Best DIY Ukulele Kit To Build On Your Own

You love the joyful, pretty sound of a ukulele, and you get excited to know that you can build your own ukulele that represents your fine taste. For that reason, you’re searching here and there for the best ukulele kit to bring home and start the building.

However, you realize that there are tons of models around, making your purchase journey more strenuous than ever. You come across many models with mixed reviews that you don’t know whether to give it a shot.

We know that feeling and comprehend the frustration when we’re out buying anything, not only a ukulele. We’ve rounded up nine options for you, and we’re sure you never go wrong with whatever you choose.

In-depth Best Ukulele Kit Review In 2023

We strive to make sure our picks are at the top of the pile to provide you with a pleasant experience building and strumming. Take a look at 9 outstanding ukulele kits that we’ve selected.

Zimo DIY Ukulele Kit – Best Overall

This Zimo kit is surprisingly well-constructed and offers great value for the money. We see noticeable improvements in it from other DIY Zimo siblings. 

The strips of wood covering the top and back have been extended around the whole ukulele body to offer greater durability. The woodwork seems well done, and you only need some sanding and staining to get it all nice and pretty. 

The strings coming with the set hold a decent tone when stretched out. This kit is a decent DIY project with good sound quality. 

However, it’s worth noting that this DIY ukulele requires a bit of effort to assemble. One should know something about stringed instruments, woodwork, and sanding to bring out a playable piece of instrument.

Pros

• Sounds great
• Affordable
• Durable

Cons

• Cheap strings
• Not ideal for new builders

Kmise DIY Soprano Ukulele Kit – Best for Kids

The sturdy ukulele holds the tune well, and it comes with nice add-ons like extra strings, a strap, and picks. We’re sure kids will love carrying it around on the strap.

The fretboard comes with smooth fret edges, to our pleasant surprise, making it safe for kids to assemble and play. The fret spacing is on the smaller side, suitable for small fingers and hands to strum on.

Although the ukulele will need a little bit of tuning, it sounds great for the price.

Pros

• Affordable
• Comes with accessories
• Smooth-edged fretboard
• Holds the tune decently

Con

• Requires tuning

Penau DIY Ukulele Kit – Best for Durability

This ukulele is well-constructed and all-wood. The manufacturer even uses rosewood to make the bridge, lending the instrument an artistic look and adding extra durability.

Unlike other toy-grade plastic pieces, this little wood instrument is very durable and lasts a decent period under regular use.

Like other kits in this price range, this ukulele doesn’t work straight out of the box and needs some tuning. You’ll need to wait for a few days of tuning before it can hold the tune well.

Pros

• Superb durability
• All-wood
• Easy-to-follow instructional videos
• Rosewood bridge

Con

• Needs tuning

StewMac Concert Ukulele Kit – Best For Would-be Luthiers Kits

This ukulele set is ideal for aspiring luthiers or those who truly love building things. As you can see from the picture, this ukulele kit comes without any pre-building, requiring buyers to build it virtually from scratch.

However tiring the process, you will know better about the ukulele than ever, especially if you want to be a great ukulele builder. That said, the manufacturer has tried to make the building more enjoyable.

The back and sides of the instrument are mahogany laminates. The material will add more stability and integrity to the piece, eliminating spring-back when put together.

As the top is solid mahogany wood, you can rest assured about the sound quality the piece produces.

Because the set is a real build, it’s not for those with little commitment to create this four-stringed instrument.

Pros

• Solid mahogany top for a fuller and richer tone
• Mahogany back and sides for easier building
• Clear construction

Con

• Expensive
• It can be hard for less able builders

Meideal Hawaii Soprano Ukulele Kit – Good for Value

If you go for a ukulele kit for such a price, chances are you’ll get a lot of cheap plastic parts that won’t last long. Why not get a better value for your money by buying this kit?

The set comes with a basswood neck and body, providing a smooth wood feel. The natural wood grain also adds more aesthetic value to the instrument.

What’s more? The kit comes with a rosewood fingerboard and bridge instead of the plastic ones. The material helps to bring out a full, warm, and brighter sound.

The kit comes with better-quality components than comparable competitors. You’ll get more metal parts, including the machine head knobs, which are more durable than their plastic counterparts.

One minor quibble with this kit is the unclear instruction for the stringing part.

Pros

• Reasonably-priced
• High-grade components
• Rosewood fingerboard for better sound production

Con

• Improvable stringing instruction

JYFY DJ Electron Soprano Hawaii Ukulele DIY Kit – Good For Gifting

If you’re looking for a present for your little loved ones, look no further than this JYFY DJ Electron kit. 

The kit is easy to put together with the help of easy-to-follow instruction, making it a suitable educational tool for your kids. The nice green box helps it more than ideal to give away.

This little instrument is lightweight for your children to carry around. If not painted, the light-colored finish hides scratches pretty well. You won’t have to wonder if the piece can stand up to the rough hands of your kids.

Low-grade strings are what you should expect for such a price. We recommend buying Aquila strings to replace, and you’ll get a great-sounding instrument.

