Fast, easy ordering process. Quick delivery and although they were lacking packing material due to the pandemic, they improvised and the uke came through in perfect condition. It looks better than the pictures on the website. I’m very pleased.
Bounty Music & Ukes .com did an amazing job with my order. They were responsive, quick and they got the order right! I’d recommend Bounty Music on-line & will use them again and again.
3. Early Music Maui
Address: 745 Mililani Pl, Kihei, HI 96753 , Kēōkea , Hawaii , United States
Super knowledgable and friendly staff! Helped me find the best guitar for me in my budget and I’m so happy with it! Definitely best selection and prices for anywhere I’ve seen on island. Will definitely come back (:
Great rental prices. I showed up early and they still got me on the road on time as planned. Gear was solid and had everything i needed
Great variety and awesome service!
Bounty Music. They have been around for ages. One of the surviving mom and pop style shops catering to present and future entertainers and musicians. But, they cater to the professional musicians and entertainers as well. The staff are down to earth musicians so they understand the particulars of making a living and can understand what it takes to make a career or a side hustle and even as a hobbyist. They are here to help you with your musical needs. As a professional musician myself, I would like to thank Paul and his staff, personally, for all they contribute to the entertainment and musical industry on Maui. A Hui Ho !!
Very patient salesperson. Explored all possibilities for purchasing. Very nice selection of instruments to choose from. Overall very pleasant experience. Been patronizing Bounty Music since the 1980’s
Quick and knowledgeable made me buy more stuff it’s like a candy store
Hey Beware,
I’m sorry but I’ve had a couple of rough experiences at bounty. I wanted to buy an artist series Stratocaster. I explained that I had looked online and was wondering if they could match the price or come close? I was told…
“If you can find it online you should just order it there, it’s easier.” I did explain that I like to support local businesses … but the sales guy was less than interested, and he just ended the conversation by walking away . Boy did I feel naive! I will say that I went online and ordered a nice guitar with free shipping and it was at my door in no time. I’ve since ordered an amp and two more guitars… all online without talking to Bounty. I have to confess that all experiences were “easier” than dealing with Bounty.
I just got off the phone with them and again I can’t believe the attitude. I explained that I was going to ship some guitars to the mainland, and did they have any guitar boxes that they were going to recycle or throw away? If so I would like to reuse them…you know go “green”. I’m not planing to ship for a couple of months.
“no” we don’t have any of those boxes…I was told, but we will sell you a Taylor box for 20$. They hung up on me before I could explain that I can get a bundle of 5 boxes for 8$ (online) with free shipping, so 20$ for 1 box is … well typical Bounty. I’m not really sure what the bad attitude is at Bounty? It is true that you can buy online for quite a bit cheaper than what Bounty offers on almost every single item they carry (this includes shipping costs).
Honestly Bounty seems disinterested and even lazy sometimes. I still go in and look every once in a while, but I don’t feel compelled to spend my money there.
1 star because, really it’s not worth the head ache to drive into town to put up with bad attitude!
I’ll give another star because a couple of the staff members are very nice… so it’s not a total waste of time…
I recommend that you do what I do which is… I just sit at my computer with a hot cup of coffee and shop away.. (go Prime!).
Went in to Bounty Music for new Ukelele strings on Christmas Eve. The young man that “assisted” us was incredibly rude! Initially, he was troubled by the fact that there were two wound strings on my ukulele. Then, after not being able to locate the matching set of strings, he stated that he would just “eyeball it”. He became even more rude after the young lady told him to verify by speaking to someone else. He refused. We were so offended, we left. Not enough room to finish my review..
WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER!
5. Mele Ukulele Wailuku
Address: 1750 W Kaahumanu Ave, Wailuku, HI 96793 , Kēōkea , Hawaii , United States
Knowledgeable help with a great selection of Hawaii-made ukes. Beautiful sounding ukes from the real deal Mele Ukele.
Great place to get top quality ukuleles and accessories. Friendly, knowledgeable staff. Low pressure. They have everything from starter ukes to high end ones, and small to large concert ukes.
Very Kind & Helpful. I found exactly what I needed.
Very nice music store.
Loved hearing Koa test out an awesome tenor ukulele from here.
I was excited to buy a nice ukulele for once. I spent $400 thinking the ukulele I bought would be great. The same day I bought it, without any chance to play, the peg broke. I asked if it could get it fixed by the time my flight left, and they did. When I went to pick it up they made me wait a half hour even though my ukulele was sitting right there. I asked if there was any way I could either get my money back, get a new ukulele, or if they could check to see that none of the other pegs would break. I’m writing this because they responded with oh no you’re peg won’t break again, that’s super rare. But Im back home now and just had a second peg break, different peg from the first one that broke. I am a very kind and patient person but I do not appreciate this kind of service and I hope there is some way they can reconcile for an absurd amount of money paid for a low quality instrument.
