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hawaiianmusiclover06
`Olu`olu
USA
562 Posts |
 Posted - 04/26/2008 : 02:04:33 AM
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Aloha mai Kakou! I was wondering where I can get a good and reliable 'ukulele. I know some of you know that I am into Hawaiian music and the culture, but now I think that it is time for me to get an 'ukulele or a beginner's 'ukulele. Or maybe some of the TPer's out there will give me one. lol. Mahalo nui loa for your kokua.
Alana :)
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Aloha Kakou, maluhia a me aloha mau loa (Hello everyone, peace and love forever) |
Edited by - hawaiianmusiclover06 on 04/26/2008 09:08:08 AM |
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Konabob
`Olu`olu
USA
928 Posts |
Posted - 04/26/2008 : 07:01:06 AM
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The words "cheap" and "Hawaii" should not be applied to the word "Ukulele".
While it is true that the ABC stores sell something that looks like an ukulele for $10 to $12 dollars, it is not a playable instrument.
Costco has a pretty good ukulele for about $90.
But in general, if you do find a "cheap" instrument in Hawaii, be very suspicious. Here are some of the reasons why:
1) It takes a certain amount of time and energy to create a new ukulele. Life in Hawaii is very wonderful in many ways, but
if you look at the price of housing, gas, food, just about everything... it is much higher than most places around the world.
If someone spends his/her time making an ukulele to sell, they have to cover their cost, which is going to be higher than
most places around the world. Expect to pay more for a Hawaiian made ukulele than one made in Thailand or Vietnam - or
Texas for that matter.
2) The Japanese tourists love ukuleles. The island of Oahu has always had many, many more Japanese tourists than any other island, and they scour the shops looking for ukuleles. The laws of supply and demand makes it a seller's market. Therefore finding a true "bargain" is very rare. Finding a dusty old Kamaka (that plays) in a pawn shop is not impossible, but not likely.
3) You will get what you pay for in most cases. There are some companies here in Hawaii that sell ukuleles for much less than others. There is a reason for this. Their ukuleles are not actually made in Hawaii. The necks and bodies are made in Thailand or Vietnam, and then they are assembled in Hawaii, and they slap a "Made in Hawaii" sticker on it, and sell it cheap. This does not make them bad ukuleles in most cases, but be aware that it was not really made in Hawaii.
If you find an ukulele for under $80, look at it as a nice wall hanging.
In the $80 to $200 range you will be able to find some good "beginner ukuleles". Most of the music stores carry them. Some of the guys here who are just learning how to make ukuleles will sell their ukuleles in this range because they don't feel that they are their best work, and just want to unload them. So make sure you test the ukulele for string buzz and intonation, and make sure you can play it without hurting your fingers.
Once you get up into the $350 range, there are some fairly nice ukuleles that are made by Hawaiian makers. You might want to get in touch with "Music Guy MiKe" who runs an ebay store:
http://stores.ebay.com/Musicguymics-Room
He lives in Kaneohe, and has a good reputation.
Aloha,
-Konabob
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Konabob's Walkingbass - http://www.konawalkingbass.com
Taropatch Steel - http://www.konaweb.com/konabob/
YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=Konabob2+Walkingbass |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 04/26/2008 : 08:17:25 AM
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| Alana - I can vouch for music guy Mike. That is where I bought mine. It was not expensive a couple hundred bucks. Just sock away your extra change or maybe 20 dollars a month and in a year you will have enough to get one. Do not buy anything on credit. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - 04/26/2008 : 09:33:02 AM
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The one Wanda bought is a Kala Brand, made in China. For the money, it is a very nice instrument. It plays easily and sounds good. If you are looking for a starter ukulele that you can learn and grow with, this should fill the bill. But it is not Hawaiian made, if that's a priority. Music Guy Mike was a good person to deal with. Very customer-oriented, and knowlegable. If you are in Kaneohe I think he has a store in addition to his E-bay store. But never rush into the purchase of a musical instrument, savor the try-outs of all in your price range. Eventually, one will beg to go home with you-and you won't be able to refuse. Sounds like marriage.
Paul |
"A master banjo player isn't the person who can pick the most notes.It's the person who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello |
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Mika ele
Ha`aha`a
USA
1493 Posts |
Posted - 04/26/2008 : 6:36:39 PM
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Visit one of the many ukulele luthiers on Oahu. My personal favorite is KoAloha (off Dillingham by the Honolulu CostCo. The Waikiki Trolley stops there.
