Ukulele Luthiers by State and Country

• Classical Guitars
• Flamenco Guitars
• Acoustic Guitars
• Guitar Cases
• Pickups
• Pickguards
• Strings

More information available on listings's web site.

DaSilva Ukulele Co. also provides expert instrument repair, ukulele building classes and supplies. Just call or email if you have questions about these items.

More information available on listings's web site.

Common Ukulele Sizes

	Soprano - The traditional "small" Ukulele. is also called a "Standard" . Typical tuning "g C E A".
	Concert - A slightly larger instrument with a longer fret scale. Same tuning as a Soprano. Still gives the familiar Uke sound, but with more volume and easier fretboard access. Typical tuning "g C E A".
	Tenor - Larger still with heavier strings. This is the favorite of many players because of its larger size, bigger sound, and 17 1/2" scale. This size Uke is the one most used for six and eight string models. Can be tuned like a Soprano and Concert "g C E A" or "d G B E"
	Baritone - The largest of the Uke family. Has the loudest sound, the most bass, and is usually tuned DGBE like the thin four strings on a guitar. Typical tuning "D G B E"

(From Tony Graziano Ukuleles web site.
Be sure to visit Tony's site for some of the coolest ukes around.)

More information available on listing's web site.

Kenny Hill has some fine articles on the guitar building process on his luthier page.

More information available on listing's web site.

More information available on listings's web site.

Andy continued to build while studying music at UCSD, where he graduated with a degree in music with a guitar performance emphasis, and now builds full time in Oceanside, California. Andy Powers personally handles every detail from selecting wood and creating custom inlay, to the final stringing. This attention to detail on every custom instrument exemplifies Andy Powers Instrument Company's commitment to creating fine quality instruments in the tradition of the old masters.

More information available on listings's web site.

More information available on artist's web site.

The Bean Sprout is perfect for standard ukulele playing styles, using banjo finger-picks or for playing claw-hammer style.

The Bean Sprout is a new design that is the perfect mix of traditional and modern construction.  The neck is of concert size with fourteen frets and a neck width of one and a half inches at the nut, which is wider and longer than any other banjo ukulele manufactured today.  This creates not only a very comfortable feel while playing but also a very proportionate instrument, setting Bean Sprout apart from its competition.

More information available on listing's web site.

Ukulele Hall of Fame Expo 2004 - I had the pleasure of playing a few of Augustino LoPrinzi's ukulele at the expo show September 2004 and the are amazing. Light, responsive and reasonable priced for the quality they are. they could easily cost $1000 more than the current price.

The 3K model Tenor is at the top of my list of ukuleles to get.

Here is a nice article titled The Duke of Uke from the St. Petersburg Times.

The History of Augustino LoPrinzi Guitars & Ukuleles

Through the years, Augustino has consulted or designed stringed instruments for many companies including Guild, Martin, Kramer, Fender and others. Many of today’s well-known guitar-builders got their start helping out in Augustino’s shop, observing and learning from the master.

In the beginning Augustino learned by trial and error. He had discovered early on that it is not only the completion of nearly 300 steps to building a good guitar, but the sequence used to complete them.

The importance of using high quality seasoned woods is essential, Augie insists. He’s invested much of his money in wood, knowing that the price of it was always going up and the quality kept going down. On the average, instruments he builds today are from woods ranging in age from four to eight years. The absolute minimum age of the wood he uses for instrument construction is two years—going up in age to the stash of Brazilian rosewood which he purchased in 1963.

Augie has always known the importance of persistence and hard work. He has lived by his father's words, "Do good work and the money will come." According to him he is still waiting on the money, but he still continues to strive to build the best possible guitar he can build. Whether the money comes or not Augustino says he still loves what he is doing.

Fratello "Brother"

The Fratello model began as a joint venture between classical guitarmaker Augi Lo Prinzi and Bob Benedetto. In 1979, both Augi and Bob had their shops in the same industrial park in Clearwater, Florida. Augi and Bob were to form a partnership to make the Fratello brand - an affordable archtop guitar that would compete in the marketplace. The original prototype was made by Bob Benedetto. Cindy Benedetto chose the name Fratello which means "brother" in Italian - to symbolize the two Italian makers. Both liked the name.

