**Professional 23 Inch Flamed Okoume Concert Ukulele for Adults & Beginners – Hawaiian Ukelele with Free Online Lessons (Whale Blue) – Perfect for Travel, Gifts & Music Lovers**

If you're looking at this, you're probably new to Ukulele and want to try it out, see if you like it, and find out if it's something you want to stick with. There are good beginner ukuleles at a little higher price point that might (or might not) be better, but for right now you want the lowest cost entry point on an instrument that won't frustrate your learning (by being difficult to play) and won't incur extra costs (it comes with all the necessary accessories). If that's you, then this is a great investment. If, on the other hand, you've already got a Uke or you're someone more advanced on another stringed instrument, I'd suggest you spend a little extra to find the one that most speaks to you because, while this is an incredibly good deal, if you get hooked on it you're going to want something else higher end and less palpably generic (and then you'll want another one after that - these things are a gateway drug). If you can already see that about yourself, consider moving up a couple price points. But if you're after value and just trying things out, something to learn on before you fully commit to something more spendy, this is absolutely the uke for you.Here's the breakdown:The Uke: Medium action, smooth finish, pretty well put together with no critical adjustments necessary to be playable right out of the box. The tone is a bit boxy/muddy at first, but it warms up after a couple weeks, brightens, even gets a little chimey...and it starts to hold tuning if you play daily after about 4 or 5 days (when the strings settle). It comes with Aquila strings, but honestly a lot of ukes at the lower price point say they come with Aquila strings and they're not all legit. I can only say that these are pretty smooth, not too hard on the fingers, and sound warm (if a little dull, probably just from sitting around on the shelf). The tuners are a little sloppy but they're secured well so they don't produce any buzz or anything, they just take more turns to tune up and are a little less precise than on a higher end instrument. They might be a little too heavy for this instrument, making it a hair top-heavy, but that's seriously nit-picking. The neck is the slim profile common to all the Chinese factory ukuleles under $100 (some like it, some don't - nothing about it should keep you from fretting a chord - I'm 6' with good sized hands and it's pretty comfortable on the concert model here). It's fairly generic in appearance, but it still looks like a serious instrument (scroll through all the pics - mine looks EXACTLY like theirs, so WYSIWYG). Now might you want to lower the action? Sure, and it's not that hard to lower the saddle (good skill to pick up if you're sticking with it); a little trickier to lower at the nut (which shouldn't be necessary based on this setup). While you're at it, treat yourself to those new strings you were curious about, polish up those frets, and oil that fretboard a little. Because that's the best part - at this cost you can learn to work on it without fear of the damage, try out different strings, discover all your personal preferences for a ukulele, and take that knowledge with you for your next instrument if it turns out this really is your jam. And the more you play it, the warmer sounding it will get (they kind of break in after a while).The Accessories: Strap buttons! 2 of them, even. Even if you play seated it's extremely nice to have and would cost you about half the cost of this package to have installed on another instrument. The strap's decent - neutral and appropriately sized. Pro-tip on the Tuner, select Uc mode for the correct tuning of this ukulele, and it does a serviceable job - it's not as sensitive and precise as the name brands, but it's pretty good. It also comes with a decent gig bag - it's form-fitting, medium thickness canvas (like a karate student's gi, if that helps), and lightly padded. It's just right for this instrument (but not something you'd likely keep to put your next, more expensive uke in). Still a lot better than the glorified grocery bags some of them come with (even at higher prices). There are also extra strings, which are definitely not the same as what's on it and aren't marked or branded (just get the ones you want down the road, the ones installed are fine for now). And there are picks, which I recommend you ignore unless you already know from a previous instrument that that's how you want to play (not sure how well the finish will hold up to that sort of thing, though, because that's really not what it's built for).The Virtual Goodies: Not great. The website is inaccessible unless you want to ignore all the security advice of your browser (and since I didn't keep going might still be inaccessible even after that). This means you can't actually register the warranty (although