This is a good little package for a beginner, with a decent concert uke, spare Aquila strings, a tuner, a gig bag and an instructional booklet to get you going. Just one thing to note - the label says U100CM - there's a bit of inconsistency with naming these models, but they're one and the same.

Beginner uke packages aren't something I've had a great deal of success with in the past. While the prospect of a package that ticks lots of boxes is handy and should sell well, the fact is there are always lots of options that do this - even if they are well... a bit rubbish. With the U1C, the key part of the package, the ukulele, is really very good for the money. This means it will not compete on price and therefore, sadly, is never going to be as popular as the Amazon deals that give the uninitiated the same thing, for less... oh, apart from the fact the ukulele isn't very good!

So, despite my better judgement in some ways, I'm having another stab at selling a starter pack, hoping (possibly against hope), that people will go for quality at a modest price, over rubbish at an even smaller price!

The laminate concert ukulele has a mellow tone (a good feature given many cheap ukes are a bit on the tinny side), and crucially, is well set up so that beginners have nothing to put them off. The tuner is good, the 'how to play' booklet is fine (in that it doesn't contain any errors that would lead people to get off on the wrong foot), and the gig bag... well, it exists! The bag has fairly minimal padding, but it stops the instrument getting bumped - unless you are determined to break it!

In one way, you can look at this description as refreshingly honest, or on the other hand, not exactly packed with the marketing speak that would persuade people to get it. I'll conclude by saying the key part, the instrument, is good - it sounds nice and it plays nicely - so if you are in the market for a handy gift package to hand on the ukulele playing baton, the Cordoba U1C is a great way to do it. It isn't amazing, but it is good value and has nothing to put people off. It isn't a £40 package from Amazon, but it is twice as good.

For common accessories and customisations (like strap buttons / low G fitting) scroll down to the bottom of the page where you'll be able to add these common items to your basket.