Kala was set up by Mike Upton, who had previously worked for the Hohner musical instrument company.

Kala have recently launched their ultra-cheap Makala ukuleles which have become a firm favorite in the under $50 price range (particularly appealing to kids with their dolphin ukuleles). And at a similar price there's the Kala KA-S.

High profile users of Kala ukuleles include Nevershoutnever's Christofer Drew Ingle, Michael McDonald (Steely Dan, Doobie Brothers), Joe Brown (Kala have a Joe Brown signature ukulele) and Danielle Ate the Sandwich. Their website also boasts Julia Nunes as a Kala endorser but I don't remember ever seeing her play one.

On Video

Kirk Shimabukuro (no relation to Jake) demonstrates a Kala KA-T.

On eBay US

KALA KA SSTU TE SOLID TOP TRAVEL TENOR UKULELE ACOUSTIC ELECTRIC W CUSTOM BAG    US $231.00

KALA KA SSTU T SOLID TOP TRAVEL TENOR UKULELE    US $182.00

New Kala Metal Fold Up Ukulele Stand with Foam Rubber Protection 5100]    US $15.99

On eBay UK

BRAND NEW AND BOXED Kala U Bass Fretless Short Scale 20 Ukulele Bass    £329.99

Kala KA ASLAB Solid Top Lacewood Baritone Ukulele    £200.00

KALA QUALITY Archtop TENOR ELECTRO UKULELE F holes Aquila Strings KA JTE    £179.00

Kala Models

Kala KA-S - Kala's introductory level soprano ukulele.
Kala KA-C - Kala's introductory concert size uke.
Kala KA-T - One of the best places to start in tenor ukuleles.
Kala U-Bass - The size of a baritone ukulele, the range of a bass guitar.
Kala U-Tar - Kala's version of the guitarlele.
Kala Travel Ukulele - Extra thin ukulele for when you want to take your ukeing out on the road.
Kala Acacia - Wood from the koa family at a much lower price.
Kala Spruce - Their spruce top ukuleles are some of the best value solid ukes around.
KA-SC - Solid spruce top ukulele at knock-down price.

Kala KA-MT Mango Tenor Review

I recently took my first trip to the islands with my wife for our fifth anniversary. I knew before departing that I would be returning with a ukulele, though not which of the many makes and models that are available of the noble instrument. Seriously, i've been bit by the flea! And, in a way not at all unlike when a trip to europe many years ago reminded me of one of our other 'grand designs'; the bicycle, to which my childhood attachment had been lost roughly around the time I was old enough to begin driving an automobile.

Anyway, after a bit of internet scouring, I came across a ukulele dealer/collector/enthusiast by the name of Music Guy Mic, who has both a 'real world' store in Kaneohe, as well as a brisk online business, with a huge contingent of buyers via Ebay. I ended up calling and, eventually, (island time!) spoke with him (Musicguymic@aol.com) directly. He, like so many of the islanders I met in the two and half weeks I was there, was extremely knowledgeable, helpful, and extremely kind, eventually guiding me into my purchase of a KALA KA-MT Mango Tenor.

As a beginner, I decided that I needn't go into debt on buying one of the superior offerings also available by Kala, or the numerous other companies that he had great understanding, as well as inventory, of. And to his testament, he withheld nothing regarding the origin or nature of construction. While a strikingly attractive instrument with the crazed 'burled' mango top sides and back (with contrasting wood binding), they are, apparently, in fact, a laminate or ply. Most purists hold the notion that this is inferior and most pricing of instruments comparatively will wholly illustrate that belief. But one recent 'perspective' that I was given was that laminates and plys often fair well in climate changes, where solid wood tops and sides can dry and split. I had never considered this, but it is somewhat understandable. A compromise of sorts, perhaps, but one that I can definitely favor.

Prior to shipping, the KA-MT received, as do all instruments sold through MusicGuyMic, an individual setup (including fretwork, if necessary from the factory) and stringing with Aquila premium Nylgut strings. To my 'inexperienced' ear, it sounds wonderful with a nice balance of highs and mids, and has, very importantly, spot on intonation. The new strings took a while to settle in, but the sealed gear tuning machines work wonderfully, and similarly to the 'notion' of many of the 'top end' makers, seem to be found on nearly everything considered to be of professional grade/quality/performance.

