You have a great fondness for the ukulele. You have planned an adventure or tour to relish your time with buddies. So, collecting a travel-friendly ukulele is essential for you. You are in the right place because we’ve discussed the best travel ukulele for backpackers in this article elaborately.
These instruments become durable enough to withstand the travel stiffness, apart from producing beautiful sound and tone. Also, carrying these instruments on airplanes is too handy. Now, let’s dive into the text, including a buying guide.
Before going to the entire article, you might check out the following one once.
Top 5 Best Travel Ukuleles on Sale for Backpackers
1. Kmise Tenor Travel Ukulele
Those finding a travel instrument on a tight budget may opt for the Kmise ukulele. The product bears plenty of quality, and the entire range is prominent, although its price is low.
As a result, this uke has been one of the most beloved options for musicians who want a mahogany uke but have no sufficient funds.
In addition, its zebra-framed top, back, and sides turn it into a good-looking device more than others in this price range. Due to its slim body, carrying this uke becomes comfortable. Plus, its durable construction aids you in avoiding damage during travel.
This Zebra UK delivers an astonishing tone and higher sound because of the quality setup. Tuning pegs act well to hold the gears and stabilize the safety. To change strings, the company offers a specific feature bridge design. All features turn it into a perfect uke, producing a better sound.
Benefits:
- Thin body
- Affordable
- Amazing ending
Disadvantages:
- Not a string of maximum value
2. Enya Nova U 23″ Concert Travel Ukulele
The Enya Nova U 23″, a concert ukulele, emerges from a well-known company. It is not only travel-friendly but also delivers a full-bodied sound with its small and mild weight.
Due to the use of the carbon fiber composite polycarbonate to build it, we’ve put it on our list. Polycarbonate construction makes it durable with a waterproof and easy-to-clean body. Similarly, besides delivering better self-resonance while playing, it produces a brilliant sound like a wooden one.
The company feels the carbon fiber instrument needs to be designed in such a way that it is travel-friendly. Consequently, many carry it while touring as their travel fellows. On the contrary, Nova U holds a particular feature to avoid humidity and temperature.
Further, this travel uke has a Cutaway body, a radius fretboard, and an arched back. Additionally, it incorporates the necessary accessories to adjust with the various color options available.
Benefits:
- Standard construction
- Nice and smooth design
- Light and comfortable to hold
- A side sound port
Disadvantages:
- Not suitable for the experienced
3. Kala KA-SSTU-T Tenor Travel Ukulele Bundle
This time, we’ve opted for the Kala tenor ukulele as your superior tour partner for you. Speaking of its durability and quality sound, it’s stunning as it has a solid spruce top and mahogany back and sides. Likewise, the brand uses the rosewood fretboard and bridge to retain its clear and resonant notes.
When thinking of musical instruments, their weight becomes crucial to consider. Well, it only weighs 2.4 pounds, perfect enough to be an incredibly transportable and compact model. In reality, the KA-SSTU suits your tour than other tenor models.
In addition, as ever, Kala includes accessories to increase your shopping value, such as a gig bag, an Austin market instructional DVD, and an easy-to-use clip-on tuner.
All in all, this Kala Travel Ukulele, beautifully designed for beginners or seasoned players, is preferred by players for their musical careers.
Benefits:
- Standard Craftsmanship
- Rich and warm sound quality
- Perfect for any adventure
- Exceptional design
Disadvantages:
- A bit expensive for many
4. HRICANE UKSW-02 Tenor Travel Ukulele
We’ve come up with another travel tenor on our list. The HRICANE UKSW-02 features quite a different thickness design than other models. We can say that the UKSW-02 produces a crisp sound for the thin structure.
This Hricane model offers an entire and bright sound as it brings a solid spruce top, including an arched back cutaway. You’ll wonder at the loud sound of the ukulele despite its thin body.
The mix of the sleek walnut fingerboard and standard Aquila nylon strings gives you a comfortable feel when playing this cutaway. Also, engaging gearheads allow the strings to lock correctly and help keep the ukulele in tune.
This tenor is only 43mm thick, which aids this uke in storing effortlessly. For more handy travel, it adds a gig bag. If you discover a problem after purchase, you enjoy a 12-month warranty with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Benefits:
- A thin-body ukulele
- Awesome sound and tone
- Eye-catching design
- Great value for the price
Disadvantages:
- Initially, it will take some time to tune.
