So folks in the UK, Thailand, Australia, etc. should try to buy ukulele made in their respective countries? What about tuners, strings, cases, humidifiers and all the other uke accessories? I do not mean to be argumentative, but the implications of what you suggest are significant.
We in the U.S. are fortunate there are so many talented luthiers building quality ukulele in our country. Those of us who can afford mid to high-end instruments have many choices, but anyone looking for a sub-$300 ukulele does not.
Hi Drew Bear,
I don't think we need to argue. The implications of what I suggested are significant. You are right. We live in a global economy, no doubt. And I have nothing at all against people in other parts of the world making a decent living. In fact, I hope they are. But I do think there are good reasons to try to buy American-made products if you happen to live here. I think this is a very difficult discussion to have in a forum like this. I don't want to create a big political/social/human rights/environmental/whatever argument. But I also don't want to see my position dismissed as silly.
Some people will say that price and quality are the only things that matter. I happen to be one person who thinks there are other considerations. I understand when someone else asks, "Who is making instruments in the United States?" I want to know the same thing. I want to support those people if I can. It's the same reason I try to buy locally grown produce down at the farmers market, or why I'm buying my wife some locally made clothing for Christmas. I am not going to apologize for that.
I'm a professional musician. I very clearly understand the economics of acquiring intruments. It is extremely difficult to make a go of being a professional musician in the USA. Most of the people I know who are playing music full-time are not playing boutique, professional grade instruments. They simply can't afford them. It's a tough thing. They might play - like I do - USA Martin guitars, but not the fancy models. Probably solid wood 1, 15, or 16 series instruments. Or they might play the lower end Taylors. Or, like me again, they often buy used instruments. Or maybe they play an imported guitar because they know they are going to work it hard and can't afford to replace a $1000 instrument. That's the way it goes. (BTW I'm using guitars as my example because there are no professional ukulele players in my town.) In my case, I need a number of instruments to do my thing. Over time I have been able to acquire USA-made instruments - mandolins, banjo, guitars - that are appropriate for my work. I'm fortunate, but I also did a lot of homework and kept my eyes open for good deals.
There are many affordable, quality USA instruments out there. Deering makes a Good-time banjo. Mike Dulak makes a very nice Big Muddy mandolin. Godin makes very nice, affordable guitars in Canada. I own or have owned these instruments, and I always recommend them to people looking into starter instruments. I'd be curious to know if there is a ukulele maker doing something comparable to these instrument makers. I got a good deal on my Ko'olau, but I realize it is still out of some people's range.
My daughter (seven years-old) plays a Chinese violin that was completely overhauled - fingerboard and neck reshaped, new bridge, new strings - by a local violin builder. There is no American-made violin that I'm aware of that I could really afford to buy for my daughter, especially considering how many different sizes she is going to go through as she grows. So that was my compromise. She needs an instrument if she is going to play. And I wanted her to have one. We compromise.
