Ukulele Lab in Honolulu

fretie

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I was recently looking at the Ukulele Lab FB page and saw that they have a lot of text in Japanese. I know they are based in Honolulu but have not heard many peeps talk about them here on the UU forum. So, why is that? Are they mainly catering to the Asian tourist market? They seem to carry mainly Kamaka and Koaloha, not enough space or interest in other makers, I wonder. No criticism meant here, I was just curious to know more from those who know more than me.
 
I was recently looking at the Ukulele Lab FB page and saw that they have a lot of text in Japanese. I know they are based in Honolulu but have not heard many peeps talk about them here on the UU forum. So, why is that?

IMO other uke dealers get more coverage because of video podcasts, the way they do their "sound samples" (essentially mini-concerts from Kalei/Corey) & wider range of price points. In the case of HMS, their bricks & mortar shops aren't in HNL/Waikiki, so likely fewer Japanese-speaking foot traffic. And if there are Corey speaks Japanese, I think.

Are they mainly catering to the Asian tourist market? They seem to carry mainly Kamaka and Koaloha, not enough space or interest in other makers, I wonder. No criticism meant here, I was just curious to know more from those who know more than me.

If one's customers don't speak/read your language, it'd be in one's best interest to speak/write theirs. HNL is "just" a 7+ hour flight from Tokyo.

Japanese tourism is significant & distinct enough that it gets its own "category", like Canada, eh? ;-). Official Hawaii visitor stats are broken down into U.S. West, U.S. East, Canada, Japan & "All Other International Markets".

Writing from my limited experience w/ Hawaii.
Years ago, I was the only non-Japanese person in a shuttle van in Waikiki in Honolulu, besides the driver/guide. The blonde surfer-dude-driver-guide spoke to us passengers only in Japanese... probably because I probably blended in, appearance-wise, LOL. Besides the guide, I think I was the only fluent English speaker. And can't speak/read Japanese...

Waikiki is as vacation-touristy as it gets in Honolulu, & Honolulu is as touristy as it gets for Hawaii... & Hawaii is as (arguably) touristy (& conference-y) as it gets for the US. Vacationers spend a lot of disposable income & vacationers from Japan consistently (likely over decades) have spent the most, as a demographic. Very generally speaking, the demographic that can afford a HNL/Waikiki vacay are likely going to be the pool who can go for a big "K" brand. There's something like 5 ukulele shops just in Waikiki, not counting the one inside the Hilton Hawaiian Village complex, which might even get enough sales just from HHV guests alone. Most visitors from Japan stay on Oahu. Japan also has a deeper/longer history w/ Hawaii & luthier-grade musical instruments than other Asian countries.

Tourism from China, while very, very significant in recent years ("newer" money, relative to Japan), might be more variable (especially nowadays... travel warnings, trade war/presidential politics, etc). Also, generally speaking, there's cultural differences (what is purchased) between tourists from the two different countries, generally speaking.

A very loose analogy could be Japanese vacationers in Waikiki are kinda sorta like residents of Chinese/Hong Kong/Taiwan-to-a-lesser-degree-descent, in Richmond BC. In my opinion & observation...
 
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IMO other uke dealers get more coverage because of video podcasts, the way they do their "sound samples" (essentially mini-concerts from Kalei/Corey) & wider range of price points. In the case of HMS, their bricks & mortar shops aren't in HNL/Waikiki, so likely fewer Japanese-speaking foot traffic. And if there are Corey speaks Japanese, I think.



If one's customers don't speak/read your language, it'd be in one's best interest to speak/write theirs. HNL is "just" a 7+ hour flight from Tokyo.

Japanese tourism is significant & distinct enough that it gets its own "category", like Canada, eh? ;-). Official Hawaii visitor stats are broken down into U.S. West, U.S. East, Canada, Japan & "All Other International Markets".

Writing from my limited experience w/ Hawaii.
Years ago, I was the only non-Japanese person in a shuttle van in Waikiki in Honolulu, besides the driver/guide. The blonde surfer-dude-driver-guide spoke to us passengers only in Japanese... probably because I probably blended in, appearance-wise, LOL. Besides the guide, I think I was the only fluent English speaker. And can't speak/read Japanese...

Waikiki is as vacation-touristy as it gets in Honolulu, & Honolulu is as touristy as it gets for Hawaii... & Hawaii is as (arguably) touristy (& conference-y) as it gets for the US. Vacationers spend a lot of disposable income & vacationers from Japan consistently (likely over decades) have spent the most, as a demographic. Very generally speaking, the demographic that can afford a HNL/Waikiki vacay are likely going to be the pool who can go for a big "K" brand. There's something like 5 ukulele shops just in Waikiki, not counting the one inside the Hilton Hawaiian Village complex, which might even get enough sales just from HHV guests alone. Most visitors from Japan stay on Oahu. Japan also has a deeper/longer history w/ Hawaii & luthier-grade musical instruments than other Asian countries.

Tourism from China, while very, very significant in recent years ("newer" money, relative to Japan), might be more variable (especially nowadays... travel warnings, trade war/presidential politics, etc). Also, generally speaking, there's cultural differences (what is purchased) between tourists from the two different countries, generally speaking.

A very loose analogy could be Japanese vacationers in Waikiki are kinda sorta like residents of Chinese/Hong Kong/Taiwan-to-a-lesser-degree-descent, in Richmond BC. In my opinion & observation...

Las Vegas is as touristy and Conferency as it gets in the US. It is a tourist heaven or hell, depending on your outlook, but it's sole point of existence is tourism and conferences, and the entire city is built as a tourist attraction.
 
