I got a great eBay deal on this model, but the fret edges were sharp, and I had to file them down myself. Other than that, it's a lovely instrument with the "chime-y" tone you mention. Definitely recommend, both as a first uke or a workhorse.
I just wanted to say I've been watching so many of your reviews and this review just finally helped me decide to buy this ukulele! Just ordered new for £85 online in England and it will be my first ever musical instrument. Was originally going to get the Luna tattoo and your review of it has saved me a whole bunch of disappointment, so thank you!
Just wanted to check in and say I am in LOVE with it. Haven't been able to put it down since it arrived, I'm obsessed. So so happy. Thank you very much!!
Thanks man. I was searching an ukelele to start and was trying to choose between Aklot, Enya OMS, Donner and this one. But in the end I think I'll get this Cordoba. Thank you so much for all the reviews in your blog, were really useful for me. Great content!
Speaking honestly - whilst they are cheaper - I think the Donner and Enya are FAR closer to this Cordoba than the price suggests. I'd personally take the saving and still get 95% of the uke sound quality. I think Cordoba are over priced
@@GotAUkulele Thats a good advice. Maybe I'll take the Enya OMS-04 then, I like its sound more than the Donner one. And just one question, do you know KALA-LTP-C and Luna Tattoo? Both are being sold at $80-90 more or less
I see a lot of people dismissing this as nothing but a decent beginner Uke but I played one at guitar center today and it sounded right on par with $200-$300 Lunas, Mitchells, Lanikais, and Fenders on the rack and it was better than anything else around its 100 dollar price point. The Luna High Tide Koa at $279 is the only one I picked up that I felt solidly outdid the 15CM in terms of sound but at nearly 3 times the price. I ended up taking the Cordoba home. Frets are smooth, action is low, tone is great, I have no complaints with the tuners they get the job done fine, finish is nice despite the neck joints which an audience wont ever see or notice anyways, overall build quality is good for the price paid. What more can you ask for especially at this price? A lot of the negatives in this video are largely subjective. It's easily a gig-worthy instrument in my opinion even if you're an advanced player it would be great for an inexpensive option for gigging and traveling to places where you may not want to take your prized favorite ukulele. Maybe I just got a good one, but theres my 2 cents.
To be honest, saying it sounds on a part with Luna, Mitchell and Fender is really not a great selling point. Three brands which I think are well below average. I'd never recommend a Luna to anyone, and Fender a massively mixed on quality. All comments in my reviews are subjective though - it's a personal review - it's how they work.
@@GotAUkulele The point is that it punches above its weight class since it costs only $100. Not saying it's the greatest thing ever because obviously it's not. But I'm also going to acknowledge that it's pretty dang good for the price paid compared to some of the competition.
Joseph Santana not quite my point. I’m saying it’s average for its price and the Luna, Fender etc are below average. Above average at this price are things from Kiwaya, Kala, Baton Rouge and Islander. Compared to those at similar price I don’t think the Cordoba looks so good. Certainly better than Luna tbough
@@GotAUkulele This is the first I've heard of Luna being bad. They seem to be a respected brand for the majority of people. I guess youre just the type thats real hard to please. Well to each their own.
@@josephsantana3094 Good grief - no seriously - speak to some dealers in the uke world. Luna are not carried by any specialist uke stores any more because their QC is so terrible. They are also, despite the low asking price, still actually over priced for what you are getting. All about the decor, less about the ukulele itself. There is not a lot of love for them in specialist stores. Nothing to do with being hard to please. I approach all ukes the same regardless of price. You can do LOTS better than Luna for the same money.
glad you're back in action! really enjoy your reviews - this was in fact my 1st uke i ever bought, sight unseen on amazon and i think you hit the nail on the head here. a few minor issues but overall a surprisingly nice little beginner uke 👍
Picked one up recently. The one on the wall in the store, which I played around with, seemed a lot better than the one that was in the box when I got home. I find I have to apply way too much pressure to get notes to ring out, and it doesn't sound as full/clear as my kid's $40 makala.
Lift Pizzas ukes of even the same model can vary widely. Tip is - if you play a uke off the wall in a shop and like the sound of it, ask the shop if you can take that particular one!
Great review as always Barry. Nice to see you doing a new one that is based in the U.S. I am not a big fan of rounded necks, and any kind of bindings. I am just a plain Jane when it comes to ukes. The less bling the better. Hope you had a wonderful holiday. See you next week.
I have 2 còrdoba guitars, and I like them. One is a short scale (about 30 inches), and it has a preamp and pickup, and the other is a 7/8 scale and both are great! I’m gonna buy a còrdoba ukulele once I get enough money.
I have the 15SM soprano, my first ukulele. It was the only soprano in the local shop that wasn't $60 or less (the 15SM was $100, which is close to its current price on Amazon). I wanted something a bit better than the absolute cheapest. I'm a guitarist and there was a good chance I was going to love it and keep playing, but I also wanted a soprano and I really wanted to buy one that day, so that's what I got. 😅 It looks like my classical guitar has an infant, which amuses me greatly. 😂 I love it for now, but I also know that I will be buying more eventually!
Hello! These are the reviews I really appreciate. I'm sure I'm not alone in seeing things online that are 5 stars as suspicious and are more willing to take the chance on a 4.6 product because critical people enjoyed it even though it wasn't perfect? That's how I feel here. Thanks!