The instrument I purchased came as part of a 'package', by design, for the beginner who may wish to 'hit the ground running', i.e., accompanied with a hard-case, pitch-pipe, and the brilliant "Discovering The Ukulele" book by Herb Ohta J. & Daniel Ho. All for a price that was $100.00 less than any other resource I had theretofore come across, and, (here's the kicker) free shipping. I was staying in Volcano Village on the big island for the first week, and made arrangements to receive it there during our stay at a bed and breakfast. in lieu of making a 'preemptive' purchase (in ignorance) and lugging it along, I decided it best to make my pilgrimage and see and speak to people who have generations of understanding with the native instrument. With the option available to me to actually travel to Hawaii, the decision was nearly a no-brainer. For anyone else, I would recommend relying on the help of the many knowledgeable and experienced people out there. The internet is an amazing resource, and the ukulele community seem to be all fine and welcoming. I can't believe that it took me 42 years to get into it, but I'm admittedly obsessed.

As I had said in an email to Musicguymic following my return from the islands: "Just wanted to thank you , again, for making my 'island experience' complete. My purchase kept music in my hands (as well as my head) during my two weeks in Hawaii."

Review by Jason

KALA Kiwi Review

The Kala Kiwi is a member of the Kala Novelty series, and is essentially the 'sister' model to the Pineapple Uke. Aside from being cute as a neon green ukulele could possibly be, it is seriously fun to play. The Kiwi is a soprano sized Uke, measuring in at a petite 21 inches. It comes with geared chrome tuners with pearly white knobs, and a rosewood fingerboard. The fret wires are finished smoothly, and did not require any fine tuning with a file to make them less 'catchy' and more functional. The Kiwi's finish is a glossy nearly neon kiwi green, with a rather neat silk screen of the interior of a kiwi. Where the white center would be rests the sound hole. Pearly green binding completes the rather neat design.

This Uke is just plain fun to play. It attracts people, and will draw many comments before you even strum a note. Once you begin to play, you can appreciate the rather decent sound it puts out. The Kiwi sounds best at moderate volume-- I've noticed that if you go too loudly, there is a generalized buzz. The stock GHS strings have a pleasant sound, but make sure to look at how they're attached before you initially tune the instrument. Unfortunately, my A string was attached incorrectly at the tuner and popped out during my initial tuning. On a brighter note, this Ukulele is incredibly easy to string (I managed to do it in under 10 minutes after I got some replacement strings, and I never did it before on any stringed instrument). The Kiwi stays in tune rather well, from what I've read about other Ukuleles daily re-tunings are the norm, but this model will take some rather harsh playing without dropping out of tune. The tuners are in a fairly standard position for geared tuners, but I tend to notice they seem to get in the way while attempting some chords. Odds are this is due to my inexperience, but its really nothing that can't be fixed by changing the position of your hand by a few millimeters. The Kiwi's finish is very, VERY glossy and slick, a firm grasp is important if you're standing as this Uke can slide around on you if you're not careful. I've remedied this by putting a small square of foam tape on the bottom of the Kiwi.

As for durability, I will let the reader know, I am a klutz-- I admit it, I've dropped my Kiwi. Aside from a teensy little dent up near the tuning pegs (it actually got the dent when I tried to catch it and ended up slamming into a wooden kitchen chair between the tuning pegs), it survived without injury. Other minor bumps have not dented or dulled the Kiwi. This instrument is indeed klutz friendly.

The Kiwi is a reasonably priced Uke, retailing for between $73 and $78 on E-Bay. I'd recommend this Uke for other beginners, as it is a fun, cute, and easy to play. For the advanced Ukeist, this is an awesome addition worthy of any collection.

Review by Barbara.

Kala KA-T Ukulele Video Review

Review by Donald C.

