UKE Republic Ukuleles

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...

So you own some very nice ukuleles and you may be a bit squeamish about taking one out in extreme conditions. Well I can't blame you. So what's a good alternative? I'd say some of the new plastic ukuleles out on the market. We have been carrying Woodi USA and Bugsgear for a while and were well pleased when Kala came out with their Makala Waterman . The Waterman features a body very close to the classic Maccaferri ukuleles that premiered in 1959 and sold more than 9 million. The plastic poly-carbonate used is very durable and is not too heavy and dense, so the sound projects well. The Waterman comes standard with a back pack style bag, geared tuners and Aquila Super Nylgut strings . UKE Republic Demo - Makala Waterman Soprano Ukulele Lots of colors and other choices like swirl patterns and translucent.Soon to appear in later 2015 a glow-in-the-dark top Waterman coming to Uke Republic. Makala Waterman, many color choices! So, will a plastic ukulele replace yo...

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...