Fender Ukuleles

If you need any evidence of the increase in people buying ukuleles, just look at the number of new models of ukulele that have come out in the last year or two. And now the biggest name in the guitar world has entered the field and brought out their first ukes.

Today Fender are launching a range of three tenor ukuleles: the Pa’ina, Nohea and Hau’oli. I caught up with Mike Lewis from Fender to find out more.

Fender are the biggest name in guitars. Why move into ukuleles?

It all started around six years ago when we noticed the Uke’s growing popularity in Japan. When we asked about it, our friends there explained that because the Uke is tuned like the first four strings on the guitar, it was easy for guitar players to adapt to it. Being guitar players ourselves, we gave it a try and like everyone else, got hooked!

When people buy a Fender ukulele, what are they getting that they wouldn’t get with any other ukulele?

The Fender Ukes were in development for quite a long time and we experimented with a lot of different designs. What we were looking for was an instrument that sounds great, looks great, is easy to play, tune, and change strings- all at an affordable price. The Ukes also come with a padded carry bag.

One thing we wanted to avoid was for someone to buy their first Uke, take it home and then get discouraged because they didn’t know how to tune it, play some basic chords, or change a string. That’s why we include the instruction book with care, feeding and basic how-to-play info. Playing Ukulele should be fun, not frustrating!

There are many Fender-a-like ukuleles out there but – other than the distinctive Telecaster headstock – they’re a very traditional design. Why did you go in that direction?

The form followed the function really. We had specific sonic results in mind for the various price points so we experimented with numerous body shapes, bracing patterns, bridges, materials, etc. This is just how they ended up! The Telecaster® guitar headstock not only adds the distinctive Fender vibe, it’s quite functional in that it provides straight string pull over the nut and easy access to all four of the geared tuning machines.

Where are the ukuleles manufactured?

Crafted in Indonesia with oversight by our U.S. manufacturing and quality assurance operations.

There’s a big Hawaiian theme in the ukuleles. Do you see yourselves as part of the Hawaiian tradition of ukuleles rather than those made in the mainland US?

Even though the instrument was first introduced to the Hawaiians by Portuguese immigrants, it didn’t become a Ukulele until the Hawaiians named it that. During our research for this project, the Hawaiian connection was of course all pervasive. We even studied the Hawaiian language a bit, which is where the model names came from. Just seemed natural to stick with it!

Why did you go with all tenor ukuleles? Are there plans for other sizes in future?

Our customers are primarily guitar players. The Tenor being the largest “my dog has fleas” Uke, is a good option for the first-time guitarist turned “Uke-ist”.

Are there any plans for future models in the Fender ukulele range?

Let’s hope so!

Visit Fender ukuleles and friend them up on MySpace.

View Comments

77 Comments

  1. James January 19th, 2009 9:00 pm

    Hmm, interesting. I go for Concert Ukes myself, I find they’re small enough to hold but with bigger frets than the Soprano (I have large fingers).

    Good article anyhow, I like this site more as each day passes.

  2. zym January 19th, 2009 9:35 pm

    Interesting stuff Al,

    So are they suggesting that people should tune them like a Guitar? (or at least DGBE like Lyle Ritz)

    For me, GCEA is more fun :)

  3. Woodshed January 19th, 2009 9:58 pm

    James: I like concert ukes as well. Particularly for strumming. For picking, I prefer a tenor.

    Andy: I don’t think so. I think they went with the tenor for the re-entrant, C-tuning. Otherwise they’d have gone for baritones.

  4. Olly January 19th, 2009 11:17 pm

    ah! Heaven! (but without the stairway – this one has a fully automated escalator!)

    :op

  5. Jimmy January 19th, 2009 11:19 pm

    Nice, nice. They look good and Fender seem to know what they’re doing if they know you’re someone who they want to plug to, Al. Are they paying you?

    You wouldn’t happen to know a good way to get these in the UK, would you?

  6. Olly January 19th, 2009 11:21 pm

    Any pun intended there Jimmy? with plugs n all… any amps involved?

