MK-SS/BLU Makala Shark Soprano Ukulele, Blue, One Size

*Update 4.12.16* Well, it's nearly a year since I first started practicing (on and off! YIKES!) and I still love this Shark NKA "Bacon." It took a week or 2 for this uke to keep it's tune, but now, I can go several weeks without playing her and she'll still be - for the most part - in tune. At the most, a slight turn of a tuner or 2. I read a couple reviews here that say it's wood. IT IS NOT WOOD. The fretboard is... maybe the neck. but the body is a resin/plastic mold. Which would explain why the sound is so bright. Now that I have something to compare it to (my Lanikai named King) I've come across some distinguishing factors. For one - the sound. Like i said, it's very "Bright" sounding, if you will. It projects sound very well. The strings are awesome to me - then again, both my ukes have aquila strings and I'm happy with that. It comes in all kinds of colors. I love that they have fun colors and designs Quality, not just affordability - I did research on price points and quality before I chose this uke. Being that I was starting on a whim, I didn't want to fork over a whole lot of money on a ukulele that in a month or so may lose interest in. I am still pleasantly surprised at the quality of this uke. I'm sure a very seasoned ukeleleist (if there is such a word) may disagree, but as an adult beginner, this was the best purchase I believe I made. I've since moved on from this uke, but time and again, I come back to it. Especially when I'm learning a new song that's litter harder for me to work with. It just seems that I can play around a tune easier on Bacon. Anyhow, After almost a year later, I still highly recommend this and believe this is a great quality uke to start off with. You won't have to spring for new strings as it comes with Aquila ones. Just remember, as with any new instrument, it takes some time to break it in and mold to how you play it. UPDATE: I've been practicing the uke off and on now for about a month. I'd say within a few days of constantly tuning it, It pretty much has stayed in tune. I only have to make slight adjustments every so often. To me the sound is amazing, but I don't have a comparison for it. It doesn't feel cheap "plastic-y." Definitely a great starter uke for all. So far this is JUST based on first impressions. I can't actually try it out until I get home... BUT - it's got a beautiful sound - deep and wide - not toy, like. The strings are white Aquila strings so I didn't have to purchase any to swap out. :) The uke's green color is quite deeper than the "sea foam" green it appears as online. This particular item comes with a dust jacket (same material as a LV purse dust jacket) I think people are assuming it comes with an actual nylon/polyester case and it's not. So far so good. I'll update this as soon as I get home to try it out!

My brother-in-law is a music teacher, so I recently borrowed a Makala Dolphin from him to see if I liked it before buying a ukelele myself. It is what his school purchased, so it's what both he and all his students use. It seemed pretty solid and easy to play (plus it's cute - the one I borrowed was almost hunter green), and I imagine his school wouldn't have spent the money on a bunch of crappy ukes. However, the strings that come with the Dolphin were incredibly frustrating! I found it very difficult to strum properly, and sometimes the chords sounded terrible to the point where I'd stop and check my fingers only to find that I was doing everything right - just the black strings that come with the Dolphin sound awful. (I tuned them often, too, so it wasn't that.) After looking into other ukes, I decided to buy the Makala Shark, which currently costs the same as the Dolphin and has some nicer (in my opinion) colors, plus the shark vs. the dolphin makes it look less like a school instrument. My Shark came with Aquila strings, meaning I didn't have to change them out, making the Shark ultimately a slightly less expensive investment than the Dolphin. (Also good because I'm still a novice and don't really want to have to learn to replace strings just yet.) I figure that if I want to buy something nicer down the line, I'll either just keep the Shark as a fun ukelele or let my sons learn on it. (One is already interested and is almost five, so we'll see.) If not, I'm happy to keep playing my Shark. Otherwise, it's a great uke! It's easy to play and so attractive in every color they offer. The "bag" (if you want to call it that - it does have a handle) is sufficient for keeping crud out of or away from your uke while you're not playing it, but it provides no cushioning whatsoever if someone puts something on top/next to/leaning on it. It is made out of the same material that a thin reusable shopping bag is made out of. In fact, some of my shopping bags may even be thicker. You can buy packages with this uke that include gig bags, but they're mostly plain black bags, which are fine but a little boring to me. I'm glad I opted not to get a package because I wanted to pick my own bag that isn't plain black. Good luck and happy playing!

This is a fantastic ukulele for beginners. I started out playing around on a pink Mahalo ukulele I borrowed from my local library, which probably cost about $25-$30. Realizing how much fun it was to play around on, I knew I needed one of my own. I spent a lot of time looking for just the perfect ukulele, and as soon as I saw the shark bridge, I knew I had found the one. For the price, the quality of the instrument is great. It's a huge step up over the Mahalo ukulele I learned on, and more than makes up for the price difference. My ukulele came with Aquila strings installed, and (after about 2 weeks of constant tuning) the tone is fantastic. I ordered the "green" ukulele, and the color is very true to the photograph, and nice sort of tropical teal. The shark bridge really sets the ukulele apart, and makes the instrument so fun to play. Some things to note before you buy: part of the ukulele is plastic. It still has a great sound, but if you're expecting an all-wood instrument, you will be surprised. Also, the carrying case included is just a thin fabric case with a handle, so it won't protect your ukulele from much more than dust. If you intend to travel with the instrument, you may want to keep the box it ships in, or invest in a sturdier or padded case. In addition, if you're more familiar with the Mahalo ukulele I've mentioned, you'll remember that the Mahalo has squared edges around the entire body. The Makala shark has rounded edges on the back, which (combined with the plastic material) does make the instrument slippery. Overall, however, this is my favorite purchase of the year. I'm so excited that I tried out playing the ukulele, and choosing the Makala shark ukulele was 100% the right choice.

Es un muy buen ukelele para iniciarse con el instrumento, suena bastante bien, las cuerdas son Aquila, se mantiene afinado. El diseño es precioso, el color es mas brillante que en la foto. Calidad-precio es uno de los mejores ukeleles que he visto, lo recomiendo

buen producto y de excelente calidad

It has a massive sound for such a small instrument. Really well made and the finish is superb. Some people don't like the body being made out of plastic and wood. If you are worried about that, don't be. It has great tone and resonance. Give it a week or two and it will stay in tune after some honest playing. The person I bought it for is over the moon about it and has learned many, many, many songs on it.

Ho acquistato questo ukulele mesi fa, ho cambiato le corde con le LAVA series e l'effetto di contrasto tra le corde nere e il colore azzurro è bellissimo. Il suono è bello e lo strumento mantiene bene l'accordatura. Onestamente lo consiglio!

Comprato per mio figlio che sta imparando. Bellissimo il colore e il suono non è male.