If someone asked you to create a Ukulele image in your head, we could bet that the size you have imagined would match the Soprano Ukulele size.
Hopefully, this explains how popular this model is a lot. Stay with us to find what’s all the fuss about.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks for Best Soprano Ukuleles
- OUR TOP PICK: FAMOUS FS-1G
- RUNNER-UP: Kala KA-SSTU-S Travel
- BEST BUDGET OPTION: Caramel CS419 Soprano
Table of Contents
- What is a Soprano Ukulele?
- What Types of Music is a Soprano Ukulele Best For?
- What Makes a Great Soprano Ukulele?
- Comparison of the Best Soprano Ukuleles
- Review of the Best Soprano Ukuleles
- Comparison Overview
- How to Tune Soprano Ukulele Without a Tuner
- How to Restring a Soprano Ukulele
- Conclusion
- People Also Ask
What is a Soprano Ukulele?
The soprano ukulele is the smallest Ukulele among them. It has the smallest body and neck and unlike the other Ukuleles, frets don’t always cut inside the body. The scale length is around 13-14 inches and the whole instrument is about 21 inches long.
Because of its physical limitations, the sound is bright and shallow when compared to other models. Also, the fret size might be too small for some players.
That’s why there are sub-types of Soprano Ukuleles:
Long Neck
It comes with a hybrid combination of the Concert-sized neck and frets installed on a regular Soprano body.
Pineapple Ukulele
Soprano-sized body but without a “trimmed” soundboard waist which improves the tone resonance.
What Types of Music is a Soprano Ukulele Best For?
Soprano Ukulele can be played in solo or in a group. It is best used for Folk, Pop, Country music genres, but any kind of outside singalong by the campfire will work. It’s kind of hard to define the usage of the Ukulele as the instrument because, in the end, it all depends on the end-user.
You can play any Music on it, including rock and even heavy metal. And if you purchase an Electric Ukulele model nothing stops you from plugging in effects pedals or processors so you can even distort your Ukulele sound or play the guitar lead if that’s what you wish to do.
What Makes a Great Soprano Ukulele?
Here are some of the usual check-ups that make every Soprano Ukulele great:
Workmanship
Everything starts from this point. If it’s done properly it won’t matter what wood have you used - it will simply sound good.
But workmanship doesn’t end up here. It also needs to polish the frets enough so they won’t cut the end-user or to check if there are any dents or unwanted glue marks and other trails left on the body finish.
And finally, it needs to check if the neck remains completely straight and if the whole instrument stays in tune.
Strings
Equipping different strings may cause a huge change. It can make mediocre Ukulele shine and move the best one from the budget line to the premium one. Having titanium strings instead of nylon will have a huge impact on your overall Ukulele loudness.
Fretboard
As Soprano is the smallest Ukulele model, its sound will be more clear and bright. Such tone requires faster action so the tension will probably be lowered and those models will mostly use Walnut fingerboard as it provides you much softer feeling beneath the fingers.
Lightweight
Soprano Ukuleles were meant to be carried everywhere. That’s why being lightweight is also an important aspect of the great Soprano Ukulele.
Comparison of the Best Soprano Ukuleles
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Review of the Best Soprano Ukuleles
Soprano Ukuleles is the currently most crowded Ukulele market, so let us help you out to pick the best models from various tiers:
Best Overall:
FAMOUS FS-1G
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
It is reported that this model is the same as Kiwaya FS-1 with the difference in geared tuners and much lower price. Action is often described as perfect and fingers seem to “fly” over the frets easily. They even dare to compare the overall impression of this instrument even with Martin Ukuleles.
Why it Stands Out to Us
If you get your research done, you will find out that this is the entry-level model of the Kiwaya Japanese brand placed under a different imported name.
When the price for such a tier is set so high, you can be sure that this specific model probably outshines all the laminated Mahogany Ukuleles on the market.
The build quality is best described if you just take a look at the finishing quality of the sound hole. Also, it’s incredibly thin and lightweight - that’s why it will be much louder than your regular Soprano and definitely holds a longer sustain.
Bottom Line
This is a true example of Japanese craftsmanship in terms of both sounds and builds quality coming from their oldest Ukulele company, Kiwaya. Also, it’s also an example that laminated models can outshine solid wood instruments when done properly.
Runner-up:
Kala KA-SSTU-S Travel
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Most users bought this product because of its portability and the first thing they have noticed is that it doesn’t sound like a toy. On top of that, it can fit even an open carry-on bag, so it’s even smaller than they would have expected to be.
Why it Stands Out to Us
It’s rare to find a travel model for Soprano Ukulele and Kala put special care to make this one right. Top is made from solid spruce, while the rest is made out of laminated Mahogany.