I have two cordoba guitars a c5 limited and a c10. I Got two ukulele, the 15cm and a 21c. All of them on sale. The 15cm is a decent beginner, the 21c is much better though. Almost got the 35t... but just couldn't justify at that time.
Cosmetic appearance has to be worth something right? I agree about the cream binding on the body only because I've seen other much cheaper ukuleles with that same look. I believe Oscar Schmidt has a similarly priced ukulele (maybe a bit more) with abalone binding on both the soundhole and body.
GotAUkulele thank you very much. I did some digging last night and found it on your channel. I’m sorry now I feel like the dingbats you talked about in the beginning of that video lol.
Can you please make a review on their Cordoba 21C? It’s a spruce top and ebony back and sides. I found one that is on sale from $189 to $109, so I thought it’s a good deal. I planning to get it, but want to know what your thoughts about it. Thanks!
Would buy this. Sad though I had one cordoba ukulele too but it broke so I am looking for another cordoba ukulele. Thanks for this review I would buy this one
I'm trying to decide between the Cordoba 15CFM Granite Grey (the flamed mahogany version of this) and the the Oscar Schmidt OU7 (the spalted mango version of the OU5). (I'm sure there are better-quality ukuleles for the price, but I'm also considering looks and other personal biases.) I love the idea of mango (for sentimental reasons), but I'm not sure if I will like the gloss, and I'm not sure which of the two models would be more playable and sound better.
I'm afraid OS ukes are not marketed in the UK, so I have not played that one. in fact only ever seen one in my life! I do hear good things about the brand though. Cordoba I am less keen on. They are not 'bad' ukes by ANY stretch, but do find they are a bit over built, heavy and can sound a bit lifeless. At least all the ones I've played have.
@@GotAUkulele, I have a Cordoba (/Protégé) U100CM (rated 7.9 on your website), which I managed to buy for $19. It was my first ukulele, besides a little Diamond Head. I like it, but I don't have the experience you do. I don't have the basis for comparison. It sounds good to me, but compared to what? That is why I value your reviews; they give me a better idea of what to look for. I think most of the ukulele reviews on Amazon are from people like me who don't know what they are missing. And if I judged by those alone, without your reviews, I would probably think Luna is one of the best brands, for example. It's a shame the Oscar Schmidts are not marketed there. I would love to see a review. Anyway, I appreciate your work and how you approach things. I'm sending you a small email to your Gmail to say thank you.
@@v216 Thanks for kind words - I think you hit the nail on the head. On places like Amazon, it's really easy to give a ukulele a five star review and say it's amazing if it's the ONLY ukulele you ever played.
Lots really - when I'm asked questions like this I can only direct people back to my full review list. Higher the score the better. The difficulty here is that the Kala KA-C is not on my list - but as the review says, I'd take that and save the money myself. Baton Rouge would also be on my list
hello how are you (sorry if the grammar is bad I don't speak English) I wanted to know in all honesty that a 15cm kala c or a 15cm string is better. Thank you very much for the time. or another can suggest me, it is true that I am a beginner but I am obsessive with some sounds and due to inflation I do not think I should pay only once for a good one that lasts for years.
I would personally choose the Kala over the Cordoba. I have never yet come across a Cordoba that sounded as good as a comparable Kala. They always sound a bit dead to me.
Experimenting with strings will always throw up different tones, but to be honest i'm not sure a great deal can be done here - it's a pretty basic build
I couldn't tell from your review - is this in linear tuning or re-entrant tuning? There is a promo going with Guild guitars with getting this model for free and am thinking of getting a Guild and will wind up with this.
Hey Baz, great video! I have a quick question for you. Near the end you talk about how while the overall quality is good, you would recommend a Kala KA-C due to the better price. Does this statement extend to the Kala KA-15C? I'm not sure what the difference is between the KA-C and KA-15C besides that the KA-C goes for 100 while the KA-15C sells for about 75. I'm in the market for a higher end beginner concert ukulele and am down to the KA-15C and the Cordoba. Thanks so much for your help!
Virtually no difference that matters - think one uses rosewood the other walnut on the bridge and fingerboard. Where it counts (the sound chamber) they are the same
@@calie7467 Hey Calie. I ended up going with the KA-15C. Long story short, I love it! It sounds and looks great for the money, and I would definitely make the purchase again.
hello how are you (sorry if the grammar is bad I don't speak English) I wanted to know in all honesty that a 15cm kala c or a 15cm string is better. Thank you very much for the time. or another can suggest me, it is true that I am a beginner but I am obsessive with some sounds and due to inflation I do not think I should pay only once for a good one that lasts for years
GotAUkulele, I got a Cordova Uk for my birthday and the second string from the bottom won't tune to D but it will tune to E. My understanding is that it should tune to D..Is that correct?
Don't understand what you mean that it 'won't tune to D' - In standard tuning the second string is tuned to E. If you are trying to tune higher you will need to tune all the others relatively higher too. If you want that string at D, you would tune the others to F, Bflat, D, G
Next to impossible to diagnose without hearing and playing the uke. But, likely culprits 1. Bad string 2. High fret 3. Dodgy nut or saddle Either way - wouldn't attempt any adjustment until I did a full string change to see if that fixes it. Strings can go off, even new sets.
