Manea Ukuleles
Manea Ukuleles are a Hawaii-based ukulele company with a particular emphasis on Polynesian culture. So as well as the standard Hawaiian-style ukulele they also sell Tahitian ukuleles. Importing them from Tahiti, The Cook Islands and Rapa Nui.
On Video
Hector Bernaldo discusses Manea’s range of ukuleles.
15 Comments
Such beautiful workmanship on these Ukuleles would love to own one.
I bought a Tahitian ukulele from these guys and it was awesome! Their shopping cart isn’t up yet but I emailed them for their inventory and got an answer within an hour with pictures of what they had and a pricelist of their inventory. The best part is they offer free shipping from the islands! Got my ukulele here in Florida within a week and was off and running. Luckily lots of stuff on Youtube about the Tahitian uke. Customer service was top notch. Called them just to ask a few questions and they were very helpful! These guys really love what they do.
I have been playing the ukulele for fun for almost two years. My first ukulele was a concert Pono. It gives a good sound, but one day, I was at an uke fest and my friend suggested that I should check the Manea booth. I saw the beautiful koa soprano ukulele. I strummed it several times and boy, the strum gave a rich tone and it was louder than my concert uke…even, in a noisy location. I was stunned that this teeny tiny soprano would give a such a nice sound. Next thing I know, I was talking beyond the make of the uke; I was talking prices, etc. He gave me a price that I could not refuse. I really wasn’t into purchasing another uke. What was wrong with me? The next thing I know; I returned and it was a done deal. I was the owner of a new soprano Manea ukulele. The only thing they did not have, was the case. Hector Bernaldo said he would send it. If not, remind him. I did within a week, I got my uke bag too. He was right, the ukulele resonate amazing sounds, and I have been happy with it. I bet my concert Pono is jealous.
Got back from Tahiti and never got a Tahitian Uke so after kicking myself I started looking on ebay and craigslist for one and no luck. A buddy of mine in our local uke club told me about Manea Ukuleles so I contacted them and sure enough they had some. Sent me some pics of what they had and after picking the one I wanted it was shipped to me the next day. Shipping was free and I got it within a week via Fedex. If your in the market for a Tahitian Uke, they will hook you up!
As a frequent visitor to Hawaii, I’ve been thinking of buying a ukulele for some time. I recently took the plunge and purchased a Manea concert ukulele in koa. I also purchased a Tahitian uke. I’ve only been to Tahiti once, but fell in love with the sound of the Tahitian uke while I was there. Both Ukuleles sound great and are very playable, even for a haole like me. Hector Bernaldo is great to work with. I couldn’t be happier with the workmanship and sound of both ukuleles. I highly recommend Manea Ukuleles.
I’ve played dozens of ukuleles and I can tell you that Manea sells some of the best sounding ukuleles. The Tahitian ukulele are a work-of-art. I highly recommend Manea Ukulele!
Saw these guys at the Palm Springs Ukulele Festival over the weekend and for a small mom and pop operation they really make a quality instrument. I was looking for a concert ukulele in Koa but much to my surprise I found a Koa Concert Pineapple shaped ukulele. It sounded beautiful. Only one they had so I had to get it. Met the owner Hector and he said they just started making it this year and will be part of their regular inventory. Only thing that kept me from getting the Kamaka Pineapple was the size. It only comes in Soprano. The Concert Koa Pineapple was a gem of a find. Couldn’t wait to get it back home to show my friends in Phoenix! Mahalo Manea Ukuleles!!!
Let me preface by saying I’m about musically inclined as a potato and know even less about instruments than a dog. But when my wife dragged me to an islander festival and we saw the different styles of ukuleles on display at the Manea booth, I knew I had to have one. So I ordered TWO! I bought one that I could use to learn to actually play and the second one I hung merely for display purposes in our house. That’s how cool I think they look. They truly are pieces of art. Not only do they look magnificent, but they sound even better than they look. I am so impressed by these instruments. They are incredible!
The other day, my wife (a high school music teacher, by the way) and I were at one of the more popular franchise music stores and saw a ukulele on “sale” for the “low price” of $677. Curious, I picked it up and plucked a few rudimentary chords I’d recently learned and was totally disgusted (“disappointed” is too weak of an adjective to use) by it’s feel, sound, and price.
To the people at Manea Ukuleles, thank you! Keep up the great work. I’ll keep checking your web site to see what other unique styles you create because I’m sure the two I currently own won’t be the last. Besides, I think it’d look cool to have a wall display of your art hanging in my house.
