How to Buy a Case for Your Ukulele

Ukulele’s are treasured instruments. If you treat them just right, they should endure for a long period of time. The proper upkeep is essential and one way you can be certain to keep your ukulele (or any instrument for that matter) in pristine condition is by purchasing an instrument case. A case for your ukulele will keep it safe from dust, damage while traveling or any unfortunate event that could befall it if you leave it out in the open. Dry, humid weather in particular can cause some serious damage to wood instruments.

A ukulele case is a top priority when looking to protect your beloved uke. Let’s go through some things to consider when looking for a case for you ukulele and some instrument cases that may be best for you.

The Fit

Your ukulele case should be a snug fit for you instrument. Ukulele’s come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, but don’t render the instrument case useless by purchasing one that doesn’t fit your ukulele just right. Be sure that the instrument can’t jiggle around inside the case too much.

Humidity

Two types of humidity could be a danger to your ukulele. If you reside in an area where turning on heat during the winters is a common practice or you live in an arid climate, a humidifier may be necessary to ensure your ukulele’s longevity. Not all ukulele’s are made of wood, but most of them are. This makes the instrument susceptible to damage if there’s not enough moisture. The ukulele’s wood could dry out, shrink, crack, lose tone and an assortment of other problems could occur.  

Humidifiers in the case will gradually push water into the air, regulating humidity levels and keep your wood healthy.

The Hard Case

Once again, if you really care about your ukulele, then an instrument case is a must have. The longer you postpone purchasing one for your baby, the faster the countdown begins until something unexpected happens to it. Ukulele’s that don’t leave the house are in danger as well, imagine if it’s damaged by humidity, wetness or you simply drop it while moving it in a storage space. Get a case for you ukulele!

A ukulele case can come in a variety of different styles. A good case for your ukulele will have soft and solid support in the interior. Heavy-duty latches, handles and hinges are also important. While there are several different ukulele case types, there are two main ones. Hard shell and soft shell.

A hard shell case will most likely give you the most protection for the instrument. Many hard ukulele cases will sustain drops and kicks. This kind of case is also great if you plan on traveling for long distances. A hard shell will keep your ukulele safe in an overhead compartment when the instrument is banging against other luggage. Most of them even have small accessory compartments. If your ukulele is in a hard shell instrument case, you should be nearly worry free about any damage that could happen. Check this hard ukulele case out: Oscar Schmidt UC3 Hardshell Concert Ukulele Case Standard

The Soft Case 

This is a solid ukulele case as well. Soft cases normally come with zippers instead of hard latches to encase the instrument. The security of the soft case may not be as high as a hard shell case. But with that said, you will still receive protection from minor dings and bangs throughout the day if on the move. This is a good instrument case if you plan on traveling short distances from your home to practice with a group or in the neighborhood. Take a look at this one: Road Runner RR1CUKE Ukulele Gig Bag Standard

Need to buy the ukulele first? Read our Ukulele Buyer’s Guide