Do you have a video where you name some of your favorite Concert Uke's? I'm still tryin to find one to order, I was between this and the Gretsch G9110 (that I saw you reviewed) but I wonder if there's much better brands for a lil higher price? I had a few other Uke's such as a Kala Tenor and a Kala Baritone but just didn't like them all too much so I'm gonna try a Concert and see if I enjoy it more.. I like a reggae strum style/bright sound but its also hard to find some resonance.. thanks!
I don't and probably never will. Favourite lists or 'best of' lists which plague the internet are useless as they are so subjective. All my reviews as listed on the main site are just snapshot views of one person. I struggle to pick between them myself sometimes. Add to that, tastes change and I may well think differently in a years time!
@@GotAUkulele I understand where you're coming from- but I would think in your expertise, perhaps you could name some of the brands that are reputable for quality craftsmanship and less likely to use cheaper parts and cut corners, etc.
@@DanielGennaro Flight, Kala, Ohana, Snail, Baton Rouge, Gretsch, Uma, Uluru, aNueNue spring to mind. I would personally always avoid Luna, Fender, Kmise, Aklot, Ortega anything with impossibly high 5 star scores on Amazon that you never see in a real shop.. Basically the higher scores!!
@@DanielGennaro But... there are always exceptions even at the very high end. I've seen poor examples of a £1000 instrument. What happens as you go up in price though is that you reduce the risk. It's still possible to get a 'Friday afternoon' uke, but not anywhere near as likely as at £100. My bigger piece of advice though is - shop at a true ukulele specialist store - not just any old music store with ukes on the wall to ride the bandwagon. Real shops that ONLY really deal in ukes. They don't sell rubbish - my store recommendations are on this list. Many of them ship to multiple countries too so don't worry so much about where you are. I trust these places implicitly. www.gotaukulele.com/p/ukulele-stores.html
@@GotAUkulele Thank you very much for taking the time to respond and offer your advice- with online shopping, I have only heard of Kala out of those recommendations and a local Guitar Center was the one to tell me about Gretsch- of course I'd rather support my local music shop, but a lot of times they barely have a selection- besides Kala and Makala and Luna, etc. So ya I would've never found these other brands you suggested. Maybe a video of 'Quality, lesser known Ukulele Brands' would be fitting? just a suggestion! Thanks again my friend- I do appreciate the insight.
Ive watched some of your reveiws. Is there a uke or few that are good electric acoustic concert under 130 dollars. I was going to get the luna but i saw your review and saw others say it was faulty overtime. I really want a nice qaulity for that price. Im thinking of this one since its in an electric variety :)
Not that I could recommend that is electro - a half decent pickup alone will cost near to $100 so if you are only spending $130 total, the combination will not be high quality. How important is the electric element? I always recommend focussing on the acoustic sound. you can always add a pickup further down the line. In short - when budgeting for an electro, work out what your minimum price point is for an acoustic and add $100 to it. If you wouldn't consider an acoustic for less than $100, you shouldn't consider an electro for less than $200. That is my rule of thumb.
@@GotAUkulele ok thank you! I found this model in an electric version for 130. Sadly i can only spend that much. But when i am able to save more money what would be the best concert electric acoustic you would recommend on that 200 or more price range? Dosent have to be just one if you have a few recommendations. I would like to use the electronics to put into my computer and such that is why i would want that.
@@GotAUkulele im going to maybe be selling my guitar and ill have 400 to spend for a uke. I am trying to look through your reviews and others to find a good concert uke that electric or maybe not electric if its really good. but there are soo many and i dont know where to start. I would love just a good solid recommendation of a brand or uke .
@@destiny8967 As I say above - I never recommend in built pickup ukes (well unless very high end - such as the Godin - wonderful ukes). Get the acoustic you like from a specialist and buy from a specialist uke store who can fit a Fishman, Baggs or MiSi pickup to it. Lots of stores will do that. Sadly, that cannot be done for 200. You are asking me to recommend something at a price that is impossible.
@@destiny8967 I never give model recommendations. But at that price.. look at Flight, Kai, Snail, Kala, Ohana, Baton Rouge, Freshman, Mr Mai, Freebird. Loads really
Out of interest what is it you don't like about the neck. I bought a 15sm as un upgrade on real cheap when I started out in March this year and didn't like it. It wasn't comfortable for me. Unless I missed it you didn't specify so am just wondering. I have a preloved 24 ct and after changing the strings to fluorocarbons I really like it but I know what you mean about " dead sounding " cordobas.
@@GotAUkulele well it was a little dead sounding till I changed the strings. Don't really like Aquilas anyway. But as you say " they're easily changed".
@@rowan927 Have a look at the full review list in the price category you are looking at - anything scored over 8 out of 10 gets a recommendation one way or another. Higher the score the better of course! Beyond that - it's totally subjective and I don't give individual recommendations. Here's the list www.gotaukulele.com/p/ukulele-reviews.html
this looks like model CB, not CM. Just my search online, could be wrong. CB looks more expensive than the CM and that could change the review/ recommendations if its the case. But great review. Appreciated !
GotAUkulele thanks ! They must have posted the wrong pictures on the amazon page I was looking at. Thanks for the quick response ! Very helpful. Excited to learn to play and looking for my first. Fingers about fell off with my kids Hape Ukulele lol. Maybe the Córdoba cm for a beginner but desiring some quality sound. Thanks again.