Such a combination of light and dark wood looks wonderful thanks to the thick black side bindings on both sides and the great dark color of the Walnut fretboard which can almost match the Ebony color.
Despite being incredibly slim, it sounds loud enough to not complain about it. We would guess that the combination of Aquila Super Nylgut strings and solid Spruce top produce such bright and clear output.
Bottom Line
This is probably the most versatile Ukulele you will find on the market. Spruce Top can compensate for a bit of its thin body, while your trip planning will be thankful for extra space you just have created with purchasing this model.
Best for the Money:
Caramel CS419 Soprano
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
They comment that having such an offer with all accessories included should be considered as thievery. Most users weren’t even considering buying a Soprano Ukulele, but at this price, they couldn’t resist and what’s more important, they didn’t regret it. Even those who don’t write reviews dropped by to say a good word.
Why it Stands Out to Us
It stands out to us because the whole offer simply doesn’t make any sense.
First of all, you’re getting an Electric Ukulele for the price of the regular one. And this one even comes with a full-color LCD tuner and classic slotted headstock with open tuners!
Then, if you even think about all the accessories you’re getting, you’ll be in trouble. Sorry, but there is no way to understand the math behind this offer. No other company offers you a wall hanger at all and yet Caramel manages to provide you even with Aquila Super Nylgut strings and12mm padded gig bag, too!
Bottom Line
Let’s put it simply. For the price of the entry-level Soprano, you’re getting a decent Electric Ukulele, a bunch of accessories, and even a guitar cable so you can plug into an amplifier. And all works properly. There is no way you can beat this offer.
Best Electric Soprano Ukulele:
Luna Guitars UKE HTS KOA High Tide
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Mostly, users are satisfied with the sound, preamp, and especially with the look. People who got it as a gift were overwhelmed.
But, they are a bit uncertain if it’s worth the current price, and more professional players have a feeling that the initial action could be changed a bit, though
Why it Stands Out to Us
All High Tide abalone motifs look gorgeous, but, for us, they look the best on this Dark Walnut fretboard.
It’s great that Luna used Koa wood for an Electric Ukulele body top as it generates a bit brighter sound. The reason why we like that is that it will be easier to cut it down to your personal taste thanks to the 2-band EQ than to boost it up.
Walnut seems to be a better choice for us for Soprano models as it’s softer than a Rosewood so it will help beginners and younger players to have that feeling they are flying across the strings.
Bottom Line
Electric models are always a handy investment if you’re planning to be anything more than just a weekend hobbyist. At this price, we honestly doubt that you will find a model that has both aspects, decent sound and beautiful look, so much balanced out.
Best Kala Soprano Ukulele:
Kala KA-EBY-S Bundle
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
It is mostly described as different. Quality control seems to be good and it was often purchased as an upgrade from an entry-level Ukulele model.
Why it Stands Out to Us
Stripped Ebony gives you a unique zebra-like chocolate grain texture on the body which is nicely combined with the regular bright Walnut fretboard. Motifs are a bit vintage and we like the fact that the rosette and main binding matches the bridge color instead of being plain white.
Combining Stripped Ebony wood with the Aquila Super Nylgut strings may break your expectations, though. By just looking at the instrument you would probably expect a dark and full sound. Instead, the overall sound characteristic is more bright and thin. At least the loudness and sustain are spot on.
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for an unusual Ukulele color choice and a different sound character, this Stripped Ebony Soprano will probably be your favorite. It’s a decent and laminated Ukulele with the price that feels just right where it should be.
Best Luna Soprano Ukulele:
Luna Guitars UKE HTS EXM High Tide
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
It is confirmed that this model looks similar to the images uploaded online and people are in love with its abalone fret details.
We literally couldn’t find any complaints about this model at all.
Why it Stands Out to Us
Some Ukuleles won’t stand out by its sound a lot. Apart from being equipped with Aquila Super Nylgut strings and having a bit sharper and vibrant it will mostly remind you of typical Mahogany sound.
But, the color of this body top and the design details are a completely different story and we would love to see such details on premium-priced models.
Abalone motifs on both rosette and Walnut fingerboard inlay are gorgeous. Once noticed we believe that everyone will want to take a closer look at it. Even bindings are taken differently so they represent a combo of Maple and Walnut lines.
Bottom Line
This Luna model fits perfectly between entry-level and semi-pro models in both sound and price range, so we find it as a good future investment. It's real eye-candy and its appearance may go your practicing a second wind whenever you feel stuck.
Best Lanikai Soprano Ukulele:
Lanikai Ukulele MAS
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Users see this model as a decent entry-level instrument which comes at a very affordable price and didn’t have too high expectations from it. It doesn’t exceed but it doesn’t fail on them and they had a lot of good words regarding the strings they provided along with the instrument.