  7. Woodshed January 20th, 2009 12:20 am

    Olly: So long as there’s a bustle in the hedgerow.

    Jimmy: Lordy, no! I actually asked them for the interview.

    I don’t think they’re over here yet. Looks like Dolphin Music is all over them.

  8. Sharpen January 20th, 2009 1:38 am

    IMHO I don’t like these tenor fender ukes. They are too similar to a guitar. Looks like a guitar with 4 strings; srs.

  9. +one January 20th, 2009 5:26 am

    Yeah but what do they sound like? Did you get to play one?

  10. McMolly January 20th, 2009 7:05 am

    There’s a sample of what one of them sounds like on their myspace.

  11. Woodshed January 20th, 2009 7:26 am

    Sharpen: They do pass the first test of ‘is it just a small guitar’: they have the fret marker on the 10th rather than 9th fret. I wouldn’t have blamed them if they’d cashed in a just made their ukes in the shape of Teles and Strats. It does sound like they’ve done their homework on making a uke rather than a guitar.

    +one: No, I didn’t.

    McMolly: Thanks. The sound clip sounds pretty good – but it’s hard to tell from an MP3 exactly what they sound like in real life.

  12. cardboardfrog January 20th, 2009 12:48 pm

    i’m looking forward to getting a chance to try these out, i as greatly amused when i found out fender were making ukes, but their acoustic guitars can leave you a bit wanting in a variety of areas so i’m curious how their ukes check out.
    Them being all tenor doesnt make mch of a difference to me, i have huge fingers but play a soprano usually but can just as comfortably play concert or tenor

  13. Hello Jodi January 20th, 2009 3:04 pm

    Yea, I think they really missed an opportunity to make little Baby Fenders. We can only hope and pray that Gretch fulfills my rockabilele wet dream.

  14. Woodshed January 20th, 2009 10:43 pm

    cbf: Yeah, I’d give them a try. I suspect, like every other uke, I’ll want one but not want to part with the £££s.

    It seems like tenors are where it’s at right now. Everyone wants to start on a tenor.

    Jodi: I think the F-hole Kalas might be based on Gretsch. Stills needs a scratch-plate and one of those fancy bridges to complete the look.

  15. zym January 21st, 2009 12:16 am

    Amen to a Gretch uke – but it would have to have the HUGE Bigsby Vibrato arm :D

  16. phi January 21st, 2009 3:12 am

    Why is it that the Fender tenor ukuleles (among others) have a wound C string? Are they an octave lower than tenors which use the same sized strings as sopranos?

  17. Woodshed January 21st, 2009 7:02 am

    zym: I’m surprised no one – to my knowledge – has put a whammy bar on a uke.

    phi: No, same octave. I don’t know why they do it. I think it makes the C string stand out too much.

  18. vialde January 21st, 2009 1:24 pm

    Found a uke with a whammy bar. http://tinyurl.com/7llqfu

  19. James January 21st, 2009 5:39 pm

    vialde: That has to be at the other end of the custom ukulele spectrum, surely? XD

    “this is a home made ukulele”

    No shit, Sherlock?

  20. cardboardfrog January 21st, 2009 9:07 pm

    zym: it would have to be a huge wooden bigsby just to fit the colour scheme

  21. vialde January 22nd, 2009 12:19 pm

    @James, I’d just like to see how much bracing was needed to keep that tin from buckling when you hit the bar.

  22. FretNaught February 9th, 2009 9:00 pm

    I tried the Fender tenor with the pickup in the shop (the P’aina or something…it means Party!).

    It’s pretty good. Easy to fret, has a good acoustic sound, a little dark, I guess because it’s mahogany. The tuners look really solid, like what you’d find on a Gretsch guitar. I didn’t plug it in to see how good the pickup was. It’s passive with no controls on board so you’d need an amp that could do justice to a passive nylon string pickup.

  23. Woodshed February 9th, 2009 10:08 pm

    FredNaught: Thanks for the review.

    And thanks for adding one word to my knowledge of Hawaiian (thus doubling my vocabulary).