At the time the prototype was finished, (which originally had "Fratello" inlaid on the headstock but was later changed to the Benedetto logo by Bob in the very early '80s), Augi's existing workload was all he could handle. The partnership was never formed and Bob decided to introduce the Fratello as a new model to his existing Benedetto line.

The Fratello model went on to become one of Benedetto's top models, played by Jack Wilkins, Royce Campbell, Adrian Ingram, the late Carlo Pes, Jack Petersen and Leo Kottke, among many other notable guitarists.

More information available on listing's web site.

“Honu” is Hawaiian for turtle and like the HONU ukulele, the Hawaiian sea turtle is a creature of emotion, grace, and longevity. Playing your honu ukulele will take you to the shores of the Islands of Hawaii where the HONU can be seen swimming to the sweet music of the ukulele.

More information available on listings's web site.

Always wanting to be different, owner Derek Shimizu wanted a name that did not start with the letter "K." The tuning on most ukuleles is; GCEA where the "G" string is the top string of the ukulele. Therefore, "The Top String in Ukuleles" was born.

Today, they build ukuleles in Halawa Valley, on Oahu near Aloha Stadium. Their 1,600 square foot facility is small but it is fully equipped to build top quality instruments.

More information available on listing's web site.

While learning how to build a ukulele, Hana Lima's purpose is to give you a true awareness and understanding of the procedures and phases involved in ukulele making. Students will construct their own ukulele with step-by-step instruction in a complete workshop environment.

Hana Lima 'Ia is a gathering place for the exchange of ideas and the teaching of methods to promote the art and craftsmanship of ukulele building.... island style.

Plans for Soprano, Concert, Tenor and Baritones Ukes are available thru their online store.

Hana Lima also has an ‘Ukulele construction manual available from right here on CurtSheller.com.

Hana Lima 'Ia 'Ukulele Construction Manual

Hana Lima ‘Ia Ukulele Construction Manual

---

Hana Lima ‘Ia Ukulele Construction Manual

Festival & Show Sales Only

MORE INFO and samples...

Additional Links

• to build a ukulele - link
• Trials, Tribulations & Joy of UAS link

  Photo journal and notes during the Hana Lima 'Ia 'Ukulele Buildin Class

More information available on listing's web site.

More information available on listing's web site.

Joe and Kristen were both born and raised in Kailua on the island of O'ahu. Joe is the youngest of eight, and Kristen is an only child. Kristen’s background is in customer sales and accounting. For Joe, the 'ukulele has always been part of his life. He can recall, from a very young age, going to family parties and everyone sitting in a circle and jamming Hawaiian music on their 'ukuleles and guitars. "In elementary school is when I first got exposed to the 'ukulele. It was a requirement for music. Hawaiian language class in High school is when I really started showing serious interest in the 'ukulele, although, it wasn’t until after I graduated that the 'ukulele started to influence my life."

"'Ukulele playing became very natural. Once I got good, everything started to open for me. In 1990, I was given the chance to apprentice under a master luthier. His name is Peter Burmudez, or "Uncle Pete" as I affectionately call him. I was only twenty, and didn’t know the true significance of what I was getting into."

In 1997 Joe was invited to the island of Kaua'i for a Hawaiian falsetto contest titled "Na Himeni Ki'eki'e", which means “from majestic heights a hymn". The competition was very stiff. Therefore, when the winners were announced, Joe was very surprised to hear that he had taken top honors in the amateur division. What a highlight in his life! "Next to my wedding day, that has to be the most exciting day of my life."

Through all of this, Joe was still building 'ukuleles. On January 11, 1998 he was married to his lovely wife Kristen "baby blue" Slavish. They decided not too long after purchasing their house that they would finally set up their 'ukulele shop. It was then that Kanile'a 'Ukulele was born, along with "their three sons". (Chuckle)

"It has been over fifteen years since I first started sweeping the sawdust from Uncle Pete's shop floor. Wow, how time flies! He and I still share information, constantly improving our craft."

