The Uma UK-16SC is a solid spruce top, satin finish concert ukulele, with a cutaway. It’s such an impressive model for the price. If you’ve read a number of descriptions on my website, you’ll know that a) value for money is probably the biggest factor that gets my juices flowing and b) that increasingly, new specialist ukulele manufacturers like Uma are innovating, improving and constantly impressing me with how good a sound you can get for a modest price.

This Uma UK-16SC has impressive volume and a good balance between bright spruce-led projection and a good bit of richness in the mix too. Add it that it is extremely playable (Uma have such an easy action at the nut end, making chords, particularly barre chords, easier), and the good quality padded gig bag and it leads to me ask, ‘how can they make something this good for this much money?’

The tuners are decent quality, the fluorocarbon strings are light to the touch and project well, and there’s some nice visual flair too with the black binding and abalone soundhole rosette. I know know everyone is a fan of fingerboard inlay, but I find the mountain motif on this one particularly stylish (and there are position markers on the side of the neck, so you’ll not lose your place).

The only thing for me, as a seller of ukuleles, to report as a negative is that I can’t find, for this money, any negatives! I don’t like descriptions to just be a list of superlatives, and like to throw in the odd minor niggle or preference for balance. But quite simply, at this price the Uma UK-16SC is astonishing. At a price where most of the big brands are doing decent, pretty laminate ukes, here’s a solid top version that’s a breeze to play with a big tone… Astonishing I tell you!

For a quick video demo of the Uma UK-16SC concert ukulele, click additional info below. (You’ll also find there a comparison between this model and the Snail BHC-5C, which has a similar specification)

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.