Kala Ukulele Review

I have just recently purchased a Kala solid mahagony electric/acoustic concert Ukulele with cutaway and it is glorious. The tone is bright like a Uke should be but it has a warmth to it that is rare in the few ukes I have played.

It came with ghs strings that for the time being sound quite lovely, I have been recommended the Aquila strings and would love to read if anyone has feed back on those.

The factory set up for this particular Kala is fantastic the action makes playing up the fretboard smooth and easy and yet there is no fret buzz to speak of. All in all a terrific buy and a beautiful matte finish makes the wood stand out. It has faux tortoise shell accents and I got a great 1920's looking tweed hard case from Ukulele World to keep it protected.

I have been in transit since I bought this Uke and have not had a chance to really plug it in and "rock out" but the electronics work very well for recording purposes on my Mac. It could put out more sound unplugged but that might mess with the lovely tone so for me I would rather sacrifice some noise for some beauty.

Anyway that is my review I know it's glowing but I am so happy with the Kala Ukulele and it is a great solid instrument for the price.

Review by Denny Paschall.

Obviously, with the instruments being so cheap, they are not made in the US but China. As you can see from Ken Middleton's review below, this means that the finishing and set up aren't always perfect. But for such a low price tag, it might be a compromise you're happy to make.

Ohana produce two unusual instruments that are popular with ukulelists looking for something a little different. The SK-21 is a sopranino i.e. it is even smaller than a soprano. With an overall length of less than 20 inches, it makes for a great traveling uke. The other is the CKP-70. This is a replica of the Roy Smeck Vita-Uke. It has the distinctive teardrop shape and unusually shaped sound holes.

On Video

Ken Middleton's review of the Ohana TK-35G

On eBay US

Ohana Concert Ukulele Solid Wood CK 50G CK50 Repaired    US $63.00

Mana Ohana Journey Ukulele Guitar Hawaiian CD    US $7.77

Ohana BK 20 Baritone Ukulele $20900 NEW    US $209.00

On eBay UK

Ohana BK20 Baritone Ukulele Solid Mahogany Top NEW    £179.99

Ohana PK 25G Soprano Gloss Pineapple Solid Mahogany Ukulele w Aquila Strings    £100.51

Ohana SK 22Z Soprano Zebrawood back and Solid Spruce Top Ukulele Satin Finish    £81.55

Ohana CK-50G Concert Ukulele Review

The Ohana CK-50G is a concert ukulele in roughly the same price class as the Bushman Jenny and a little more expensive than the popular Fluke Uke. In Ohana's lineup, it falls between the less expensive mahogany CK-25 and the company's pricier solid koa models. Despite the name (ohana is Hawaiian for 'family'), this company's instruments are made in China.

This uke has a solid cedar top, rosewood sides and back, and a rosewood fretboard. The body has a high-gloss finish with purfling around the soundhole and on the outer edge of the top. It has a total of 19 frets. The neck joins the body at the 14th fret, allowing a little more room to navigate than on ukes with only 12 frets on the neck. There are mother-of-pearl position markers at the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th, and 12th frets. The uke has Gotoh nickel friction pegs with white plastic knobs and comes fitted with Aquila Nylgut strings (re-entrant tuning). The dimensions are as follows:

Scale length: 15 inches (38.1 cm)
Neck width at nut: 1 3/8 inches (3.49 cm)
Neck width at 14th fret: 1 11/16 inches (4.29 cm)
Lower bout width: 7 5/8 inches (19.4 cm)
Upper bout width: 5 3/4 inches (14.6 cm)
Overall length: 24 inches (61 cm)
Length of body alone: 10 3/4 inches (27.1 cm)
Maximum body depth: 2 5/8 inches (6.67 cm)

My CK-50G arrived about six weeks ago and has gotten a pretty good workout. I play it for at least an hour every day and have taken it on a couple of business trips.

Appearance and workmanship. In overall appearance this is an attractive instrument, and there are no visible flaws in workmanship. The edge of the fretboard is smooth and without snags, which is not always true of inexpensive instruments. In a few areas, such the join of the bridge to the top or the neck to the body, you can tell that it is not a top-of-the-line ukulele, but such comparisons are not really fair.