Joe says he has a hard time accepting Uncle Pete's admiration when he says; "now you are the master". Joe just laughs and continues his duties.

Just another incredible accomplishment, Joseph Souza “Master Luthier".

More information available on listing's web site.

Alvin Okami has been called by many a modern day "Renaissance Man." He is an inventor, an innovator, a composer/arranger, a singer, an accomplished oboist, an industrial designer, graphic designer, and overall brilliant conceptual and spontaneous idea man.

His musical background has provided him with all the necessary experiences to enable him to design and create an ukulele of unsurpassed quality. From the very beginning, he has been obsessed with the pursuit of producing the finest ukulele available in the market today. As a musician and craftsman, he would accept nothing less than handcrafting the most beautiful and best sounding instrument.

Alvin Okami started his musical career as a singer. With Frank Sinatra as his idol, he found success at local high school song assemblies. He also ventured into musical composition, writing and recording his own songs. This matured inot a career as a vocalist, accompanying ukulele virtuoso, Herbert "Ohta-san" Ohta, in the Waikiki nightclubs. Alvin garnished praise for his vocal talent from the likes of Matt Monroe (Born Free) to Doc Severenson (The Tonight Show).

As night life did not suit him well, he turned to one of his loves, the oboe. One semester away from his degree in music, he left college to join the Royal Hawaiian Band, as the band's oboe soloist. Between performances, he found the time to launch a career writing tracks for commercials. One of his commercials was featured in a national advertising campaign, for a large retailer.

Ever the adventurer, he left the band to start his own manufacturing business in 1981.

Late in 1994, his old friend Herb Ohta Sr. suggested crafting a miniature ukulele for his sister's store. Alvin was not satisfied to complete a simple minature; therefore, he embarked on a mission to make a tuneable, playable miniature. Six months later, he had an ukulele measuring no more than 5 1/2 inches in length! Playable and tuneable! Exact in every detail, painstakingly done by hand.

This reunited him with another old friend, Roy Sakuma. At Roy's invitation, Alvin performed "Hilo March" and "Jingle Bell Rock at the 1995 Ukulele Festival. It was a total hit! KoAloha Ukulele was officially born.

Due to the high demand for good quality ukuleles, Alvin began a quest to craft full sized instruments. With the unfailing support of Roy and Kathy Sakuma, the production of the regular sized instruments began.

More information available on listing's web site.

(From the Ko’olau web site) - Ko`olau Gold 'Ukulele Strings are professional quality strings, preferred by performers and recording artists.

Our new Ko’olau Gold strings will “feel” different. For one, they have a smoother texture than our previous nylon strings, which should please most players. The rough textured string was due to the extrusion cutting process performed in order to retain uniform gauged diameters throughout the length of the string, which affects volume, tone and true notation up the fretboard. Our new nylons are made of a special polyamid nylon, then milled by an innovative laser cutting process, insuring perfect gauged diameters, and eliminating the need for “rectifying” cutting knives which result in a rough, textured surface. Throughout the years we have received requests for a smoother feel to our strings, and prior to this new laser cut, a uniform string was not possible. The new polyamid laser cut string also has a “pre-stretched” feel and tension, resulting in a very short “break-in” period.

• Standard - All Nylon
• Standard - Wound Gold 4th
• Concert - All Nylon
• Concert - Wound Gold 4th
• Tenor - All Nylon
• Tenor - Wound 4th
• Tenor - Wound Aluminium 3rd
• Tenor - Wound 3rd and 4th
• Tenor 6-String
• Tenor 8-String
• Baritone - Wound 3rd & 4th
• Baritone - 6-String
• Tiple - 10-String
• * Gold Alloy Wound .032 (Low 4th)
• * Aluminum Wound .038 (Low 3rd)
• * Plain Gold Nylon

More information available on listing's web site.