6. Mele Ukulele Paia
Address: 98 Hana Hwy, Paia, HI 96779 , Kēōkea , Hawaii , United States
I came in the store with a vague idea that I should get a locally made decent quality uke in Hawaii. I left after playing a few. Got lunch, thought about it, then came back a few minutes later and got me one after thinking about it. The Mele ukes sound very solid and less muted than most I have played. The lady serving there was super helpful and friendly.
Popped in this store yesterday before leaving Maui and had an excellent time.
The young employee was super knowledgeable and friendly (i forgot his name).
Carlos Rock was very professional and very patient in explaining to me and my son, John, the differences of ukulele that he has in his family store, located in Paia, Maui. This family owned and operated business has been around Maui over 30 years. We’re visiting from Southern California and appreciated in taking home a peace of Maui, Hawaiian history home as it was made from the koa tree which is locally grown on these islands. So, if you ever visit Maui, go to Mele Ukulele and Carlos will help you pick out a nice hand-crafted ukulele for you. Ours costs $900 but you can find an affordable factory made for $125–$175. We also saw a soprano one that goes for $3000 but we’re not ready for it, yet. You won’t regret it!
7. Soundwave Music
Address: 74-5599 Luhia St # F6, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 , Kēōkea , Hawaii , United States
These are the go-to guys if you want expert advice on musical instruments! They are very honest and won’t sell you something you can’t count on. Excellent repairs, very friendly professional staff and owner! I won’t go any place else on the Big Island they really are that good.
The Soundwave team is very helpful and knowledgeable. They are present and engaging without hassling you. A very comfortable place to research and purchase. Great presence in the community.
They have knowledgeable staff and usually have what I’m looking for. If not, they give referrals.
Good prices, good variety of gear. Guitars and amps a great value. Hard to find, keyboards are a bit dated. Knowledgeable staff, fun atmosphere. Great place for musicians.
Friendly knowledgeable service, reasonable prices and a good selection!
Visited the store yesterday to buy 2 ukuleles. There were 2 customers ahead of me. Staff spent ample time with those customers and I waited patiently. I appreciated the attention that was given to them and I was looking forward to the same treatment. After 50 minutes (yes, 50 minutes), it was finally my turn. After speaking to me for 5 minutes, he excused himself to talk to the customer who just entered the store. I was dumbfounded. After a couple of minutes, when it was apparent that he did not want to help me, I left. I don’t know what I said or did, but it was clear that he didn’t value my time or wallet. I wasted a lot of time and he lost a sale.
8. Music Exchange
Address: 75-5626 Kuakini Hwy, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 , Kēōkea , Hawaii , United States
I’ve been to multiple ukulele shops on 3 islands and this is my favorite. I have a KoAloha which I purchased online and I love it. Music Exchange has many ukes in all price ranges including some really nice top end ukes. The salesperson was not pushy and really fun to talk with. He let me play several beautiful top end ukes which was a real treat. Their prices were as good or better than the prices online.
Very cool store! Great vibe! I picked up a great Yamaha bass with a great case at a very reasonable price! I was surprised to be able to find a bass at this price, especially brand new!! I will definitely come back to this place again. They have been there for more than 15 yrs, so they are very knowledgeable and helpful! They have a fairly good selection of instruments! Very nice find!
Make sure to visit these guys first, before you go anywhere else!
Friendly and knowledgeable service
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These guys usually have what I need and their prices are reasonable. Great repair shop as well.
I’ve been here twice. The first time I stood off to the side, but in view of the clerk. I stood there for at least 15 minutes, while 2 different customers were attended to. I wasn’t even spoken to.
The next time I went in to buy some finger picks. I was spoken to, or maybe grunted at, while the attendant restrung an electric guitar.
I’ve had enough.
Waited outside patiently for 30 minutes during an employee break. When the employee opened the shop again he told us to leave as soon as we stepped in. Giving no explanation, just saying “goodbye”.
Service was awful acted like I bothered them by asking questions about ukulele. I will buy somewhere else.