Tuning. I actually prefer friction pegs to geared tuning machines: They give the uke a more authentic, traditional look, and their lighter weight makes for a less top-heavy instrument. But I can understand why they might be a big negative for some prospective purchasers. The 1:1 turning ratio means that a small tweak of the knob can result in a major change in pitch, and these pegs definitely get out of tune more readily than geared tuners. Also, you have to remember to end the tuning process with a tightening (pitch-raising) motion rather than the opposite, in order to avoid slippage. All this takes some getting used to, but I don't think the CK-50G is any better or worse in this respect than other ukes with friction pegs that I have played. Slippage can be reduced by adjusting the set screw at the end of each peg. Unfortunately for those who would prefer a geared mechanism, Ohana does not seem to offer options in the type of tuning devices that are installed on its ukes, as some other makers do.

Action and intonation. The CK-50G was delivered with the action set pretty much as I like it, although I suppose this is fairly personal. It certainly couldn't have been set much lower without producing some buzzing. The intonation seemed just fine: Comparing the 12th fret harmonic of each string to its sound when stopped at that fret revealed no discernible differences in pitch. Similarly, octaves played up and down the fretboard were in tune.

Tone and balance. The overall volume of this instrument is about the same as that of my concert Fluke Uke, that is, plenty loud enough. The tone quality is probably a little richer (as should be expected from a solid as opposed to laminate top), and it has better sustain, despite a fairly percussive attack with a lot of "punch" (I haven't yet played it with other instruments, but I suspect it would be easy to hear over the crowd). I was a little put off by this percussive sound at first, but I have gotten used to it and now really like it.

My one major complaint about the sound (and about this uke in general) is the lack of balance in dynamics: Notes within a very narrow range (roughly between F# and G above middle C) are noticeably louder than all the rest. The imbalance doesn't really matter in strictly strumming styles, but it can be heard in styles where individual notes are more audible, like clawhammer (which often involves plucking the open G string). I have occasionally noticed a similar problem in moderately-priced classical guitars. I have no idea whether this is an idiosyncrasy of my particular instrument, or whether other CK-50Gs suffer from the same problem.

Where to get it. Ohana does not sell directly to consumers, or at least so it seems from their website (http://www.ohana-music.com/). I bought my CK-50G from musicguymic, who is one of the bigger uke vendors on eBay. I have nothing but praise for musicguymic: The instrument arrived sooner than promised and was in pristine condition. His price ($250) for the uke and foam case was less than some other sellers charge for the instrument alone. Plus, his shipping costs were realistic, not inflated as they are for many online vendors.

Conclusion. Despite some misgivings, I thought the Ohana CK-50G was well worth the money, and I would probably buy another if I lost this one. Although musicguymic has a three-day cash return policy, I did not consider the dynamic balance problem mentioned above serious enough to warrant returning the uke. However, you might not be as tolerant I am, so it would be nice to be able to try the instrument out before buying, if you can find a brick-and-mortar retailer who has Ohanas in stock (I didn't find any in my area).

Review by Bill Weigel

Ohana CK-70rb Ukulele Review

Brand: Ohana
Model: CK-70rb
Length of time owned: 1 month
Overall rating: 8/10
Amount paid: $132.95 from musicguymic on Ebay.
Listen to clip (mp3)

A few weeks ago I upgraded from the ukulele I had previously used for almost two years, an Oscar Schmidt OU-2. I considered purchasing a completely hardwood ukulele, I was concerned about spending that much on a new ukulele while in college. I also would prefer to try an instrument out in person first if spending that much, and found very few options in a roughly 150 mile area. I found that Musicguymic was having a sale on the Ohana CK-70rb at the time which basically equated to free shipping from the original price. It was almost $70.00 cheaper than the Ohana CK-25 and I decided to go ahead and try it. At the time of my writing this (July 2008) there is almost no information relating to this ukulele online, even Ohana does not currently list this model on their website.