Why it Stands Out to Us
Lanikai has made a decent Mahogany Soprano with the simple Matte finish.
It comes with a Walnut fingerboard which is a bit softer when you compare it to the usual Rosewood setup and the white bindings both upper and lower side which matches the lighter color of the fretboard and extends over the neck top line with fret markers printed in black.
Strap button is installed on the back so you can use it instantly with neck-on straps, and D’Addario EJ88 strings help you get a nice sustain right from the purchase.
It’s worth mentioning that Lanikai's limited lifetime warranty seems quite reasonable, too.
Bottom Line
This seems to be one of those “what you see is what you get” under $100 models with nice and plain vintage design. Build quality seems to be fine, so if you want to play safe, this model should give it to you.
Best Soprano Ukulele for Beginners:
Enya EUS-25D BU
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Players are saying that it’s one of the best bangs the for buck out there. Even professionals are impressed with it and would place it in three figures tier easily.
However, there are oppressed reports regarding its intonation, so we guess that the quality control should be improved.
Why it Stands Out to Us
Enya is a new company that has produced some really interesting models recently aiming mostly at the low-mid tier.
This specific one is ideal for all beginners because it has a good intonation thanks to 18:1 die-casting tuners. Having a solid Mahogany top should be more than enough to get a decent sound as well.
It also has a beautiful Blue Matte appearance with nice rosette motifs and it will provide you with a decent accessory bundle that covers all your beginner’s needs. Gig bag is good even for more expensive models and a chromatic clip-on tuner has a large and accurate display.
Bottom Line
They say that you have to trade features for budget models, but we couldn’t find anything wrong with this Enya model. It has the look, it doesn’t fail regarding sound and the accessories are more than good for this price.
Best Soprano Ukulele Under $200:
Ortega Guitars RU5CE-SO Electric
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Preamp is reported to work properly, and they were especially impressed how bright this model can sound in both acoustic and electric modes without being thin. It was mostly purchased as the first Electric Ukulele, but not the first Ukulele, ever, and generally, they were satisfied with the outcome.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This Electric Soprano is made from Spruce top and Sapele side and bottom which will produce brighter and cleaner sound with a lot of rich overtones together. That’s why we appreciate that it comes with extended 15 frets setup.
Such wood choice on the body inevitably generates basic vintage appearance which is fortunately improved with the engraving at the bottom right.
Speaking of electronics, it comes with a unique Ortega Magus Pickup system which provides you with basic dials for volume and tone shaping and a two-color chromatic tuner with clear and comprehensLCDplay.
Bottom Line
This semi-pro laminate Ukulele will the pace with your progress. You may not use cutaway benefits or electric preamp at the moment, but, if you keep practicing you will understand the benefits of having such features at your disposal.
Best Soprano Ukulele Under $100:
Donner DUS-2
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
In general, buyers felt they got more than they paid for. Intonation seems to be correct and the action is reported to be on the spot.
However, due to poor quality control, workmanship isn’t always that good, so they wouldn’t recommend this for kids as the frets might get too sharp and require additional polishing.
Why it Stands Out to Us
Donner is really capable of delivering low-budget instruments that can sound decent and this specific model will be a great investment for any beginner out there.
Zebrawood is a nice twist among regular Mahoganies you will find in this price range and having 15 frets instead of typical 12 is something you will find handy eventually as your playing skills evolve.
Even without accessories, this would be a good deal. But, with the gig bag that’s 15mm padded and a proper working tuner, it will be hard to find a much better one at this price.
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for an affordable first-time ukulele, you won’t find much cheaper models than this. But, on the other hand, you can be assured that this model will have all the sound traits you need for an effortless head start.
Comparison Overview
Here’s a quick overview of most usual Ukulele types comparison:
Soprano vs. Concert Ukulele
Soprano and Concert Ukulele have a couple of things in common so the difference isn’t so drastic.
First of all, they are both physically suitable for children of all ages while bigger adults may feel awkward while playing such a small instrument.
They have a similar sound with a bit of more resonance and depth present in the sound of the Concert Ukulele. Concert Ukulele also has a bigger frets,
The price also goes the similar way - Soprano Ukulis are just a bit cheaper.
They are so similar that there is a hybrid model called the Long Neck - it has a body of regular Soprano Ukulele and the neck of the Concert one.
Tenor vs. Soprano Ukulele
Tenor Ukulele is much larger in size than Soprano in both body and neck size. It’s larger than a Concert Ukulele, too, so it has a much fuller tone with nice and deep low-end. It’s also suitable for setting up the Titanium strings and tuning those strings into low G setup.
Speaking of price, usually Tenor Ukulele is more expensive and due to its larger size it won’t be suitable for all kids.
