Sonny and his son Duane were friendly and showed me some great ukes. Now i have two ukes from Sonny D. Absolutely amazing sound.
Repaired my ukulele’s with care and quality, pricing was always reasonable. And done in a timely manner. I will never take my Kamaka’s to the Kamaka store again! And when my moopuna’s are ready for their own uku’s their first will be a Sonny D ukulele!
I wandered into his shop many years ago. Late 80’s. I was playing my little old Kamaka to lead worship at Sunday school with the kids. I told Sonny that, and he went in the back and talked to his wife. Being that they are both Christians too. They agreed to sell me an 8 string and put a pickup in it for me, and a case too. At a serious discount. It is the most beautiful sound when played alongside guitars. I love this ukulele. It my most precious instrument. Mahalo Sonny D, and Mrs. I grow happier every day I play your 8 string. Ever since that memorable day met your wife and you.
, I’m not sure why but the quality isn’t as good as it used to be I have several Sonny D ukulele I want to go buy a new one but I couldn’t find one that was a very good quality the price was more expensive then the ones I bought before but the quality was definitely lacking . Ended up with a kamaka…
4. WestSide Music Hawai‘i
Address: 94-239 Waipahu Depot St, Waipahu, HI 96797 , Nānākuli , Hawaii , United States
They had what I needed! Nice little shop tucked away in Waipahu. They do ukulele repairs too
My store
Great prices knowledgeable staff and they have lots of guitars and amps to choose from. My favorite music store by far.
I like this small independent music store as the owner is very friendly and his prices are reasonable. Will definitely be shopping there again
Kewl place. Buy local.
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.
5. Makaha Sound Recording Studio
Address: 84-710 Kili Dr #1611, Waianae, HI 96792 , Nānākuli , Hawaii , United States
Dude. Tim the store manager is so awesome. SUCH a nice guy. All the employees here are very helpful. Seti in the repairs department is SO HELPFUL. Thank you for fixing my guitar!!!
I always love going to a Guitar Center. They love it when you play with all the toys!
Excellent
Like a kid in a candy store.
Nice place. They have A LOT of stuff.
It took three people to find one who knew what I was talking about. Sad.
Waited 20 minutes on hold just to get hung up on.
Just don’t feel welcome. They rush you out. This covid thing screwing up otherwise great places. Guitar Center has ridiculous rules and Easy music is a lot more relaxed, I’d rather spend more and drive to town that feel rushed
I ordered online from NY, received 1 week later, Very nice product. The sound the smell the touch, we feel the quality. The customer service is responsive despite the time zone difference. Thank you. Continue as it is.
only place where you can get quality and where people know what their talking about! I wish they bought guitars. I’ll be around today to check out my favorite store.
Recently picked up a Boss RC-3 at EMC. Great price. Very responsive to emails. Super fast shipping. Terrific experience. Will definitely check-in for any future purchases. Thanks!
If you’re a musician worth your salt then you can gather that guitar center is like the O’rileys of the music world. This spot has a good selection, advice, and information. Benjamin was the gentleman that assisted me and was very professional. One of the harder things to do is gauge a customers experience level without seeming condescending. It is in my professional opinion that ben should be put into the position where he is the first face people see when they walk in the door and directs them to parts of the store where they can find what they’re looking for, if he isn’t already. Not to put guitar center on blast but a standard Taylor 214-CE sold for $1699 and easy music has a Koa 214-CE for $1099. Ben is also a musician, so he’s a good starting point to find what you’re looking for in the store…. If you’re reading this ben my apologies for the late review I’ve been busy with work.
Bought my first ukulele
No violin stuff, but other than that pretty well stocked music store.
It’s ok however the staff seem preoccupied with other things at the last four times I was there, I spent over a thousand dollars one time and my Taylor acoustic electric guitar was not off alignment so I wanted to trade it a day later and they gave me the run around. Plus I bought strings that were defected there were no lock pins on two of the strings in the set of six.
Save your time and money. Faka’s couldn’t wait a minute for me to get to the store for a store pickup. Go to Sweetwater instead!
Bought a seinnheiser wireless mic system from them with a already open box but was told it’s brand new. The transmitter battery doesn’t even last 20 minutes and dies. Was told I cannot return it because box was already opened. Monkey business. Stay away. I’m glad guitar center is coming to Hawaii.
