Buying in Maui

robinboyd

robinboyd

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Hi Everyone,

My wife and I will be visiting Hawaii for the first time next month, and we were thinking about buying a ukulele while we are there.

We are staying in Lahaina, but we will be travelling through Kahului on the way to and from the airport.

At the moment, my wife has a laminate soprano and I have a solid acacia tenor with a low G. We are looking to get a nice ukulele that we can share, so that I can play something with a high G without giving myself cramp in my left hand and so that she can play something that is solid wood without stretching her hands unduly, so we were thinking about a getting a high G concert uke. Of course we will have to actually play it to see if it feels comfortable for both of us. We are looking to spend around $500.

Anyway, we are planning to stop at Lahaina Music and Kula Gold in Lahaina, as well as Mele Ukulele and possibly Bounty Music in Kahului. Kahai from UU has recommended Islander ukuleles, and I'm seriously tempted by some of the Mele Ukulele models, although I have seen some mixed opinions on Mele on this forum (I'm taking both sides with a grain of salt). I also understand that Pono is a good brand.

Does anyone else have any specific tips about what brands and shops are good and what to avoid?

Best regards,

Robin
 
All three stores are good. Bounty had the largest selection when I was there. My favorite uke in that price range available from Bounty and Lahaina was the Koaloha Opio.
 
When in Hawaii, I'd try to get a hold of a Hawaiian made instrument. They cost more than what you stated, but maybe you can find a used one at a good price. Other than that, the KoAloha Opio will be as close at it gets. Pono is always a pleasure, too. Play a few of these brands and get the one you like best. And let us know what you end up with.
 
Thanks for the Craigslist suggestion Patrick. I hadn't thought of it. We might not have time for that, but it's worth having a look.

As for buying a Hawaiian made instrument, I totally agree that that would be ideal, but we just can't afford a new one. We'll keep an eye out for used, though. That was also one of the reasons I was looking at Mele. I know they make them in the Philippines, but at least they are a local company that does all the setting up locally. If I can't get a locally made one, perhaps that is the next best thing. I'll let you now what we decide in the end, though. At the end of the day, it will come down to what's available when we get there, and what we like the feel of. So far, we'll definitely keep our eyes open for Islander, Mele, and KoAloha Opio.

Robin
 
Another brand of ukes made out of Koa, but produced in Asia and therefore within your budget is Keli'i. They were quite popular a couple of years ago, I guess because people were led to believe that they were made in Hawaii.

A newer Hawaiian brand is Imua; they might still be a bit cheaper than the "K brands". They have a couple of factory seconds on their website.
 
I have a Kelii koa concert and it's a great uke. It has a slightly longer scale than most concerts, about 15.5 inches. Mine is my low G uke; it's very resonant. An all koa concert would cost you $550, but they make koa/mahogany and all mahogany models, which would be less expensive. They have fallen out of favor somewhat, as they are no longer made entirely in Hawaii (they used to be). Some work is done there, some in China. But due to a rule about % of expenditures, they can still have a "made in Hawaii" label.

I really like the idea of looking through Craigslist. You could score a good deal! Have a great time; Maui is beautiful.
 
robinboyd said:
We are looking to get a nice ukulele that we can share...
Click to expand...

Oh, as someone who celebrated a 35 year wedding anniversary in 2015, I love this idea....but, seriously, see what you can do to budget *two* ukuleles! What if you both want to play the "nice" ukulele at the same time???
 
Actually, we each already have a quite nice ukuleles. Not as good as the one we would most likely buy, but not bad. I've got a Koa Pili Koko tenor with a low G, and she has a Luna Tattoo Pineapple. I'd use the new one when I want a high G, and she'd probably alternate between her old one and the new one depending on her mood, and switch to mine when she wants a low G. I'm not sure that we need 2 new ones, and given that we have a limited budget, I think it might be better if we spent our money on one that is as nice as possible rather than getting 2 more reasonable ones.
 