9. Kindworks Music & Art
Address: 79-7401C Hawaiʻi Belt Rd, Kealakekua, HI 96750 , Kēōkea , Hawaii , United States
Wonderful people and great service. Great selection of fine instruments. Instant connection and made me want to come back and I live in Dallas TX. So glad I stopped in. Thanks Gunner and crew.✌️❤️
Lovely store with a kind man who definitely knows what he’s talking about and can help with music needs on the spot. Kind service and repairs with beautiful inventory of high-end and inexpensive quality ukuleles, guitars, strings, T-shirts, and even beautiful art pieces. No need to go anywhere else.
Friendly well stocked music store with great guitar/bass/ukulele repair and maintenance tech, lots of cool instruments, supplies and local art. Good selection of used instruments and they’ll sell yours on consignment! One of the best music stores anywhere, right in my neighborhood.
Spent $20 on gas to arrive 30 minutes before close and found out they were already closed….an update on hours would be appreciated.
10. Molokai Music Maker
Address: 1310 Kamehameha V Hwy, Kaunakakai, HI 96748 , Kēōkea , Hawaii , United States
I live here in Kailua Kona this is a place I recommend that you come for all your Ukes these are quality not like you’ll find a Long Valley Drive please support this business as they are local and have great knowledge of their craft
Very friendly, knowledgeable staff. No pressure to buy, but if you’re in the market for an ukulele tell them what youre after and they’ll point you in the right direction!
Very nice people and very helpful!
Was able to find a one page list of common chords for Ukulele. Fantastic!
Small store, mostly low-end ukes, limited selection of accessories. Good for those looking at getting into ukulele. The gentleman that was selling the ukes said he doesn’t play ukulele so you may get the same basic info that you can research online yourself.
Nice Ukuleles but a little pricy
Unfortunately this shop no longer exists.
Was looking for a Hawaiian made ukulele and salesperson directed us to specific model assuring us without hesitation that this particular one was made in Hawaii, Oahu to be exact. The instrument had no source markings on its internal label so we (naively) took him at his word. Took it home only to find that no, it was not made in Hawaii, it was made in China. The company is a Hawaiian company but some of their instruments, this model in particular, aren’t actually Hawaiian made. Disappointed we were misled.
Doesn’t seem to exist anymore. Store is vacant. No idea if they’ve moved somewhere else or just another COVID casualty.
Uncle Uke showed us some beautiful ukuleles and even gave us a sample of his own talent singing and playing on various ukuleles. He is so knowledgeable about everything in his store. If your looking for the perfect instrument, this is where you need to buy it. We’ve been in lots of ukulele stores in various places in Hawaii and Uncle Uke was by far the most knowledgeable and friendly!
I like these guys a lot. I went to their old kona location years ago to buy my first uke. I didn’t have the money but they showed me a few chords. Years later I became a pretty good ukulele player. I went into their Hilo location to buy myself a quality ukulele with a quality case. They were as helpful and friendly as they’ve always been. I spent four hundred dollars with them that day and I would do it again. Awesome people.
It’s a nice place and they have good quality.
This is a nice store with a knowledgeable and fun owner. Because of the prime location expect to pay retail prices. You can find cheaper prices if you shop around. I bought from him because he engaged my son and made it fun.
Unfortunately I can’t give 5 stars because the owner was unavailable to give lessons. He said he’s too busy and looking for a teacher, so things may change. I ended up taking my kids 2 blocks away to Hilo Ukulele and Guitar. Rick there gave the kids low priced lessons and threw some discounts for merchandise.
I guess if that store wasn’t available, I’d give this place a 5 star review. But competition does exist, which is great, so a solid 4 stars from me.
14. Kanileʻa ʻUkulele
Address: 46-056 Kamehameha Hwy Suite #290, Kaneohe, HI 96744 , Kēōkea , Hawaii , United States
I took the tour and visited the store in Windward Mall today. We were lucky that my wife and I were the only ones on the tour, which was led by Kaimana Souza, the founder’s son, and also met his dad Joe during the tour. You really get the feeling that everyone there loves what they do. And as both a player and an engineer, I really appreciated the details of the manufacturing process and some of the amazing attention to detail on display. We went to the store afterwards and were able to play some of the instruments, which are as good as ukuleles can be. If you are a uke player of just love great craftsmanship, you will enjoy this tour.
This is the most informative and interesting Ukulele factory tour that I have taken and I have seen the big three. We were led around the factory by the owner – Joe Souza. At the end of the tour, Joe sang us a song and played a 5 string ukulele for us.
