Great Ukes: This Rare David Mahelona Violin Uke Shows the Stellar Craftsmanship of Its Maker
To say that Mahelona’s violin ukes are rare is an understatement; only a handful are known to exist
Great Ukes
Great Ukes: Why Did Gibson’s First Banjo Uke Have a Trap Door?
Gibson introduced its first ukulele banjo, the UB model, sometime around 1925
The 1920s Ukulele Craze Coincided with the Rapid Rise of American Football
The rise of ukulele popularity in the 1920s coincided with the Golden Age of Spectator Sports, as shown by the vintage ukes shown here.
Jonah Kumalae was the First Hawaiian Uke Maker to Make it Big on the Mainland
The first big windfall for Kumalae came in 1915, when he won a bid to display ukuleles in the Hawaiian Building at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco.
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Great Ukes: Harmony’s Art Moderne Ukuleles were Inspired by a Popular 1930s Aesthetic
In the 1930s, Harmony created a new instrument model named for the Art Moderne design style it embodied, decorated with an array of geometrical forms.
Great Ukes: Regal’s Jungle Uke Had Looks That Killed The Sound
Regal's Jungle Uke had a body that was completely covered in fake leopard fur fabric, making it one of the worst sounding—but coolest looking—ukuleles ever made.
Great Ukes: The Ingenious 1920’s Tru-Fret Fingerboard
BY SANDOR NAGYSZALANCZY| FROM THE SUMMER 2020 ISSUE OF UKULELE If you asked a room full of luthiers what the most tedious part of building a ukulele is, I bet that most would say it’s installing the frets, the thin…
Great Ukes: Flying High with The Lindbergh-Inspired Aero Ukulele
BY SANDOR NAGYSZALANCZY | FROM THE WINTER 2019 ISSUE OF UKULELE MAGAZINE The 50th anniversary of the first moon landing seems to have everyone thinking about America’s great accomplishments in flight. And right up there with the names of heroes…
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Great Ukes: Supertones, Smecks, and Quality Instruments at Friendly Prices
BY SANDOR NAGYSZALANCZY | FROM THE FALL 2019 ISSUE UKULELE MAGAZINE In the past few years that I’ve been writing the Great Ukes column, folks have asked me what exactly constitutes a “great” uke? Does it have to be fancy,…
Great Ukes: Gibson’s Ever-Changing Ukuleles
Gibson’s first line of ukuleles, introduced in 1926, included three styles of soprano and one tenor, likely patterning their models after Martin.