good at all. But I sold it and picked up the LU-21 and was thoroughly impressed for the price. The intonation is excellent, tunes quite easily, and looks pretty nice with the binding. With aquilas it sounds quite nice. I’m looking to get a nice gig-worthy concert uke, but I absolutely plan on keeping my LU-21. For the price it’s an excellent soprano ukulele.

By: Woodshed

Woodshed — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:46:09 +0000

Thanks for the review, Carson. Your friend obviously has good ears.

By: Carson Morgan

Carson Morgan — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 15:36:13 +0000

I have a Lanikai S-C Concert Ukulele (same one shown in the video by hoosierhiver) and I absolutely adore it. It’s my first ukulele, and even if I buy a higher quality one, I will always love this one. The sound quality is fantastic – there are no pitch problems, and it has a nice ring to it. I’ve not changed the strings on it, and it still sounds wonderful. A friend of mine compared the sound to Zach Condon’s ukulele, which I think is quite a compliment. It has no problems in terms of the body, and it’s quite attractive.

This is a really great ukulele.