Uke shops in Waikiki (and Oahu in general)

Yume

Yume

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Gonna be in Waikiki for a week for a conference, so I want to get some local (and informed) opinions about friendly uke shops in and around Honolulu... or Oahu in general. I know Waikiki is a tourist mecca and things can get pricey, but it never hurt to ask.

I have a beautiful Kala solid acacia slotted head tenor with worth clear strings, and I'm interested in playing and listening to some of the "exotic," locally hand-made ukes.

;):D:p
 
there are 2 Ukulele Pua Pua's in Waikiki..both are very nice the one at the Shearton has some of the more expensive ukes..they are the best shops in Waikiki

but the best uke shop on Oahu is The Ukulele Site(aka HMS) in Haleiwa in the country..about an hour from Waikiki this is the place to see some really nice ukes..
 
I agree with Len. If it's at all possible to go to The Ukulele Site (aka Hawaiian Music Supply), then go. The selection is amazing and the people who work there (including MusicGuyMic) are incredibly friendly and helpful. If you're going to stay in the Waikiki area, then there's the already-mentioned Ukulele PuaPua and there's also Bob's Ukuleles in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center.

When I visited Hawaii in April 2011, I visited shops on Oahu, Kauai and then Oahu again, and I posted about my shopping adventure:

http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?45154-My-great-ukulele-shopping-adventure

http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?45988-My-Great-Ukulele-Hawaiian-Shopping-Adventure-The-Saga-Continues
 
Ukulele pua pua has a great inventory and nice sales people....HMS has a great selection too and all their ukes are set up.....and sound the best they can be...
PLus Mike, Andrew and staff are the nicest guys around.....it is well worth the drive and the shrimp wagon is hard to beat...
 
Yeah...HMS is like you've died and gone to ukulele heaven.
 
One more shout out for Hawaii Music Supply.

In Waikiki, there is also Aloha Ukulele in the Kalia tower of the Hilton Hawaiian Village. The last time I was there, they were having a 10 percent off sale.
 
slightly off the beaten path... what am I saying?, it's the path to Leonard's Bakery(!) on Kapahulu Ave, practically next door to Starbucks is the Good Guys. Mostly Guitars, but a selection of ukes with non-Waikiki pricing :)

Then there's Harry's Music on Waialae Ave next door to McDonalds, at the entry to Palolo Valley - home of Jake! (and Uncle Rod - different generations, same High School, and sport - wrestling :) )

I've only been on the Kanile'a Tour, but Kanile'a, Kamaka, and Koaloha have tours. Contact them for more info.

Free lessons (Beginners', but still fun) Tue thru Fri, 10-11a, Food Court, Royal Hawaiian Center!!

keep uke'in',
 
I like the Kanile'a tour the best..Joe Souza gives a great tour.. details on building ukes very interesting and you get to watch many of the luthiers at work..
but the Kamaka tour also very good..you get to learn about the ukuleles history in Hawaii and Kamaka's too..they started building ukes in 1916..wow and you get to tour the factory too
all the uke tours start at 1030
 
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Uke shops in the Waikiki area:

- Ukulele PuaPua (2 locations, one just east of the Moana Surf Rider and one in the Sheraton Waikiki)
- Dan's Guitars (on South Beretania St)
- Bob's Ukuleles (Royal hawaiian Center - customer service is something lacking sometimes)
- Aloha Ukulele (Hilton Hawaiian Village - really nice owner, chatted with him for a bit)
- Skye’s Koa & Ukulele (Outrigger Reef Hotel near the Shorebird restaurant)
- Island Guitars (Ward's Warehouse - selection is mehhh)
- Hawaiian Music Center (up near North Shore in Haleiwa... the MECCA for anything ukuleles and worth the drive/bus)

Be sure to stop by the area near the International Market to catch Troy Fernadez churning out some sweet tunes on his uke.

Have fun!
 
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You might be able to pick up a factory second at koAloha in Honolulu, which also conducts tours. IIRC, the seconds are around 30% off.

I got my longneck soprano there. I think the flaw is a tiny bubble the size of a pinhead at the edge of the soundhole and I really had to look for it. I bought it Oct. 2010 for $450.
 
The Ukebox.

No one's mentioned Bruce Shimabokuro's shop. I think they relocated so you might have to look them up.
 
the last time I visited he (Bruce S) was occupying the old PuaPua space in the Pacific Beach Hotel, about 30 or so yards in from the front door on the street level :)

If can, wear a visible UU item - T-shirt, baseball cap, Miss America-style sash(?), sandwich board, etc. so we can identify each other and meet and greet. This is a must-do esp at the mid-July Ukulele Festival, or the Feb Picnic!!

keep uke'in',
 
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The two PuaPua locations are right in Waikiki, so you should check them out. The inventory is slightly different between the two stores, so check out both. One of them, the one under a hotel, had an Eric Devine the last time I went.

If you don't/can't get out to HMS, there's also Island Guitar at Ward Warehouse, and Harry's Music on Waialae (make sure you go to their new location).

Apart from stores, I would check out some factory tours too.
 
Would anyone know whether the cost of purchasing a certain model uke at the factory is the same as the one in any of the stores, say HMS?
 
Prius23 said:
Would anyone know whether the cost of purchasing a certain model uke at the factory is the same as the one in any of the stores, say HMS?
Click to expand...



Kamaka,KoAloha and Kanile'a don't really have any ukes for sale at their factory..
like Gillian said you might get a second at KoAloha or if you get lucky you can maybe get a new Kanile'a(but odds not to good)and for sure none for sale at Kamaka..
btw Kamaka and Kanile'a do not sell seconds..

Ko'olau/Pono in Wahiawa has refurbished ones there but only custom Ko'olaus..

and MGM at The Ukulele Site(aka HMS) can save you some money on all the K brands above..I heard him say that the K brands only build about 2,000 ukuleles a month and many go to stores all over the world..
 
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Da Ukulele Site hands down. Da best in Hawaii. Great and friendly staff, full of Aloha Spirit. No can beat dem......
 
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