Where can I try out ukuleles in Houston?

February 13, 2013 1:47 PM

I am considering taking up the ukulele and I would like to get the feel for various brands and sizes to see which I would prefer. I think I would like a concert uke, but I'd like to feel one in my hands first.

Does anyone have suggestions for good places in Houston to go and try out ukuleles? It seems that some of the guitar shops in town may have a few, but it's hard to tell from their websites which ones would have a reasonably wide range in the store. Are there places you know where the sales folks would be helpful to someone who doesn't play any instrument?

Also, if any of you guys play the uke, I would love recommendations on brands!

posted by blurker to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (6 answers total)

I'm not in Houston, but I suggest you try a uke meetup. Here's a group for Houston.

I'd guess if you showed up with a guitar or a $20.00 uke to jam you could talk to people and try out their ukes. My wife and I went to a local one in MA and people were more than happy to share their banjo ukes, or cigar box ukes, or tenor, baritone, or any number of other ukes. I ended up buying my wife a Pono based on someone's suggestion.

It was much more comfortable than a music store. Ukulele meetups are just about the most fun thing ever. Unless you're not a ukulele lover, I suppose.
posted by bondcliff at 1:53 PM on February 13, 2013

I've got a Kala that my wife bought me for Father's Day last year. It seems to be a highly regarded brand. Unfortunately, I don't have anything resembling a ukulele meetup nearby.
posted by COD at 2:04 PM on February 13, 2013

In my experience, guitar shops will have a few token ukuleles. That might be good enough to size them out to see which size your prefer. I have them in all sizes but play my tenor the most.

When it is time to buy, I highly recommend The Ukulele Site. Mike Aratani aka Music Guy Mike is now associated with him, and I have bought almost all of my ukes from him before he closed his shop.
posted by Tanizaki at 2:20 PM on February 13, 2013 [1 favorite]

A person who might be useful to ask about ukulele in Houston is Olivia at Super Happy Fun Land. She's the queen of the YouTube ukulele cover, and plays lots of different types but doesn't sell them.

Kalas are good value, and I'm really pleased that Mike Aratani is back in business (I'd heard he was gravely ill a while back). Mike does great setup even on cheap instruments, and is fantastic to deal with.
posted by scruss at 2:32 PM on February 13, 2013

If you have a Guitar Center, they usually stock the Lanikai brand but I don't think they are good as Kala. They also have Martin ukuleles like the C1K, an all Koa wood concert size uke. They are from their Mexico factory but sound and play pretty nice.

I own a Mainland uke and a Flea and highly recommend both to any beginner.
posted by cazoo at 2:39 PM on February 13, 2013

Great Southern Music has several sizes of ukeleles, and also a guitar/ukelele hybrid that has the fingering of a guitar.

http://www.gsmmusic.com/
posted by rakaidan at 4:09 PM on February 13, 2013