This particular model is a round backed ukulele with a molded plastic back and sides, similar to an Applause/Ovation or a Fluke/Flea. Unlike the Fluke/Flea it does not have a flat bottom so that you can set it down easily. The shape of the body is very similar to the Applause UA10. I have unfortunately have not been able to play the Applause UA10 to compare (they are similar in style), but have played the UA20. This ukulele is definitely louder than the UA20 was, however this may in part be due to the difference in styles of sound holes and size (the UA20 is a soprano sized ukulele while the CK-70rb is concert sized). It is also significantly louder than my OU-2 was.

The ukulele is an import as most ukuleles in this price range are. That being said, this ukulele seems fairly well built. I have dropped it once (into a gravel parking lot when it was not in the case) and short of a few very light scratches on the plastic there do not appear to be any problems. The ukulele is finished in a matte finish. There is white binding along the edges and two small black lines border the top portion of the soundboard. This pattern also encircles the sound hole. There are no blemishes to speak of in the wood, and the ukulele seems to have a more subtle appearance than some of the other ukuleles in this price range I looked at seemed to have. I would be less likely to carry this ukulele around in my messenger bag as I did with my previous uke.

The ukulele came set up nicely from musicguymic, and from what I've read online it included the 'standard free case' he provides with many of the ukuleles he sells. I did notice that a little after a week or so I needed to tighten the tuning pegs on the ukulele. Since this is my first friction-peg ukulele, I do not know how common this is but thought it was worth mentioning. It is of course not hard to do, and the ukulele has had not had any peg slipping since doing so.

Overall, I would likely rate this ukulele an 8/10. The tone and intonation are good on my ukulele. As I move down the fretboard and play chords, the chords are in tune as picked up by my computers built in microphone and judged by Garageband and my ears. In comparison to my previous ukulele it is a night and day difference. This ukulele is loud. I have seriously been considering taking it to karaoke night at one of the local bars to see the reactions I get. For someone looking for an additional ukulele, or for someone looking for a first ukulele and is looking for a concert scale, I would definitely recommend the Ohana CK-70rb.

Ohana CK-70rb Specifications from Musicguymic on ebay:
23-3/4" overall length
11" body
5-1/2" upper bout
5-1/4" waist
7-7/8" lower bout
Molded black one piece back and sides
SOLID Spruce top
Rosewood fingerboard and bridge
Bone nut and saddle
14 frets to body 19 overall
1-3/8" at nut
MOP fret markers

Review by Nick Wilson

SK-25 Ohana Soprano Ukulele Video Review

Review by LStrachey.

Ohana CK-35G Ukulele Video Review

Review by Paulina Sinaga.

Ohana CK-50G Ukulele Review

Review by Ken Middleton.

Lanikai are a bit hit with the indie crowd. The most famous Lanikai uker is Zach Condon of Beirut.The model he uses is an LU-21TE. The LU-21T only costs around $100, which makes it a good buy for a first time uker - particularly if you're looking to start with a tenor. The LU-21T is also used by tUnE-YaRdS, Scott Matthew and Hailey Wojcik. Other high profile Lanikai supporter are Jason Mraz and Robert Plant (although the only place I've seen them with a Lanikai is in promo pictures).

Overall, their LU-21 range is a great place to start for anyone looking to buy their first ukulele.

On Video

Zach Condon strums on his Lanikai LU-21TE

On Musician's Friend

LU-11: Starter ukulele, nato construction. Price: $46
LU-21 standard: Soprano ukulele, nato construction. (no, I'm not sure what the difference between the LU-11 and the LU-21 is either) Price: $59
LU-21P: Soprano pineapple ukulele, nato wood. Price: $59
LU-21C: Concert size version of LU-21. Price: $79
LU-21T: Tenor version of LU-21. Price: $109
LU-21B: Introductory baritone ukulele. Price: $119