Salesman seem too busy to help. Inventory wise, they don’t have much of a selection. Had an experience where I was trying out a guitar and amp. After about 10 minutes of playing, salesman made a comment that I’ve been here for awhile and if I was going to buy it. This is not the case when I use to go to Guitar Center in the mainland. They actually encourage you to try out different amps and guitars. They don’t pressure you into buying something you’re not comfortable with. I’m glad now that Guitar Center just opened up its first Hawaii store at Pearl Highlands. I’ve taken my business there.
10. Music Center of Hawaii Inc
Address: 2347 S Beretania St. #200, Honolulu, HI 96826 , Nānākuli , Hawaii , United States
A dear friend recommended this store to me. I bought my KoAloha ukuleles here. This store is named perfectly…great service with great prices.
Very knowledgeable and friendly staff. Would highly recommend this place. I’ll definitely be back.
Really helpful and helped my musically inept self find the right strings for my guitar ^^
Like the name, these are really good guys, love their biz and it shows.
Great shop. Nice guys. A touch overpriced.
Not the biggest but was equipped with good guitars
Bought a pedal there while holidaying in Hawaii, it occurred to me the next day I should buy a good ol’ American pedal, instead of a Chinese pedal, ecspecially while in the states. The staff didnt feel the same, and seemed that it was a big deal to make an exchange. I wouldn’t go back.
I am a repeat customer and always enjoyed the friendly service. I have bought several baritone ukuleles of various value and was always satisfied. However, today I spoke with Chris? And confirmed that I wanted to purchase the cheaper of the two that he said they have. At 4:30 pm I called him to let him know that I was on my way. He stated that they were filming inside the store but he would meet me outside and said “I got you” I thanked him. When I got there he informed me that he sold the ukulele!!! I was visibly bummed. He said that the customer had the ukulele in his hand and he didn’t want to tell him no. I asked if they still had the more expensive one ($500) nah was ($200) for real. He said yup, so I told him I would purchase it. I went to the ATM and even paid the additional fee because he said would be more convenient so I said sure. I got back just as he was coming from the back. Ukulele in hand, no case or box or receipt. He even threw in a tuner. I was stocked. In my excitement I tried to tune it as soon as i got to my car. Was having difficulties from the very start. Eventually even with the tuner. Really bummed. I ripped the strings right off the uke. Even burned the tuner with my altered torch. Luckily it was enough to destroy the tuner. If I am not able to get a replacement one, even if it’s cheaper one then I will be handling this matter between Chris and myself(Scott T Kurosu). I was very impressed by Chris’s quick response. I was able to go down the very next day and after hearing my feeliepairedengs about the situation he offered to replace my uke. However I would have to wait for the next delivery. I asked him if he could repair my uke, nothing fancy just as long as it works. He repaired it and also gave me $100 out of his own pocket. I am very grateful and happy. Thank you Chris Aloha & god bless
13. Lymana Custom ʻUkulele
Address: 1018 McCully St, Honolulu, HI 96826 , Nānākuli , Hawaii , United States
Very knowledgeable and friendly staff, excellent selection of ukes, and great prices. Be sure to check this place if you’re in the market for a ukulele!
Hands down – the absolute best customer service – anywhere. The reviews, the podcasts, the music, the explanations, replying to emails, answering questions on the phone – The Ukulele Site sets the bar – absolutely the best.
Highly recommended!!! A large selection of ukuleles for beginners to expert with prices that fits your needs. Friendly, helpful, and extremely talented ukulele playing staff. We spent an hour and a half in the store with my 13 year old son playing a few tenors. The staff member shared his knowledge and found out what type of sound that my son was looking for. My son narrowed his choice down to one, a Koaloha 4 string tenor. Mahalo Ukulele Site. Aloha
I have been here 3 times buying a ukulele the first time and taking friends the other times and each one bought a ukulele
We just caught a glimps of this place on our way home from shave ice and the shrimp truck today. Because we were on our way back to ukulele lessons at our resort, we decided to make a sharp tirn and check this place out…and boy did we hit the jackpot. As soon as we entered, we were geeeted with a nice hawaiian hello and promptly assisted in finding out which instrument would be best for our hand size and experience. Since we were here for my grandson, we got a really good deal on a ukelele with a gig bag, tuner and extra string to boot. All at a price that didn’t make you feel like you were in the islands. They even gave us a ahort tour of their valuable website full of information and learning videos. I will surely recommend this to my friends and other family who have shown interest in learning to play the ukelele.
