The latest ukulele I am reviewing is the Naneki Concert Ukulele Cutaway Uke.
For those not familiar with Naneki, the brand is about providing quality ukulele for a low price. The brand is also part of Guangzhou Vines Musical Instruments Co., Ltd. in China.
It’s important to note that nearly every major ukulele that is not made of solid wood or koa, they are made in China.
The company is known for research and manufacturing all kinds of guitar, ukulele, violin and accessories and also offer wholesale and OEM services and among the brands under Vine are SMIGER and NANEKI. SMIGER featuring ukulele over the $100+ range, and Naneki under the $100 range. [UPDATE: This ukulele is now sold as a SMIGER ukulele].
I am reviewing the Naneki Concert Ukulele Cutaway Uke which is offered for under $50, while the electric version is under $66 and to make things even cooler, in addition, there is currently a coupon to save 10% off.
Not only that, you get a gig bag (a little padding), a strap, tuner (does it all…guitar, uke, violin, chromatic, etc.), plastic picks (standard plastic picks, not felt) and spare/backup Aquila Supernylgut strings. Which is awesome and great for those looking for an introduction, first-buy ukulele for the price!
The ukulele features a mahogany laminate for top, back, side and neck with matte natural finish. The uke features a Graph Tech NUBONE Nut and saddle install and you have Aquila Nylgut strings.
Laser etchings near the soundhole.
You’ll find strap pegs on the bottom and one near the neck.
I like the fact that this Naneki ukulele is a concert because typically for this price, it’s a soprano.
You get fret marks on the side which is great for the beginners and action is not high at all.
One of the things that worry me about inexpensive ukulele are the tuning pegs. Even after heavy use to stretch out the strings, they lose tune because the tuning pegs are poor.
The tuning pegs are better than some of the cheaper ukuleles but they are not great. You’re not going to get the awesome tuning pegs from a higher end uke on a cheaper uke, but that’s to be expected.
Fortunately, the tuning pegs have held up, but it’s important to note that you really need to stretch out Aquila strings. It takes some time, depending how much you play, so in the beginning, you’ll do quite a bit of tuning. But to make sure they are stretched and played, pluck the strings a bit (not too much) but enough to stretch them out. Strum a lot, play a lot and tune until you notice that you don’t have to tune as much.
This ukulele is not a flat back, it’s bowed which I am guessing to help expand and contract with locations that are prone to humidity.
Overall, as a first-purchase ukulele for under $50, it’s actually a cool deal considering you get a gig bag, tuner, strap and a few picks.
I like the idea of the cutaway, which is great if you want to do tremolo but it’s a good touch!
This is a very good ukulele for the price. I’ve reviewed ukulele for around the price point and not only do they give you less, the tuning pegs are terrible and you literally can’t play more than 2-3 minutes on it.
I do recommend this Naneki ukulele for those on a budget. Some may wonder if they should go for the electric ukulele which is $15 more. It depends if you have an amp and what kind of pickup is used.
In addition, the company offers a lifetime customer support as well.
Overall, with the 10% discount plus the fact it’s under $50, you’re getting quite a bit for a beginner’s set. It also makes for a wonderful first time owner ukulele and the fact that it’s a concert ukulele and not a soprano for the price is awesome.
For the price and a beginner’s concert uke, the Naneki Concert Ukulele Cutaway Uke is recommended!