On eBay US

Lanikai LKP C Pack Koa Concert Uke Pack    US $179.00

Lanikai LU 21C Concert Ukulele    US $99.00

LANIKAI SZW CCA A E CUTAWAY CONCERT UKULELE ALL SOILD ZEBRA WOOD    US $220.00

On eBay UK

Lanikai LU21P Pineapple Soprano Ukulele Fitted With Aquila Strings    £59.99

Lanikai LU21BE Electro Acoustic Baritone Ukulele With AQUILA Strings    £139.99

Lanikai LU21CE Electro Acoustic Concert Ukulele With FREE Carry Bag    £124.99

Models

More in-depth look at Lanikai's models:

Cheap-o Range

Kohala C
Kohala Standard
Kohala HU-212

Introductory Range
LU-11
LU-21 Standard
LU-21
LU-21B
LU-21C
LU-21P
LU-21T
LU-21TE
LU-6
LU-8

O Series

O Series & Spruce O-6
O Series & Spruce O-8 8-String
O Series & Spruce S-T
O Series & Spruce S-TEQ

Curly Koa Series

Curly Koa CK-6E
Curly Koa CK-B
Curly Koa CK-C
Curly Koa CK-S
Curly Koa CK-T
Curly Koa CK-TEQ

Custom Series

Custom NK-C
Custom SM-T

Designer Series

Designer LCD-C
Designer LSM-C
Desinger LSM-T
Flame Maple LFM-C
Flame Maple LFM-S
Flame Maple LFM-T

Lanikai LU21 Video Review

Lanikai LU21 ukulele review by Mike.

Here's the picture showing the thickness of the top which he references in the video:

Lanikai Concert Ukulele Review

Review by hoosierhiver

Ode to a Lanikai Ukulele by Stephen Palmer

My Best Ukulele by Stephen Palmer

Chords: C, A, G
Time: 4/4

You get the idea of structure after the first verse:

C
My favourite uke is a
A D
Concert sized Lanakai
C
I bought from Ron.

He is man who owns a
A D
Music shop in my
C
Town Darlington

We had a conversation
A D
About me getting tickets
C
To see Tom Waits

When I got back I played my
A D C
Uke til my fingers ached.

My ukulele has a slender neck
And curves like my girlfriend
She is the only one that
I will ever play, until my ditty ends.
I'll never treat it bad
Or treat her bad.
This is a promise I'll tell you.
All I ever want to do
Is sit
And play my uke.

I wanted to make a video
To win the competition
I would have played the song myself
And give a demonstration.
But I don't have the time,
Technology
And I don't have the patience.
So I will leave the melody
Open to your own interpretation.

I think the ukulele is the best
Everyone should have one
Mankind should strive to reach
This aim of mine, it would be so much fun
There would no terrorism,
Or danger to the world coming from guns.
In the one hand would be a ukulele
The other hand would strum.

So now you know my great plan
To achieve world dominaton
Using only cunning plans
And a four string combination.
The world would be
Such a better place, if I was in charge.
With my army of ukulele players.
We would do no harm.

So this what I think of
When I pick up my uke to play.
And should my enemies try to steal
Her or plan to make her stray.
I will play a song so beautiful

KoAloha ukuleles are all made of solid Koa wood (hence the name: koa+aloha=KoAloha) and built in their factory in Hawaii. As a result they are fairly expensive instruments, usually upwards of $400. They do also have a budget range called KoAlana which are built in China and finished in Hawaii. These ukuleles are in the $100 - $200 range but are hard to come by right now.

It can be quite tricky to get your hands on a KoAloha. From what I've heard, they're not easy to come across on the US mainland. Certainly, they're not easy to get in Europe. However, MGM usually has a good selection of them up on eBay and is always the first on the net with new models.

On Video

CNBC talk to Alvin 'Pops KoAloha' Okami.

On eBay

NEW KoAloha Koa Wood Ukulele with Deluxe Case    US $399.00

New KoAloha Soprano Ukulele    US $495.00

New KoAloha Concert Ukulele    US $699.00

KoAloha Signature Series

At the moment, KoAloha are working their way through a seven part Masterpiece Collection. This signature series will be seven individual and distinctive new designs of ukulele.

The first was the KoAloha Pineapple Sunday which takes the idea of a pineapple ukulele and takes it to its logical conclusion.