I'm afraid that when it comes to ukes at least, I wouldn't personally recommend either. Spend the same money on Kala, Flight, Snail, Ohana, Baton Rouge. Hard for me to pick between two ukes I don't really care for, sorry.
Sorry never played it - but generally I don't tend to recommend ukes with pre-intalled electrics - they are done to a low budget and you will get a better more reliable sound if you ask a uke specialist to after-fit a passive pickup
Possibly. In general terms, with the same woods and construction type, a tenor will have more resonance than the concert - a fuller sound and that can sometimes create more volume. However it is not so clear cut. I have played some sopranos with more volume than tenors due to their construction. I've played tenors that sound like concerts and concerts that sound like tenors. So only as a general rule of thumb - a tenor tends to be fuller sounding. But not always!
@@stathkon I wouldn't ever buy an instrument in the 'hope' it will open up - that's the wrong way to approach it. I would also always buy a good laminate over a solid top every day of the week - really depends on the instrument.
raceface_m not so sure. Very typical of this sort of generic laminate uke - as the review says. Lots of them sound like this and I’ve seen most of them. I’d say it punches toward the upper end not the lower. But yes, still sounds generic
Córdoba has higher quality ukes. You could spend up to a couple thousand and those are very nicely made. Not really fair to be that hard on an entry level uke. For $99 US, it’s a very good instrument.
Honestly, Cordoba ukes go to about $800 tops. But irrespective - it's perfectly fair as my reviews take into account value for money and price as part of the scoring. It did reasonably well on that front, but the score was dragged down by the other elements. To suggest every $99 ukulele must be good because it's 'entry level' would just mean loads of reviews of such instruments saying they are all brilliant. That would be totally unhelpful. You can get good AND bad instruments at the lower end. I don't differentiate between saying something is good or bad based on price alone. Not how Got A Ukulele works.
I have this...personally I love the playability of it and it sounds really well:)
Hi how do you like your Córdoba ukulele I’m in between Córdoba and kala concert starter pack kala ltp c thank you
I got a great eBay deal on this model, but the fret edges were sharp, and I had to file them down myself. Other than that, it's a lovely instrument with the "chime-y" tone you mention. Definitely recommend, both as a first uke or a workhorse.
Definitely a workhorse uke
I just wanted to say I've been watching so many of your reviews and this review just finally helped me decide to buy this ukulele! Just ordered new for £85 online in England and it will be my first ever musical instrument. Was originally going to get the Luna tattoo and your review of it has saved me a whole bunch of disappointment, so thank you!
Enjoy!
Just wanted to check in and say I am in LOVE with it. Haven't been able to put it down since it arrived, I'm obsessed. So so happy. Thank you very much!!
I just was given this Uke as a gift and I love it
Thanks man. I was searching an ukelele to start and was trying to choose between Aklot, Enya OMS, Donner and this one. But in the end I think I'll get this Cordoba. Thank you so much for all the reviews in your blog, were really useful for me. Great content!
Speaking honestly - whilst they are cheaper - I think the Donner and Enya are FAR closer to this Cordoba than the price suggests. I'd personally take the saving and still get 95% of the uke sound quality. I think Cordoba are over priced
@@GotAUkulele Thats a good advice. Maybe I'll take the Enya OMS-04 then, I like its sound more than the Donner one. And just one question, do you know KALA-LTP-C and Luna Tattoo? Both are being sold at $80-90 more or less
@@joselago7720 I'm reviewing the LTP-S next week but not opened the box. Not played the concert. Avoid Luna at ALL costs.
@@GotAUkulele Thats great, will wait for your review of the Kala before taking my decision between that or the Enya. Thank you so much man!
How is the action height and fret like?
I see a lot of people dismissing this as nothing but a decent beginner Uke but I played one at guitar center today and it sounded right on par with $200-$300 Lunas, Mitchells, Lanikais, and Fenders on the rack and it was better than anything else around its 100 dollar price point. The Luna High Tide Koa at $279 is the only one I picked up that I felt solidly outdid the 15CM in terms of sound but at nearly 3 times the price. I ended up taking the Cordoba home. Frets are smooth, action is low, tone is great, I have no complaints with the tuners they get the job done fine, finish is nice despite the neck joints which an audience wont ever see or notice anyways, overall build quality is good for the price paid. What more can you ask for especially at this price? A lot of the negatives in this video are largely subjective. It's easily a gig-worthy instrument in my opinion even if you're an advanced player it would be great for an inexpensive option for gigging and traveling to places where you may not want to take your prized favorite ukulele. Maybe I just got a good one, but theres my 2 cents.
To be honest, saying it sounds on a part with Luna, Mitchell and Fender is really not a great selling point. Three brands which I think are well below average. I'd never recommend a Luna to anyone, and Fender a massively mixed on quality. All comments in my reviews are subjective though - it's a personal review - it's how they work.
@@GotAUkulele The point is that it punches above its weight class since it costs only $100. Not saying it's the greatest thing ever because obviously it's not. But I'm also going to acknowledge that it's pretty dang good for the price paid compared to some of the competition.
