ADM Ukulele for Beginners Review

★★★★★★★★★★

“I got this 21" Economic Soprano Ukulele Start Pack by ADM for my wife who is a musician of many sorts. This review is based on her experience using the product. Ukuleles are a string instrument made from a hollow soundboard and four strings. They look like a mini guitar. They have an hourglass base and a fingerboard neck. Often, ukulele manufacturers make the strings from stainless steel or nylon, and the instrument's tuning should be (in order) the notes of G, C, E and A. Most ukuleles have wood construction. However, musicians may find less expensive versions built from plastic. There are a variety of models including: soprano, concert, armadillo, pineapple, banjo tenor and baritone. This Ukulele is a soprano version that has a basswood body and nylon strings. As a musician my wife said that that this is quality constructed instrument. It's not top of the line mind you but it's a good solid instrument perfect for starting out and beyond. Other features of the instrument include a black neck fingerboard with sturdy brass frets (a total of 12 altogether). The frets are marked at the 5th, 7th & 10th levels. The tuners are chrome plated metal with plastic buttons and look like that of a guitar. They are just as sturdy as the rest of the instrument. This set comes with a pink holding bag, a shoulder strap that can be taken on and off, 2 picks, extra white nylon string in case a string needs to be replaced, an orange polishing cloth to keep the instrument shining and a digital tuner. They even included the battery for the tuner. The instrument is remarkably lightweight. This in combination with the nylon strings makes this instrument a good choice for children who are learning. Aside from the features there is another huge consideration that speaks of what a nice instrument this is. It's a soprano ukulele. It has the highest pitch of all of the ukulele's. It has a clear and joyful sound but has limited resonance and amplification. This is the kind of instrument that you would use in small entertainment venues and/or for personal enjoyment in the home. A few things to keep in mind in regards to this instrument. The strings need to be tightened when it arrives. You do this by turning the 4 white knobs towards you. Turning them away from you loosens the strings. Unless you have an excellent ear you WILL need to use the digital tuner. Figuring that out can be a bit of a challenge if you have never done it before so I suggest that you consult a musical store for a one on one instruction or watch a you tube video. Once you do it one time it comes naturally after that. The most tuning the instrument needs is when you first get it. After that you can pick a set frequency and just do it at the designated times. There is one thing about ukulele's in general that most certainly applies to this instrument as well. Their sound quality increases with time as they age. What it sounds like when it first arrives isn't exactly what it will sound like a few weeks or months down the road. With time the sound becomes richer. My wife just received the instrument a few days ago so she's still in the initial fine tuning stage. Right now the sound quality is lovely and she stated it was easy to play. She recommends using the picks because they help protect the skin on the fingers from irritation. The only improvement that my wife could suggest was the carrying case. She felt that if the case were firmer that it would protect the instrument better from damage. This is truly a beautiful instrument. It comes in a variety of colors. My wife's is pink. The price is affordable. It would be a wonderful gift for child or adult alike. My wife specifically mentioned that this would be perfect to use in schools during music class. Usable by musicians of ALL levels. It really provides so much for such a small instrument! My wife saw Tiny Tim sing "Tiptoe Through The Tulips" while playing the ukulele as a child. This whole experience has been both fun an nostalgic for her.I was provided this product at no cost to me in exchange for an honest unbiased evaluation.”

★★★★★★★★★★

“Ukulele arrived on time and in good packaging. The kit was complete and I was able to tune it up and play within minutes. Ukulele is made of durable plastic so good for beginner and fun playing. Only thing missing was chord chart...suggest that ADM provide.”

