RELATED PAGES: 
Here are my personal recommendations for custom and production ukuleles.
I have a few Kalas, a Ko'olau CS Tenor, a FLuke and Martin Tenor. I have played the Glyph, MyaMoe and Dave Talsma ukuleles. They are all on my list to get one day.
Custom Builders & Luthiers
These are some of the best ukuleles available. I personally have played ukuleles from all theses builder and have a Ko'olau and Marting Tenor.
Glyph Custom 'Ukuleles
Luthier: Dave Means
2237 Mulberry Hill Road
Annapolis, MD 21409
Phone: (410)349-2713
Links
- www.glyphukulele.com
- Tiki King's Ukulele: Brand name database: Glyph
Info
A lifelong player and woodworker, Dave Means started building stringed instruments as an avocation in 1995. He has been doing set-up and repairs for over 30 years! Since retirement from his "day job" in February, lutherie is now his full-time retirement vocation. Being a research engineer by formal training and well-grounded in acoustical theory and practice gives Dave the know-how to make your ukulele sound right.
top
Ko’olau Guitar and Ukulele Company
Kitakis Stringed Instrument Repair
401 N.Cane St. A-10
Wahiawa, Hawaii 96786
808-622-1064
fax: 808-622-1646
eMail: sales@koolauukulele.com
- Guitar
- Ukulele
Links
- www.koolauukulele.com
- Tiki King's Ukulele: Brand name database: Ko_olau
Listing Info
( from listing's site ) - Ko’olau Guitars and 'Ukuleles are professional quality, hand crafted instruments. The shop is located in Kaneohe, on the Island of Oahu, Hawaii, approximately fifteen minutes from Honolulu, at the foot of the the beautiful Ko’olau Mountains.
top
C. F. Martin & Co.
510 Sycamore Street
P. O. Box 329
Nazareth, PA 18064-0329
Phone: 610-759-2837
Fax: 610-759-5757
↑ Listing's Web Site Thumbnail Image
Links
- www.martinguitar.com
- Tiki King's Ukulele: Brand name database: Martin
Info
( from listing's site ) - Established in 1833, C. F. Martin & Co. is the oldest surviving maker of guitars in the world. Currently the largest producer of acoustic guitars in the United States, Martin Guitar is creating some of the finest instruments in the music products industry.
Martin 2K Ukuleles
click for larger image
History of The Martin Ukulele
Frets.com has a History of The Martin Ukulele page.
The History of Martin Ukuleles - (link)
top
Chris Martin IV on Martin Guitar Getting Back into Ukuleles
.png){kind=icon}
Links
- www.myamoeukuleles.com
- Goodbye Industrial Robotics; Hello Rock Stars
How one man went from chasing start-up and technology jobs in Silicon Valley to creating a thriving craftsman shop making custom ukeleles for the likes of Eddie Vedder.
Listing Info
( from listing's site ) - Gordon & Char Mayer are the luthiers who build all Mya-Moe ukuleles. They have combined expertise in design, engineering, music, and lutherie. They both have masters degrees in engineering. Gordon has been building guitars for 7 years. Char is a professional musician. Before building guitars, Gordon was a wood-turning artist, giving him extended knowledge of different woods & their properties. Char’s artistic bent was expressed in hand-pieced Roman shades. Together, they hand-craft each instrument, a culmination of their combined educations & experiences in engineering, art & music.
top
Talsma String Instruments
Dave Talsma
5183 Durwood Drive
Swartz Creek, MI 488473
Phone: (810) 922-1939
Contact: luthier@davetalsma.com
Links
- www.davetalsma.com
- Tiki King's Ukulele: Brand name database: Talsma
Tiki King's Ukulele: Brand name database: Talsma
Luthier Info
(from artist's site) - Dave's interest in building and collecting Ukuleles came from his father Ray, who's own interest began when he was about seven years old. Couple that with his Design Engineer background, this made for a perfect environment for Dave to be mentored under.
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.
top
Recommended Entry Level and Intermediate Brand for Major Manufactures
I've had or have a few of theses. Great uses to upgrade up from cheap beginner models.
Kala
(pronounced Kah’ la )
P.O. Box 751149
Petaluma, CA 94975-1149
1 877 Uke Duke
↑ Listing's Web Site Thumbnail Image
- Over 120 Ukulele Models
- UBass - Bass Ukulele
- Tuners
- Cases
- Strings
- Accessories
Links
Funky Frets, Boyertown PA USA
Our family store, Funky Frets carries the line of ukuleles and accessories.
Listing Info
( from the Kala site ) - KALA BRAND UKULELES HAVE JUST BEGUN, BUT OUR ROOTS GO BACK A BIT.
Hawaiian Definitions of KALA (pronounced Kah’ la)
- v. To forgive, a prayer to free someone from any evil influence.
- nvs. Dollar, silver, money, cash, currency.
- n. Surgeonfish, Unicorn fish
- (Ono) Brand of Ukulele!!!
Hi, I’m Mike Upton, founder of Kala Brand Music Co. and Kala Brand Ukulele. I became acquainted with the charm of the ukulele at an early age as my Dad would strum the "uke" and sing old standards, entertaining the family, neighbors, and worshiping in Church. The sweet, soothing sound was the best pacifier for a fidgety child like yours truly, so as I grew up, you guessed it, I started playing the bass. Four strings like the uke, only much larger and able to rattle your teeth with the proper amplification i.e. Ampeg SVT 300 Watt Tube Head through a 8x10 cabinet. Anyway, back to the ukulele, I re-engaged with the uke while living on heavenly Lanikai Beach in 1991 with my lovely wife, Wendy. You were just starting to hear and see more and more people playing ukulele back then. My interest continued as I became the Hawaii Sales Representative for the Hohner Company in 1997. I found out very quickly that there were very few quality, affordable ukuleles available in the Islands. So with that in mind, I set out and with some help developed the popular ukulele line. In July of 2005 I went out on my own to start Kala Ukulele to continue to expand what is possible in the realm of quality, affordable instruments for the Ukulele Enthusiast and Novice alike.
top
The Magic Fluke Co. LLC
292 South Main Street
Sheffield, MA 01257
tel: 800-459-5558
fax: 413-229-8536
↑ Listing's Web Site Thumbnail Image
- Books
- CDs
- Cases
- Ukulele
Links
- www.magicfluke.com/
- Tiki King's Ukulele: Brand name database: Fluke
- Tiki King's Ukulele: Brand name database: Flea
Funky Frets, Boyertown PA USA
Our family store, Funky Frets carries the line of ukuleles and accessories.
Durable all weather instruments.
This would be and even better instrument if it had a radius fingerboard.
I've had a few Flukes and my latest is a Koa FLuke.
Listing Info
The Fluke and Flea ukulele. This unique musical instrumented is made by The Magic Fluke Company in Connecticut and sold via Flea Market Music, Inc. and various instrument dealers and music stores.
I've had a few Flukes in the past. Here is my current Fluke.
top
Pono Ukuleles
Ko'olau Guitar & 'Ukulele, Inc.
401 N.Cane St. A-10
Wahiawa, Hawaii 96786
Phone: (808) 622-1064
Fax: (808) 622-1646
Links
Info
Ukuleles
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.
top
