Great Ukes

Great Ukes: The History of Dobro Resonator Ukuleles and their ‘National’ Origins

When the Dopyera brothers left their Austro-Hungarian homeland and emigrated to the United States in 1908, little did they know what an unpredictable and fascinating journey their lives would take

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

1920s Gibson UB "trapdoor" banjo ukulele

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 football-themed “Touchdown” ukulele from the 1920s with a decal just above the bridge depicting a pair of rival college players wearing hardened leather helmets and padded uniforms

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.

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.

Regal Jungle Uke close up of body and headstock ukulele history

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…

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,…