Baritone vs. Soprano Ukulele
If you would put those two next to each other you would wonder if they even share the same name. First of all, the tuning is not the same and the Baritone Ukulele uses a different setup (DGBE) than Soprano Ukulele (GCEA)
Also, price is different as Baritone is the most expensive model and their frets may resemble the one found on the acoustic guitar.
Baritone actually seems to be the easiest transition from and to playing a real Ukulele as the strings are set the same way as they are found on an acoustic guitar.
How to Tune Soprano Ukulele Without a Tuner
Tuning the Soprano Ukulele is not such a big deal once you know these couple of hints. When you have a tuner - the process is quite easy, you pluck the string and twist the headstock tuners until you get the note you want.
But for this purpose, we’re going to show you how tune your Ukulele into the standard GCEA tuning without tuner. which also works for Concert and Tenor Ukulele:
- Check the reference note from the video and pluck the first string from the top.
- Gently turn the dedicated headstock tuner until you get the wanted note.
- Bear in mind that note will rise or fall based on the direction you’re twisting the tuner.
- Once you hear the exact note, proceed with the other three strings and repeat the process.
- When you’re done, check the notes once more just to be sure your Ukulele remained in tune.
For this purpose, you can also use a piano or any acoustic instrument that’s in tune. If you want, you can repeat the process and tune the whole Ukulele in a full step upwards.
If there is a part you didn’t understand well, check the video below - it will demonstrate what we had just described:
How to Restring a Soprano Ukulele
Soprano Ukuleles use Nylon strings which don’t rust like the steel strings. That means it won’t snap easily and won’t have to be changed often. But, in case you need to replace it, string winder and cutter will come really handy.
Every Ukulele has a specific string length so be sure to buy the right one. Regarding string gauge one simple rule - the higher the open note, the thinner the string is. Or the other way: thicker string goes to the middle, while thinner are outside. String packaging should also provide a gauge and for what string it is intended for.
Unwind the string a little and cut it to shorten the removal time.
Pull the new strings through the bridge away from the neck. After you get about 2 inches on the other side tie it across the bridge by looping over and under and pull it tight.
Next, pull the string up to the headstock and pass the desired tuner for about 4 inches. Then, fill the tuner hole with the string, loop it around and go back through the hole to form a nice firm grip.
Use the strings winder to wind the strings from the inside of the head post by turning the tuner into an anti-clockwise direction. Take care so that every wind sits above the last one - this will staying in tune more accurately.
Repeat the process for all strings and make 5 to 10 turns around the post depending on the string thickness.
Now you’re ready to tune your strings. It may require a bit of extra returning until the string fits on.
At last, use string cutters to trim any excess string on the bridge or tuners, or leave them be if that’s your preference.
If you would like a video, please refer to the link below:
Conclusion
Soprano Ukuleles are the most affordable Ukulele models and therefore a great choice if you’re uncertain if playing music is your call. It won’t hit your wallet so much and if by any chance you decide to quit, it will easily find a place somewhere as a home decoration.
People Also Ask
It’s quite normal to have a lot of unanswered questions if you’re a beginner. That’s why we’re going to cover you some basics like the key in which the Soprano is tuned in, its size, number of frets, and what makes it ideal for your first Ukulele:
What Key is a Soprano Ukulele in?
Usually, all ukuleles are tuned in the C key. Sometimes it will be tuned in the D key so you can get two additional notes on the top.
If you want to play guitar songs, you should set capo at 4th fret (C key) or 2nd fret (D key) first.
Is a Soprano Ukulele Good For Beginners?
The soprano is the most affordable Ukulele out there. This usually means that you can buy a really great sounding Soprano Ukulele for half of the price compared to the Tenor one, for example. And because of its size, it’s also very suitable for young children, too.
How Big is a Soprano Ukulele?
The soprano Ukulele is the most portable Ukulele of them all. It’s also lightweight ranging from 0.65 pounds up to 1.32 pounds. The most usual weight is around 0.85 pounds and it all depends on the wood type that’s been used and if the model is specially made for traveling.
How Long is a Soprano Ukulele?
Soprano Ukulele is approx. 21 inches long. The fretboard scale is usually around 13-14 inches depending on how deep it goes into the sound board. This feature is optional and it’s up to every brand to decide based on their internal design.
How Many Frets Does a Soprano Ukulele Have?
The soprano Ukulele may have between 12 and 15 frets depending on the fact whether the fretboard goes a bit inside of the body or not. There is no general rule and it only depends on the company will they spread towards those 3 extra frets or not.
What Are the Strings on a Soprano Ukulele?
Soprano Ukulele has 4 strings and when looking from top to the bottom they are tuned in notes G, C, E, and, A. Usually, the first string is the highest, but you can also purchase an additional low G string and set it up one octave lower.