The tour of the factory is truly inspiring! Through cutting-edge technology, ingenuity, and dedication, each ʻukulele painstakingly created by the Kanileʻa team is an absolute masterpiece. If you’re ever in Kāneʻohe, sign up for a tour…you wonʻt regret it! You may just end up leaving with a masterpiece of your own to take home with you
Are tour was fantastic and the host was over the top with knowledge about there products and playing the ukulele. My reason for four stars is choice of adorable Hawaiian built ukulele.
UPDATE below original post:
This one hurts to write because the ukes are wonderful (5 stars), but the customer service leaves so much be to be desired (2 stars).
Kanile’a makes beautiful instruments. Playable works of art. But where the company falls short is in customer service.
I ordered my ukulele and they shipped it to the wrong address. It tool over an hour on the phone to figure this out and then with nothing more than an apology I had to go to the FedEx store 45 minutes away to pick it up. In the grand scheme of things this one incident isn’t that much, but it continues.
After getting my uke I was in love and I was ready to special order a custom uke. I spoke on the phone with the rep and they said they would call me back after speaking with the Master Luthier on the following Monday. I never go the call back.
Most recently, my uke has had some fret problems that should be covered under warranty. I used their online contact form and never heard back.
I called and spoke with the same CS rep that never called me back earlier and they said they would send me a label to ship the uke for service and they never did. Then when I wrote to ask about the status of label they said that my uke was being evaluated in the shop and they would get back to me. Ummm, my uke is in a box 2500 miles from their shop.
I want to love this company but can’t get over the lack of customer service. The main CS rep for Kanile’a says a lot and doesn’t seem to follow through with what they say. The ukes are great but the CS doesn’t match up and needs to be addressed.
UPDATE 21 Nov 2022:
Following this review I received a call from the head CS rep. They apologized for the errors and quickly sent the FedEx return label. I shipped it back and last Friday I got a call that the uke was repaired and covered by the warranty. Since my family was coming to Honolulu the next day I asked that the uke be sent to the Ala Moana retail location and they agreed. I was told and said it would be available for pick up on Sunday.
I went to the Ala Moana store Sunday afternoon and the uke was not there. I was disappointed but not surprised. I booked ukulele lessons while on the island and now I won’t have my uke for them.
UPDATE 21 December 2022
The fret tang “sprout” has returned and this time Kanile’a have told me that I will have to pay for the shipping both ways to get the uke repaired by them. Last time this fret tangs started protruding they covered shipping. Since this is a manufacturer’s defect I am going to follow another route to get this situation resolved.
15. Big Island Guitars and Music Supply
Address: 1221 Kilauea Ave #10, Hilo, HI 96720 , Kēōkea , Hawaii , United States
Scored at this awesome place in downtown Hilo! Very knowledgeable and friendly. Check em out!
Awesome locally owned small business. The owner Spencer is a knowledgeable, genuine dude who can help you with whatever you need.
Spencer is a very personable individual who is very knowledgeable. The store itself is quaint and stock can be limited but it has pretty much everything that’s needed in general.
Drove an hour , website said open, answering service said open, closed during advertised business hours.
16. Goodguys Music & Sound LLC
Address: 619 Kapahulu Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815 , Kēōkea , Hawaii , United States
They are so nice, and have very great selection of guitars, basses, and ukuleles. From entry level to some very nice vtg pieces. Excellent service. Very fair pricing. If I lived on Oahu, this would be my go to shop. Thanks guys.
I liked the shop.
A lot of options available
Not the biggest but was equipped with good guitars
Won’t shop in a place requiring a mask. even though I have bought stuff in there back during the time that covid was new and there were no mask mandates. Sad truth is I try to shop small local stores especially for music equipment but I will not be available to shop here anymor.
If you plan on selling them a guitar understand they will only give you 50% of used retail price. Which means they will make 25% profit off you. While you lose 50% profit. Sell your own gear. 50% lose is too much
17. Easy Music Center
Address: 1314 S King St STE G1, Honolulu, HI 96814 , Kēōkea , Hawaii , United States
In the last couple of years, I’ve bought two guitars, three pedals, and various bits like strings and cables at this store. Each time I visited, even if I informed the staff I was only there trying out some gear and couldn’t buy that day, the staff was extremely helpful. They knew their stuff, and helped me find the right fit for my needs and budget. The prices were a little higher than what I could get the same gear for online, but not high enough to outweigh the outstanding customer service and great selection. I highly recommend shopping here to any musician on Oahu.
Friendly and helpful staff
This is a fantastic full service music store. They have most anything I could need. Great staff and friendly service!
There aren’t many music stores on the island for acoustic guitars. Even the guitar itself was kind of damaged and it was $1200. The guitars are pretty mistreated and they don’t have much stock in the back. I also wish the room was acoustic friendly.
