Reddit mentions of Makala MK-SD/RDBURST Dolphin Bridge Red Burst Soprano Ukulele, Red Burst, one size

Definitely a Makala Dolhpin! The thing is practically indestructible since it's mostly made of plastic. It sounds great too if you put some Aquilas on it. I know you said she's not destructive but this thing will last forever because of its durability.

The ukulele is probably one of the easiest instruments to learn, full stop! Even if you only spend an hour a week practising, it's surprising how much you can learn.

If you're playing jazz standards, the best thing to do would be to try and learn from lead sheets and chord charts to any simple songs you can find. That said, this material can be quite harmonically complex, so you're probably better off starting by learning easy pop songs, just so you can pick up the basic chords.

I'm assuming you're American? I can't speak for the prices there, but this ukulele model is pretty universally regarded as one of the best beginner ukuleles, and they come in all sorts of colours, so going by that, you should probably not spend any less than about $50.

If you have any more questions feel free to ask :)

Ukulele! A one-time purchase of a decent, cheap ukulele, strings, and a tuner. From there on, the internet is FULL of free online lessons and music sheets. I can't tell you how much my ukulele has brought me joy in the year and a half or so that I have been playing it!

If you want to turn it into something social, you might even have a ukulele jam session in your area. I have been shocked to find easily a half-dozen within a 30-45 minute drive of me, and that's with a casual search. I have attended some in sun-lit parks in the summertime, in bars, in community centers, you name it. Ages are mixed, backgrounds are mixed, music spans the gamut, all really friendly and fun people. But that's just if you want to try a group, which is by no means necessary.

Edited to add: My recommended beginner ukulele is the [Kala Makala Dolphin](http://www.amazon.com/Makala-Dolphin-Bridge-Soprano-Ukulele/dp/B002ZSE9ES} (there is also a Shark line that is pretty much the same, but different styling). Comes in tons of fun colors and is a good setup for a beginner price point. Get Aquila strings, and a tuner and you're set for a long time. There are some sets which include a tuner, basics video, and the uke, you just need to buy the strings separately. I get no kickback or anything from these suggestions. It's just what I started with and what I have bought friends as gifts, and been really happy with it.

I personally like this red burst ukulele with the subtle dolphin bridge. Really brings it all together for me. Then I also stumbled upon this tropical treasure.. All this talk of ukes make me think of Stitch so here is a video.

Oh and an add on under $5 I've been really wanting.

Mahalo!

Makala Dolphin. The internet agrees its the best cheap uke out there, even better if you can have it properly "setup" or buy it form someone who sets them up.

Other best bet rom my personal internet research, --> Kala. Reliable. Super reliable. Again, find someone who will set it up for you.

http://www.amazon.com/Makala-Dolphin-Bridge-Soprano-Ukulele/dp/B002ZSE9ES/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395195442&sr=8-1&keywords=makala+dolphin

or

http://www.amazon.com/Kala-KA-15S-Mahogany-Soprano-Ukulele/dp/B001LU1SFO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395195469&sr=8-1&keywords=kala+soprano+ukulele

Here is the mobile version of your link

If you're buying in store, be sure to ask the people there for help. Guitar Center is really good for buying ukuleles too! If you have the time, learn what GCEA sounds like, because these are the notes you tune a ukulele to. If you can recognize those notes, you'll be able to tell that the ukulele you're inspecting is tuned correctly, try a C note (with the neck in your left hand and the body in your right, press your ring finger on the bottom string on the 3^rd fret and strum all four strings). This will let you know how the sound is, but if it's subpar be sure to ask an employee what's up--the ukulele itself could be constructed poorly or it might just have cheap strings on it--one will cost lots of money to fix, the other about $5 and half an hour.

With a cheaper ukulele, I recommend geared tuners as they're much easier than friction tuners. The little turner things at the top of your ukulele are tuners, and (no duh) they tune the strings. Geared tuners have little gears, or sometimes tiny boxes that conceal the gears (you may or may not think these boxes are ugly, that's a personal choice). Friction tuners are just pegs that the strings are attached to. Friction tuners work by just stretching the string a little bit--I don't think that they affect the life of the strings in any way, but I do know that most people find them more difficult to use than geared tuners, as the movements are more precise. Geared tuners use a system of gears to tighten the string around the peg, and usually make it easier to accurately tune the string.

Obviously, check for any scratches, dings, or dents in the instrument. The fret wires (the metal lines on the board where your fingers go) shouldn't jut out over the edge of the neck, and they should be sanded down so you don't cut yourself when you play. Make sure that all the pieces of the ukulele fit together well--poorly attached pieces will affect the sound and might even fall right off!

If you're buying online, obviously you can't check for most of these things. Do a ton of research (lots of people have already given great resources, GotAUkulele is one of my go-to sources!), or go with one of the standard /r/ukulele favorites:

The Makala Dolphin is an unofficial gold standard for starter ukes. It's relatively cheap and not half bad for its price, and it comes in a lot of colors and has a cute lil dolphin for a saddle!

The Mahalo U-30 is cheaper and uglier than the Dolphins, these ukes are also not bad for the price. This was my first uke, and while the other one I own now is a lot better, I don't regret buying this one for a moment! It's probably the cheapest ukulele I would recommend to a friend--anything cheaper than this is going to be junk. It also comes in a variety of colors.

Ukulele. The Makala Dolphin is a really great ukulele for the $45 price tag (especially if you blow the budget by $2 for some Aquila Nylgut strings) and there are tons of places to get tabs of all skill levels. I got my first uke for Christmas a year ago, and haven't stopped playing since.

Granted, it gets real expensive once you start buying more ukes and more accessories for those ukes, but none of that is actually necessary.

A Makala Dolphin plus a New Set of Stringswill cost you about 50$ but is probably the best option. It has a good build and is a great beginners uke, also remember that you will need a case + tuner + capo (if your into that) in order to use it properly. The Dolphin also becomes a great travel uke once you get a nicer one.

If you really want a wooden uke (doesn't make to much of a difference at a budget imho) than go with something like a Kala MK-S Bundle

I will recommend the Makala Soprano. I bought one last year when I was in college for around $50. It sounds great for the price! (the sound isn't quite as twangy as some of the other cheaper uke models that I have played)