Joseph Santana not quite my point. I’m saying it’s average for its price and the Luna, Fender etc are below average. Above average at this price are things from Kiwaya, Kala, Baton Rouge and Islander. Compared to those at similar price I don’t think the Cordoba looks so good. Certainly better than Luna tbough
@@GotAUkulele This is the first I've heard of Luna being bad. They seem to be a respected brand for the majority of people. I guess youre just the type thats real hard to please. Well to each their own.
@@josephsantana3094 Good grief - no seriously - speak to some dealers in the uke world. Luna are not carried by any specialist uke stores any more because their QC is so terrible. They are also, despite the low asking price, still actually over priced for what you are getting. All about the decor, less about the ukulele itself. There is not a lot of love for them in specialist stores. Nothing to do with being hard to please. I approach all ukes the same regardless of price. You can do LOTS better than Luna for the same money.
Good review, Baz! I had a Cordoba several years ago. It was OK, but nothing really special. Still, a decent uke. Thanks!
glad you're back in action! really enjoy your reviews - this was in fact my 1st uke i ever bought, sight unseen on amazon and i think you hit the nail on the head here. a few minor issues but overall a surprisingly nice little beginner uke 👍
Yep! Sound first choice
Great review
Thanks as always
My pleasure!
We have a Cordoba - 20CM, maybe - and it's a nice sounding, comfortable instrument to play for sure. Another great review - thanks!
Thanks!
Picked one up recently. The one on the wall in the store, which I played around with, seemed a lot better than the one that was in the box when I got home. I find I have to apply way too much pressure to get notes to ring out, and it doesn't sound as full/clear as my kid's $40 makala.
Lift Pizzas ukes of even the same model can vary widely. Tip is - if you play a uke off the wall in a shop and like the sound of it, ask the shop if you can take that particular one!
Great review as always Barry. Nice to see you doing a new one that is based in the U.S. I am not a big fan of rounded necks, and any kind of bindings. I am just a plain Jane when it comes to ukes. The less bling the better. Hope you had a wonderful holiday. See you next week.
Sorry - missed this comment - thanks!
I have 2 còrdoba guitars, and I like them. One is a short scale (about 30 inches), and it has a preamp and pickup, and the other is a 7/8 scale and both are great! I’m gonna buy a còrdoba ukulele once I get enough money.
I'd take care of what I said - other Cordoba ukes I reviewed were a real let down
GotAUkulele I’ll get the one you’ve reviewed.
Thanks for the review!
my pleasure!
I have the 15SM soprano, my first ukulele. It was the only soprano in the local shop that wasn't $60 or less (the 15SM was $100, which is close to its current price on Amazon). I wanted something a bit better than the absolute cheapest. I'm a guitarist and there was a good chance I was going to love it and keep playing, but I also wanted a soprano and I really wanted to buy one that day, so that's what I got. 😅 It looks like my classical guitar has an infant, which amuses me greatly. 😂 I love it for now, but I also know that I will be buying more eventually!
Hello! These are the reviews I really appreciate. I'm sure I'm not alone in seeing things online that are 5 stars as suspicious and are more willing to take the chance on a 4.6 product because critical people enjoyed it even though it wasn't perfect? That's how I feel here. Thanks!
Thank you!
I found a used one for $30. Is that a descent deal or should i pass?!?
Worth a punt for only 30 I’d say
30 dollars!? Buy one for me as well! ;-)
Thanks Baz, and welcome home. Let your throat heal, don't lose your voice.
I owned a Córdoba uke once, their guitars are better.
Yeah I agree Nickie
I have two cordoba guitars a c5 limited and a c10. I
Got two ukulele, the 15cm and a 21c. All of them on sale. The 15cm is a decent beginner, the 21c is much better though. Almost got the 35t... but just couldn't justify at that time.
I've played several Cordoba ukes. They are not BAD as such, but I think they are easily beaten for the same sort of money with other brands
Cosmetic appearance has to be worth something right? I agree about the cream binding on the body only because I've seen other much cheaper ukuleles with that same look. I believe Oscar Schmidt has a similarly priced ukulele (maybe a bit more) with abalone binding on both the soundhole and body.
Cosmetics always matter - people have to want to pick the up and looks come into that.. yet .. cosmetics make no sound.. Low on my pecking order.
Hey man you play it in all your reviews. But where can I find how to play what you start at 8:38
th-cam.com/video/rkk9CXQ1AZU/w-d-xo.html
GotAUkulele thank you very much. I did some digging last night and found it on your channel. I’m sorry now I feel like the dingbats you talked about in the beginning of that video lol.
@@DrShekels Hey - no worries at all!
Can you please make a review on their Cordoba 21C? It’s a spruce top and ebony back and sides. I found one that is on sale from $189 to $109, so I thought it’s a good deal. I planning to get it, but want to know what your thoughts about it. Thanks!
I’ll see what I can do!
GotAUkulele Thank you, sir! Looking forward to see your review on it.
Would buy this. Sad though I had one cordoba ukulele too but it broke so I am looking for another cordoba ukulele. Thanks for this review I would buy this one
I don't think I would
Nice review as usual Baz. I wonder which headstock came first?
andynew2 kanile’a!
I'm trying to decide between the Cordoba 15CFM Granite Grey (the flamed mahogany version of this) and the the Oscar Schmidt OU7 (the spalted mango version of the OU5).
