Hawaii Uke Recomedations

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Sam C.

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I am going to be in Honolulu for a few days for a wedding for the first time and would like to do some uke browsing. Does anyone have any suggestions for some good ukulele shops in the area? I want to do some major window shopping for some cool new ukes.

Also, anyone know of good bars to hear ukulele music? I am not much into classic Hawaiian music, but more modern uke sounds.

Thanks.
 
If you have a car, you need to go to Hawaiian Music Supply on the North Shore. Best selection and best prices. If you need to stay in town, there are couple of shops, but the prices are really high. Ukulele Pua Pua has a nice selection and friendly staff (and two locations). However, their prices are really high. They seem to cater to tourists who don't know better.

There are lots of small shops around Waikiki, but I can't think of any others that are really great. Many have signs not to touch. That is my sign not to shop.
 
Tigeralum2001 said:
If you need to stay in town, there are couple of shops, but the prices are really high. Ukulele Pua Pua has a nice selection and friendly staff (and two locations). However, their prices are really high. They seem to cater to tourists who don't know better.
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Or, just maybe, their rent is a bit higher than the North Shore and they actually have to cover their overhead. ;-)
 
Ukulele Eddie said:
Or, just maybe, their rent is a bit higher than the North Shore and they actually have to cover their overhead. ;-)
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have you ever compared their prices in person? I have :)
 
Walking distance just past the tourist area of Waikiki is Kapahulu Avenue, which is one of my favorite neighborhoods. The prices at Good Guys Music are decent but the uke selection can be hit or miss - worth a stop though. And you can take a side trip to Bailey's Aloha Shirts down the street to bring back a wearable souvenir, grab something to eat at Ono Hawaiian Foods or Rainbow or Zippy's, and some shave ice at Waiola. Add in some afternoon beach time and some music in the evening, and that just about describes my perfect Honolulu day :)

As for music - it's been a couple years since I was last there and a lot has changed, but it looks like Taimane still plays at the Hyatt sometimes - definitely worth checking out... Used to be you could catch Troy Fernandez busking uke on Kalakaua, but I hear he's moved to the mainland... the guys at Ukulele Pua Pua can probably point you in the right direction of some good music though. And even if you're not super into the Hawaiian music thing, Cyril Pahinui at the Kani Ka Pila Grille is worth catching, and the bands and hula at House Without a Key are always good.

And if you have time, go on one of the uke factory tours!

(Sigh... I need a vacation.)
 
No, I haven't. I was just pointing out they probably pay much higher rent and need to sell at higher prices.

Personally, I would not shop in the high rent district for that very reason unless the price was justified (eg, better set up, something unique I couldn't get elsewhere or I really wanted to buy a uke while in Hawaii and didn't want to have to rent a car).
 
You might want to give the ukulele factories a try. I'm not sure if Kamaka sell any at there factory, but I know KoAloha sells factory seconds at theirs. You can get them at 30% of retail there.
 
The KoAloha factory is near the airport and you can get a great deal on a factory second.... the ones I saw had a small ding or less. Really fun to talk to those guys.
 
Ukulele Eddie said:
No, I haven't. I was just pointing out they probably pay much higher rent and need to sell at higher prices.

Personally, I would not shop in the high rent district for that very reason unless the price was justified (eg, better set up, something unique I couldn't get elsewhere or I really wanted to buy a uke while in Hawaii and didn't want to have to rent a car).
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Or the other reason might be, that you just have plenty of money to blow, and don't care. :)
 
iDavid said:
The KoAloha factory is near the airport and you can get a great deal on a factory second.... the ones I saw had a small ding or less. Really fun to talk to those guys.
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Wish I'd said that. :D

When did you go there? I visited in August of '12.
 
Ukulele Pua Pua on the main drag, Kalakaua Blvd, right at the Moana Hotel by Westin or a second location in the Sheraton Hotel. They have a website if you google the name, plus a Youtube channel.

If you are forty miles up to the North Shore, HMS, as mentioned, is king. Ive bought many ukes frm them.

Janeray1940 is right. Taimane Gardner still plays at Swim Bar at the Hyatt right in the center of Kalakaua Blvd on Fridays at 6PM. Happy Hour is 4-6pm, and you'll have to get there at least by 5PM to get a seat. Suggest plan on eating and drinking supper there which, all told, will run you around twenty-five bucks a person. No charge for Taimane, who is one of the top uke players in the world. See her youtube videos. She plays a blistering one hour set, which is exhausting and fun and stylish. You can pose for pictures and speak with her afterwards...her personality is fantastic and warm. Swim Bar is pretty and by the pool and no major pressure from waitresses, even during happy hour (but you will need to eat and drink something). Attire is casual. There's enough seats, including couches right in front of her for the lucky ones, for around 75 people. When I was there two weeks ago, Taimane's father was in the audience.

