Enjoy the lowest prices and best selection of Kamaka Ukuleles at Guitar Center. Other details are plastic tortoise shell bindings with black and white purfling and rosette. The HP-1 is a Kamaka original. The competition was stiff, but a pineapple shaped ukulele designed by Sam Kamaka, Sr. helped his company outlast his competitors and within a decade, Kamaka was the only Hawaiian ukulele maker left. When the 70s came around, Kamaka was the only company still manufacturing ukuleles. Kamaka ukuleles are not only beautifully crafted, great sounding musical instruments, they are an integral part of the ukulele’s history. Kamaka Pineapple Ukulele, ca. A 14-string tenor made by Sam Sr., this is from the 30's. Wooden friction tuners were used although these are not the original tuners. In 1910, Samuel Kaialiilii Kamaka apprenticed Manuel Nunes to make ukuleles. O ne hundred years in, Kamaka Hawai‘i is busier than ever. The coat of arms Kamaka decal is on the headstock, and the yellow label is inside the sound hole. A rare Kamaka model, this Pineapple soprano ukulele has a koa body built in the Spanish style, including an integrated neck heel that the sides lock into and a top that is flush with the fingerboard. The Philippine mahogany was stained a rich, reddish hue. Other features include a smaller size body (similar to a concert size) and 12 frets to the body. The Ukulele Hall of Fame Museum in Rhode Island is also a great resource for ukulele-history buffs. In Hawaii in the 1920s, at the height of the ukulele boom, there were several ukulele manufacturers, including Kumalae, Nunes, and Kamaka. Click to Unmute. This piece is all koa, including the neck fingerboard and bridge. Call Kamaka to see on which days they are selling their "seconds". The Kamaka family still owns Kamaka Ukulele and Guitar Works, located in Honolulu, Hawaii. Along with Kamaka, other companies like Martin, Gibson, and National also jumped on board the ukulele-making bandwagon in the early part of the century. Let's talk story!After 14 long months, I finally received my 1960's Kamaka Standard Pineapple Ukulele that I had Kamaka Hawaii in Oahu repair for me. Who knows what new design he'll come up with for the millenium! Shipped with USPS Priority Mail. His friends remarked that it looked like a pineapple, so one of Sam's artist friends painted the front to duplicate the tropical fruit. I took the opportunity to photograph them along with others borrowed from friends. The pineapple was a hit from the beginning, and 80 some years later the Kamaka brothers continue to consistently give us great Pineapples with sweet tones! To add the importance of Kamaka within the history of the Ukulele, his son Sam Kamaka jnr. The back and sides are made of Philippine mahogany. 1960 vintage soprano 2 repaired hairline cracked under the bridge and 1 repaired long hairline cracked back side easy to play sound good. The name came from a friend who made a … He was well known as a maker of ukuleles and guitars in Hawaii. Value (2019) | $1,200 Retail Watch . As it turns out, this is not a handicap in the making of fine musical instruments. All sizes are made, including soprano, concert, tenor and baritone. In 1928 Samuel Kamaka patented the Pineapple shaped ukulele. This is a Kamaka gold-foil label soprano size deluxe model solid all-koa ukulele from the 1960's era in mint condition. The design of the tuning with octaves on the 1st and 3rd string position creates a melodic strumming quality which this model is known for. Read Appraisal Transcript . Since 1916, Kamaka Hawaii, Inc. has prided itself on producing only ukuleles of the finest quality -- durable, exquisite instruments that improve with age. In 1959, the same year Hawaii became a state, Kamaka Hawaii moved to their present location at 550 South Street in Honolulu where Sam Kamaka's sons, Sam Jr. and and Fred, are managing operations. It was in 1916 that a young apprentice to Manuel Nunes decided to start his own ukulele business in the basement of his house in Kaimuki. The four-pin bridge secures all 14 strings. It has a patent special blue label on the inside and a coat of arms decal on the headstock. A late 20's pineapple soprano built in the Spanish style consistent with that time frame. Probably, in my opinion, some of the coolest ukulele that Kamaka have made are the Pineapple ukulele. Appointments include rope binding around the top, fingerboard, and soundhole, a large pineapple … From raw materials to finished ukuleles, Kamaka ukes are made in Hawaii by Hawaiian craftsmen. It has one-piece top and back construction, and is decorated with rope bindings and a rosette. In 1928 Samuel Kamaka patented the Pineapple shaped ukulele. Then, in 1976, he came up with the modern 8 string tenor Lili'u, in celebration of America's Bicentennial. POWERED BY The Ukulele Site Assign a Menu It was one of his first models built in the style of Sam Sr. Samuel K. Kamaka with one of his original painted pineapple ukuleles. Here is the current line of Kamaka ukuleles (except the baritone and 4 string tenor), courtesy of Mandolin Brothers... Back row: 6 string Lili'u tenor, 8 string Lili'u tenor, Ohta-San concert model. Copyright © 2006 - 2019 Kamaka Hawaii Inc., all rights reserved. By the late 20s there were an estimated 15 ukulele manufacturers in Hawaii. Home | Uke Players The patent blue label is in the sound hole. Fred is the 91-year-old son of Samuel Kamaka, who started this business in 1916. Construction is one-piece koa -- top, back and sides. This pineapple model is from the 60's. The purpose of this system was to allow the company to immediately determine the instrument model, the year it was built, the retailer, and the original purchaser of the item. Kamaka Hawaii was established in 1916 in the Territory of Hawaii, and is a family-owned and operated business. Over the years, Kamaka Hawaii has