Mitchell MU40 Soprano Ukulele Review – A Budget Uke That’s Perfect for Beginners

Body And Neck:
Hardware:
Sound:
Value:

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When children and adults across the country look to learn how to play the ukulele, there’s one beginner’s model that proves very popular – the Mitchell MU40. In fact, it’s one of the most popular bulk purchase ukuleles for school classrooms. At under $50, this uke offers the kind of price that’s very attractive to beginners (and parents), although it certainly isn’t a flimsy toy – as we’re about to find out.

Body & Neck

When first starting out on the ukulele, beginners need something simple and sturdy on which to learn, and the MU40 offers that solid platform. It features the standard non-cutaway shape with a full-size soprano body (a length of 21”), a smooth neck, and a compact rosewood fretboard with 14 frets, all in the clear. It’s a great size for children, although adults with smaller hands will find it just as useful.

The body is built entirely from laminated lindenwood – top, back and sides – and features white ABS binding on the top and back, which is both attractive and protective in equal measure. In addition to the natural satin-finished model, which shows off the simple but appealing grain of the wood, the MU40 is available in three smart colors: Midnight Black, Deep Blue, and Flamingo Pink.

Hardware

The MU40 isn’t exactly swimming in hardware, but what it has is decent – especially for the super-budget price. It features a rosewood bridge, and set of open-gear, vintage-style tuners on the Mitchell-branded headstock. These aren’t bad to use – we’ve seen worse! – although they don’t hold tuning well for long periods of time, especially when the strings are new. On that note, the strings it comes with aren’t great, so it’s worth investing in a set of good quality strings, which will help bring the tone to life (and may help stabilize the tuning a little). Finally, the MU40 comes with a simple instructional booklet to help you get off the ground.

Sound

As we’ve just mentioned, changing the factory strings will instantly bring this little ukulele to life, although don’t expect a world-class sound. Still, you get exactly what you need – that familiar happy ukulele tone. It’s built to provide a clear and relatively bright sound with enough volume, which is all a beginner truly needs.

Conclusion

It’s by no means perfect but, for under fifty bucks, the MU40 Soprano demonstrates surprising quality. It plays nicely, looks great, and sounds decent. Whether you’re buying for a child taking lessons, or for yourself on a strict budget, it’s hard to go wrong with Mitchell’s value ukulele. It’s no wonder teachers tend to recommend it!

For more info about the Mitchell MU40 Soprano Ukulele, click here.
For more Best Ukulele For Beginners you might like, click here.