they might work with you on that by email). It appears that the lessons can already be found for free on Youtube, so there's not necessarily an added value there (and there's no lack of great places to learn online). They do give you a direct email to contact with problems, though, instead of handling it through Amazon, which could be a good thing. But were any of these things what drew you to this particular instrument/package? I doubt it.Bottom line: Experienced players and collectors, or those set on certain aesthetics - don't skimp, just get the thing you really, really want. The rest of you - the ones who want something to try out, who just want something to strum in your apartment, who want to get the basics down before graduating on (or those buying for anyone, adult or child who meets that description) - this is definitely for you. There are other ukes on Amazon in that category, too, but this really has got to be the best deal for that crowd.I have been using this ukulele for a few months before leaving this review. I am a beginner and it serves me well. Very nice sound. My only complaint is that the strings were a bit hard to press but it's not too big a deal. Some other reviewers mentioned that the uku wouldn't stay in tune for long. I want to point it out that it's pretty common for a new uku or when strings are changed. It takes a while for the strings to "stretch out". After you continue to play it for a while, you don't need to tune it very often.This lovely concert ukulele sounds about as good as it looks! You really get a great value for the price. I'm very impressed with the quality details of this uke. Specifically, the frets are nicely polished (no sharp edges at all), and the action is set pretty low, making it easy to play. The sustain is surprisingly strong, and the sound is crisp and clear, which I think is helped by the slightly curved back of the instrument. There are front fret markers and even side fret markers, as well as two strap buttons that make it so easy to use a strap when you're playing. The okoume wood pattern really pops with the blue finish, and it's got a cool slotted headstock that's a nice touch. It also comes with a black gig bag that's not super padded but does somewhat protect the uke. Some of the "cons" of this instrument are the nylgut strings that come with it. I know many people don't care much for those strings, but I simply changed them out for fluorocarbon strings for smoother playing. And the accessories that come with the instrument (other than the gig bag) are not useful. But that doesn't really matter, because the actual concert ukulele you receive is truly fun to play and a joy to look at. If you're looking for an affordable ukulele (whether you're a beginner or a more experienced player), I recommend this as a possibility to add to your collection.Made in china, but looks good and sounds good. Kid loves itI purchased this set after binging ukulele videos on YouTube, deciding I wanted to learn to play.I am not a connoisseur of ukes, but as a consumer who just purchased an item on whim, I feel this is a good deal. I did my research and read multiple reviews in different brands, checked all of the photos etc.I am impressed. The ukulele is really pretty. I love the design around the middle and the overall style. I love that the case is substantial and not just a plastic sack. It comes with a whole set of extra strings and not just 1 single string like I've read on other brands. As for the tutorial- my phone warned me that the site free lessons were offered on may be sketchy so i bypassed that and just stuck with YouTube. It is, after all, the reason i purchased one ;)The tuner that comes with this is cute and little. I downloaded one onto my phone and tested them both at the same time and they gave me the same info. The strap! I love that it is a cloth-like strap and bends and moves versus a plasticky strap like the kind on backpacks (if that makes sense).Again, for the price on this impromptu purchase, this is great. If i stick with it and learn enough that i want to pursue a fancier uke.. or not.. then this was still a great intention.In general very nice instrument. Mine, it is not tuning on each fret, but it is not serious.I bought another instrument from another company and I had to return it back because was not tuning at all. This one is playing well, 20 dollars chipper and the sound is very nice.Everything comes from the shipment is as described, except the free online course link does not work. But no big deal for I can find some courses in YouTube for me to begin with. My first ukulele. I am happy with the purchase, would recommend.My 8 year old likes it. Good package and good quality. Haven't used a online lessons, link don't work but its plenty of other YouTube videos availableJust the right ChoiceMy ukulele came damaged and it appears it was damaged prior to being shipped as the broke/missing piece is not inside the package. Very disappointed...