Ukulele, AKLOT Concert Ukelele Solid Mahogany 23 inch for Professional Beginners Adults Kit with Free Online Courses and Uke Accessories, AKC23

This is 7th ukulele that my family has purchased in the past 9 month, all of varying price ranges, brands, and sizes.UNBOXINGThe ukulele arrived promptly and with all of the promised accessories. The starter pack comes in a nice box resembling a gift. The ukulele was securely wrapped inside of the bag inside of the box to prevent scratches. The bag is of good quality and is thicker than bags I received with ukes that were twice the price. The ukulele is a beautiful color and is quite pleasing to hold. The edges of the fret board are very smooth. The top of the ukulele has a rounded edge that is quite comfortable in your arms. The back of the ukulele has a slight curve which helps to project the sound. The dove bridge is really pretty. The ukulele came with pins for straps. Strangely, the strap that came with it is not the kind that uses the pins. The included tuner is adequate, but you must remember to set it to UC for it to work correctly. One felt pick and one plastic pick were included in the starter pack. This is important because felt picks are really the best for the soft ukulele strings where as guitar strings are tougher and can handle a plastic pick. The cleaning cloth is a nice touch, however the matte finish of this ukulele doesn’t really show fingerprints and using the included case should help keep it clean.FIRST TUNINGI’ve purchased ukuleles both on-line and in speciality music stores. Right out of the box the strings on this ukulele were much closer to being in tune than many of my other purchases. The included book does a great job of explaining how to tune the ukulele. Many ukuleles are shipped with such loose strings that you really need to understand the c scale to figure out how to get them tuned. My first Amazon purchased ukulele had really loose strings and didn’t come with tuning directions causing me some anxiety. So, the included starter guide is a HUGE bonus to this kit especially if it is being purchased for a beginner.SUBSEQUENT TUNINGSAs expected, it takes a bit of playing before the strings settle/stretch enough that they can stay in tune for an entire hour. This is NORMAL for all new stringed instruments. I’ve played this ukulele for about 6 hours over the past week and it now stays in tune for an entire hour practice session. I have noticed that the E string becomes really flat when the instrument sits for 48 hours without being played.SOUNDI am very impressed with the sound of the Aklot ukulele. It is very warm and pleasing to the ear. It is of comparable sound quality to a “name brand” solid mahogany concert ukule that a family member purchased for twice the price. I personally feel like the action on this ukulele is a bit high. Therefore, I needed to press the strings a bit harder to keep them from buzzing than I do on my more expensive “name brand” uke. This was only a slight problem for the first few days I was using it. My fingers have since gotten use to the feel and I do not have trouble with the buzzing.CONCLUSIONThis is a fantastic ukulele for the price! The starter kit is a great value and the included instruction book is a real bonus. I would recommend this ukulele to anyone who wants to play but doesn’t have a lot of money to fork out on a “name brand” instrument. You can take this uke to jams and group lessons with no fear of being embarrassed. The quality is so good that no-one will know it’s not a “name brand” unless you tell them. Keep in mind, instruments want to be played. Their sound quality continues to improve the more they are played.

AKLOT Concert Ukulele, Solid Bamboo 23 Inch UkuleleI ended up having to replace the first one that came because it had a weird tuning peg. The second one (the replacement) has no issues at all, but there are some design differences between it and the first one and you could receive either version when ordering. The first one with the wonky peg was completely smooth--like glass--everywhere. Body, sides, top, neck, fingerboard, bridge. The entire instrument was completely smooth. The replacement is almost completely smooth but has an unfinished fingerboard and bridge, as well as a very small number of "open pores" on the top, sides and body. The first one was prettier but honestly, the second finish is more practical and easier to hold onto. So just be aware that what you receive could have a shiny fingerboard and bridge or it could have a plain versions and the body/top/sides may not be glass-smooth. But they might be!The ukulele itself is impeccably made and quite striking to look at. Feels good and balanced when holding and playing it. Has a really interesting tone with harmonics and sustain that's mainly in the lower end. You may also notice differences in tone depending on how much of the back you have against your body, so I'd recommend you experiment with positioning. Came with a good set-up (both did) so it's easy to play. Frets are dressed well. White inlaid fret markers and side markers can be a little hard to see against the blonde bamboo if not in bright light. Compensated saddle helps with intonation. Absolutely amazing deal at $49.99 that only gets better with the accessories.The gig bag is very good and well-padded. Comes with a tuner, strap and humidifier. You will want to pay attention to humidification if you live in a dry area or an area that requires central heating because bamboo instruments can crack if they get dehydrated. Although it's a solid bamboo ukulele, the sheets of bamboo that comprise the top, back and sides are made by gluing strips of bamboo together side by side, left to right. As long as you treat the uke the way you'd treat any solid wood stringed instrument, it should be fine. Avoid rapid, severe temperature swings, temperature extremes and humidify it when conditions warrant.If you've considered this ukulele, you should get it!

I don't give 5-star reviews often. This ukulele is one o the exceptionsI was recently introduced to the instrument on a Pacific cruise. The one lent me on the ship was a toy soprano. Still, it did the job. I learned a few songs and began to play so they were recognizable. I decided that the experience was worth building rather than tossing aside. The uke teacher was selling selling nice kits, but the price was more than I was willing to pay for a top notch instrument. After careful consideration and many reviews, I chose the Aklot Concert Uke. Ordered one and it came to my door very quickly - two days earlier than projected.Out of the box it was a handsome mahogany finish, with no blems. Construction was solid. Nothing chintzy. The top sides were nicely rounded for comfort. In a few minutes tuning I was ready to play. Out came the music book and away we went.Here's my main thing: I am having fun with this instrument for a very reasonable price. I don't know how I'll ever outgrow it, honestly. The concert size gave me a bit more room on the fingerboard, which was my issue with the soprano I used earlier. The tone is much richer than that toy. Every day I look forward to playing. My abilities have improved with each passing day. Won't be long you'll see me in some subway station! Ok, not really.I well recommend this ukulele. For the kit, it is by my measure a bargain.