Jonah Kumalae started his own ukulele manufacturing business in the late 1800s. He came from a family with a background in instrument making, and he learned the art of building stringed instruments from his father, also a luthier. S.Jonah Kumalae was born in 1874 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Where do I Find the Legal Vacation Rentals?.Advanced Reservations For USS Arizona Memorial.The Music Exchange (in Kailua-Kona and Hilo) Friendly atmosphere and they'll help you get started with the basics of playing. They also have a store on Kauai (I haven't been to that one). Perhaps not the greatest in customer hand-holding all the time, but good prices and quality instruments.īounty Music. Good Guys Music and Sound 619 Kapahulu Avenue, Honolulu. At either of them, you'll have the opportunity to play a wealth of instruments so you can see what *you* like best. Two locations in Waikiki with a variety of instruments for all budgets. Ukulele Pua Pua in Waikiki is a fun little shop catering to a lot of tourists but they have fine quality instruments and the prices aren't stratospheric.īob's Ukulele. Buying it directly from the makers might be a special They're close to Costco in Kalihi: The Koaloha "factory" is open for tours-they might also have instruments available for sale there, including a very-well respected line of moderately-priced ukulele. It has a great variety of moderately priced instruments: Hawaii Music Supply, new location near the North Shore. Locations to buy ukulele include (note these are standard retail locations the list doesn't include some great Hawaiian luthiers who produce custom instruments as well as three Oahu ukulele "factories"-Kamaka, G-String and Ko'olau). The previously mentioned Kala and Makala are imports that are typically very good value for the money the Kala is the more upscale part of the line, the Makala is the "student" line. Up to $400 will give you many choices in a factory-made, quality instrument. Solid wood is better than laminate if you can't afford solid throughout the instrument, at least go for a solid wood top.Ĭount on spending at least $100 for a "good, tunable" soprano size (there are four sizes) that will be a decent "player." I have a link on my website about buying low-end/moderate ($100 to $200) ukuleles. Emphasize to whomever you're buying from that you're looking for a tunable instrument (as in, it will *stay* in tune) with easy action and a decent tone. Of course you can always find the ABC Store cheapie models of ukulele (which really aren't playable), but be warned that there are many "more expensive" instruments ($65 to $100) that are equally unplayable.Īlways buy from someone who actually plays the ukulele-they'll give you a better assessment of the instrument than someone who just thinks they're toy guitars. If you're shopping in Hawaii for an ukulele (the perfect souvenir, in my not so humble opinion!), here are some ideas:
Okay, this one is right up my alley-as a passionate ukulele player who likes nothing better than to introduce new players to this fun little instrument, I have a packed-with-information article on things to look for when buying an ukulele (just send me a message).
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