(I'm sure there are better-quality ukuleles for the price, but I'm also considering looks and other personal biases.)
I love the idea of mango (for sentimental reasons), but I'm not sure if I will like the gloss, and I'm not sure which of the two models would be more playable and sound better.
I'm afraid OS ukes are not marketed in the UK, so I have not played that one. in fact only ever seen one in my life! I do hear good things about the brand though. Cordoba I am less keen on. They are not 'bad' ukes by ANY stretch, but do find they are a bit over built, heavy and can sound a bit lifeless. At least all the ones I've played have.
@@GotAUkulele, I have a Cordoba (/Protégé) U100CM (rated 7.9 on your website), which I managed to buy for $19. It was my first ukulele, besides a little Diamond Head.
I like it, but I don't have the experience you do. I don't have the basis for comparison. It sounds good to me, but compared to what? That is why I value your reviews; they give me a better idea of what to look for.
I think most of the ukulele reviews on Amazon are from people like me who don't know what they are missing. And if I judged by those alone, without your reviews, I would probably think Luna is one of the best brands, for example.
It's a shame the Oscar Schmidts are not marketed there. I would love to see a review.
Anyway, I appreciate your work and how you approach things. I'm sending you a small email to your Gmail to say thank you.
@@v216 Thanks for kind words - I think you hit the nail on the head. On places like Amazon, it's really easy to give a ukulele a five star review and say it's amazing if it's the ONLY ukulele you ever played.
Great review, Baz.
Which concert would you rather recommend at the same price?
Lots really - when I'm asked questions like this I can only direct people back to my full review list. Higher the score the better. The difficulty here is that the Kala KA-C is not on my list - but as the review says, I'd take that and save the money myself. Baton Rouge would also be on my list
GotAUkulele good point. Will you ever review Kala Ka-c, or is it too old now? And maybe you won’t, because you already reviewed the soprano version.
aien89 unlikely I guess. You never know - if I get a quiet patch
Cordoba 15 CM was my first uke... I got in for $80 on sale at local shop. I found that putting martin flouro strings on it improved it quite a bit.
Very helpful, thank you!
No worries!
hello how are you (sorry if the grammar is bad I don't speak English) I wanted to know in all honesty that a 15cm kala c or a 15cm string is better. Thank you very much for the time. or another can suggest me, it is true that I am a beginner but I am obsessive with some sounds and due to inflation I do not think I should pay only once for a good one that lasts for years.
I would personally choose the Kala over the Cordoba. I have never yet come across a Cordoba that sounded as good as a comparable Kala. They always sound a bit dead to me.
Thank you, are very kind, I send you greetings from Panamá.
I have this model but not totally liking the tone....sounds tinny....wondering if i get different strings like Worth brown ....what do you think?
Experimenting with strings will always throw up different tones, but to be honest i'm not sure a great deal can be done here - it's a pretty basic build
I couldn't tell from your review - is this in linear tuning or re-entrant tuning? There is a promo going with Guild guitars with getting this model for free and am thinking of getting a Guild and will wind up with this.
Re-entrant on the review model. But that's not to say some stores don't ship them with linear.
Hey Baz, great video! I have a quick question for you. Near the end you talk about how while the overall quality is good, you would recommend a Kala KA-C due to the better price. Does this statement extend to the Kala KA-15C? I'm not sure what the difference is between the KA-C and KA-15C besides that the KA-C goes for 100 while the KA-15C sells for about 75. I'm in the market for a higher end beginner concert ukulele and am down to the KA-15C and the Cordoba. Thanks so much for your help!
Virtually no difference that matters - think one uses rosewood the other walnut on the bridge and fingerboard. Where it counts (the sound chamber) they are the same
Hello Cooper, which one did you end up getting and why? I have the same doubt
@@calie7467 Hey Calie. I ended up going with the KA-15C. Long story short, I love it! It sounds and looks great for the money, and I would definitely make the purchase again.
@@cooperr.7609 Thank you so much! :)
hello how are you (sorry if the grammar is bad I don't speak English) I wanted to know in all honesty that a 15cm kala c or a 15cm string is better. Thank you very much for the time. or another can suggest me, it is true that I am a beginner but I am obsessive with some sounds and due to inflation I do not think I should pay only once for a good one that lasts for years
I bought this Uke for my 1 year old grand daughter, as it appears to be better quality and less expensive than a child sized classical guitar.
You are probably right on that
excellent product
Hmmm. Don’t fully agree.
GotAUkulele, I got a Cordova Uk for my birthday and the second string from the bottom won't tune to D but it will tune to E. My understanding is that it should tune to D..Is that correct?
Don't understand what you mean that it 'won't tune to D' - In standard tuning the second string is tuned to E. If you are trying to tune higher you will need to tune all the others relatively higher too. If you want that string at D, you would tune the others to F, Bflat, D, G
For some reason, when I play the G chord on my cordoba uku the E string sounds strange. And its only that chord. Not to sure whats wrong with it : /
Next to impossible to diagnose without hearing and playing the uke. But, likely culprits
1. Bad string
2. High fret
3. Dodgy nut or saddle
Either way - wouldn't attempt any adjustment until I did a full string change to see if that fixes it. Strings can go off, even new sets.