Man was I happy to find this place. Its like Guitar Center with a family owned showroom atmosphere. Very personable staff. Always happy to see you walk in. Wont get annoyed with your questions. They really try and help you find what you want when you are indecisive. They have everything you need, their floor is laid out nice and convenient. Ive never had a bad interaction with anyone that works there. I’ve been to both locations here on oahu.
The place has great stuff and variety of music equipments.
If you shop here, pray your transaction is smooth enough not to require manager assistance. This guy values the importance of winning a fight over keeping present and potential customers. His arrogant personality, cocky confidence, and childish name calling (yes, he actually went to name calling) has turned me off this store and has motivated me to tell my friends and family not to shop here or any of their other locations. When we asked who his boss was, he refused to provide contact information.
I will take my business elsewhere, along with anyone else I can take with me.
Sold me a broken piece of equipment and did nothing to remedy the situation
Disappointed in guitar diagnostic and repair. First time I brought my guitar in, the guy didn’t know what was causing the buzzing, so I paid the diagnostic fee knowing he tried.
Later at home, I found a loose brace and took it back for a repair, I’m wondering if he even looked inside the guitar.. Again I paid the repair fee for the loose brace, but again he said he couldn’t fix the buzzing and sent me home still disappointed.
Again, through trial and error at home, I noticed a small crack on the surface that I could easily feel on the inside.. And with a little pressure on that spot, the buzzing goes away! Surely he missed this problem too..so I will be going elsewhere for diagnostic and repairs from now on.
18. WestSide Music Hawai‘i
Address: 94-239 Waipahu Depot St, Waipahu, HI 96797 , Kēōkea , Hawaii , United States
Fair prices and very helpful. I visited several times and finally walked out with a nice used acoustic guitar.
We visited WestSide Music Hawaii today looking for a decent ukulele for our granddaughter who has joined an ukulele club at her school in Oregon but is still using a cheap plastic ukulele we bought her years ago.
Ron Ravelo, the owner of WestSide Music Hawaii is a pleasant and knowledgeable person when it comes to instruments and he also seems to have the best prices of all the places I called. We bought the beautiful concert size ukulele Ron is holding in the photo. It has a lovely sound and comes with a soft zippered carrying case and a free ukulele tuner. It is also packaged in a strong cardboard box suitable for mailing. My husband bought the exact ukulele from Easy Music Center before it went out of business in Pearl City but he paid almost $30 more for his ukulele. He also didn’t get a free tuner or free soft case. As you can see, Ron’s prices are highly competitive and the customer service he offers is really commendable. I’ve never had such a pleasant experience in any music store before so if you want a good deal on an ukulele, guitar, drums, keyboards, etc. stop by and check out Ron’s selections. You won’t be disappointed.
Ron at Westside music is probably the best person to talk to about anything having to do with any instrument. Very knowledgeable and personable..Coolest place to go to Ever…
Bought my ukulele here with no problems. You are able to try out the instruments as much as you want. Visited a couple times before I decided on the best one for me.
Dropped off a friend to purchase a guitar
First time there and very helpful
19. ʻUkulele Experience & Shop
Address: 55-370 Kamehameha Hwy, Laie, HI 96762 , Kēōkea , Hawaii , United States
The staff and volunteers here are so lovely and helpful. They gave us a free Ukulele lessons and shared deep knowledge of the quality of the instruments available. I couldn’t imagine a better experience as a beginner. Mahalo!
Can’t say enough good things about the staff at Ukulele Experience. They were so friendly, accommodating, and helpful. They found out it was my wife’s birthday and most of the staff gathered together with ukuleles and drums to sing happy birthday. We asked them to do the same for my sister who’s birthday is next week so we could record and give her the song for her birthday and the staff were so accommodating.
Also, a ukulele was one of the things I wanted to purchase while visiting Hawaii. Corey was so helpful and helped me find a ukulele that I was looking for and that fit my budget.
The ukulele is made from natural resources. “The land is our chief, we are its servants”
Learn to play the ukulele and even purchase one. The staff were very friendly and helped us when we had a question. Will make sure to return again soon and I will get back there soon
Nice people. Sold me a package that didn’t have everything they promised and one of the pegs on the new Ike is loose. Can’t get ahold of them and now I’ve left town. So they earned a bad review
20. Music Center of Hawaii Inc
Address: 2347 S Beretania St. #200, Honolulu, HI 96826 , Kēōkea , Hawaii , United States