  24. byjimini February 10th, 2009 5:33 pm

    Thanks for the info, Fred. :)

  25. Ukulele Ray March 10th, 2009 7:33 pm

    I highly recommend the line of Fender ukuleles. I have used them in LIVE performance and in studio recording and they’re a great uke at a great price. Intonation is dead-on, excellent action, rich tone and easy to tune. Please feel free to check out my videos featuring Fender ukes in action.

  26. Ukulele Barry March 13th, 2009 8:25 pm

    Ray’s opinion is almost worthless – here’s mine:

    I’m awaiting the delivery of my third Fender Pa’ina.

    Cosmetically the first two have both had a number of minor flaws. The first had a loose end pin jack and a suspicious rattle, so was sent back. The second has a dead pickup and is awaiting replacement.

    Fender need to try harder.

    Having said that, I am having a replacement because it is a nice instrument to play and I like the look and sound.

    The strings sound good but feel terrible and I hate the wound C. I’ll be trying some Worth strings when the replacement arrives.

    I got mine for £220 and if the first instrument hadn’t been defective, I’d have been delighted.

  27. Woodshed March 14th, 2009 10:13 am

    Barry: Thanks for the review. Good to know.

  28. Josh Gordon March 26th, 2009 12:19 am

    Just got my Fender Pa’ina (from Elderly Instruments).

    Background: My #1 instrument is a Martin T-1, so I’m not going to think much of anything lesser. But — I play in an amplified band with a guitar, a mandolin, and a Dobro, so I need an instrument that (a) has some volume (and of course mahogany Martins of any sort never do; (b) is amenable to amplification; (c) won’t give me a heart attack if a drunken bar patron dances into it.

    For the last sixth months, I’ve been playing an amplified koa Fluke. That’s a nice instrument, but I never liked the plastic backs one bit — can’t stand Ovation guitars, for instance — and it has a very loud, almost brassy sound to it. When the dobro player says the ukulele is too loud, there might well be a problem.

    First impression of the Fender:

    The strings it came with, feh, put Aquilas on immediately, big improvement.

    The instrument feels nice, and is amusing to look at. The Fender head on it gets giggles from people, so I guess that part is good. The sound is a lot rounder than the Fluke; there’s none of the plastic edge to it.

    I’m a little worried about amplification, and I think I’ll have to put it through a DI box with an equalizer. The C string amplifies way louder than the other strings; I hope this doesn’t cause too much of a problem.

    The tuners seem a bit cheap; I might want to replace them. Or not.

    So far, it feels good for playing the folky/bluesy/bluegrass stuff our jam band does. I’m going to bring the Fender as well as the Fluke to our Friday gig, and give it a real test. Maybe the dobro player will love me again.

  29. byjimini March 26th, 2009 2:26 pm

    Thanks for the feedback, Josh. :)

  30. Woodshed March 26th, 2009 8:18 pm

    Thanks for the review, Josh. Interesting stuff.

  31. Ukulele Barry March 31st, 2009 1:06 pm

    Here’s an update from me. I’ve now had to return my third Fender Pa’ina. I won’t be getting another.

    I desperately wanted to like this instrument (and in truth I did) but the quality control from Fender is disgraceful.

    The third instrument that I received had a buzz coming from the bridge. This got worse over time and was completely unacceptable when I replaced the standard strings with Worths.

    If Fender can iron out the issues, this will be a great Ukulele for the price. If I could buy one in a local store, I’d consider buying another after CAREFUL inspection. But right now, I’m not going to risk another mail order fiasco.

    D- for Fender. Must try harder.

  32. Woodshed April 1st, 2009 11:30 am

    Thanks for the update, Barry. Seems like the Fenders are a bit disappointing. Hopefully they’re just finding their feet.

  33. Tuscadero May 16th, 2009 2:26 am

    I have the koa laminate Nohea model. I love the look, love the feel, and when I switched out the strings I loved the sound. But I just had to exchange it for another. The bridge was pulling up and there was a crack starting on the seam.
    I’m going to give it another go, but they are definitely working out some kinks.

  34. Woodshed May 16th, 2009 2:01 pm

    Tuscadero: Sorry to hear about that. It seems like the Fenders have some serious issues.

