Ukulele Sizes

Soprano - The four string Soprano has been and will always be the classic vision of what a ukulele is. It's small size corresponds with the many players of yesteryear who made the ukulele so famous.

Concert - The concert four string is considered to be the most popular ukulele. Most advanced players choose the concert because of its bigger scale over the standard (soprano) size.

Super Concert - The Super Concert is a deluxe hybrid ukulele. It combines the easy playability of the 17-inch Tenor scale with the clear and crisp "classic" sound of a Concert body.

Tenor - Every type of player enjoys the Tenor ukulele and it's full-bodied sound. The Koa 4 string Tenor is the most popular among the local island players.

Baritone - The Baritone ukulele is the most unique in the ukulele family. They carry a 22 inch scale and follow the same tuning as the first four strings of a guitar. Because of their similarities to the guitar, Baritone ukuleles are very popular with guitar and banjo players.

Ukulele Woods

Koa Wood - Koa (Acacia Koa) is unquestionably Hawaii's most prized wood. Hawaiians have always valued Koa for its beauty and durability. Koa still remains the premier Hawaiian timber for ukuleles, furniture and other woodcrafts. Its diversity and shortage has made Koa prices soar. With an ongoing reforestation program, and sensible logging, Koa will always be available. Koa's use for instruments is superb. It has a "tap-tone" quality that is almost second to none.

South American Mahogany - South American Mahogany (Swietenia Macrophylla) has been a prime choice of tonal wood for many years. Its tonal response is similar to Koa with a slight "mellowness" that can be favored by an experienced players ear. Its strength properties are excellent which allows for this Mahogany to be a prime choice for instrument body and neck material.

Sitka Spruce - Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis) has a preferred use for soundboard material. Its strength and tough elasticity are highly valued. "Bear Claw" Sitka Spruce is rare. It acquired its name from the bear like claw marks in its grain. Sitka Spruce colors range from white to pink to light brown. Sitka Spruce offers a rich, mellow tone.

Humidity & Your Ukulele

Your ukulele is made of thin wood which is easily affected by temperature and humidity. This combination is the most important single part of your ukulele’s surroundings. Martin Guitar keeps their factory at a constant 45-55 percent humidity and 72-77 degrees Fahrenheit. If either humidity or temperature get far away from these factory conditions, your ukulele is in danger. A rapid change in temperature or exposure to cold can cause small cracks in the finish. We recommend the use of a hygrometer / thermometer to measure the relative humidity and temperature surrounding your ukulele.

As humidity increases, moisture content of wood goes up rapidly, causing it to expand and swell. A gradual increase in humidity won’t generally do permanent damage to your instrument. When very high humidity is combined with high temperature, glue joints could possibly become weakened and may even open slightly. If your ukulele is exposed to high temperature or humidity for any length of time, the glue under the bridge could weaken causing the bridge to pull off.

Rapid changes in local humidity are what you want to guard against. If, for instance, you place your ukulele near a source of dry heat, the humidity around it will drop much faster than it would naturally, although a sudden dry spell can have the same effect. If the moisture content of wood is forced down in a hurry, portions of it shrink faster than others, causing cracks and open joints. Don’t set your instrument next to a source of heat or hang it on a wall where it will dry out. At all costs, avoid hanging your ukulele on an outside wall during winter months. The wall will be cooler than the inside air. The result is a conflict between the temperature of the top and back, with potential damage as a result.

Should the ukulele be exposed to freezing temperatures, let it warm to room temperature while still in its case. This lets it come up to room temperature more slowly, decreasing the possibility of wood and finish cracks.

Caution should be taken if you choose to use a humidifier to combat low humidity. Moisture in direct contact with the ukulele could cause damage, as can the rubber or vinyl parts of a humidifier.

We recommend storing your ukulele in its case when not in use. Humidity is easier to control in a smaller space. Don’t bother loosening the strings when putting your ukulele away unless it won’t be used again for several months. Constantly tightening and loosening strings quickly ruins their sound. A good hard case supports the neck and body of your ukulele as evenly as possible. It’s important that you don’t let anything lie under the head (the tuning machine end), as this could damage the neck and body.