Anyone heard of Alulu? How are all solid wood ukes so cheap?

Ziggy6894

Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2015
Messages
22
Reaction score
0
Location
Louisiana
Has anyone ever heard of a brand called Alulu? They have all solid wood mahogany tenors and all solid acacia tenors for $175. How can a decently crafted all solid uke come in that low on the price? I am assuming they are junk. But If someone tells me otherwise they could be good for my daughters.
 
I see them on eBay all the time and if they're anything like ukes I have made in Vietnam, they are pretty good. The price is based on what they pay their builders, which is much lower than other places, and they don't mark up like importers do.

I got a very nice solid acacia koa tenor cutaway for $165 on eBay shipped from Bruce Wei Arts in Vietnam.
 
I own a couple of Alulu ukuleles. They're not perfect, but they are good value for money and the ones I have sound great.

Anthony
 
I wouldn't assume they are junk without playing a few. While laminates are more common in that price range, it's astounding how much uke you can get for $100-200 these days.
 
I have one ( Solid PQ Island Acacia), it is really good for the price. Having bought a couple of Ukuleles from that region, some are hit and miss but the Alulu ranks best to my ears. Good volume and tone.
 
I have a solid mahogany Caramel that was 99 dollars. Not junk. Not a Kamaka (assuming here) but not junk.
 
I appreciate all the feedback guys!!! I ordered them. I will update you as to how well they play.
 
How did the Alulu work out? I'm looking at one and have never heard of them either, but they have a really pretty 8-string uke.
 
Has anyone ever heard of a brand called Alulu? They have all solid wood mahogany tenors and all solid acacia tenors for $175. How can a decently crafted all solid uke come in that low on the price? I am assuming they are junk. But If someone tells me otherwise they could be good for my daughters.

I have two. Got the second because the first was so nice. Heavier than most ukes but it feels nice. Its made from denser wood, especially the neck. I have no idea how they can sell them for what they do.
 
I just bought one about a month ago, and I absolutely love the sound! The action is perfect, and the resonance is amazing. I will need to bring it in to fix the loose nut as the E string buzzes, and while I'm at it, I'll ask if they can smooth out the edges of the fret wires without ruining the laminate finish and potentially get strap buttons installed as it's heavy and with a thick gloss.

It's got a wider neck than I'm used to, and quite enjoy it actually! Certainly not as narrow as the Kalas that I have. I'm hoping it survives it's first harsh winter here in Ontario, and I've got it safely nestled in a hard case with a humidifier. Crossing fingers that the wood keeps stable. I have the classical slotted heads on mine with the (angry bird) hummingbird design in the back. I'd definitely buy another one from this seller!

I'd be curious to here of others who also own Alulu's.
 
My first uke was a basic Alulu "Acacia" tenor. It was not fun to play, was poorly intonated, sounded dull, and if you held it up to the sun you could see the light shine through lines along the figuring of the wood. I kept if for several months, learned a few chords and songs and eventually sold it on CL. I used the proceeds to buy a Gretsch solid mahogany tenor which has now served me well for several years. I don't think they are worth the high shipping costs from Asia, and give me a break - they supposedly have "brazilian rosewood" instruments!
 
Last edited:
I'm new to UU (this is my first post) and to playing ukulele, for that matter - after many years of playing guitar. Like many of you, I saw a Jake video, which totally evaporated all of the ukulele "Tiny Bubbles" images from my brain, and now I am, perhaps, lost forever in the "smaller package". I love the comfort of sitting back in any type of chair, or leaning against a tree,a wall, or just walking around and picking out a tune. Sadly, now my Lowden F23 and Martin 00028 acoustic guitars seem like behemoths, and are beginning to gather dust.

Bought my first uke in December - an Alulu solid mahogany laser-etched totem tenor and must admit that I was a bit disappointed at first - not with the sound it produced - it sounded better than I expected in the lower register, but the setup was higher than I like, with the action a bit north of 3.5mm at the 12th fret, resulting in some intonation issues above the 10th, especially when chording. However, after sanding down the saddle with some #120 sandpaper, I got it down close to @3mm and it really opened up. Love the sound of it. There were/are a couple of tiny/minor finish blemishes that only an owner would notice, but all in all, it's a keeper. The neck is as smooth as a baby's butt and the frets are perfectly filed with no sharp edges, and the tuners are good. Plus, although one or two posters here claim they thought their Alulus were on the heavy side, this one was noticeably lightweight, with apparent properly-dried and cured wood - no visible changes after going on four months. BTW I always store my instruments in their cases - which brings me to another plus for Alulu: they come with a good hardshell case.

Overall, it's a very decent first uke for the price. Good enough to have me strumming away every day, sometimes for several hours. It's definitely good enough to hook my interest in an upgrade. Am waiting for delivery of uke #2, a LoPrinzi cherry tenor. It's always nice to have more than one "voice" in the instrument selection!
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom