For Sale Hand-made ukuleles in time for Christmas 2023

Price
$975
Shipping
variable
Location
Bethlehem Pennsylvania and Jupiter Florida
Size
soprano to baritone

jupiteruke

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 15, 2015
Messages
260
Reaction score
217
Location
Eastern Pennsylvania / Jupiter Florida
Update 3-Dec-2023 I currently have 2 tenors in inventory, ready to ship for Christmas. Please see http://jupiteruke.com/tenor-ukuleles/
Browse the rest of the website for other examples of my work, read the blog for more 'how to' stuff.

Background for the rest of this thread.

I am a small-time maker of ukuleles. The wood for most of the instruments I build started with me and a chain saw, and most of the wood has a story associated with it. We are surrounded here in the east (Pennsylvania and Florida) by wonderful wood so I see no reason to use tropical hardwood that came from who-knows-where at who-knows-what environmental cost. Because of all these great local choices I rarely build exactly the same thing twice.
I strive to get the very best sound from my instruments and think they can compete with any other instrument. If you would like to see the current inventory (and a bit more of the story) it is at www.jupiteruke.com If you are in the Bethlehem Pennsylvania area over the summer, or the Jupiter Florida area over the winter, you are welcome to stop by, see the shop, and play whatever instruments I have in inventory.


- Jonathan Dale
 
Last edited:
Super nice looking instruments. That spalted tamarind is amazing! How much is that--no prices?

Love that you have one with dogs on it (says the guy whose GF's kids call him doggie man).

Good luck during these hard times
 
Did you dry and age the wood yourself?
 
I am a small-time maker of ukuleles. Things have been a bit quiet given the Covid situation and I have 4 instruments in current inventory, two tenors and two concerts. I love wood. The wood for most of the instruments I build started with me and a chain saw, and most of the wood has a story associated with it. We are surrounded here in the east (Pennsylvania and Florida) by wonderful wood so I see no reason to use tropical hardwood that came from who-knows-where at who-knows-what environmental cost. Because of all these great local choices I rarely build exactly the same thing twice.

As for "who," plenty of us know where tropical hardwoods come from. We farm koa here on Hawaii and are extremely sensitive to environmental cost with hordes of Greenpeace and environmental activists behind every other tree and bush (plus the state regulates the hell out of the industry). So no big mystery if you want koa.
 
I have two Jupiters (both guitaleles) and can vouch for their quality and for the great experience working with Jonathan. My UAS is mostly in remission but dang, that #73 mango is tempting. :drool:
 
Cool. Where abouts in Eastern PA are you?
 
I enjoyed perusing your site. Ukuleles sound amazing. Jangly and soulful at the same time. Love the video with Glenn from the aloha boys. You could tell he was really loving your ukuleles and make them sound great. Instead of bantering around which is better kala versus pono verses k this in k that. Everyone should try a handcrafted ukulele made by hand with love and skill. I'm on a ukulele diet so I can't be tempted. But I don't mind supporting other people's addiction. If I was in the market for handcrafted I would definitely consider Jupiter. Love that you source local wood.
 
Just listened to the sound samples. You're instruments seem to have lovely chime and clarity to them. I'd love to hear some of your soprano's if you have any sound samples you could put up.
 
Thanks everyone for the nice comments. A couple of answers:
Pricing: On my website under "About".

"Did you dry and age the wood yourself?" - yes. I cut quarter-sawn billets out of logs (picture of part of the stash below, don't know why it is sideways), re-saw them into rough plates, bind these up into bundles with separators, and put them up in my 'solar dryer', AKA 'the attic' for a couple of years. (picture below). On my website I do write a bit of a blog about the building process if you are interested. http://jupiteruke.com/blog/

IMG_20200811_104309.jpgIMG_20200811_104135.jpg

Peter Kun Frary, farming koa - my hats off to you. Growing trees is a long term proposition and I have great respect for that amount of forethought and patience. I sold the bigger house out in the country (kids are grown) last year and the hardest thing to leave behind were the trees I had planted, some from nuts. I had an American chestnut planted as a nut that was 35 feet tall and getting pretty close (I think) to the time when it might bear its own nuts. Still alive in spite of the blight.