5. Cordoba Mini O-CE, Small Body, Acoustic-Electric
The Cordoba Mini O-CE, known as Guitalele as the technical term, is a hi-breed instrument. You might consider a ukulele with two extra strings below.
Made using quality ingredients, this Guitalele is getable with a gig bag. It also offers custom Aquila strings tuned to A for a beautiful sound. But you might receive a set for e-tuning based on your request if you demand.
It’s crucial to note that new and unaccustomed four-string players may be slightly puzzled by the two extra strings. But don’t worry because you can remove those strings if you want.
This Cordoba instrument contains a recognized ukulele sound with two extra bass strings that produce fuller chords. It delivers a loud sound despite being smaller than a standard guitar.
The model includes a piezo pickup and preamp for plugging into the amp. As a result, it’s suitable for the stage performance. A solid mahogany neck and rosewood fretboard are other features. It is shaped like a baritone ukulele.
Benefits:
- Thin body but loud sound
- A soft cutaway and Cordoba 2-band pickup
- A suitable partner for road trips and vacations
Disadvantages:
- No strap buttons
The Best Travel Ukulele Buying Guide
There are a few things you need to consider before shopping for a travel ukulele. The things you need to think of are:
- In general, instruments tend to be sensitive to the weather. So think of first where to travel.
- If the place remains arid or is likely exposed to water near a beach or pool, opt for a plastic model to avoid damage.
- If you plan to tour frequently, a solid wood frame might last longer to face the rigors of the tour.
- Eventually, you ponder how to carry your ukulele. For carry, it’s always better to have a hard case to defend your uke.
Characteristics to consider when choosing the best travel ukulele
Determining a uke can be tricky as many are available on the market. But there are some features you can think of that can help narrow down your alternatives. Consequently, you can explore the correct one for your needs.
Type
You may see different types of ukuleles on the market, but plastic and wooden ones are the most common. The quality of any instrument might be separate based on the components used. As told before, a plastic ukulele will be suitable for going to a dry place or exposing your uke to water by the beach or pool. But you can pick a high-quality wooden ukulele if you don’t want to go to that area.
Another type you can consider is the acoustic-electric travel ukulele. You may look for acoustic-electric ukes on the market that are perfect for traveling.
Durability
Durability depends on the quality of ingredients used to build the instrument. In reality, you want a ukulele capable of conducting the rigors of travel. Moreover, choosing a durable model is essential to relish the best quality sound.
Size
The first ukulele was the soprano size, still known as the standard size today. With time, the popularity of musical instruments is growing, and people desire a fuller and louder sound. As a result, the first tenor and concert size came to the market in the 1920s. On the contrary, the baritone emerged in the market in the 1950s.
The smallest size is the soprano, and the largest is the baritone. The third and fourth are the Concert and the Tenor, respectively.
Weight
Generally, ukuleles are lighter than guitars. Besides, several distinctions in weight can be seen between the models. The heaviest is the baritone, and the lightest is the soprano. However, components play a crucial role. Solid wood instruments are heavier. For example, mahogany wood ukuleles are heavier than softwood ones.
Gig Bag
If you plan to carry your ukulele while touring, it’s better to shop for a gig bag. Just as a quality gig bag will protect your instrument from harm, it’ll also aid you in carrying it around. Similarly, if you plan to tour often, it’s better to invest in a hard shell.
FAQs
Q: What is the difference between a travel ukulele and a standard ukulele?
The Travel ukuleles are usually lighter with a thin body and durability. In general, you can purchase a travel one for less than a standard model. However, it depends on how much you want to cost. If you pick a top-line travel ukulele, you’ll be spending more than a budget standard one.
Q: May I carry my ukulele on the plane?
It’s always better to disclose your uke to baggage handlers and ignore potentially damaging situations in the hold. Airlines declare their guides for the size and weight of carry-on products. Indeed, these guidelines determine whether you can transport your instrument on the plane.
Final note
If you know what you’re looking for, finding the best ukulele isn’t hard. Of course, price might be a big issue for many.
But at reasonable prices, travel instruments are getable. So it will not be a concern. In the end, accept the desired one and taste your trip.
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