There have been a few ukuleles using the name ‘Hilo’ over the years. The most common one now is based on the island of Hilo, Hawaii (although the ukuleles themselves are made in China). All the advertising I’ve seen for them say the company was founded in 1926. But for a company that old, there’s […]
Archive for the ‘Brands’ Category
Harmony were one of the many guitar makers to jump on the ukulele bandwagon when they first became popular. Their ukes weren’t as well made as Martin or Gibson ukuleles, but they were very popular, particularly after they hooked up with Roy Smeck. They also made many ukuleles that were sold under other names. According […]
Gibson are far better known for their guitars (such as the Les Paul and the SG), but they did also produce ukuleles. Gibson made both wooden ukuleles and banjo ukuleles (famously played by George Formby). They are no longer made and have become something of a collector’s item so those that crop up on eBay […]
GString ukuleles are one of the most respected brands around. They can boast endorsements by James Hill, Herb Ohta Jr and Roy Sakuma. All their ukes are made in Hawaii and, rather than having a production line, each ukulele is made (or at least overseen) by one maker making them closer to a luthier built […]
The Fluke is one of the most distinctive ukuleles around – immediately recognizable by its shape. It is also one of the most popular. The soundboard of the uke is made of Australian pine and the back is moulded, rounded plastic. The back of the neck is made of maple. The standard fretboard is also […]
Favilla, like Martin, were a mainland US guitar company who were quick to pick up on the trend for ukuleles in the 1920s. They carried on making ukuleles up until 1968 (and baritones up to 1985) but most Favilla ukuleles are from the 1920s and 30s. Favilla’s most famous ukulele design is the tear-shaped uke […]
BugsGear are a Japanese ukulele company set up in 2004. They are most famous for their electric EleUkes. These are solid bodied, battery powerd ukuleles and they have a very distinctive look. BugsGear do also make a range of acoustic ukuleles, but you don’t see them for sale very often (outside of Japan at least). […]
Brownsville ukuleles are priced in the under $100 range. For that, you’ll get a ukulele with a solid top (either mahogany or spruce) and laminated back and sides. Brownsville Ukulele Review I have a Brownsville Concert Size ukulele. It was the first ukulele I ever played, and I couldn’t have asked for a better first-timer […]
Ovation Applause ukuleles are the most popular brand of electric ukulele around. Looks wise, they are very distinctive and look similar to the Applause guitars (made popular recently by Kaki King who also plays a tenor Applause ukulele). As well as the distinctive look, they sound good and are well made. They can be played […]
Road Toad ukuleles (headed by Owen Jones Keoholaumakani Holt, Jr.) are most famous for their innovative bass ukulele (which has since gone mainstream in the form of the Kala UBass). But they also make more standard ukuleles. Although ‘standard’ is a relative term as they are always coming with interesting new designs. One notable design […]