Enjoy all the sexy, filthy, grimy, lush, sandy, costly, sunny, unsavory, overcrowded, beautiful humanity that is Waikiki.
 
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consitter said:
Wish I'd said that. :D

When did you go there? I visited in August of '12.
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I went last summer and the summer before. On my first visit with the family Papa KoAloha gave us a uke. My daughters appear to have some singing ability that he was impressed with. The whole thing was so surreal. Something we will never forget.
 
If you can only look in Waikiki (I agree HMS on the North Shore is your best bet for selection and price), you can also visit Aloha Ukulele in the Kalia tower of the Hilton Hawaiian Village. They charge MSRP but I have seen both KoAloha and Kanilea at 10% discounts before. But they are not too keen on you touching or playing - the woman that works there is not very friendly.

I agree about the uke factories. The tours at Kamaka, KoAloha and Kanilea are great and the discounts on factory seconds at KoAloha are a great deal if they have the size you are looking for in stock.
 
If you have the time and a car then Hawaii Music Supply is definitely the way to go. if you don't there are still quite a few uke stores in the Waikiki area with good selection but their prices are not quite as good. Ukulele Puapua and Bob's Ukulele both come to mind (two locations for both).
 
I agree with others that HMS is like Ukulele Disneyland. In Honolulu itself (in addition to the places already mentioned), Dan's Guitars had a nice selection of ukuleles, mostly new but a few used ones as well, when I was in Honolulu a few years ago. Dan's Guitars sells Kala, Kanile'a, KoAloha and Kamaka. No pressure and the employees were very nice.
 
consitter said:
You might want to give the ukulele factories a try. I'm not sure if Kamaka sell any at there factory, but I know KoAloha sells factory seconds at theirs. You can get them at 30% of retail there.
Click to expand...

Kamaka does not sell at the factory. Not even if you flash Uncle Fred your best smile and even beg a little - believe me, I tried :) You can place an order, but it will take at least a month or so and they'll ship it to you.

My last trip to Hawaii was intended to be a uke buying trip, and I actually came back empty-handed, but that was because I had only one specific uke in mind: a Kamaka pineapple. And I couldn't find one anywhere! Overall I was pretty disappointed by most of the uke shops I encountered - while I wasn't expecting any great deals, I was expecting to encounter something amazing that I'd never heard of before (e.g. a local luthier), or something fairly rare (a Kamaka long-neck pineapple or Ohta-San, for instance) but to my great disappointment, these were only available by the same special-ordering that I'd use from the mainland. Turned out the uke selection was better right here in Santa Monica, five minutes from my house, at McCabe's (which is where I ended up buying my long-coveted pineapple).

My main regret about that trip was that I didn't make it to HMS - can't remember why, but the day I had access to a car and went to North Shore they were closed.
 
Dan's Guitars . . . about 10-15 minutes away from Waikiki on McCully and Beretania (2000 S. Beretania St. Unit B).
 
HMS is a great place, really good selection and a great staff. Stop at L&L for lunch while you are there.
Take the factory tours if you have the chance. I took the Kamaka tour and ordered a tenor. It's worth the wait if you go that route. I will be on Oahu in July and want to visit some of the other factories for a tour.
Good luck and have a good time.
 
janeray1940 said:
Kamaka does not sell at the factory. Not even if you flash Uncle Fred your best smile and even beg a little - believe me, I tried :) You can place an order, but it will take at least a month or so and they'll ship it to you.

My last trip to Hawaii was intended to be a uke buying trip, and I actually came back empty-handed, but that was because I had only one specific uke in mind: a Kamaka pineapple. And I couldn't find one anywhere! Overall I was pretty disappointed by most of the uke shops I encountered - while I wasn't expecting any great deals, I was expecting to encounter something amazing that I'd never heard of before (e.g. a local luthier), or something fairly rare (a Kamaka long-neck pineapple or Ohta-San, for instance) but to my great disappointment, these were only available by the same special-ordering that I'd use from the mainland. Turned out the uke selection was better right here in Santa Monica, five minutes from my house, at McCabe's (which is where I ended up buying my long-coveted pineapple).

My main regret about that trip was that I didn't make it to HMS - can't remember why, but the day I had access to a car and went to North Shore they were closed.
Click to expand...

wow sorry that they were closed...

the last time I remember them being closed was Mike's(MGM) funeral and memorial....
hope you get another chance...:)
 
hawaii 50 said:
wow sorry that they were closed...

the last time I remember them being closed was Mike's(MGM) funeral and memorial....
hope you get another chance...:)
Click to expand...

This would have been waaaay back in... February 2011? Can't recall what the exact circumstances were but I think we were on our way over and one of my travelling companions happened to call and found out they were closing early that day.

And oh yes, I hope I get another chance, and soon! Not that I'm in the market for a new uke, but I'm definitely long overdue for a Hawaii trip :)
 
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