Based in Petaluma, California, Kala Ukulele Brands is a leading brand in the world of ukuleles. Former Lanikai employee and Kala founder, Mike Upton, a passionate innovator, has led the company to offer the widest variety of ukuleles in the world while maintaining an updated and upgraded catalog. Founded in 2005, Kala pioneered the addition of the bass ukulele, their U-Bass, a 21st-century addition to the ukulele family. Low G tuning is where the 4th string is a tuned one octave lower than standard. The 4th string now being tuned to G3 at 196 Hz. This results in the 4th string being at a lower pitch than the 3rd C string. The Kasha bracing system is used on many of their models, which uses 24 different tone bars to stabilize the top and spread out the vibrations while playing. This creates a more open sound with a bigger range of frequencies. Models with this bracing system will have the tone hole in an unusual place, such as in the top corner of the instrument to make room for the bracing.

Now that you’ve had the opportunity to read about twenty brands offering ukuleles, you have a more in-depth idea of what each offers in regards to quality, value, and selection. You have probably gathered that the top of the line ukuleles are handmade by master luthiers with custom offerings, while the brands offering mostly budget models are typically manufactured overseas. The most historical of the “K Brands” from Oahu, Kamaka is one of the best family-owned Hawaiian ukulele makers. Established in 1916 by Samuel Kaialiilii Kamaka, the company has been passed down for four generations and has been around for all of the ukulele’s biggest moments. Highly regarded for their instruments’ full sound and durability, what sets Kamaka ukuleles apart is the sound of their instruments and high build quality. Aquila Red Series strings are un-comparable to any other string in their construction and care must be taken when fitting Red Series strings to your ukulele, banjo or banjolele as incorrect installation can lead to problems with string snapping. Make sure you have a tuner available and that you know which frequency or octave you are tuning to. There are lots of videos on You Tube that show the correct pitch of many different types of ukulele tuning. You can use these as references to help tune your own uke.Beautiful and highly sought after KoAloha ukuleles are another of the “K Brands” from Hawaii. The name is derived from the Hawaiian words “kou” and “aloha”, meaning “your love” and also includes the word koa, a native Hawaiian wood used to make ukuleles. Founded in 1995 by Alvin Okami, it is a family run business that handcrafts their ukuleles from quality woods and materials. Particular attention is given to each instrument’s ergonomic design to ensure ease and comfort in playability. Many players testify that not only is the sound spectacular, it also feels good to play. We offer a wide selection of ukuleles across a range of popular brands, including Fender and Epiphone, who incorporate their classic guitar designs into stylish takes on the compact folk instrument. Other brands like Cordoba specialise in building high-quality ukes, while some series like the Yellow Submarine Ukuleles have a bright, quirky appearance and are ideal for beginners wanting a groovy-looking uke. In doing so, a string of higher density can be produced without having to increase the string gauge, resulting in a brighter, more powerful sound with greatly improved response across the full range of the fretboard. Offering classic style, premium construction, and various models of ukuleles, Lanikai is known for having great instruments, especially for their price. Their handmade instruments are crafted in Hawaii on the island of Oahu. Lanikai provides ukuleles of all sizes, recently adding the electric ukulele to their catalog. The Quilted Ash and Exotic series are made from unique tonewoods, and Lanikai recently released a new series of ukuleles made from oak, which is an especially unique wood from which to craft ukuleles. The Julia Michaels Signature Tenor line presents a distinctive White Pearl finish, and the Quilted Maple Series is also aesthetically pleasing with a purple laminate pattern. Lohana also offers the Spalted Maple bundle and the Electric Cutaway each in concert and tenor sizes, and lastly the LU-B, baritone ukulele. While their instruments are not the top of the line, all Lohanu ukuleles and accessories are under an unconditional lifetime warranty, itching them a spot on our list. Lohana stands by their instruments and provides excellent customer service.

Once the strings have been installed on your instrument, they must be stretched very gently by pulling them away from the fretboard in a gentle manner. From Pearl City, Hawaii Ana’ole is a lesser-known, small scale ukulele brand that creates instruments on par with the top-tier, big-name ukulele makers. Gareth “Bula” Yahiku creates ukuleles in the modern Hawaiian style and specializes in custom and personalized ukuleles. Ana’ole is Hawaiian for unsurpassed, immeasurable, incomparable, or without equal, and these ukuleles definitely stand out. While tuning the ukulele up to correct pitch, the string must be held just above the nut, keeping it away from the grooves while it is brought up to tension. In my career I have taught Special Education in the public school system, built a transition program for young adults learning vocational and life skills, and designed a language program teaching Spanish, Hebrew, and American Sign Language through music and movement.Most ukuleles come pre-strung from the factory and are tuned to High G – The 4th string being a G4 at 393 Hz. Aquila Red Series strings are a complex composition of Nylgut combined with copper powder designed to increase the density of the string to around twice that of standard Nylgut.

Headquartered in Long Beach, California, Ohana has aimed to deliver quality, playability, and value since 2006. They consider themselves a small, community-oriented ukulele company with a commitment to quality. Their use of rich tonewoods combined with thoughtful constructions yield a lovely sound. Most uke players assume their ukulele’s nut grooves and saddle are perfect as they may not be able to see or feel any issues, however general wear and tear, string snaps and normal daily use can easily cause microscopic burs and imperfections that will affect Red Series strings, even if they may not affect other types of string.A leading acoustic guitar brand, Alvarez also offers some decent ukulele options. You will find there are several guitar makers that have started to make ukuleles in the past few decades. Established in 1965, Alvarez is owned by St. Louis Music, one of the largest distributors of musical instruments and accessories in North America. The name Alvarez started as the company’s Spanish guitar line and then became a brand of its own.

The grooves or slots on the nut of the ukulele often have sharp edges or can be a little too narrow. This may not have affected your old, less responsive strings, but the complex make up of Aquila Red Series means they must be treated with care and should not be passed through imperfect grooves, causing rubbing against the nut. The standard and most common tuning on a ukulele is ‘High G’ where the 4th string is very thin and tuned only two semitones lower than the 1st string. This is also known as re-entrant tuning.Important : Please be careful not to rest the string on the nut while tuning up as the friction may create scratches or marks on the nut as the string passes over it. Ensure Tuning to the Correct Pitch Red ukulele strumming pattern is D - DU - DU - DU. You can also try D (down) if the suggested pattern is hard for you. Who Sings Red? The Kamaka founder was also the creator of the pineapple ukulele, which to this day is their signature ukulele, the Ka-Lai Pineapple. All models now include a custom hardshell case. Beyond the pineapple body, Kamaka is not the flashiest brand. However, they provide the highest quality of instruments. After purchasing koa lumber, Kamaka Hawaii ages the wood for at least four years at the factory.