After having several Koaloha concerts,I think they are really special . something about their bracing and the body size , the slightly wider neck, the tuners, it all comes together. You may be able to get one used, as I've seen several at that price, or lower, used. An opio would also be a good choice. But you are going to be in HI, might as well buy HI. I'm sure any of the other made in HI brands would also be fine. The Koaloha is just one I have experience with in that size. You may also be able to get a 2nd from them at a price you can afford. doesn't hurt to ask, they actually answer the phone. I even got to talk with POPS and MOM!
 
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I also agree that Mele and Pono are brands to check out while there, and your shop list mirrors what I would recommend for Maui. Even though both of those brands are not manufactured in Hawaii, they are set up in Hawaii and have excellent quality. Mele does have some made in Hawaii ukuleles as well. I agree about trying to find a used Hawaiian made ukulele as well, try for a KoAloha. The Opio are imports, and I have liked those I have played, but you may be able to find a used KoAloha at just a bit over your budget which could be worthwhile.
There are also independent luthiers that build excellent ukuleles that would be in your budget. I have purchased an ukulele from Emil Bader, S&J Crafts, for less that $500 and it is a solid wood, hand made ukulele of Milo and Lychee wood, and I also have an Ukuleles Hawaii by R&L that is a beautiful solid koa concert that was less than $500. Both of those I bought on Oahu though, but just thought I would share that if brand or cachet is not as important as looks, sound, playability, and being made in Hawaii from Hawaiian wood, then there ARE other options out there.
 
Pueo said:

There are also independent luthiers that build excellent ukuleles that would be in your budget. I have purchased an ukulele from Emil Bader, S&J Crafts, for less that $500 and it is a solid wood, hand made ukulele of Milo and Lychee wood, and I also have an Ukuleles Hawaii by R&L that is a beautiful solid koa concert that was less than $500. Both of those I bought on Oahu though, but just thought I would share that if brand or cachet is not as important as looks, sound, playability, and being made in Hawaii from Hawaiian wood, then there ARE other options out there.
Click to expand...

Any idea where I could find such a thing? I'll only be in Hawaii for a week or so, and the whole time will be on Maui, so I won't have time to do a lot of looking around... It sounds like exactly what I'm looking for though.
 
I played my way through most of the Mele shop several times when I was living on Maui and I wasn't ever impressed for the money. Pono is way better bang for your buck, IMO.

Check your prices if you go to Bounty. They always seemed super expensive to me.
 
Another brand to consider is Big Island Ukulele - the koa wood is produced in Hawaii and the ukulele is made overseas. I have the Traditional Series tenor which I bought a few years ago at Bounty Music just before going to the airport. It is beautifully made and is one of my favorites. It cost about $500 including the case.

Also, let me recommend going to 808ukejams in Kihei on Thursday night.
 
ALing said:
Another brand to consider is Big Island Ukulele - the koa wood is produced in Hawaii and the ukulele is made overseas. I have the Traditional Series tenor which I bought a few years ago at Bounty Music just before going to the airport. It is beautifully made and is one of my favorites. It cost about $500 including the case.

Also, let me recommend going to 808ukejams in Kihei on Thursday night.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Kihei is a bit of a drive from where we are staying, but I'll check it out if we have time.
 
Good suggestion, but dealers haven't had stock for a long while because Big Island Ukulele had issues with their factory in Vietnam.

ALing said:
Another brand to consider is Big Island Ukulele - the koa wood is produced in Hawaii and the ukulele is made overseas. I have the Traditional Series tenor which I bought a few years ago at Bounty Music just before going to the airport. It is beautifully made and is one of my favorites. It cost about $500 including the case.

Also, let me recommend going to 808ukejams in Kihei on Thursday night.
Click to expand...
 
So, I tried to work something out with Emil Bader, but the timing didn't quite work out. I'm in Maui now, and I tried a few ukuleles. I have to say that I liked the sounds of the Mele ukuleles the best, so I picked up a Mele mango concert that was slightly reduced. I definitely preferred the sound of it over equivalently priced Ponos. I still might buy something from Emil Bader in the future, but given that I had such a strong preference between the ukuleles I tried, I thought it was best to get something that I know sounds good. I'll post pictures soon.
 
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