Ukuleles are usually made from wood, though they can be composed of some plastic and in some cases, entirely made from it. Inexpensive ukuleles are most often made from ply or laminate woods, sometimes with a soundboard of a more acoustically superior wood such as spruce. More expensive ukuleles are made of solid hardwoods such as mahogany. Some of the most expensive ukuleles, which can cost upwards of thousands of dollars, are made from koa (Acacia koa), a Hawaiian wood.
These instruments tend to have just four nylon or gut strings, though sometimes the strings may be paired in courses, giving the instrument a total of six or eight strings. When they have six or eight strings in four courses are often called taropatches, or taropatch ukuleles. They were once common in a concert size, but now the tenor size is more common for six-string taropatch ukuleles. The six string, four course version, has two single and two double courses, and is sometimes called a Lili'u, though this name also applies to the eight-string version.
The ukulele has inspired many "hybrid instruments" including the guitarlele, banjo ukulele, harp ukulele and even a lap steel ukulele! There are resonator ukes and electric ukes as well! There is the Tahitian stele ukulele which is usually carved from one piece of wood and does not have a hollow soundbox.
Aside from it's Portuguese ancestors (the cavaquinho and raja), it is also related to the cuatro from Venezuela, the vihuela from Spain, the tiple from Colombia, the charango from the Andes (which is made from an armadillo shell traditionally) and the timple of the Canary Islands. In Indonesia there is another Portuguese inspired instrument called the kroncong.
Ukuleles are well loved all around the world and continue to become more popular every day!