Do you have a video where you name some of your favorite Concert Uke's? I'm still tryin to find one to order, I was between this and the Gretsch G9110 (that I saw you reviewed) but I wonder if there's much better brands for a lil higher price? I had a few other Uke's such as a Kala Tenor and a Kala Baritone but just didn't like them all too much so I'm gonna try a Concert and see if I enjoy it more.. I like a reggae strum style/bright sound but its also hard to find some resonance.. thanks!
I don't and probably never will. Favourite lists or 'best of' lists which plague the internet are useless as they are so subjective. All my reviews as listed on the main site are just snapshot views of one person. I struggle to pick between them myself sometimes. Add to that, tastes change and I may well think differently in a years time!
@@GotAUkulele I understand where you're coming from- but I would think in your expertise, perhaps you could name some of the brands that are reputable for quality craftsmanship and less likely to use cheaper parts and cut corners, etc.
@@DanielGennaro Flight, Kala, Ohana, Snail, Baton Rouge, Gretsch, Uma, Uluru, aNueNue spring to mind. I would personally always avoid Luna, Fender, Kmise, Aklot, Ortega anything with impossibly high 5 star scores on Amazon that you never see in a real shop.. Basically the higher scores!!
@@DanielGennaro But... there are always exceptions even at the very high end. I've seen poor examples of a £1000 instrument. What happens as you go up in price though is that you reduce the risk. It's still possible to get a 'Friday afternoon' uke, but not anywhere near as likely as at £100. My bigger piece of advice though is - shop at a true ukulele specialist store - not just any old music store with ukes on the wall to ride the bandwagon. Real shops that ONLY really deal in ukes. They don't sell rubbish - my store recommendations are on this list. Many of them ship to multiple countries too so don't worry so much about where you are. I trust these places implicitly.
www.gotaukulele.com/p/ukulele-stores.html
@@GotAUkulele Thank you very much for taking the time to respond and offer your advice- with online shopping, I have only heard of Kala out of those recommendations and a local Guitar Center was the one to tell me about Gretsch- of course I'd rather support my local music shop, but a lot of times they barely have a selection- besides Kala and Makala and Luna, etc. So ya I would've never found these other brands you suggested. Maybe a video of 'Quality, lesser known Ukulele Brands' would be fitting? just a suggestion! Thanks again my friend- I do appreciate the insight.
Ive watched some of your reveiws. Is there a uke or few that are good electric acoustic concert under 130 dollars. I was going to get the luna but i saw your review and saw others say it was faulty overtime. I really want a nice qaulity for that price. Im thinking of this one since its in an electric variety :)
Not that I could recommend that is electro - a half decent pickup alone will cost near to $100 so if you are only spending $130 total, the combination will not be high quality. How important is the electric element? I always recommend focussing on the acoustic sound. you can always add a pickup further down the line.
In short - when budgeting for an electro, work out what your minimum price point is for an acoustic and add $100 to it. If you wouldn't consider an acoustic for less than $100, you shouldn't consider an electro for less than $200. That is my rule of thumb.
@@GotAUkulele ok thank you! I found this model in an electric version for 130. Sadly i can only spend that much. But when i am able to save more money what would be the best concert electric acoustic you would recommend on that 200 or more price range? Dosent have to be just one if you have a few recommendations. I would like to use the electronics to put into my computer and such that is why i would want that.
@@GotAUkulele im going to maybe be selling my guitar and ill have 400 to spend for a uke. I am trying to look through your reviews and others to find a good concert uke that electric or maybe not electric if its really good. but there are soo many and i dont know where to start. I would love just a good solid recommendation of a brand or uke .
@@destiny8967 As I say above - I never recommend in built pickup ukes (well unless very high end - such as the Godin - wonderful ukes). Get the acoustic you like from a specialist and buy from a specialist uke store who can fit a Fishman, Baggs or MiSi pickup to it. Lots of stores will do that. Sadly, that cannot be done for 200. You are asking me to recommend something at a price that is impossible.
@@destiny8967 I never give model recommendations. But at that price.. look at Flight, Kai, Snail, Kala, Ohana, Baton Rouge, Freshman, Mr Mai, Freebird. Loads really
Out of interest what is it you don't like about the neck. I bought a 15sm as un upgrade on real cheap when I started out in March this year and didn't like it. It wasn't comfortable for me. Unless I missed it you didn't specify so am just wondering. I have a preloved 24 ct and after changing the strings to fluorocarbons I really like it but I know what you mean about " dead sounding " cordobas.
Nigel Davey don’t like round profiles and narrow nuts. Prefer them flatter and wider as they always were traditionally.
Nigel Davey as for the dead sounding - can only speak as I find. Ones I’ve played have felt heavy and lacking resonance.
Nigel Davey but I’ve never played the 24ct
@@GotAUkulele well it was a little dead sounding till I changed the strings. Don't really like Aquilas anyway. But as you say " they're easily changed".
@@GotAUkulele their 24 ct has both those features,I think.