  35. Ukulele Wolf May 16th, 2009 9:31 pm

    I just returned my first No’hea Koa Uke that I got thru Guitar Center
    in Los Angeles and will see if they send a decent replacement.
    In tune and looked great but the fingerboard was like a bad railroad track. I think they are just shipping another one and not making sure it is better than the first. Otherwise it is a good deal and does look cool. Peace.

  36. Woodshed May 18th, 2009 10:22 pm

    Ukulele Wolf: Good luck with it. It looks like you’re going to need it!

  37. Thomas June 24th, 2009 8:16 pm

    I have a Fender Hau’Oli. Purchased in May, 2009. I have a couple of handfuls of other ukes so it’s easy for me to make some comparisons. For the price, Fender is a reliable instrument and with the stings and the set up that I have, it is one of the most accurately tuned instruments available in the under $600 price range. I have not replaced the strings. It has had no big problems with sound at this point. But it is the overall sound with the manufacturer’s strings that seems to be a little ‘light’ … brilliant, yes, but it lacks a little underbelly or something.

    But I want to say something about the tuning. The Fender is SUPERB!

    I use an electronic tuner. And what I have found is that the ‘registration’, I think ‘they’ call it that, is slightly ‘off’ in ALL ukuleles that I have tested. I electronically tune the uke – using the vibration mode on a clip-on – and then I move from open frets – where all the strings are in tune with my GCEA tuning – to each of the first five frets for each string in succession. I would expect a semi-tone for each fret but typically ukuleles of most manufacturers are substantially ‘off’ when I test with the tuner. To test the semi-tones … I merely go fret by fret up to the 6th fret … to see if I get an accurate semi-tone at each fret. Fender was pretty well SPOT ON! Every string. Every fret. A perfect semi-tone at each fret. This means that any chord I play, when the four strings are properly tuned, will be accurate. NONE of my 8 other ukes can make that claim.

    I don’t know the science behind all of this but no WONDER people laugh at the uke! In MOST cases, the uke is really out of tune at anything other than an open string strum … and that is with each string perfectly in tune in the open position. Maybe that’s the charm – playing something that is inherently out of tune whenever ANY chord is played … but the musician ‘soldiers’ on DESPITE the out of tune sound. The Fender that I have is totally accurate. No need to ‘soldier’ on … no need to suffer from out of tune noises …

    I am impressed by the Fender that I have … and I appreciate the clarity and precision of their sound engineering. I may try swapping out the strings because the overall sound is not as rich or full bodied like some of my other ukes, both more and less expensive. I just really like the Fender accuracy in their fret placement – or whatever it is that gave me accurate readings on my tuner at each fret for each string …

    Too bad they have other problems that people are talking about here.

    My Tenor Fluke uke, purchased in August, 2008, is a steady and stable uke that travels well and has a sweet soft sound – different than the sound described by one of the previous respondents here who also uses a Fluke. I have not swapped out the strings on the Fluke. My Fluke was more expensive than the Fender. I find the Fender sound is not as rich and full-bodied … but it IS competent and I enjoy the accuracy of the tuning at each fret. The Fluke has tuning accuracy, not as good as the Fender, but certainly really close – according to my testing.

    I am glad that Fender has entered the market. I think we’ll see some interesting developments as a result.

  38. Woodshed June 24th, 2009 9:57 pm

    Thomas: Thanks very much for the review. Glad you’re enjoying your new uke.

  39. pegged August 3rd, 2009 2:24 pm

    I bought a tenor ukulele-mid grade, about a month back. I think it looks wonderful, and was much brighter than my mahogany concert or koa soprano- I had bought it for the size and brighter sound. I have had no end of trouble with the action- figured in part it was my playing, but I did change to lighter strings and sanded down the bridge some- still not very happy with it. Fortunately for me the body wasn’t tore up as some have experienced. For the price- I guess I would have rather now gone with another make- as I figured I will have to have it professionally set up and see how much I can get out of it. In the long run, it is going to cost me more than if I’d paid upfront on another uke. Now I’m in though, and I do like the variant sound to use for some tunes. I hope they improve too. Guess it all comes back to personal taste and feel. Thanks for all your comments folks.
    pegged