★★★★★★★★★★

“Great toy uke. I I am learning on it. Smaller than a real uke, but it's worth it for $30.My musically inclined friend said to replace the strings, but I am ok with them. They are very stiff and hard to push down, especially on the top fret. I get new calluses on my left hand whenever I play. Get a strong capo (I got this one and it works great https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GTSM8CK ) The picks that come with it are hard like guitar picks, not soft like ukulele picks are supposed to be. But they work if you want it to be very loud. Get a phone app to tune (imo the physical tuner is too much work). The ukulele will continuously loose its tune, but all ukuleles do this. I've had it for a few months now and it usually only becomes looses a few cents off after one play session.The neck strap is useless.I recommend getting using the guitar tabs app to find songs you like, or a service like Chordify or Riffstation if you want to play new or obscure music. also be careful if a pick falls in the hole. The neck is hollow and they can get stuck.The build feels like plastic and is smaller than a real uke. The tuning knobs are nice and don't rotate from the force of the strings. Be careful when you put it down though, as they may be pushed is resting on a flat surface.If you are just exploring or want a cheap toy to play on, I'd recommend getting this.If you are professional or have a larger budget, look for a real wooden uke. But even so, you may as well try this and return it for the price.”

★★★★★★★★★★

“**Update from 2 stars to 4 stars: 1/28/2025**ADM finally got in contact with me and sent out the missing items. The process took about a month because of shipping, but we are very happy with the customer service. See original review below.Original Review:2 stars because we've ordered this twice and both times there were issues. I also feel this seller has poor customer service. If I ever hear back from them and they resolve my issue I will update my rating/review.The first time, it came broken with one of the tuner knob screws being stripped out, so the string would just fall off. I contacted the seller through their website and never heard back. Poor customer service, but not that big of a big deal. We got a refund from Amazon, returned the defective Ukulele, and ordered a new one.The second one just came in and it's missing everything but the Ukulele and the black Ukulele bag. No strap, picks, e-tuner, extra strings, fingerboard stickers, training cards, cleaning cloth, or fingerboard stickers. My kid loves the Ukulele, but to me this is not getting my moneys worth, and it's definitely not what I paid for. The return/reordering process took quite a while so I'm not going to return it, but I do hope ADM sees this and can send me the missing items.Aside from that, my kid really does love it. He's 5 and it's a perfect size for him. He loves the color. He's bummed he doesn't have "the cool strap" and the learning cards. It seems well made. We don't have the e-tuner so it's probably not tuned, but it does sound nice. Not too twangy. Overall a very nice product...I just want all of what I paid for!”

★★★★★★★★★★

“An amazing instrument for the price-- at least, with the sale present. The tuner is excellent and helped me realize I was more flat than normal. While I have perfect pitch, because of a badly tuned piano I sometimes fall flat in noting. Using the tuner and my ear, however, I've noticed that some of my chords and notes can be off-- the C note when played on the A string is sharper than it should be, as is the A note played on the G string. While this would and shouldn't be a huge deal to a beginner just learning, it admittedly is something that can be quite distressing if you, like me, are much more inclined to notice such a thing. It sometimes leaves some of the chords sounding slightly muddied and not quite as pretty. Had it been the full 70$ price tag, I would certainly have a lot more complaints. This may be simply a fault of my own individual ukulele and not the entirety of the brand, but this may be something to consider.I would absolutely not have bought this product at its quality, let alone be praising it, had it been at the full 70$ price tag. While it is a good starting instrument as I've addressed, you should not invest that much money unless you're very serious about trying to learn or are willing to get a professional, near-perfectly tuned instrument. As a roughly 30$ investment however? Absolutely worth giving it a shot to see if it interests you.The strap for the ukulele is admittedly almost useless-- it doesn't keep the instrument secure for me at all, nor does it provide any form of rest-- if anything it simply feels like a failed accessory that gets in the way. The picks are nice and give off a good sound when used, which are helpful. I personally don't plan to use the stickers but I do appreciate them being included, as for a beginning that can be very useful, as is the twelve basic chords chart.I would consider paying more for such a product in the future if kinks like the messy tuning were to be ironed out and fixed. Otherwise, really love this instrument and glad I gave it a chance.”