Or you can visit one of two places at the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet. Two brothers set up shop at opposite ends of the swap meet. They have some nice ukuleles at reasonable prices. Buyer beware though. |
E nana, e ho'olohe. E pa'a ka waha, e hana ka lima. |
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Baritone
Lokahi
USA
136 Posts |
Posted - 04/26/2008 : 7:20:31 PM
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Check the Ko'olau and Pono ukuleles at their warehouse up the road from your neighborhood. www.koolauukulele.com. Also, check the Community College, just up the road from Ewa Beach; Dan's Guitars www.dansguitars.com down on McCully and S. Beretania; and Kamaka on South St. Sometimes Coconut Grove in Kailua Oahu get good deals. My favorites since 1959 are the pawn shops!
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808bk
Akahai
82 Posts |
Posted - 04/26/2008 : 7:58:25 PM
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Alana - the best prices I found here are Good Guys Music in Kapahulu and Music Guy Mike (internet) mentioned above. Another good place to check out is Hawaii Music Supply (Andrew Kitakis) in Wahiawa. They are all really helpful and won't rip you off.
My advice would be to spend a little extra and get a quality uke. If you buy a cheap one with the intent of upgrading in the future, you'll end up spending a lot more money, a lot sooner than you thought. Been there, done that. |
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Darin
Lokahi
USA
294 Posts |
Posted - 04/26/2008 : 9:12:54 PM
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Hi Alana,
If you're looking for inexpensive, the Lanikai and Kala brands will do. Both brands are made overseas, but are great values. Retailers around Honolulu are Easy Music, Good Guys, Dan's Guitars, Island Guitars. If you're looking more expensive, I vouch for Koaloha's.
Happy uke hunting!
Konabob, thanks for the link to "Music Guy Mike." Interesting web store. This is why TP is such a great site. I'm always finding out about new things. |
Darin
http://www.hawaiiguitar.com/ |
Edited by - Darin on 04/26/2008 9:17:35 PM |
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hawaiianmusiclover06
`Olu`olu
USA
562 Posts |
Posted - 05/01/2008 : 2:22:33 PM
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Mahalo nui loa. I will definitely check those places out. I'll even check at Costco.
Alana :) |
Aloha Kakou, maluhia a me aloha mau loa (Hello everyone, peace and love forever) |
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Konabob
`Olu`olu
USA
928 Posts |
Posted - 05/01/2008 : 4:25:17 PM
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I have two friends here on the Big Island who own Koaloha ukuleles. They are nice looking and have a bright tone. However, both of them have had the same problem in the last 6 months. The tension of the string splits the wood in two where they are tied onto the bridge. Ouch! Perhaps Koaloha just happened to get a batch of weak wood, or they drilled the string holes too close to the top of the bridge. Both of my friends returned their ukes to the factory on Oahu, and received new instruments - no questions asked. So we know that they are a reputable company. But I would be asking questions before buying my next Koaloha.
Aloha,
-Konabob |
Konabob's Walkingbass - http://www.konawalkingbass.com
Taropatch Steel - http://www.konaweb.com/konabob/
YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=Konabob2+Walkingbass |
Edited by - Konabob on 05/01/2008 4:26:22 PM |
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slackkey
Lokahi
USA
280 Posts |
Posted - 05/03/2008 : 8:23:37 PM
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 Aloha Alana! There's a "Bounty Music Store" there on Oahu like we have here on Maui. Pay them a visit. They carry all the the various Name Brands such as the one Kona Bob mentioned, and many others too
 WARNING: They will try to convince you to buy their top of the line ones (or not) My advice to you! Try all of them...Take your time looking and trying Hear how they play...how the sound of the strings being strummed hauntingly carries. How it feels when you pick one up and begin to play...Does it feel comfortable when holding the ukulele...Is the spacing of the frets easy on your fingers...But most important of all, does the tips of your fingers feel comfortable sliding on the strings...picking ! No doubt, the high-end do play and sound great. But...Do YOU feel the same about the instrument? And if you do, well that's all that matters. Just be for certain sure that it is the one you want, and will spend countless hours enjoying it.