  40. Tony Boland September 25th, 2009 9:17 pm

    I tried out a Fender Tenor Pai’na this afternoon for about half an hour and I have to say I was extremely disappointed with almost everything about it.
    I had no issue with the Fender headstock but I thought for the money it was a very lack luster instrument. Not very loud (although the stock strings did not help) not finished very well, and frankly I have played less expensive Tenor ukes that were streets ahead of this instrument.
    I was quite excited about finding one in a Dublin music shop becaue there isn’t a great selection of ukes available in shops here but this Fender did nothing to lift my spirits.
    I know only too well that judging instruments is an extremely personal and subjective experience but on almost every level, I was extremely disappointed.
    It sells in Ireland at 349euros and in my humble opinion it is not in that league.
    Sorry to be so negative, its not my normal mode! but I have to be honest, I would not recommend this uke to anyone.

  41. Woodshed September 27th, 2009 12:10 pm

    pegged: Thanks for the review

    Tony: Thanks for that. Looks like your experience is in line with that of a lot of people who’ve tried one.

  42. Bertrand November 6th, 2009 4:09 pm

    Since we had the opportunity to try these ukes at ukulele.fr, I might add that I agree with the overall opinion regarding the Pa’ina : not worth its price. The sound is pretty deceiving, sounds well when plugged but that doesn’t explain the price, and the one fender lend us had an awful buzz apparently caused by the electronic wires.
    The laminated koa model is pretty nice though, so it’s a good shower, and it actually sound as well not to say better than the solid mahogany.
    I quickly tried the laminated mahogany, which is a lot cheaper and sounds just as right as the solid mahogany, so if you need a fender and don’t need the shiny koa model, choose the laminated. If you need a tenor uke, there are better and cheaper brands out there (kala trael and ohana come to my mind, both for a better price and a much better sound).

    That said, they all were pleasant to play, comfortable, and I feel a bit like Ukulele Barry, wanting to like them more. I personnally wouldn’t mind having one at home because I enjoyed playing it by myself.

  43. Woodshed November 7th, 2009 9:54 am

    Thanks for the write-up Bertrand.

  44. Don January 7th, 2010 11:39 pm

    I just got the Fender Hau’Oli… and it plays beautifully. The uke is easy to tune and sounds great. I dont understand why the third string is wound while the others are nylon… But thats that….
    One of the best things I like is the tele headstock…..Very very rock n roll.

  45. Kim February 1st, 2010 2:06 am

    I’m on my second Fender Pa’Ina. It’s a super sounding Uke but I think Fender may need to fix a few construction glitches. My first had a crack where the neck joined the body. I didn’t even leave the store with it. A second was ordered for me and I’ve had it for about 3 weeks. Both seams at the tailpiece where the top and bottom meet are separating. I’ve had it in the case with a humidifier so I don’t think that’s it. Anyhow, this time it’s going back to Fender. I’m wondering if I should ask for a refund and buy a different brand. I’d be disappointed though as I really like this one.

  46. mrcheld February 9th, 2010 1:19 am

    I’m on my first Hou’oli and I wish I would not have bought it. The neck is already cracked at the joint with the fretboard near the body. Now the fretboard is warped and I get a really bad ringing. Not sure if I will get another.

  47. alec March 18th, 2010 7:22 am

    I just bought the Hou’oli and love it (I live in Korea and there are limited choices and a bunch of crappy and ugly Korean models). The intonation is spot on to the twelfth fret (the g is slightly off up that high). I like the sound with Aguilas, although it doesn’t sound as great with clawhammer as I’d like, but it sounds particularly good on John King’s campanella arrangements.

    I’m sure the negative reviews are accurate for those particular instruments. Maybe play before you buy. But for the price, thumbs up.

  48. Woodshed March 18th, 2010 9:37 pm

    alec: Good to hear there’s at least one person who is happy with their Fender.

