As the name implies, this is the signature ukulele of Grace VanderWaal, who won the 11th season of America’s Got Talent.
This Concert uke is an acoustic-electric ukulele that combines traditional sapele body with a 4 in-line headstock that resembles the Fender Telecaster, resulting in a familiar sounding yet distinct looking instrument.
Joining it’s all laminate sapele body is a nato neck, topped by a flat-radius walnut fingerboard with 16 frets. The walnut bridge matches the fingerboard, and it houses a bone saddle which also matches its bone nut.
For getting your sound amplified, it is outfitted with Fishman Kula electronics, with the preamp control section housing a nifty built-in tuner.
Specifications
- Top: Sapele
- Body: Sapele
- Neck: Nato
- Fingerboard: Walnut
- Frets: 16
- Extras: Gig Bag
Pros
As expected, fans of Grace are pleased, but there are also plenty of non-fans who are impressed with its overall quality. Most of the positive comments point to the Fender Grace VanderWaaal Signature’s plugged in tone as its best feature. Even those who are not happy with its unplugged tone, are pleased when it’s plugged into an amp or PA system. Build quality and playability also gets a lot of kudos, both from students who own this ukulele, and from the parents who bought it for them. There are also many who are pleased with its tuning stability and intonation.
Cons
Not many complaints, other than a few who aren’t too pleased with its lack of punch when played unplugged.
Overall
You don’t have to be a Grace VanderWaal or Fender Telecaster fan to appreciate this ukulele.
Although this was previously on our recommended list, there are now more highly rated options available which you can see in our guide to The Best Acoustic-Electric Ukuleles.