Daniel Ho Concert Ukulele Starter Pack Review

   

    As many of you know,I'm always on the lookout for good quality ukes for my store,so I ordered one of these Daniel Ho starter packs to see what it was like. And I was most pleasantly surprised. This Alfred starter pack is superior to the other Alfred starter pack I reviewed previously. This is the uke I would recommend to anyone who just knows uke is for them,beginner or not. If you're looking for a first concert size ukulele and you're on a budget,this gem is for you. The body is made from Sepele wood,which is a wood from Africa that reminds one of mahogany in appearance. The tone is rich and full and I heartily recommend tuning it in the low g tuning. The body is app. 2 1/2" thick. CHunkiest body I've ever had on a uke and it rocks! I've never had a uke I could do this with before and it's opened up the melodic range of the instrument (I can now play a low G below middle C for the first time!) it also make chords sound super rich. 

    

       

      It sports open geared tuners,and no plastic parts- the bridge saddle and nut are bone. Fret markers are not only on the fingerboard,but they're on the side of the neck as well. This uke sports 19 frets,and has a strap pin installed. I do find it necessary to play with a strap on this size,and I also use one of my handcrafted strap adaptors to keep the strap out of the way of my fretting hand. 

      The pack includes the instructional DVD Daniel made,in addition to a CD,a chord chart in a handy take a long size,and the music to "Pineapple Mango" for a duo or ensemble. A gig bag is also included with an accessory pocket and a strap comes with it too,so that's a cool thing. The gig bag can be carried either like a regular case or backpack style. 

       If you're used to soprano uke (which I am) the longer neck may throw you a bit at first. Speaking of the neck,it's thinner than most which makes barre chords a snap. The strings stretch a bit in the beginning,but nothing like some strings I've had to get settled in before. 

    

  I would give this ukulele starter pack a rating of a 10. Bridge is in the right spot as I measured to be sure,and it's a wonderfully easy to play budget model with a big money sound. You can order one here: Daniel Ho Concert Ukulele Starter Pack I'm the only one offering it on eBay right now. 

               

Review of the Alfred Ukulele Starter Pack (Soprano)

      I'm always looking for new inexpensive ukuleles,and so I had to check out the Ukulele Starter Pack before I offered it for sale. It arrived yesterday. Nicely boxed and well packed,I met the Fed Ex guy at the door to ensure it wasn't tossed about. 

Alfred makes a kids' version of this too,which is basically the same pack except the how to play guide is aimed at children. The ukulele is a very sturdy,solid constructed one with open geared tuners which work smoothly. The frets are nicely filed and no rough edges or bumps as you move up and down the neck. Action is very decent,and it's very easy to do barre chords on,even at the 1st fret. The tone is impressive-I've had other brand ukes in this price range and they had a "dead" tone tho they were also well crafted. Alfred's "Firebrand" soprano has a sweet full tone to it that would be much improved by a decent set of strings.  And speaking of strings,there is a spare set included with this starter pack.....but they're not individually packaged. All bundled together in a plastic envelope with no string name tags attached,wasn't the brightest thing they did. The strings stretch forever and a day-so if you're giving this to a friend or family member and you're a player,do them a favor and stretch the strings for them so they won't have a horrible time tuning it.  It doesn't come with a tuner either,so bear that in mind. 
       

 

   It sports a satin finish in a basic brown shade,with a gold decal around the soundhole. It comes with a method book,CD,and DVD on how to play,so the recipient of this uke will have plenty of good direction to go on. The gigbag is what I call a "minimal" one,being of non padded nylon with a zipper and a strap for over the shoulder carrying in addition to a regular handle to carry it like a briefcase. All in all I give it a 9 as far as being a good enough quality instrument to either take along with you instead of your vintage one,as well as being a good first uke for one on a budget or a child as you don't know if they'll stick with it or not. 

   Which brings me to a point I want to make to parents-do not buy your child an expensive instrument when it's their "first". I've seen many a parent wanting the best for their son or daughter, spend the farm on whatever instrument they decide they will like,just to find the child either has no interest or wants to play a different instrument. So-this starter kit,in my opinion,is perfect for children 7 and up. Great quality and playability at a minimal price,and if they fall in love with uke playing,you can always get them another higher quality ukulele next birthday or Christmas. Personally,I always like having a "beater" around to take with me without fear or something happening to it. And,as many a ukulele player will tell you, moderately priced instruments get played a lot more than the fancy expensive ones do.  The link at the beginning of this entry is a direct link to my Bonanza Booth where I have these kits in stock....and you'll get an additional 10% off at checkout!