  49. Kim March 18th, 2010 10:36 pm

    As you can read in my previous posts, I had some trouble with 2 Fender Pa’Ina’s. I returned to my dealer and insisted they send back the 2nd to Fender and not repair as I think it is valuable for Fender to see the defect. I got my 3rd directly from Fender and it is perfect. I just think it is a matter of ironing out some kinks in such a new product. I couldn’t be happier with the playability and sound.

  50. Woodshed March 20th, 2010 5:01 pm

    Kim: Thanks for the info. Let’s hope that means they’ve got everything in order now.

  51. Tof25 June 29th, 2010 11:42 pm

    Hi!
    I just got a Fender Pain’a, it’s my third tenor, after a Kala Jazz and a Lanikai O8E 8 strings. I must say that I’m really impressed by the accuracy and the playability of the Fender…
    I visually checked the uke looking for some defaults, and didn’t find anything…
    The sound is great (I directly put Worth clear on it) and the sustain is good, even if it’s less than my 8 strings!
    Hope it helps!

  52. Woodshed July 3rd, 2010 12:45 pm

    Tof25: Thanks for the review. I’m hearing better things about the Fenders these days. Looks like they’ve got rid of the gremlins they had earlier.

  53. flambeauone July 27th, 2010 3:54 am

    I just bought a Fender Pai’na,I read all the comments about these ukes so when I actually ran across one I was surprised.The one I bought tunes easily and sounds great plugged or unplugged.The wound string didn’t even make it to the cash register though I really didn’t care for that.I haven’t played any others but mine sounds great and looks great.I was really impressed.

  54. Woodshed July 28th, 2010 8:26 pm

    flambeauone: Thanks for the review. Glad you’re enjoying it.

  55. WC Rowe July 30th, 2010 2:00 pm

    I am on my second Pa’ina the first one’s bridge came right off the body the first tuning out of the box. The Second one has two issues.. the first string will not stay in tune and the pickup is dead on that string. This one is going back too.. Time to look into another brand.

  56. Woodshed August 3rd, 2010 4:52 pm

    WC Rowe: Sorry to hear about that.

  57. Josh Gordon August 7th, 2010 4:09 pm

    I ended up giving mine away to my younger brother; it’s probably the most disappointing uke purchase I’ve made.

  58. Cathy August 8th, 2010 2:23 pm

    I have only been playing the uke a little over a year, so I’m no uke expert, but I love my Fender Nohea. When I decided to buy a uke, I played every uke I could find in the area of Burlington, Vermont (which wasn’t a lot, maybe 20 ukes) and the Nohea had the sound I liked the best. My husband is in a band and plays bass, guitar, and sax, so he has a bit more musical experience than me, and he also likes the sound of my uke over others I’ve played in the stores. It’s fine for people to have differing opinions. But I for one, love my Fender. And apparently the guitar/uke player of Train feels the same way… (Hey Soul Sister)

  59. Woodshed August 10th, 2010 7:58 pm

    Josh: Yeah, I’ve fobbed off all sorts of crap on my brother too.

    Cathy: Glad to hear you’re enjoying it.

  60. KevinV August 16th, 2010 2:20 am

    I play ‘uke in a gigging band and although my Fender Pa’ina isn’t my number one, it’s certainly a great playing and gig-worthy instrument. It’s the one I grab most for practice and play at home, to take with me to friend’s houses for jams, and I’ve used it at rehearsal…I wouldn’t hesitate to use it on a gig and plan to in the near future.

    I’ve never owned any instrument that fit my tastes perfectly out of the box and the Pa’ina was no exception. After a fret dressing and polish, adjustment of the saddle and nut, and some other non stock issues, it does all I could ask from it.

    I’m happy with my Fender ‘ukulele.

  61. Hans Wessels August 18th, 2010 7:33 pm

    I use the hau’olu with Aquila nylgut strings with a low g and it sounds great. I used it for playing with an upright bass and it punches right through the lower frequencies. I also found the instrument very reliable.
    I hated the original strings though

  62. Kimi October 12th, 2010 8:33 pm

    Hi,
    I bought my husband a Fender Paina last Christmas. This Christmas I would like to get a small amp to go with it. Any suggestions?

