Ranch Left handed Concert Ukulele 23 inch Professional Wooden ukelele Instrument with Padded Ukele Gig Bag

This is a wonderful kit to buy as a beginner, intermediate or "beach/camping" ukulele player who wants to try a tenor size uke. I have been playing a concert-sized Cordoba 15CM for the past couple of years and I love the sound and quality of that instrument, but wanted to try the slightly larger size of a tenor ukulele. I did a lot of research and the Ranch product received enough rave reviews that I figured I'd try it. It has turned out to greatly exceed my expectations in all respects.Pros: - great quality construction- the wood and polish look very rich and don't look cheap at all- keeps in tune- fullyw enclosed all-metal tuning gears- includes Aquila nylgut strings (these make all the difference in sound and play)- frets are well placed, smooth, and the right height for fast chording- the slightly rounded back helps make the sound rich and quite loud without sounding tinny or cheapCons: - the included tuner device is okay, but not great... I use my KLIQ Ubertuner instead (it's great!)- I don't usually use a strap when playing, but I found that the included strap is just okay for holding the instrument, if you want to use a strap at all.- This Ranch tenor uke weighs only about an ounce heavier than my concert sized Cordoba, even though it's 3 inches longer and the center of gravity is about an inch further up the neck than the Cordoba concert uke. It feels a little "neck heavy" to me because the body is so light, but I got adjusted pretty easily to this.All in all, I think this is a great sounding, high quality, easy to play ukulele that I'm happy to use for pretty much any purpose and proud to take to jam sessions.

Short -- Very impressed with this product, great mid-range gift idea (for someone not too young), good introduction to other string instruments or music-making in general. Keep in mind that this model does come with a rather nice little gig bag to store/carry the uke in, but does not come with an accessories kit like other, similar models from Ranch Ukulele. Great customer service here, as well.--I have had zero physical contact with a ukulele prior to ordering this one, but a long-distance friend of mine turned me on to the concept of trying it out, since I have played instruments off and on for a hobby over the years.I did a little research on ukulele quality, as I sort of knew the less expensive ones can be... a baby step into the musical world. I didn't want to pay out an excessive amount for a new instrument, either, not knowing how much I'd enjoy it. Regardless, I'm rather impressed by what I found here.I assume I hit a sweet spot on quality and price. It's rather beautiful for such a basic design - simple, clean, and... I guess I'm a bit biased on the color! But I can't find any faults with the craftsmanship here, for the price point. I have heard of issues on lower-priced ukuleles with the tuners keeping the strings in tune, sometimes not even through songs. The strings that came with this seem to be quite a popular brand, however, and the tuners don't seem to slip.I did have a few issues with tuning for the first several days, but I assumed this might be normal with nylon strings. After a day or two, it sounded just fine until I'd pick it up hours later, and after a full week I barely had to tune it up to pitch after sitting.And the sound! I'm sure there is a distinct difference compared to more pricey models, but... I was really surprised after I found the right spot to strum on the tenor. I suppose I've been around far too many $5-10 "guitars" and "ukes" from the toy section... Regardless, while I'm not great at playing it just yet, I do feel like I can make -music- instead of just noise with it!I do play some guitar, so I have a -little- experience with string instruments, but nothing to write home about. I was able to play some simple stuff from the first day, but considering the size, number of strings, and basic chords, I believe anyone could enjoy their first time with a ukulele and want to learn and play more. It would be a great gift for someone who hasn't played an instrument before.If your prospective giftee is a bit on the younger side, and you're afraid they might be rough with it, I would suggest a cheaper model for now, just in case. If you feel they're old enough to respect any instrument as more than a toy, though, I feel this would be a great place to start!Ranch Ukulele does offer "Free Online 12 Lessons" with this purchase, which is offered on a printed sheet coming with the instrument. The backside of this sheet shows 30 basic chords to get you started, but the rest of this offer is fulfilled on their website. Just something to keep in mind for anyone who might still have limited access these days.The lessons and courses are quite fine, 12 lessons indeed, and as of this review, 7 song lessons on top of that. You'll soon find yourself looking elsewhere for more tips and songs/chords/ideas to keep you going, but it's definitely a place you can start learning.All-in-all, I consider this a great purchase, and I'll be recommending Ranch Guitar to anyone looking for their first ukulele!

The media could not be loaded. A small story of how I found the Ranch Ukulele. I am a high school teacher of 30+ years and for the first time ever am facilitating several independent studies classes. One young man selected the music industry careers as his topic for the semester. I asked if he played an instrument and his response of "no, but I want to" started a group quest to find what might work for him. Fairly soon I was working with half a dozen students wanting to try the Ukulele. One of the young men said he know someone who could play and would ask him to come to teach some of the basics. He agreed and the quest for instruments began.After several days of research, begging family and friends to help, we finally received a couple of classroom instruments. One teacher, six students, and 2 ukuleles make learning next to impossible. One of the girls told me she found the ukulele she was going to get for class. Her eagerness to share the find caused me to slow down and take a look. She had actually found a ukulele that was not too expensive and looked a lot better than the "toy" ones she first wanted. I agreed to order it for her and she could pay me back in installments. Fast-forward to now, I also learned that the young man who was teaching us had a bumper sticker on the back of his ukulele that covered the rather large crack which happened when he either dropped it or his sister sat on it. He liked the Tenor size because of his "sausage fingers" and the sound, so I ordered THIS Ranch Tenor with him in mind.I wish I would have recorded his first reaction to this Ukulele. He was very surprised to find out how much I paid and kept reinforcing his Hawaiian ukulele was three times that amount. HE LOVED THE SATIN FINISH because he has sweaty hands and the high gloss varnish causes a slippery grip. His praise of the Ranch ukulele has not stopped since the first day I let him play it. Ukulele fever is spreading and I believe we have found one of the BEST Beginner Ukuleles Amazon has to offer.Hope the videos convey the quality in construction, the sound, and the fun of play.