"Where abouts in Eastern PA are you?" - in Bethlehem.

I do not have any sopranos at the moment. I do not build many of them.

Note on woods -I do build instruments to order under what I call 'semi-custom'. The customer gets to pick wood, binding, purfling etc and there is no difference in price since the labor is the same and the cost of the wood itself is minimal (other than labor) since most of it was free as logs. If you want some custom inlays or other options they are an up-charge.
 
Thanks everyone for the nice comments. A couple of answers:
Pricing: On my website under "About."

I think your prices are quite fair.

Also, there was a thread recently here on UU, and also on the Talk Bass forum, about a shipping service, www.ShipBikes.com in conjunction with FedEx, that charges half the price as any other service. In the last two months I shipped four of my bass ukes that I didn't play for about $25 each, where the other services charged $45 to $50. They will ship anything, not just bikes, and have gained such a good reputation in that world to get a steep discount from FedEx. (I have no affiliation with ShipBikes or FedEx.)


This is Michael Kohan in Los Angeles, Beverly Grove near the Beverly Center
9 tenor cutaway ukes, 4 acoustic bass ukes, 12 solid body bass ukes, 14 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 39)
 
Last edited:
I think your prices are quite fair.

Also, there was a thread recently here on UU, and also on the Talk Bass forum, about a shipping service, www.ShipBikes.com in conjunction with FedEx, that charges half the price as any other service. In the last two months I shipped four of my bass ukes that I didn't play for about $25 each, where the other services charged $45 to $50. They will ship anything, not just bikes, and have gained such a good reputation in that world to get a steep discount from FedEx. (I have no affiliation with ShipBikes or FedEx.)

FYI- I once used Ship Bikes to ship a bike. It was really easy and yes, the price was great. Based on my one experience, I would easily recommend them.
 
FYI- I once used Ship Bikes to ship a bike. It was really easy and yes, the price was great. Based on my one experience, I would easily recommend them.

I just used it for the first time to ship my Weymann soprano to Jake Wildwood. Was super easy and less expensive than USPS Priority which is what I typically use. Highly recomended.
 
Where is everyone seeing prices that are quite fair? I am looking but not finding. Nice ukes for sure!
 
Just listened to the sound samples. You're instruments seem to have lovely chime and clarity to them. I'd love to hear some of your soprano's if you have any sound samples you could put up.

I can also vouch for the quality of Jon's instruments. Not only is the wood beautiful and unusual, but the sound is great. They have a deep rich sound with a beautiful chime when playing the E and A strings. Another quality is the volume, clarity, and sustain that plays all the way up the neck. His bracing system is the real deal. I love my cedar/ sycamore, but boy, the spalted tamarind is fire!
 
Was hoping to have pricing for the 4 that are in inventory esp the concert ukuleles. Super interested in one of your work as the gallery looks splendid and seems there are a lot of ppl vouching for the quality.
 
The prices listed at http://jupiteruke.com/about-2/pricing/ are standard, meaning that the choice of wood makes no difference. The total price is the base instrument charge plus any options. For example, the #68 concert pricing is:

Concert ukulele $750

Options
side sound port $50
radiused fingerboard $85

instrument total $885


#58 has a flat fingerboard, so the pricing is:
Concert ukulele $750

Options
side sound port $50

instrument total $800


Also, additional beyond the instrument:
case (my cost, no markup) $35
shipping (estimate only) $60
 
Last edited:
Just adding my .02....I am the proud owner of two of Jon's creations. You cannot ask for
a better buying experience. If you live in the Bethlehem, Pa area it is well worth the drive
to play his ukes in person.
 
Top Bottom