My experience with Ukulele Lab has been through email conversations with Isaac (the owner?). Those conversations have been good and he has replied quickly to my questions. He appears to have a good relationship with the K brands, KoAloha in particular. He often has custom KoAloha models listed on his website.
 
My experience with Ukulele Lab has been through email conversations with Isaac (the owner?). Those conversations have been good and he has replied quickly to my questions. He appears to have a good relationship with the K brands, KoAloha in particular. He often has custom KoAloha models listed on his website.

Some interesting discussion here but RafterGirl your comments are most helpful to me as I haven’t heard anyone mention any exchanges that they have had with the UkeLab prior to this hence my curiosity about the vibe of that Hawaiian uke store.
 
Just checked, Ukulele Lab's website has no Japanese text on it.
 
I was on Oahu last year and visited several ukulele stores including a few in Waikiki. I found them very well stocked with cool high end ukes at high prices. While I was mainly browsing I also noticed Japanese tourists who actually bought these ukes. However I also scored a great white label Lili'u for what I considered a good price in Waikiki.
 
So, overall, it seems that most locals don’t have much experience of the UkeLab even though there’s some good instruments to be found there. It appears that this is probably due to the ‘Lab’s location it being more of a destination for tourists seeking a good quality Hawaiian ukulele.
 
So, overall, it seems that most locals don’t have much experience of the UkeLab even though there’s some good instruments to be found there. It appears that this is probably due to the ‘Lab’s location it being more of a destination for tourists seeking a good quality Hawaiian ukulele.

Yes that sums it up. There are many ukulele stores on Oahu, but Waikiki is mainly occupied by tourists and has higher prices. The locals go there to work and sell things, but not to buy. I will visit there again next month and intend to check out the store as I haven't noticed it before.
 
Report back if you visit Ukulele Lab. Their website prices seem to be in line with other sites & they have some unique ukes. Their custom carved pick guards look cool.
 
Report back if you visit Ukulele Lab. Their website prices seem to be in line with other sites & they have some unique ukes. Their custom carved pick guards look cool.

Thanks Raftergirl, I am not overly likely to make it to the Hawaiian Islands in the near future but would consider an online order from UkeLab if a tempting instrument showed up on their website or FB page.
 
I am on Oahu now and hope I will have a chance to go to the Lab. While walking around today I came across a store Ukulele Puapua. As many Waikiki stores it has an outstanding selection of ukes at the $800+ range including Kamaka 6 and 8 strings in addition to the regular sizes. However, when I checked out their online store it said that most of what they have in the store is out of stock. So it seems the online availability should always be taken with a huge grain of salt.
 
I am on Oahu now and hope I will have a chance to go to the Lab. While walking around today I came across a store Ukulele Puapua. As many Waikiki stores it has an outstanding selection of ukes at the $800+ range including Kamaka 6 and 8 strings in addition to the regular sizes. However, when I checked out their online store it said that most of what they have in the store is out of stock. So it seems the online availability should always be taken with a huge grain of salt.

There are a few small ukulele stores in the Waikiki tourist resort hotels. Some of these have big selections on their websites, but those are sold out of their warehouses and not out of the store. Popular brands like Kamaka sell out quickly so never make it to their store. You might have better luck if you try the larger stores on the island, like Easy Music or The Ukulele Site. The Kamaka factory has a showroom, but they are often sold out of popular models (still a fun place to visit, especially if you go on their free factory tour).
 
There are a few small ukulele stores in the Waikiki tourist resort hotels. Some of these have big selections on their websites, but those are sold out of their warehouses and not out of the store. Popular brands like Kamaka sell out quickly so never make it to their store. You might have better luck if you try the larger stores on the island, like Easy Music or The Ukulele Site. The Kamaka factory has a showroom, but they are often sold out of popular models (still a fun place to visit, especially if you go on their free factory tour).

My experience here is the opposite. The online availability is much, much less than what they have in the actual stores to try out and inspect.
 
Those in the know

The locals try to avoid Waikiki most of the time: difficult to park, crowded and special prices (i.e., high prices) for international travelers with fat wallets.

30,000 people live as residents in Waikiki. Yes, prices are high for those who don’t look very hard. Those in the know know where good deals in Waikiki can be found, as inexpensive as any in Honolulu, even comparable to restaurants in Waianae.
 
I love the Ukulele Site and that is where I have done business since the Music Guy Mike days but there is a nice ukulele shop upstairs on Lewers in Waikiki with only slightly higher prices. It has a nice selection and definitely has the greatest collections of books I’ve ever seen. It probably won’t last long though. Pua Pua seems to get most of the Japanese business. I don’t think Japanese are necessarily looking for the cheapest price.
 
The Kamaka factory has a showroom, but they are often sold out of popular models (still a fun place to visit, especially if you go on their free factory tour).

Unless things have changed recently, the Kamaka factory will not sell you a uke on the spot - you have to place an order and about a month later you'll get it. Last time I was there I was in the market for an HP-1 pineapple, and they had a gorgeous one that they let me play for far too long, but no amount of pleading would convince the uncles and aunties to let me buy it! The story had a happy ending though - back home on the mainland a few months later, my dream HP-1 came in stock at my local shop and oddly enough, it had a build date that coincided with my visit to the factory. Talk about meant to be.

That being said - it's absolutely worth a visit for the factory tour - highly, highly recommended.

As for Honolulu uke shopping - I've seen interesting instruments and good prices at Good Guys on Kapahulu.
 
The Good Guys are good guys. No doubt about it and Dan’s Guitars on McCully near the freeway is also a good place.
 
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