The second in the series was the KoAloha Sceptre. This is an absolutely incredible ukulele design. Here's a video of Alvin Okami doing a little mythologising about the instrument and displaying its incredible sound.

I have an Ashbury Concert Koa uke which is exactly the same as the Oscar Schmidt Concert OU5 (it's simply branded differently for sale in the UK). If that's the case, then I can highly recommend it. When I say 'koa' it is, of course, laminated rather than solid (meaning there's a thin layer of koa wood on top of cheaper wood underneath). Having said that, it still makes a good sound and is the easiest to play of all my ukuleles. The action is low and the intonation is very good. I've recommended it to a few people as a great first uke.

Oscar Schmidt ukuleles got a bit of TV exposure and a big boost in popularity thanks to Jason Castro using an Oscar Schmidt OU5 for his performance of Somewhere Over the Rainbow on American Idol.

If that isn't enough to convince you, here's the World's richest man, Warren Buffett, playing an Oscar Schmidt.

On Video

Elliott Brood give their Oscar Schmidt ukuleles a good bashing on The Valley Town.

On eBay

Oscar Schmidt Concert Mahogany Ukulele OU2    US $104.90

Oscar Schmidt OU2 Concert Ukulele NEW NIB Great Seller    US $67.95

NEW UKELELE OSCAR SCHMIDT WASHBURN TENOR UKULELE UKE    US $329.00

On Musician's Friend

OU2 Concert Ukulele: $69
OU13 Soprano Ukulele: $99
OU3 Concert Ukulele: $109.90
OU2E Soprano Electric Ukulele: $109.90
OU5 Concert Koa Ukulele: $149
OU53S Baritone Ukulele: $179

Oscar Schmidt OU-2 Ukulele Review

I own an Oscar Schmidt OU-2. She's a sweet little honey colored concert Uke named 'Plinky'. It's the perfect Uke for me. I recommend this model for any first timer (like myself) who has larger hands. I have been playing for only five months and already can't get her out of my head, hands and heart. The tone and action is rich.

Review by Michael

The comments I've read on the net about them seem very positive. At their low price (under $200), they do seem like a very good deal. The only downside is that they're pretty hard to get your hands on (probably because of the high demand and low price).

On Video

dbexx playing his KoAlana concert fingerstyle.

On eBay

Many people have reported some big problems with Antonio Tsai's ukuleles and his other musical instruments. There are two threads on Ukulele Underground discussing his ukuleles (here and here) and more general discussions about his musical instruments here and here. I wouldn't go so far as to say that Antonitsai ukuleles are a scam, but you have to be aware of what you're getting. The prices are cheap (less cheap after you take delivery into account), so you're not risking too much money with it.

On Video

On eBay

BIRD INLAY SOLIDWOOD ACACIA KOA UKULELE CONCERT HANWORKS 1494    US $10.50

DRAGON INLAY SOLIDWOOD ACACIA KOA UKULELE CONCERT HANWORKS 1503    US $79.00

EAGLE INLAY SOLID MAHOGANY UKULELE TENOR HANWORKS 1398    US $59.00

Their higher end instruments are made on Hawaii with solid wood. But they also a budget range of ukuleles known as Hula.

On Video

Peter Delapina of Mele Ukuleles display the double neck Mele ukulele which was sold on eBay.

On eBay

GIVE A GIFT OF ALOHA Mele Koa Soprano Pineapple Ukulele    US $349.00

MELE MAHOGANY CUTAWAY TENOR UKULELE    US $549.00

MELE MAHOGANY CONCERT UKULELE Beautiful Sweet sound    US $349.00

The Abbott company made a number of different instruments including banjo and guitars. But their most famous instrument was the Abbott Monarch banjo ukulele. It was this banjolele that George Formby used. As a result, the Abbott Monarch is very popular in the UK and hugely collectible. As a result, they can fetch very high prices (several thousand dollars).

Abbott Monarch banjoleles have a larger body and therefore louder and more forceful than the American style banjoleles such as the Slingerland ukuleles.

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May Bell Slingerland Uke Banjo Extraordinary Condition    US $325.00

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