More information available on listings's web site.

More information available on listings's web site.

O Kona Ukuleles & Guitars offers an extensive 10 week course with classes held on Saturdays that last for 4 hours.  All material is provided to allow the student to build a professional quality 4 string tenor ukulele.  Options are available for different types of instruments as well as numbers of keys and tonewood for the top.

• building class

More information available on listing's web site.

Ponos are available in all four ukulele size (Soprano, Concert, Tenor and Baritone).

• Solid Mahogany wood for top, back, and sides
• Solid Curly Koa top, back, and sides
• Solid Cedar Top, solid Mahogany back and sides
  
  
• Plus a lot more combinations to offer. Check the Ko’olau site for the latest information and offerings.

Most available with “under saddle” Pickup

Pono instruments are professionally designed and handcrafted by the Ko’olau Guitar and ‘Ukulele Company on the Island of Java, with final adjustments and set-up on the Island of Oahu, Hawaii.

Editor's NOTE:: (UPDATED JUN-2008) I'm working on my fourth Pono. People that I show and play my Pono uke to are so impressed that I sell it to them. The Pono brand by the Kitakis family of Ko'olau Guitar and Ukulele company has raised the bar on quality mass produce ukuleles. These ARE really nice ukes and the brand I recommend the most. I'm on my fourth & fifth Pono, a pai of Rosewood-Cedar tenor cutaway ukuleles. These are the ukuleles that I'm now using in concert and have one with e at all times.

Here is a review that I did in 2006 on the first Pono I had.

Pono P-5 Chromatic Clip-On Tuner

A revision of the Intelli Tuner, not a cheap imitation. Accurate and easy to use. And now re-designed to eliminate the annoying vibration. Made in Korea, where, due to advanced electronics techinology, Korea has become nicknamed the "Germany of Asia"

More information available on listing's web site.

Leonard was born to Kong Chee Young and Annie Paik on February 26, 1935 in Honolulu, Hawaii and grew up in Kaimuki. He was the fourth born of six children; Grace, Annabelle, Florence, Leonard, Wallace, & Charles. His father was a luthier, a master craftsman, who eventually passed his knowledge and skill on to Leonard. Prior to that, however, Leonard joined the Air Force and while stationed in Mountain Home, Idaho, met the love of his life, Connie Bowman. They were wed in April 1959 in Boise, Idaho, but shortly thereafter moved to Hawaii where their daughter, Star, was born. Eight months later, they moved to Tarzana, California where Leonard attended and then graduated from the Art Center School of Design, beginning a nearly 30-year career as a graphic artist. His passion for art was always evident, as his hands and keen eyes created beauty in all forms; painting with acrylics, oils, and water colors, creating intricate, true-to-life pen and pencil sketches, and carving life from wood. He could sit at a family campfire and whittle out a complete bust of Moses with his hair flying in the wind, while the rest of us struggled to make our sticks look like something more than just mangled kindling. We'd sheepishly show him our efforts and in his typical fashion, dad would say "beautiful!" and grin that great sunny smile that warmed you from the inside out. That's how Leonard was. He knew when people wanted his help and never made them ask for it, but he had a knack of knowing when to step back and "spot you" while you did the work on your own. Dad built people up and showed them how to fly, but was never judgmental or condescending when they fell. He was always there, though, to help you dust yourself off and to encourage you to try again. Leonard was generous and kind and raised his children to be the best people we could be, guiding and nurturing us always with love and patience. He made each of us want to be better people, just so that we could see him look at us with pride in his eyes. In 1963, now back at home in Hawaii, he began his apprenticeship as a luthier under the guidance of his father, who set Leonard on yet another journey; a path that he would follow until the very end and one that he lived and loved. His love of music and woodworking coalesced within his masterful hands into the supremely beautiful instruments he has become known for the world over. In 1986, Leonard and his wife Connie moved back to Boise, where he continued his work as a luthier, gathering an ever growing base of friends and newly adopted ukulele playing "family", and quietly carving his way into the hearts and minds of all who knew, loved and respected him. His heart and home were always open and inviting and his kitchen table has been shared by many who will never forget him. Leonard's wife, Connie, his three children, John, Star and Kaliko, his grandchildren, David, Shalei, Elias, Christopher, Daniel and Timothy, and his great grandbabies Izaiah, Mia and Ryan will continue on while he stands quietly in the background, gently urging us on with the same love and strength that he gave to us in life. Uncle Lenny, our dad, our Papa, and our mother's husband of nearly fifty years will be so greatly missed, and we will love and cherish his memory forever.