Pros

• Ideal gift
• Lightweight
• Scratch-resistant surface
• Easy to put together

Con

• Cheap strings

Xatan Hawaii Ukulele Kit – Best for Ease Of Building

If you’re not the patient type, this nominee will be a great option. The kit is self-explanatory on how to ensemble and suitable for those with little to zero woodwork experience. 

To ensure the build is a painless process, the manufacturer provides detailed instructions to guide you through every single step. If you’re still not confident with the help of the instructions, go through one or two YouTube videos to put together a great-sounding ukulele of your own. 

The majority of the build is to adhere parts together using glue. The most important step is to combine the neck with the body, which will not be a barrier for even your little kids.

In terms of sound quality, this all-wood ukulele promises a decent tone. 

Unfortunately, the price is slightly higher than other competitors, which can be a little off-putting to some.

Pros

• Easy to set up
• Well-written instruction
• Great-sounding ukulele

Con

• Slightly expensive

Gittylele Easy-to-build Ukulele Kit – Best for Design

This kit is what you look for if you don’t want a conventional piece and go off the beaten track. 

The rectangular shape adds freshness and uniqueness to the instrument. You will be the envy of your acquaintances. 

The special laminations of the sides also make this instrument stand out from the crowd.

Gittylele manufactures the whole package in the US so that you can rest assured about the quality. The kit is also easy to put together, requiring only 1-2 hours to become a nice finished product.

I would recommend this kit to anyone who has some woodwork experience. It’s not something for a complete beginner due to the amount of work involved.

Pros

• Unique look
• USA-quality components
• Requires little amount of time to assemble

Con

• High price tag
• Not for total starters

Kala Soprano Starter Kit – Best Starter Ukulele Kit

Our last pick is technically not a DIY kit, but it makes a great choice for those who care about strumming as much as the building. The price point makes it best suited for people who start venturing into the world of the ukulele.

This kit comes with a tote bag for easy storage and a Guide for a starter to learn the ukulele basics. The instrument holds tune decently, projects well, and sounds bright and clear.

The soprano size is also great for newbies to learn before stepping up the ladder for something bigger, like a concert or tenor.

As with any instrument with nylon strings, you’ll need some tuning for the strings to stay in tune.

Pros

• Great price for starters
• Useful website for basic ukulele knowledge
• Holds tune decently

Con

• Nylon strings need more tuning.

Buying Guide

Is this your first time buying a ukulele kit? You’re probably confused about what to look for and consider. Read our buying guide to make a better decision when choosing the best ukulele kit.

Assembling Options

Ukulele-building kits come in different assembly ways. 

Pre-built ukulele kits are great for parent/kid projects or those who are totally new ukulele builders. This type does all the hard work, and all you need to do is sanding, screwing, painting, and gluing. 

Pre-built kits don’t take a lot of your time. You only need to spend from one to two hours to bring to life a playable ukulele. 

On the next level of difficulty, we have advanced uke kits, like the StewMac kit. These kits put more hard work on your shoulders, including building the body, drilling, and clamping. 

They also need more sanding than pre-built models. This option is ideal for aspiring luthiers who want to explore the uke’s construction.

Size

There are good reasons why DIY kits commonly come in soprano size. This size is great for starters, including new players or new builders.

We’re sure you don’t want to stop halfway through building a bigger ukulele with a higher price tag, which usually happens, especially with something you do for the first time.

Even though most DIY kits come in a compact size, there are still bigger options. Some models can range from 21 inches to 26 inches in size. 

Make sure you get the size you are most comfortable strumming.

Components

Just like with a standard ukulele, the material can make or break a ukulele. A plastic body is acceptable if it can provide a smooth feel and produce decent sound, especially for those cheap models. 

However, you could look out for a wood body, solid wood top, or even better, wood back and sides. Wood gives you a clearer and brighter sound than any material. 

Also, plastic should be your last port of call when it comes to other parts, as it’s much less durable than metal or wood.

Budget

Like with any purchase, consider how much you want to spend on the ukulele kit. 

We recommend you should not go for the bottom price range. There are high chances you get a model that comes with many drawbacks we mentioned above, such as a plastic body or plastic head knobs.

Instructions

With any DIY package, clear and informative instruction is more needed than ever. Make sure your kit of choice comes with all the information you need. 

It should guide you in every step and, even better, have visual illustrations to understand the content better.

Sound Quality

Although some builders create a ukulele as a decorative element for their home, to hang it on the wall, for example, most people expect to tune their finished product. Therefore, you need a great-sounding piece of instrument. 

How you build a ukulele has nothing to do with the sound quality in most cases. The quality of components has a greater role. For that reason, you need to be careful about the materials involved. 

If you find reading these specifications dreadful, you can rely on previous buyers’ reviews to make a more informed choice.

Conclusion

Building a ukulele might pose some challenges, but you’ll feel a sense of satisfaction in the end. The best ukulele kit also makes a great gift, especially for your children who love art and music.

Carefully check on the assembling, components, size, sound quality, and price of a kit before buying. Our choice is the all-rounder Zimo due to its great sound quality, reasonable price, and good components that come with the package.