Stagg Ukulele

Ratings

Stagg Ukulele Review

Today I'll be reviewing the Stagg US10 Soprano Ukulele.

Here are the specs as found on the Stagg Music

Traditional soprano Ukulele, in black nylon gigbag
Top: nato
Back & Sides: nato
Neck & Headstock: nato
Fingerboard & Bridge: nato
Tuners: non-geared pegs w/ "antique white" plastic knobs
Scale length: 349 mm, (13.74 in.)
Fingerboard Dim. 177 mm (7 in.), 12 frets
Neck & Head: 300 mm (12 in.)
Body: 240 mm, (9.3 in.)
Total length: 540 mm, (21.25 in.)
Finish: natural.

Availability: ****

From what I can gather, this is the most basic ukulele available on the European Market, outside of eBay, where the Sponge Bob Squarepants Ukulele reigns supreme. I purchased mine from a local music shop. Since my purchase, I've notice that most small, independent music shops in the North West of England will usually have one or two Stagg ukuleles on the shelf, either the US10 or the only marginally better mahogany US20.

Build Quality: **

The uke is solidly constructed entirely from nato laminate, or eastern mahogany. The matt finish is even, except for a small area where the heel meets the body. The double white rosette is actually a decal of some description and upon close inspection the 'transparent' sections are clearly visible as a cloudy, semi opaque ring. There are fret markers at the 5th 7th and 10th frets. Like the rosette they're decals, but are made of think paper and protrude significantly from the fret board.

Playability: ***

It cost me £14. Bearing that in mind it's actually a very playable instrument. The frets ends are actually the smoothest I've ever encountered, on any instrument. The action is good and obviously adjustable with a little work. The stock strings were, as expected, crap and new Aquilas make it sound like a much more expensive instrument. The only real problem is a dead spot on the C string second fret. When picked at the second fret this string warbles bizarrely. It's not noticeable when strumming however.

Conclusion:

If you're in the market for a cheap, playable uke, this might be the one you're looking for. Available just about everywhere, and unlike other ukes at the same price point, this model can usually be found at a local shop so you can try before you buy. I love mine and it's the perfect uke for picking up and playing whenever. I'm not afraid to bang it around or let the rug rats have a strum. It's a good little player despite the cheap build quality and it was good enough to keep me interested until I could upgrade to a better ukulele when my skills warranted it.

Review by Cary

On eBay UK

On Video

Fin (the one on our right) of GUGUG plays his Stagg ukulele.