Concert Ukulele

I first purchased the HM121MG Deluxe mahogany (in the natural wood color) Soprano Ukulele and was 100% satisfied. Now I have just purchased the Concert sized in purple and it is GORGEOUS! I am new to Ukulele and, while it was tempting to want to try a different brand to get a feel what what else is available, I ultimately decided to go with Hola! again for a few key reasons and was not disappointed! There doesn't seem to be too much difference between their Soprano I purchase and Concert Ukulele but there are a few nice features such as the closed tuning backs that make it even just a bit nicer. The concert sized is just a little bigger and was easy to transition to after playing the soprano. I'm taking lessons and my instructor recommended I get a concert size for myself (the soprano size is for my son). I strongly recommend watching the videos they have for each of their products which will tell you all about the features of each of their lines.Because they were so similar right down to the very nice, snug, padded gig bags, I decided I wanted a different color. I really LOVE this purple- I was a little worried when I first ordered it but I promise the pictures do not do it justice! it is a nice deep, almost plumb color. You can see some of the wood grain through it which gives is some nice detail and depth. It kind of changes color in the light and will look a little lighter or darker depending on the light source. I think the blue would be equally beautiful. The colors don't seem to be like so many other Ukes on Amazon with very bright, shiny colors (not that there is anything wrong with that!) But I wanted something that looked a little more mature and professional but still fun as I hope to be able to play in public one day. My instructor was so impressed, that he is now seriously considering buying one for himself! LOLAnother biggie for me in my decision making was knowing that I am supporting an AMERICAN company that hand makes their instruments in the US!The free lessons are also very nice- I had never heard of Take Lessons before but it is an amazing platform. What you get for free is actually access to a variety of GROUP lessons. Some examples of what some of the beginner group lessons would be like are: Basic Strumming Patterns, and Playing songs for beginners...If you want individual instruction, that is a separate charge, but you can choose from dozens of different instructors and pay for 15-60min lessons depending on your budget. Each instructor has their own profile and you can choose someone who you think will be a good fit. So far, I'm very happy. If you have a hard time figuring out how to activate your free 2 months, just respond to the email you get from Hola! After your instrument arrives and they will send you a link to get started.Well, congratulations if you've made it this far into my rambling review LOL...I hope you found my review to be helpful.

Date of Purchase - late June 2020Pandemic Status - full-blown work-from-home, everything is on lock-downMental State - Not good... some might say bad.Lock-down Hobbies - Revisiting old video games I haven't played in a long time (Titanfall rules!), ordering food from Door Dash, drinking Gin & Tonic on my front porch every night (Hendricks Orbium + Fevertree Elderflower tonic - I dare you to tell me it's not frickin delicious), yelling at the kids on my block for playing too loud after consuming aforementioned beverages.I'd already fixed everything that needed fixing in my house + several really unnecessary updates. I'd only left the house a few times since lock-down began and was beginning to drive my entire family insane."I should learn to play acoustic guitar, I thought." I watched a few videos and thought, "I should learn an instrument that's easier!"I'm already pretty much an expert at the recorder (played that a couple weeks in 5th grade music class), so I decided ukulele would be my jam. 4 strings on a ukulele vs. 6 strings on a guitar... that should 33% easier to learn (if my math is correct and that logic applies to learning a musical instrument).I did a little research and my guy Ricky Somborn on YouTube (I don't really know him, but you should still check out his channel) recommended this model as a starter model and I bought it.I've watched ton of tutorials and I'm now o.k. at playing a few chords.Pros -Easy to tune and holds tune very well.Fairly soft touch compared to many "starter" ukuleles.Unique color/design.Great value - priced well for what you get.I've stopped yelling at the neighbor kids because I'm focused on my music career (still drinking those G&Ts though)Cons -Nothing really serious.The sounds is pretty good for the price point, but it could be better (i've since upgraded to a Kala tenor)My family has to hear me repeat chord progressions over and over.

Have had it for a little over 2 months now. My first ukelele however not my first stringed instrument. Let's talk about the add ins first then the ukelele. You get 3 picks all of various sizes. They seem sturdy however I find that strumming with picks can be very irritating sometimes because of the slick texture. Next the strap. The strap is sturdy and reliable (even though the ukelele weighs as much as a sandwich) I find that I really enjoy using it. I would enjoy it more if the color wasn't an eye sore. It is a weird worn rainbow look and rainbow in general is a awful sight in my opinion. The case is cool. Not the biggest fan. I mean it works but the pocket is too tight to pull anything besides the picks in and the staple on the back is kinda small and I'm a normal sized guy. Finally the ukelele, its amazing for the price. It is solid, light weight, and makes the right sound. There is only one nick pick I have and that would be the top frett is kinda sharp/ pointy and can be uncomfortable during prolonged use. I really enjoyed this and would recommend.PRO TIP- Dont be a dummy like me and buy the hola dancer. It looks awful....Without experience- the tribal one doesn't look too good either. The tip is - buy a solid color on with no stupid doodles on it. If you want doodles do it yourself even if you can't draw or etche worth a crap, it will probably look better than the stupid hola dancer.