How do I chose between Cordoba 15cm and Fender Zuma? Please give me some suggestions 🙏
Personally I wouldn't recommend either. Think you can do better with others
@@GotAUkulele Because I only have the limited budget, what would you recommend a concert ukulele in limited $150?🙏
@@rowan927 Have a look at the full review list in the price category you are looking at - anything scored over 8 out of 10 gets a recommendation one way or another. Higher the score the better of course! Beyond that - it's totally subjective and I don't give individual recommendations. Here's the list www.gotaukulele.com/p/ukulele-reviews.html
@@GotAUkulele I'm just watch your reviews overnight and now I'm more prefer to Brunswick BU4C concert! Thanks so much for your recommend! 🙏
Rowan Wai good reliable ukes those
Im a beginner. Which uke would you recommend between this Cordoba 15CM vs the Kala striped ebony (Ka-ebc?)
The Kala
@@GotAUkulele Thank you!
Just curious. You say it's all laminate but Cordoba's website says it's solid. Have they changed it's construction since you published this review?
Their website does say that now - but no dealers do - I would be very careful and for the price suspect they are wrong.
This was my first instrument! I've seen it at my local guitar center for 80 dollars.
Meepercmdr a better price and I’d certainly recommend it if it was that level
this looks like model CB, not CM. Just my search online, could be wrong. CB looks more expensive than the CM and that could change the review/ recommendations if its the case. But great review. Appreciated !
Definitely the CM. The CB is made of Bocote.
GotAUkulele thanks ! They must have posted the wrong pictures on the amazon page I was looking at. Thanks for the quick response ! Very helpful. Excited to learn to play and looking for my first. Fingers about fell off with my kids Hape Ukulele lol. Maybe the Córdoba cm for a beginner but desiring some quality sound. Thanks again.
It sure sounds nice when you play it!
Thanks
I’m looking between this Córdoba 15cm vs fender Zumba concert what you recommend? Thank you
Zuma I mean
I'm afraid that when it comes to ukes at least, I wouldn't personally recommend either. Spend the same money on Kala, Flight, Snail, Ohana, Baton Rouge. Hard for me to pick between two ukes I don't really care for, sorry.
Kala Ltp c ok?
@@chmm316 Not played that particular model - but Kala are a much safer uke brand thank Cordoba and Fender!
Yeah, I have that same uke and compared to my flight uke it sounds pretty dead......
Do you recommend the electric version?
Sorry never played it - but generally I don't tend to recommend ukes with pre-intalled electrics - they are done to a low budget and you will get a better more reliable sound if you ask a uke specialist to after-fit a passive pickup
can you help me at something? i am very confused. Is there big difference between concert and tenor, speaking of sound warmness and volume?
Possibly. In general terms, with the same woods and construction type, a tenor will have more resonance than the concert - a fuller sound and that can sometimes create more volume. However it is not so clear cut. I have played some sopranos with more volume than tenors due to their construction. I've played tenors that sound like concerts and concerts that sound like tenors.
So only as a general rule of thumb - a tenor tends to be fuller sounding. But not always!
@@GotAUkulele thanks a lot! You help me with your answer. Do you think it worths to buy uke with solid top?
@@stathkon I wouldn't ever buy an instrument in the 'hope' it will open up - that's the wrong way to approach it. I would also always buy a good laminate over a solid top every day of the week - really depends on the instrument.
@@GotAUkulele I quess its a risk then, as i do not have the opportunity to play it. So i ll go for kala ka cem concert. It Will be my first ukelele
@@GotAUkulele i see... so it is useless to talk about what is better. i am a beginner
What Concert Ukelele brand do you highly recommend?
Sorry - never give individual recommendations - too many and too subjective. Look at the full review list and pick out the higher scores
@@GotAUkulele This is noted. Thanks!
i quess you prefer that than lag or ortega
Don't prefer any of those!
@@GotAUkulele in Greece cordoba costs 120 and that kala 175. Does it worth?
th-cam.com/video/IrZ9EFEdcO4/w-d-xo.html
Did you get it to play, or put it on display in a museum?
Why?
Hey Barry, glad you're back. I've been listening to Kitty, Daisy and Lewis from Camden. Are you familiar with those kids? Slim
Can't say I am Slim.
Resonant, but seems very thin sounding.
raceface_m not so sure. Very typical of this sort of generic laminate uke - as the review says. Lots of them sound like this and I’ve seen most of them. I’d say it punches toward the upper end not the lower. But yes, still sounds generic
No strap buttons
Easily fitted.
Santa??
Did he bring you one?
GotAUkulele no I think he’s saying you look like Santa
I almost bought one, but thought I'd listen to you first. p.s. Do not like the beard, you're very handsome, no need.
I've had a beard for over ten years!!!
Córdoba has higher quality ukes. You could spend up to a couple thousand and those are very nicely made. Not really fair to be that hard on an entry level uke. For $99 US, it’s a very good instrument.
Honestly, Cordoba ukes go to about $800 tops. But irrespective - it's perfectly fair as my reviews take into account value for money and price as part of the scoring. It did reasonably well on that front, but the score was dragged down by the other elements. To suggest every $99 ukulele must be good because it's 'entry level' would just mean loads of reviews of such instruments saying they are all brilliant. That would be totally unhelpful. You can get good AND bad instruments at the lower end. I don't differentiate between saying something is good or bad based on price alone. Not how Got A Ukulele works.
Urgh.....another guy who says yuk ku lee lee .....UKU - LEI - LEI ! Dam it
You don't understand how language works - www.gotaukulele.com/2016/04/please-stop-arguing-over-how-ukulele-is.html