Giving this place a low rating – not because of the store but because of the property owner. We parked in the lot because we wanted to shop at the store but we were hungry and walked to the nearby food trucks. When we returned, our vehicle had been towed. What was the best intentions to shop here turned into a big inconvenience!
Went into the store to buy two ukuleles, the guy totally ignored us, didn’t say hello or ask if we gad any questions. After looking on our own at 15 ukuleles, and still nothing we went elsewhere. What a great customer service. Wow!
Towing scam. They will tow your vehicle. Stay away from these garbage shops
15. Pacific Island Notes Piano Lessons
Address: 92-905 Hame Pl, Kapolei, HI 96707 , Nānākuli , Hawaii , United States
My daughter used to see a different piano teacher for a whole year… and I never saw much growth. I play the piano so it was easy to take notice on how well she was doing or not. I eventually moved her to Mrs Kelly Munoz at Pacific Island Notes because she offered in-person while others were only strictly doing virtual piano lessons because of the COVID pandemic.
I saw my daughter make HUGE improvements in just one month with Ms Kelly after not playing for almost a year because of the pandemic shutting everything down. 8 months have passed since first starting with Ms Kelly, and my 8-yr old daughter is now really good at sight-reading music! She plays music that echos beautiful throughout the house and it impresses everyone. The books Ms Kelly uses to teach have really been good for my daughter. If you’re able to get a spot with Ms Kelly as a teacher, take it! Because she’s always booked up. My daughter loves her being her piano teacher. I’ve asked if she ever wanted to go back to her old piano teacher and it’s a hard no for that! Also, she’s located in Makakilo so it’s perfect for ppl on the west side! I no longer have to drive past kapolei to go to piano lessons.
I recently started taking piano lessons here after not taking them for approximately 6/7 years. In the span of a few months while learning from Mrs. Kelly, my sight reading skills and overall quality of playing has greatly improved. I always look forward to my lessons, and would recommend Pacific Island Notes to anyone who is new to piano or wanting to improve their piano playing.
Ms. Kelly’s calm demeanor and patience is a big reason why I recommend her to anyone and everyone that’s looking. I’ve unfortunately heard horror stories of other teachers and trust when I say Ms. Kelly is heaven sent. If you’re not comfortable with dropping off your child, Ms. Kelly does allow you to sit in. After sitting in on a couple months worth of classes, I’ve learned that I’ve become the distraction for my child, so now I just wait outside. Ms. Kelly is very accommodating and also does zoom classes if you can’t make it in person. If you’re thinking about it, get on the wait list now.
16. Kapono Inc.
Address: Kapolei, HI 96709 , Nānākuli , Hawaii , United States
This is a little shop, but very friendly and extremely knowledgeable. Go check it out!
Went in to get a guitar staff was very helpful and friendly. Definitely a great selection of guitars and ukuleles.
Great service! Happy to see them back open in Kailua
Great store in a new location after decades here in Kailua. Good prices, helpful, friendly staff and owner, lots of stringed instruments amd accessories. A treasure that saves a trip through all that traffic into town…
19. Kanileʻa ʻUkulele
Address: 1450 Ala Moana Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96814 , Nānākuli , Hawaii , United States
Great selection of ukes and accessories with friendly staff.
Great range of Ukuleles available, from entry level, mid-tier all the way to the elusive and spectacular hand-crafted Koa high-end Ukuleles. Service was impressive, and Kanile’a shows they really care about their product and their customers by making sure you’re getting the right ukulele for you & throwing in lots of sweet bonuses like deluxe case, free subscription to online lessons, warranty etc. I’m really enjoying my ukulele & will recommend Kanile’a to my fellow musicians
The people here are THE BEST. I highly recommend booking a tour of the factory before you visit, if you’re serious about buying one of their pieces of musical art.