created instruments for comedians Laurel and Hardy, singer Tiny Tim, entertainer Arthur Godfrey, astronaut Scott Carpenter, Prince and Princess Takamatsu of Japan, the King of Tonga, and many top entertainers in Hawaii, including Auntie Genoa Keawe, Peter Moon and Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. History of this Instrument: This style of ukulele was developed by Samuel Kaialiilii Kamaka. Ka-Lai was a collaboration between Sam Sr. and Johnny Lai to meet the demand for ukuleles in the 30's. It was also made with one-piece top and back construction. In the mid-20s, Sam Kamaka laid out a pattern for a new oval-shaped ukulele body. If you’re in … However, it still retains two original large pineapple decals overlapped on the soundboard between the bridge and sound hole. Rope purfling decorates the outer edge of the top and sound hole. It was Sam Kamaka, Jr. who invented the 6 string Lili'u (named after Queen Lili'uokalani) in 1959, in celebration of Hawaii's statehood. Aaron from Hawaii Music Supply shows us the Kamaka Pineapple ukulele. During the 30s. This opens in a new window. It has one-piece top and back construction with a raised fingerboard. The best place to buy Kamakas are right at the factory, at 550 South Street in Honolulu. A few years later in 1928, Sam Kamaka patented the design. Other details are plastic tortoise shell bindings with black and white purfling and rosette. The coat of arms decal on the headstock bears the Hawaii State motto-- "Ua Mau Ke Ea O Ka Aina I Ka Pono. In addition, the tenor sizes are made in 4, 6 and 8 stringed varieties. This early prototype model has a pin bridge and a flat head instead of the customary crown style. It also has one-piece top, back and side construction. One of the most interesting facts about Kamaka is that more then half of their employees are hearing impaired. Almost all their ukuleles are made out of Hawaiian koa wood, that wonderful shimmering exotic wood with it's unusual curly grain. It has a gold Kamaka Ukulele label in the sound hole, and the patented double k decal on the headstock. Four generations of luthiers preserve the Hawaiian heritage craft of making extraordinary ukuleles at Kamaka Hawaii, Inc. (Honolulu, HI). Their founder Sam Kamaka was also the person who invented the "Pineapple" oval shaped Ukulele that has become a standard in a lot of manufacturers catalogues. This is a very unique piece, we had never seen before, it was loaned to us by our friend Nuni Walsh. I have a vintage Kamaka Pineapple ukulele and it is by far the best ukulele I own! Welcome to Kamaka Hawaii, Inc., makers of Hawaii's finest ukuleles, and the home of the original Pineapple Ukulele! Very few hand-painted pineapples remain in existence today. This is a highly decorated model with mother of pearl around the soundboard and also as a rosette and as decoration along the fingerboard. The ‘ukulele itself seems to be everywhere, too, showing up in all kinds of music around the world. The fingerboard is bound with rope and a double rope inlay down the center. This pineapple model is from the 60's. The original painted pineapple built in the 20's by Sam Sr. His friends remarked that it looked like a pineapple, so one of Sam's artist friends painted the front to duplicate the tropical fruit. It was in 1916 that a young apprentice to Manuel Nunes decided to start his own ukulele business in the basement of his house in Kaimuki. Of the three luthiers, only one, Manuel Nunes, trained apprentices. It originally included a blue special label and the blue pineapple decal on the headstock, now worn away. Today, Kamaka Hawaii, Inc. manufactures about 3,000 instruments per year and they have a backlog of over 12 months. Four times a week, he recounts his life story to interested visitors und occasionally quality-checks the instruments in the factory, which is concealed beyond a plain door in the office. They started it and they are still making a killer pineapple. The one-piece top and back construction were consistent with Sam Jr.'s early pieces. The instrument is built face down and the fingerboard is flush with the soundboard. They sell "seconds", which are perfectly fine ukuleles with slight flaws, such as a small knot in the wood or some other blemish. Kamaka Pineapple Ukulele Please check back, as I’ll be updating this page as I find new information. In 1921, Kamaka Ukulele established a shop at 1814 South King Street. Sometime in the 1940′s the patent ran out but they were the only company out of 20 ukulele manufacturers to survive the 1930′s economy. In 1921 Kamaka opened a store in Kaimuki, near Honolulu. In the mid-20s, Sam Kamaka laid out a pattern for a new oval-shaped ukulele body. Kamaka founded his own shop in 1916. Kamaka ukuleles are not easy to find outside of Hawaii, but you can find them on the internet at Bounty Music and Mandolin Brothers. The top and back are one-piece construction with all parts made of koa wood. The rope is somewhat unique on this model because it is made from 3 different species of wood. Kamaka started in 1916 making it the longest running manufacturer in Hawaii and one of the best. In the 40s, 50s, and 60s the demand for ukuleles started to slow down. ", This early model soprano with a figure 8 shape is all koa, and is built in the Spanish style. Some time ago, I had quite a number of Hawaiian ukuleles from the teens, ’20’s and ’30s. By 1921 he was able to hire employees and move out of his basement to a workshop. All solid Hawaiian Koa wood. Ka-Lai pineapple built in the late 30's. The Kamaka family has been dedicated to building skillfully-handcrafted ukuleles for nearly a century. The tour started with a talk by Fred Kamaka Sr., and we were fortunate enough to be guided on the factory tour by Fred Kamaka Jr.. This piece has a rosewood bridge and fingerboard. The body of the famous "painted pineapple".