Important also, the older they get...the more seasoned they become in sound and in value I do hope you find your dream ukulele Alana! Aloha and good luck! Get the one you'll love forever...
slackkey Bill
Maui, Hawaii |
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noeau
Ha`aha`a
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 05/04/2008 : 05:49:29 AM
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There are a couple of stores in Waikīkī and at Ala Moana Center that sell only ukes. Their prices are of course retail but you will be able to look at at least 5 or 6 different makes and the price range is pretty wide. Also Easy music on King street might have a selection. You may need to look in a phone book or Google the locations from your computer. Koaloha is in Pālama by the canal if you go there you might also get a tour of the shop. I am assuming that you are going to visit Hawaiʻi in person. If not there are many places that you can email. Even if you are just starting off keep in mind that most cheap ukes give cheap sounds if that happens it will be difficult to learn because if the uke sounds junk you might think that you sound junk then you give up. I donʻt think you want to do that.
You may have to search far and wide to get a uke off the shelf also ask the store clerk to check that the uke is tuned to concert pitch that way they all sound the same as far as pitch goes. if you already know a few chords use them to strum each instrument you try. If not ask the clerk to play it so you can hear it. If the clerk canʻt play it find one who does. If no one in the store plays a uke find another store. Since you live on Oʻahu (I checked your profile) you get plenty time I suggest you take it. If you know a uke player take him or her with you. I say all this because if you are really new to uke playing the search can be overwhelming. Good luck and have fun. |
No'eau, eia au he mea pa'ani wale nō. |
Edited by - noeau on 05/04/2008 05:59:32 AM |
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KoAloha
Akahai
USA
68 Posts |
Posted - 05/05/2008 : 09:51:36 AM
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KonaBob,
Sorry to hear about your friend's bridge woes. It's doesn't happen often, but the bridges do split from time to time. In any case, I'm glad your friends were able to work it out with us and got their new ukulele. Maybe it's the Big Island weather? (A joke!) It was nice seeing you at the Paiva wedding.
To get back on subject, we do encourage our customers to ask questions before buying. A lot of people buy online and a company's reputation is all they have to go on. Although steadily gaining popularity, ukulele are usually not readily available at the corner music store. Well, unless you live in Hawaii. If there is a quality issue or even if our instruments do not fully meet the customer's expectations, we try our best to reach a solution. We guarantee quality and satisfaction through one of the best warranties on the market. We cover any damage to the instrument due to workmanship, including $40 shipping, as well as wood movement. It's a lifetime warranty on the instrument, which is fully transferrable to a new owner.
Questions are good! I would prefer to have someone contact me, rather than assume the worst. A lot of love and sweat has gone into building KoAloha.
Aloha,
Paul |
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mike2jb
Lokahi
USA
213 Posts |
Posted - 05/05/2008 : 4:53:24 PM
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Alana-
For selfish reasons, I'm so glad you posted this question, since I'm here in Honolulu touristing and these posts pointed me in the right direction. After reading Paul's comments above, I headed over to the KoAloha factory for a "mini-tour" (see their website). Since I'm at the same level as you (thinking about becoming a beginner--can't get much lower), these beautiful instruments are probably more expensive than I need. However, I'd really recommend the tour (there's a full-length one in the mornings) to get a good picture of what goes into their construction. Also, if you do decide on a high-quality `ukulele like one of these, they have "factory seconds" at a good discount. These are instruments supposedly with cosmetic flaws (I honestly couldn't find them), not affecting the sound, sold at a nice discount. Brian, the showroom manager there, and Paul, who posted above, and the rest of the folks at KoAloha are super-friendly and obviously care deeply about their craft.
As for the rest of my little `uke tour: two shops in Waikiki and one in the Aloha Tower Marketplace seemed a little sterile for my taste. Dan's Guitars on Beretania had a nice selection of Hawaii-made ukes (and a few others) but nothing larger than a concert size. The staff there were friendly and helpful and the instruments were mostly marked down from the MSRP.
Alana, of course you should take the advice of the non-beginners who've answered above, but my two cents is this-- you're fortunate to live in a place where you can do some pretty extensive hands-on research, seeing what instruments feel and sound good to you. I think you should take advantage of that rather than trusting your luck in the mail-order world.
-Mike |
Edited by - mike2jb on 05/09/2008 09:18:50 AM |
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Konabob
`Olu`olu
USA
928 Posts |
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hapuna
Lokahi
USA
159 Posts |
Posted - 05/05/2008 : 6:41:51 PM
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OK I'm going to have to go with the obvious.... check out Kamaka. Sometimes you can get seconds pretty inexpensively. They play perfectly fine but may have some kind of blem that is usually very difficult to find. These are solid ukes at a good price. Call the factory and ask about the 2nds. I think they still do this.
I got one but as a good friend called for me that knows the Kamakas well I'm not that convinced its a 2nd but they told me it was. Its pretty nice!!!!!! |
hapuna
Seattle |
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