The sales people will spend as much time with you as needed to fully explain the whole process, the different models, everything.
I personally do not play, but I am interested in learning, and I really thought a real Hawaii made ukelele would be a perfect art piece to return with.
I purchased one with the Hawaiian island inlays, and have it hanging on my wall.
I did have it shipped, since that is much better than tossing it on a plane. The package was well packed, and included a couple of really nice extras.
20. Dan’s Guitars
Address: 2000 S Beretania St. # B, Honolulu, HI 96826 , Nānākuli , Hawaii , United States
Super friendly and helpful. Can’t wait to learn to play a guitar soon.
Dan is patient and kind in addition to being very knowledgeable. All the staff are. I love this place.
I needed 3 guitars repaired. As with every time I have been to Dan’s, I was greeted as soon as I walked in. My precious instruments were diagnosed, 2 fixed on the spot, third needed more extensive work, but the price was very fair and much less than expected. The staff works like a well oiled machine and I barely had enough time to strum a beautiful 12 string I’m in love with there.
I feel like they make each customer feel like the most important customer of the day every single time they visit.
Also, the background music of talented musicians playing the inventory adds to the overall awesome experience.
Wish I could give 10 stars.
Professionals helping professionals and amateurs reach their goals. Mahalo
Small and cramped shop, but friendly and helpful staff. They sell used gear on consignment here. I kind of wish that they would just buy it outright. After having Dan’s hold onto my used guitar for several months without it selling, I had to pick it back up from them and take it to Guitar Center to sell instead.
Beautiful old Martin Western guitars
Bought 2 carbon fiber guitars here. I have known Dan since the 1980s. He has a lot of instruments, amps, ect. He has new and used music equipment and does some repairs. All the local musicians hang out there. Has some good deals as well. Has a large variety music equipment.
Went in here to get a new guitar so I could start leaning how to play. I decided on a preowned guitar. It was labeled and sold to me as a Fender Stratocaster. After my friend checked it out when they were visiting they discovered that it was actually a squire and worth a fraction of what I paid at the store. I brought it in to talk to a worker about it. I came in asking for it to be verified and if it is found to be a squire scam then I was going to ask for a refund. I explained my dilemma to the worker and was met with what seemed to be a smug attitude. He insisted that it was a genuine strat but said that he would have Dan, the store owner, give it a look. He also explained to me that this was part of a consignment sale which I was not notified at all in store. I came back after Dan had time to give it a look and he agreed with me that it was in fact a squire and whichever employee received it had failed to verify its quality. That employee was the one that sold it to me and the one I had spoken to prior. Dan had then offered to sell it as consignment for me, but that I wouldn’t be able to get near what I paid since it’s not worth that much, or he could give me store credit towards a replacement. I asked for a refund since this was a case of misadvertisement and nearly fraud. He denied this as it was a consignment sale, which I’ll reiterate that I wasn’t notified of that at time of sale. Contrary to his employee, Dan was understanding and I would say he is the only reason to go to the store. He’s obviously passionate about music and spreading that joy to others. I was looking for a fender Stratocaster since I was new and I knew little to nothing about guitars. He showed me a guitar that was at the value of the store credit. He said it was a Japan made Fender Stratocaster. I was grateful and given new breath to learn the instrument. After further inspection it turns out to be an ESP Grassroots. Once again, worth far less than what it was at the store. Now I am out a lot of money and no longer have an interest in learning music. I would prefer to have my money back bur considering how I was treated it seems like scams go over better than legitimacy in the overall of this shop. I hope it gets better.
Had two patch cables made for 40 bucks while I was here/on the road playing. I’m not sure what was wrong with them but when used on my board my volume was cut in half and none of drive pedals worked properly. I’ve been playing professionally full time for two years and part time for 12. This was discovered that night at the gig in front of 500 people. I called and no answer. Left a message no call back. Messaged on facebook no message back. Emailed no email back. Avoid.
I walked in and asked for a bass tuner. I’m not the most experienced musician. He told me that it doesn’t matter if it’s a bass tuner or a general tuner. Turns out, it very much does matter, and I am now out $20. They will get you in and out quick, but make sure you know your stuff before you walk in or they will take advantage.