Feel free to send your stories, memories, and condolences to the family at younguke@peoplepc.com.

More information available on listings's web site.

Before the advent of shopping malls and video games, Martin (and most of his family) occupied whatever time they could with "building stuff". The "stuff" that Martin built began with models of planes, trains, automobiles, rockets, and boats. At the age of 12, he and a few brothers became the first kids on the block to achieve manned flight. Based on principles of building a flying model as taught by his father, Martin and the boys built a glider with a wingspan of 22 feet. After a short, but spectacular flight, his parents encouraged activities that didn't involve leaving the ground. The 9 year old test pilot was not seriously injured.

More information available on listings's web site.

There is a nice slide show of Dave Means of Glyph Custom Ukuleles building a soprano uke for Howlin' Hobbit at www.howlinhobbit.com/ukeshow.php

(Ed.) - I've had the occasion to play Dave's ukes over the last few years at various ukulele festivals and they are incredible. Definetly on my list to have Dave custom build me one.

More information available on listing's web site.

Standard tenor tuning is (CGDA) but can be tuned like a guitars hgher four strings.

Information on the Tenor Guitar is avalable at www.TenorGuitar.com

More information available on listing's web site.

Drawn to art at an early age, Dave was driven to create things; be it sketching, painting sculpting or woodworking. Most people believe creativity to be an intrinsic talent and Dave believes his ability to be enhanced by the logic and engineering his father passed to him.

Receiving his Bachelor's Degree in Art and Design in 1984 he has landed a number of jobs in the design field and still holds a full time position there today. He also has a love of music which eventually set his sites toward combining his love of both Art and Music.

More information available on artist's web site.

The Original Boarpaddle ukulele has square shoulders and 14 frets to the body. All solid quarter sawn wood construction and careful setup makes this a professional quality instrument. Choose from four scale lengths and a variety of trim options.

More information available on listings's web site.

More information available on listings's web site.

Cascade 1CU-T1 Ukulele

Cascade 1UC-TI Ukulele Features a Basswood body with burnt orange finish, 18 frets, and inlaid position markers make this a very playable uke for a modest price. Includes a durable cascade gig bag.

More information available on listings's web site.

More information available on listings's web site.

Thinking Inside the Box- Ukuleles can be a beautiful site to behold. Sometimes they're even a work of art. But there's even more going on inside the box... the part you usually don't get to see. All stringed instruments need a support structure to keep them together. The support comes from internal bracing, kerfed lining, bridgeplates, thickness of the top and back plates, and any radius that the top and back may employ. It's actually quite simple to build a ukulele strong enough to not fall apart under the stress of string tension. But what makes a huge difference in tone and volume is building a ukulele with enough strength, yet light enough to allow a healthy amount of volume, resonance, sustain and what we perceive of as good sound overall up and down the fingerboard. I refer to this as thinking inside the box.

Building Philosophy- Build light, build loud, build often! Kepasa Ukuleles are designed to have a full and warm tone. I prefer this sound for fingerstyle ukulele and chord/melody style ukulele. If you prefer a different tone, I can adjust the building technique to accomodate your sound goals.

I enjoy studying the art of tap-tuning the top and back. Part of this is done by paying attention to wood thicknesses and strengths for each wood type, and shaping the braces to get the sound that is the most optimal from each particular ukulele. I start with a certain plan for each ukulele and I adjust accordingly along the way by communicating with the ukulele in progress. Sometimes the wood whispers to me...

More information available on listing's web site.