  63. Steve PP November 19th, 2010 12:07 am

    Anybody else seen or have pics of an electric uke with a whammy bar on?

  64. Josh Ward December 28th, 2010 12:01 am

    Does anyone know if Fenders are a safe choice now? I would love one. I was planning on getting a RISA Solid, but thought I would go for a more “proper” Ukulele first before branching out, my only Ukulele is a £20 Maholo. It’s between this and a Kala. I’m looking for a Tenor in the £100-£200 price range.

    One other Q, is a pickup important to consider when purchasing a Ukulele?

  65. Dopefish7590 December 29th, 2010 4:10 am

    @Josh Ward: I have the Pa’ina, and it has been probably the best Ukulele I’ve played in a long while… The sound is good, it holds tune well, the pickup works great, and it looks sleek in my opinion. I will admit I had a problem with the ‘A’ string coming undone from the base of the Uke, but I merely had to tie the end of the string in a slightly larger knot to remedy this.

    Perhaps I have gotten lucky but it would appear as if Fender has ironed out most of the instrument’s quirks. It still may have a few left, but overall it appears to be a great instrument.

  66. Josh Ward December 29th, 2010 11:03 am

    Thank you for your review Dopefish. I agree with you that it looks nice. Best of the three fenders, I don’t much care for all the fancy borders and patterns on the other two.

    I hope I get lucky too, I’m going to try and get a chance to play one of these before I take the plunge.

    P.S. UK people… where can I buy a Fander Pa’ina for cheaper than £197 inc. VAT and delivery? That’s looking like the best I can find. If you could help that would be super.

  67. Woodshed January 1st, 2011 12:11 pm

    Dopefish: Thanks very much for the review. Good to know things are getting fixed.

  68. Stando January 13th, 2011 5:16 pm

    @Josh Ward where can I find the Fender Pa’ina Ukulele for that price? That’s exactly what I’m looking for!!
    Thanks a lot.

    Great article by the way!

  69. Stando January 13th, 2011 5:17 pm

    Sorry for double commenting, I needed to click notify on any more comments on this page.

  70. Josh Ward January 13th, 2011 7:50 pm

    @Stando It was on DV247.com, but it’s gone up now. :( I think they used the VAT rise to increase the price even more, or it might have been on sale.

  71. Mikey Mike January 28th, 2011 5:46 pm

    I just bough the Fender Pa’ina today. its really nice.

    Music room are currently doing in at £199.99. I really cant find it cheaper anywhere else!

  72. Stando January 28th, 2011 6:33 pm

    Thanks Josh (it’s gone up to over 300 on there now..:()
    Paid £237 at DolphinMusic and got it a week ago.
    I love it!!
    It sounds amazing plugged into an amp I’m surprised how much the sound amplifies compared to a guitar. It’s brilliant.

    I’m glad fender decided against the wound C string, that would have ruined it completely!! AA++ for Fender on that 1.

  73. Rick Diefenderfer April 15th, 2012 4:27 am

    I.m considering having a pickup installed on my Fender KOA Nohea Ukulele but know nothing about what kind to install or how to do it. Any suggestions?

  74. Rick Diefenderfer April 15th, 2012 4:32 am

    I need to replace the strings on my Fender KOA Nohea Ukulele. What type/brand are the best strings to use?

  75. Woodshed April 16th, 2012 10:12 am

    Rick: I don’t know about the Fender but Worths and Aquilas are always a good bet.

  76. Ed August 22nd, 2012 6:20 am

    My tenor koa came with Aquila strings.no wound c string. I keep checking the bridge and it’s fine. I like the look and Sound,maybe i was just lucky and Got a good one from mail order.i dont care for fender acoustic guitars but i like their electric guitars and bass. I just ordered their new concert model hope All goes well.

  77. Nathaniel March 4th, 2014 2:59 am

    I own a Fender Koa Tenor ukulele. I love the way it looks, plays, and feels. for someone who couldn’t afford to buy a ukulele that was not quality for the cash, i’ll say i would buy it again!

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