Ukulele Gift Guide

Shopping for the perfect gift for the special ukulele player or aspiring musician on your list can be tricky, especially if you don't have much familiarity with musical instruments yourself. We've got you covered here with our top gift ideas, whether you're buying for a long time ukulele player or someone looking to learn their first instrument.

Why Ukulele?

Ukuleles have long been a popular gift during the holidays and for Christmas. For someone that wants to learn to play an instrument, a ukulele is one of the best entry points because:

ukuleles are simple to learn to play with only 4 strings
ukuleles are easy on the fingers
ukuleles are portable
ukuleles are affordable

Why Honolua Ukuleles?

Honolua Ukuleles is proud to be a family run business based in Calgary, Alberta. Our careful design process is based on producing the best possible ukulele at an affordable price so anyone who wants to play music can do so on a real instrument.

All of our ukuleles include features you don’t typically find on similar-priced models, including:

How to Choose the Right Ukulele

Ukuleles are built in 4 main sizes: soprano, concert, tenor and baritone. Choosing the right size is the first step in choosing the right ukulele, but there are also lots of different models available, each with its own wood combination, aesthetics, features and price point. The options are endless, so we've built tools to help you purchase the right ukulele, whether for yourself or as a gift.

Buyer's Guide

Meet Your Match Quiz

Our Buyer's Guide will walk you through the process of picking the right ukulele and explains everything along the way.

To find the perfect model quickly, take our short quiz which will direct you to the perfect size and model of ukulele for the person you are buying for.

Gifts for Experienced Ukulele Players

If you're shopping for someone that already plays ukulele, consider the acronym U.A.S. - Ukulele Acquisition Syndrome. Ukulele players often love the idea of adding to their collections with new ukulele sizes, different tonewoods, or models with electronics built in. The resources above may still help you choose the perfect "next" ukulele.

Shop all ukuleles here

Some Popular Ukulele Options

Ukulele Accessories

Ukulele accessories are a great way to stay within a gift budget or to use as stocking stuffers. Popular ukulele accessories include ukulele straps, tuners, cases and gig bags, picks and stands. We have a huge selection of ukulele accessories, shop our favourites below or see all available accessories here.

Shop Ukulele Straps

Again, personal preference, although a strap gives you a chance to show some personality when you play your uke. There are two types of straps for ukuleles: strap pin straps and soundhole straps. Strap pin straps have little holes at each end of the strap to attach them to the strap pins on the ukulele. This type of strap requires dual strap pins installed on the ukulele, which means it’s a great style for our Mano or Kohala Deluxe series ukes. Soundhole straps use a small clip to attach to the soundhole on the ukulele and will work on any ukulele.

Shop Ukulele Tuners

This is essential. Your uke will need to be tuned regularly and unless you're one of the blessed few with perfect pitch, you'll need some help. In a pinch, you can download a free tuner app to your phone or tablet that will get the job done. We like to have a clip-on style tuner that works on the vibration of the instrument so you can tune even if there's noise in the room.

Shop Cases and Bags

For most people, the included gig bag will do just fine for protection, but if you plan on traveling, or especially flying with your uke, you may want to think about upgrading the gig bag. All of our ukuleles include a gig bag with 5 mm of padding, but you can upgrade to our Standard series gig bag with 10 mm of padding and large front pocket. Our Deluxe series gig bags use 25 mm of high density foam padding and tons of storage. These offer similar protection to a hardshell case but are much lighter.