So you've picked your ukulele, now what else do you need to get playing?
In a world of accessories, we've narrowed the field to what every uke player needs and when.
Tuner - This is a must have! 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. Our current fave tuner is the D'Addario Eclipse, with it's large, colourful display and super precise accuracy. And remember folks, Good Children Eat Apples (ukulele tuning GCEA).
Humidifier - Another must have if your uke has any solid wood, like our Mano and Kohala models. Solid wood instruments like a relative humidity of 45%, which is tough to achieve with just your house humidifier, so protect your instrument with the D'Addario Ukulele Humidifier Pro, which puts out plenty of humidity for your little music box and looks pretty cute in there too.
Stand/Hanger - Some people may choose to store their Honolua in its included gig bag, and that's just fine. But, you may also want to show it off, or keep it close at hand so you can pick it up for a quick strum, even if you only have a couple of minutes. The Honolua Ukuleles Wood Stand has a small footprint and looks great as a display for your uke, or hang it on your wall with a Hercules Auto Grip Wall Hanger.
Picks - There's no right and wrong when it comes to using, or not using, picks on your ukulele. This is a personal feel preference. Just remember, the nylon strings on your uke are soft, go easy if using a pick.
Strap - Again, personal preference, although a strap gives you a chance to show some personality when you play your uke. You'll need to make sure you have a strap pin at both ends of your uke (most ukuleles come with a strap pin on the bottom only). Most adjustable guitar straps will work for your uke, and there are tons of ukulele-specific straps available as well.
Case - 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.