Been playin for a few years with my Lanikai tenor and wanted to upgrade from my mass produced uke so lookin through this website I saw the reviews on Manea brand ukes. Their website is still under construction so I contacted them by phone and they emailed me their prices and some photos of the ukes they got. Was hoping to find something in the $600 range for a tenor and sure enough the had a Koa tenor for about $679. Bought a nylon hardcase for about $40 The best part is they offered free shipping to the mainland which is huge. Got the uke in about a week and been playin everyday. In fact I cant wait to get home from work to start playin. Sound is amazing and craftsmanship is on point. Definitely will be lookin to these guys when my daughter Katie is ready to move up to something better than her Kala uke.
Tried out several different Ukuleles including a high end Martin, but after reading the reviews here I took a chance on a Koa Soprano Ukulele from Manea . This beautiful little Uke should be in the hands of a professional , but it is MINE , ALL mine ! It positively sings with the sweetest , fullest voice I have ever heard from a ukulele . Not only is it a work of art , it sounds wonderful . I got my piece of paradise from Manea to get me through our cold WI winters . I recommend anyone who wants to sound like heaven to do the same . And Hector was a joy to deal with ! First class all the way . Cannot praise this one enough . I am Happy !
I was looking for an anniversary gift for my boyfriend and stumbled upon a FaceBook page with a photo of a beautiful Tahitian ukulele, and in the shape of a Honu(turtle). It was love at first sight and I knew that I had to have it!
I contacted Manea via email to get price and shipping details and within an hour the Honu ukulele was on it’s way. I ordered on a Thursday afternoon and I received just 2 hort days later on Saturday, just in time for our anniversary!
He loves his new instrument/piece of art, he has played every day and shows it off to all our friends that come over. It is beautifully crafted and has great sound quality!
Mahalo for the top notch service and our one of a kind ukulele 🙂
For awhile now, I have been wanting to learn how to play the ukulele, and when I decided it was time to just go ahead and learn right away, I knew Manea Ukuleles was the place I wanted to support. They offer such high quality, one of a kind ukuleles. They were very helpful and answered all of my questions. My ukulele came in the mail in a few days and ever since it’s been such a joy playing on this beautiful instrument. I am planning to buy the books on the website as well. Keep up the good work, Manea Ukuleles!
Been wanting to get a new ukulele for my birthday and my wife said I had a tight budget for an uke so a $1200 Kamaka was out of the question. I found these guys on this sight and called them up to ask some questions. Im in North Carolina and these guys are in Hawaii so I forgot the time difference so I had to wait till the afternoon before I finally got a hold of them. They answered all my questions and gave me the warm and fuzzy that their ukes were quality stuff made in the motherland of ukuleles. Ordered myself a Koa Tenor for about half the price of a Kamaka. They offered free shipping from Hawaii which was a bonus and I got my uke in about a week. The uke is awesome. You can almost feel the palm trees swaying when you play it. Manea Ukuleles is a hidden gem in the realm of more upscale ukes. Been playing a Lanikai for the last 5 yrs and now that Im playing a handcrafted ukulele I can definitely tell the difference. Great quality and reasonable price!!
I was at the May Day festival in Pleasanton, CA and I could hear the music pumping out of their booth down the vendor aisles as I was approaching and lo and behold was the owner and two other folks playing Hawaiian songs as he was demonstrating the ukuleles to some people who were curious about the instrument. You could tell these folks are passionate about what they do and the sound of the Tahitian Ukulele was mesmerizing. I was thinking of picking up another Tenor Uke to add to my collection but after hearing it I decided to go with a Tahitian since I didn’t have one in my assortment. The owner Hector was very friendly and answered all my questions and I was surprised to find out the strings for a Tahitian Uke were actually plain old fishing line. I love this thing and can’t put it down.
checking out the booths at the Reno Uke Festival. Came across Manea. Was looking for a second uke so I’d have a high G to go with the low G uke I already have. Was amazed at the tenor I picked up and played. It was a perfect fit for my short stubby fingers which surprised me since it was a tenor and I thought I’d not be able to cover the fretboard well. Not only did it feel great but the fit for me was FANTASTIC. The sound was amazing going from loud and agressive to soft and gentle without losing tonal quality. Also was thrilled to see the price which was very affordable for the quality of the instrument. I liked the look of this tenor too. Cedar tops are pretty in the right person’s hands. I would hope word gets out about this company because their ukuleles are amazingly priced for the quality of look and sound. I highly recommend a good look, see, touch and feel.
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