I got a new ukulele!
Brand: The Rebel
Model: Double Creme
Size: Tenor
Tuning: Low G
In this article, I’m going to share why I wanted to upgrade, how I chose this particular ukulele, my tips for buying a ukulele, what it sounds like, and how you can get 10% off a Rebel brand ukulele.
Why Get a New Ukulele?
It was time to upgrade the one I’ve used for the past 4 years. My Seizi Concert that you’ve seen in all my videos has served me well, but my husband (who LOVES high quality instruments) sat me down one day. My ukulele had been buzzing, and I was frustrated with the sound. Now, I’m quite frugal and only buy expensive things if I NEED to. My husband Nuni said: “Linds, you work with ukulele professionally. You deserve a professional ukulele. Let’s look for one when we go to Canada.”
(It’s easier and more affordable to buy musical instruments in Canada than in Brazil!)
I didn’t know much about ukulele brands, types of wood, or strings… and I didn’t want to research. My plan was: go to a large music store in Toronto and play as many ukes as I could - until I found one I loved.
It didn’t work out like that, though. It worked out even BETTER.
My parents live in a sparsely populated area of Ontario. You’d never guess that their small town of 2500 people would have a ukulele store, but they did. It was called HaliUkes and we decided to check it out.
(We almost didn’t, because it was a 45 minute drive and I thought they might not have the professional kind of ukuleles I wanted)
That’s my first buying tip - don’t dismiss small ukulele shops! You never know what they’ll have in stock.
So we went to HaliUkes. We were the only people there other than Mike, the store owner. He was extremely knowledgeable about ukuleles, and helped us a lot. I told him I was looking for a professional ukulele and he showed me a brand I’d never heard of before: THE REBEL.
I played the concert and the tenor models, but the Tenor blew me away. The rich, warm tone it produced was special, and everyone who heard me play it said “THAT’s the one!”
It was expensive ($1000 Canadian Dollars) and I wanted to be SURE. I told Mike I’d think about it.
Here, I ran into a dilemma. My original plan was to shop at a huge music store (Long & McQuade) in Toronto. But it would be at the end of my trip, and I would already be gone from my parents’ place (3 hours away, no chance of going back). What if there was something BETTER at the big store?
Fortunately for me, my husband is a pro at buying instruments and he told me to call Long & McQuade to see what ukuleles they had in stock. After that, I went onto YouTube and listened to people playing those brands/models. I also looked up videos of people playing The Rebel ukuleles. I was amazed at how much I preferred The Rebel brand sound to any of the ukes Long & McQuade had.
That’s my second tip: listen to videos of people playing the model/brand of uke you’re interested in. See what sound speaks to you! It’s such a personal choice.
Third tip: When you’re buying a ukulele it’s important that it feels good in your arms, it sounds good to your ears and it’s easy on your fingers to press the strings. The Rebel checked all 3 boxes for me.
After a week passed and I’d done my research, I was ready to buy. And now, I’m so happy with my choice. The Double Creme Tenor from The Rebel sounds soooo much better than my last ukulele. (In the future I’ll make a video comparing them, so you can hear the difference!)
About The Rebel + how to get 10% off
The Rebel is a small team of designers and experienced luthiers from Thailand that create only high quality custom ukuleles. I’m thrilled to announce I’m an affiliate for The Rebel! That means when you order a Rebel ukulele through their website, you can get 10% off (use the code LINDSAY10) and I will make a commission. If you are looking for a high quality instrument that feels and sounds like butter, this is the brand I recommend. You can check out their models at www.actwises.com/shop
Ready to hear what it sounds like? Watch the video below of me playing “La Vie En Rose” chord melody.