Top 5 favourite ukes of all time

hi all,

what are your favourite ukes? Either that you may already own or perhaps would be at the top of your wish lists? Not necessarily the most expensive... maybe they have great graphic art on them, maybe they are cheap but just sound nice to you, maybe they are vintage or just have a special personal memory for whatever reason...I am still relatively new to the uke and, at least here in Australia, have limited access to the great brand name ukes from hawaii and the states...Would love to hear your opinions and see your lists! Let's go!!!

weird, I'm replying to my own question.. but anyway, I forgot to kick things off with mine:

1. Kamaka vintage Pineapple soprano 30's
2. Harold Teen Comic Uke 30's
3. Cole Clark ukelady
4. National Triolian resonator
5. any Kumalae uke

This shall be where everyone vent's their UAS eh?

1. KoAloha Sceptre Ebony (Gives me tingles all over when i see it )
2. Moore Bettah Takeo Ukulele (Just...Awesome)
3. Kala Solid Acacia KA-ASAC-T-C-SP/MM Marcy Marxer Tenor Gloss Cutaway
4. aNueNue Custom Maui Mango III Tenor (Very very nice)
5. G-String C1 SUN Custom Concert / T4 CB Custom Tenor C/W


Well these are the Ukes that satisfy my Window shoppings though

My favorites would have to be from 5 to 1:

5. Risa electric tenor uke.
4. Kala ''Stretch'' bass uke.
3. My Lanikai lu-11 soprano. (I've had so many memories with her.)
2. Stromberg- Voisenet banjo uke. ( It was my great grandpas.)
1. Maccaferri Islander standard soprano.

The Islander is very close to me because it was my grandpa's. I wanted to learn uke but I didn't have a ukulele. Luckily my mom found my grandpas at his anniversary last February. He let me take it home and I learned my first two songs on it. I then ordered Kelsey, my lu-11. The day it came in, I was with my mom and two other kids on the way to swim team practice in another town. Out of the box, it was obviously not in tune. On our way home that evening, my mom stopped to see grandpa. I went inside and showed him my new uke. I really wanted to play him something, but my uke was out of tune and I couldn't (and still can't) tune by ear. It turns out, that was the last time I saw him. That day was a Tuesday, and he died that Friday, but I was out of town. I'm not sure if he even played uke, but he's my biggest ukulele influence. Sadly, I had to give his old uke back to my grandma, to give to my uncle. He can't play any instruments and I don't think he plans on learning, but there's some picture of him when he was a kid holding the Islander so he gets to keep it. Sadly, he hasn't even taken from grandma's, so it's sitting in a closet unused.

I'm really happy with my ukes, but that doesn't mean I can't have UAS and still absolutely need at least five more.

No order:

Moore Bettah not-so-basic concert. Ukulele perfection! If I had the money I'd get a custom inlay or something, but I wouldn't screw with the basic formula.

Mya-Moé mango soprano. Might be my favorite soprano I've ever played, next to my Kamaka.

KoAloha Pineapple Sunday. Brilliant design.

U-Bass. Soooo much fun to play, and probably the most practical instrument on my must-have list.

Solidbody Fluke. Just because.

1. hilo `ukulele
2. hanworks
3. jack johnson's baritone
4. leolani
5. cordoba

1. Kamaka HF-3
2. Kanile'a K-1 Tenor Dlx 6 string
3. KoAloha (anyone!)
4. Moore Bettah (anyone!)
5. Makala Concert

I've got to agree with "haole", I love all my ukes so far, but 5 more seems completely reasonable.
1. Kumalae
2. Vintage Kamaka (concert probably)
3. Koaloha (superconcert or tenor)
4. Kala acacia tenor
5. Ohana cedar top willow back & sides tenor (or Mainland red cedar, but never had a chance to try one)
WOW! That was hard, keeping it to 5! But I also have to add that my Makai sprucetop tenor is definately the best $129 I ever spent!

In no order
1. Nunes soprano
2. Kumalae
3. James Hill G-String Ukulele
4. Jake Shimabukuro Kamaka Tenor
5. Collings Archtop Tenor

OK - Five more...only five? I've already got four, but could go on indefinitely if I had the closet space.

In order of covetousness...

1. 20's Ludwig standard or Wendell Hall Professional - because no one ever made a better banjo ukulele
2. 20's Stromberg-Voisinet Buster Brown and Tige model - because no one ever made better looking banjo uke
3. Martin 1930 Style 2 concert - cause they're hard to find and are so great to play
4. Dallas Type D or E George Formby Signature Model - Everything about them is so great, and George's picture is right on the headstock.
5. 20's Stella soprano with 'moderne' painting scheme - because you need a kick-around uke that still ROCKS!

Yeah - definitely hard keeping it to five, Kenikas!

At least someone agrees that Stromberg-Voisinet banjo ukes were BOSS!