UKE Republic Ukuleles

  Hey there, parents and music teachers! 🎶 If you're on a mission to mold the next generation of musical legends, we've got a pro tip that will strike a chord with you – kickstart their journey with a ukulele from UKE Republic. Let's dive into why this tiny instrument is the key to unlocking your mini- maestro's full musical potential. 1. Size Does Matter (Especially for Little Fingers): Ever seen a tiny human trying to wrangle a massive guitar? It's like watching a superhero take on a skyscraper. Enter the ukulele – compact, lightweight, and tailor-made for those little hands. No more wrestling with an oversized instrument! 2. Strings? We Keep It Simple: Four strings on a ukulele vs. the six on a guitar – we believe in keeping things sweet and simple. Less string drama, more focus on perfecting those chords. It's a recipe for musical bliss. 3. Chords That Won't Make Fingers Cry: Our ukuleles come with a smaller fretboard and fewer strings, ensuring that yo...

Greetings, fellow music enthusiasts and aficionados of all things strummed!  Today, I invite you to embark on a musical journey, a journey that transcends the ordinary and ventures into the realm of the extraordinary – the world of the Resonator Ukulele . Picture this: You, bathed in the warm glow of a cozy room, gently cradling a Resonator Ukulele in your hands. The room is hushed, and anticipation hangs in the air. As you pluck the strings, an enchanting resonance fills the space, captivating every ear in its vicinity. This, my friends, is the magic of a resonator ukulele, a gem every ukulele player deserves in their collection. 1. Unleash the Power of Resonance: A Resonator Ukulele takes the essence of a traditional ukulele and elevates it to new heights. The resonator cone, often made of metal, transforms the sound, adding a distinct richness and volume. It's not just a ukulele; it's a resonating vessel of musical brilliance. 2. Timeless Aesthetics: Imagine the sheer elegan...

🍍🍍🍍Pineapples! Pineapples! Pineapples! Perhaps you own one or two in your own personal collection or maybe you've thought about trying one out and wanted to know something about them. To start the pineapple's design was patented first by Samuel K. Kamaka in Hawaii, in 1928. The design and style proved to be popular and over the years others have produced their own pineapple-styled ukulele in various scales and tonewoods. Some that we carry are Kala, Makala, Ohana, Kamoa, Mainland Ukes, Pono, Ko Aloha, Ko'olau, Makai, Magic Fluke's Flea and sort of a pineapple shape from Pepe Romero's Tiny Tenor . Tone-wise it seems the pineapple shape produces more bass than the traditional figure-eight shaped ukuleles. Using a variety of tonewoods changes the sound as it would with any other ukulele. mahogany and Koa tend to produce the warmest tone with mango adding a bit more treble. Very lively sounds are coming from the spruce and cedar tops. The sizes UKE Republi...

It was January 2016 at the winter NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) show when I found out about the new KoAloha Opio. I was very excited to find out KoAloha was using solid acacia and were implementing a satin semi-gloss finish on these. Surely this would be a winner. Well fast forward into spring 2016 and we received our first shipments of these new KoAloha Opios and I must say we are very impressed. The first look and play on these ukuleles said it all! KoAloha Opio All Solid Acacia Concert Ukulele The fit and finish are top notch. KoAloha is making these in Thailand but with trained luthiers building the KoAloha way with KoAloha's molds and jigs. The tonewood is solid acacia which looks and sounds very close to its Hawaiian koa relative but priced at a fraction of the cost. The KoAloha Opio Series Features: Signature Musubi Soundhole, Signature Orange Etched Friction Tuners, Etched Headstock Logo, and Signature KoAloha Embossed Rosewood Bridge. Th...

Do you love ukuleles?  Do you love a great beach vacation? Prefer flip flops to shoes?  Well then you should check out Parrot Island Band' s CD Ukulele. It's filled with original music played via ukulele, steel pan, congas and guitar. The music is what some call TropRock in style. All I know is this music will make you happy! This album is especially valuable if the weather is bad.  When you look at the cover art by Jas Ingram aka Captain LoveHandles (artist who did logos for Sailor Brand Ukulele Co. and Uke Republic) it's a good indicator of what's on the CD.    So many fine original songs on this album such as Ukulele State Of Mind, If I Just Sailed Away, and our personal favorite Down To The Uke Republic . Down To The Uke Republic was actually written about our store and Bry's experience when coming here. Bry says "A lot of people love that song but didn't know it was an actual place you could visit." We hope they get a chance t...

I was intrigued when I first heard about these ukulele strings, especially when I understood they were being produced by a friend Ken Middleton.  You may already be familiar with Ken Middleton from YouTube , or perhaps you have seen or met him at a ukulele festival somewhere around the world. Ken is a fantastic player and instructor giving workshops and explaining songs online. Ken is also one of those persons with high standards for musical instruments and their complements, such as strings, so when Living Water Strings were made available, I knew it would be something wonderful. I quickly popped an email over to Ken in England asking if we might be able to carry the strings at UKE Republic, and the next day I received a phone call. Ken and I have known each other for a while, and he told me that if he did decide to have dealers carry, I would be the first to have the option of stocking them. Fast forward to May 2014, and I'm honored to say UKE Republic is currently the...

What on earth am I speaking of? Super soprano ukuleles of course! You may ask what is a super soprano ukulele? Well, basically it is a concert scale married to a soprano body. Some also put tenor necks with soprano bodies as well. Oh and then there is a tenor neck on a concert body but that's for another post. Kala Spruce Mahogany Long Neck Soprano Okay, so what might be the advantage of the super soprano ukulele? For one, you get to keep the soprano sound but have the room and additional frets of a concert. The feel and balance on many of the brands feel quite nice too. The portability of a soprano is still there. Now anyone who loves the tonal characteristics of the soprano ukulele but felt the fingerboard a little cramped can get on playing one. If you already play a super soprano or if perhaps it may be your first, you will be happy to know that there are plenty of combinations to choose from! There are more and more ukulele makers doing this combination. To na...

Variety in strings is a wonderful thing. Often times a fresh set of strings helps a ukulele come to life, especially when they are quality strings. LaBella has been making ukulele strings for a while but has honed their skill improving and making some wonderful sets. Their Uke Pro Series line is a notable offering. They tend to add warmth and clarity to many ukuleles. The strings are rectified nylon giving consistent quality and tonal clarity. This isn't an inexpensive process as the strings are ground to give a precise diameter. The process also gives a little texture to the strings and a cloudy appearance. The texture gives your fingers a little grip when playing and reminds us of real gut string texture. This process is done on LaBella's well-respected Argento classical strings as well. LaBella has quite a pedigree. The company has roots that date back to Italy in the 17th century. Established in the 1640s in Salle, the Mari family became the suppliers of violin strings to...