Learning Ukulele with Curt

10 - Ukulele Builders, Luthiers and Manufactures: O

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Ono Ukulele

OnoUkulele

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Listing Info

from the Ono Ukulele web site

Ono Ukuleles are handmade in my workshop in Ashland, Oregon. Although I am a "hobby builder," I take my craft very seriously. I probably have as many tools, jigs, forms and other equipment as many full-time luthiers. You can view a slideshow tour of my building process and workshop here. Being retired, I have the luxury of building at my own pace. This allows me to take all the time I need to achieve the stringent quality level that gives me great satisfaction.

Ihave a "Hawaii connection" that is central to my interest in the ukulele. My great-great-great grandparents were haole seafarers who married in and settled in Honolulu in 1834. My mother was a mainland girl but she was close to her Hawaiian roots, her grandfather having been a subject of the Kingdom of Hawaii who went to Seattle in the late 1800s and served there as Consul for the Kingdom. When I was a child we regularly listened to "Hawaii Calls" and she occasionally got out her 78 records of Hawaiian music and practiced the hula in full regalia. I still have her ukulele, an undistinguished "Royal Hawaiian," as well as my grandmother's wonderful Manuel Nunes made in 1907. I had my own Favilla as a child in California but gave up the ukulele about the time I went to high school and didn't get back to it for about forty-five years.

in 2010, i decided that I needed some music in my life. Naturally, I picked up the ukulele again. The next year I visited a luthier with the intention of buying a custom instrument. He generously spent quite a bit of time showing me his shop and methods. I was irresistibly drawn to the building process and set out to build one on my own. Before hearing the siren of ukulele lutherie, I had built sailboats and had also been a serious hobbyist machinist. This background has served me well. In fact, sailboats and ukuleles have two things in common: they both have to function well and nobody wants an ugly one.

More information available on the Ono Ukulele's web site.

Even more information, discussion and comments on this listing below.

Opal Instruments

OpalInstruments

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from the Opal Instruments web site

Opal Instruments is a family run business. All Opal products are manufactured in our Pomona, California facility.

Scott Dordick is the founder and CEO of Opal Instruments. Scott has been designing and manufacturing products for the Aerospace, automotive and photographic industries for over 25 years. Scott has over 15 US Patents. After learning the ukulele. Scott decided to put his design experience to work, crafting an electric ukulele that would really rock. Subsequently, Scott met Sam Radding. Sam is a master luthier and has generously helped Scott refine his designs and techniques. The result? So great you have to hear it to believe it.

Scott is also the founder of Acratech Inc which is the parent company of Opal Instruments and is world renowned for its high quality, innovative photographic equipment.

More information available on the Opal Instruments's web site.

Even more information, discussion and comments on this listing below.

Outdoor Ukulele

OutdoorUkulele

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from the Outdoor Ukulele web site

The Outdoor Ukulele is injection molded from glass fiber filled polycarbonate. This high-performance composite plastic creates a very strong structure with exceptional tonal quality.

Outdoor Ukulele™ is a father and daughter manufacturer of composite polycarbonate instruments. Scott does the design, development, and assembly. Grace does the marketing, photography, and customer relations.

Recently, some overseas manufacturers began using the Outdoor Ukulele™ name on their plastic ukuleles. Some have even advertised using "Composite Polycarbonate" construction. These instruments are actually made from ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), and they will not have the resonance or durability of the Outdoor Ukulele™.

American manufacturing is very important to us. Our Composite Polycarbonate parts are injection molded on 350 ton all-electric machines in Northern Idaho. Assembly is done in Bend, Oregon using impact resistant cyanoacrylate adhesives.

More information available on the Outdoor Ukulele's web site.

Even more information, discussion and comments on this listing below.

Oceana Ukulele

OceanaUkulele

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from the Oceana Ukulele web site

After working in a region that supported many luthiers, Zac discovered one particularly talented luthier that specialized in small stringed instruments. Working closely together they made their first ukulele.  This was during a time when the instrument market was being flooded with cheap Chinese knock offs. Thru this experience Zac immediately recognized the uniqueness and quality of an instrument that was made with the traditions and art  that had been passed down from generation to generation.

A tradition of  building an instrument meticulously from start to finish with only hand tools. A tradition of building each instrument to maximize its fullest potential of tonal qualities. This art takes both the skill and the well trained ear of the luthier, a quality that can not be reproduced with machines or on a production line.

More information available on the Oceana Ukulele's web site.

Even more information, discussion and comments on this listing below.

Ohana Ukuleles

OhanaUkuleles

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from the Ohana Ukuleles web site

Welcome to Ohana, where you will find the many hand-crafted ukulele models we offer - from soprano to baritone, mahogany to selected koa from the islands of Hawaii, conventional to vintage models, plus unique ones for those who are looking for something different.

At Ohana, our goal is to provide the highest quality product at a reasonable price. Every ukulele that leaves our warehouse is carefully inspected and set up for maximum playability. Yes that’s right — EVERY UKULELE, regardless of model and price. Should you compromise on quality just because you need an entry-level ukulele? We don’t think you should.

Welcome to Ohana, where you will find the many hand-crafted ukulele models we offer - from soprano to baritone, mahogany to selected koa from the islands of Hawaii, conventional to vintage models, plus unique ones for those who are looking for something different.

At Ohana, our goal is to provide the highest quality product at a reasonable price. Every ukulele that leaves our warehouse is carefully inspected and set up for maximum playability. Yes that’s right — EVERY UKULELE, regardless of model and price. Should you compromise on quality just because you need an entry-level ukulele? We don’t think you should.

More information available on the Ohana Ukuleles's web site.

Even more information, discussion and comments on this listing below.

Oiwi Ukulele

OiwiUkulele

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Listing Info

from the Oiwi Ukulele web site

Even more information, discussion and comments on this listing below.

O Kona Ukuleles

OKonaUkuleles

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from the O Kona Ukuleles web site

O Kona Ukuleles & Guitars offers an extensive 10 week course with classes held on Saturdays that last for 4 hours. All material is provided to allow the student to build a professional quality 4 string tenor ukulele. Options are available for different types of instruments as well as numbers of keys and tonewood for the top.

<ul class=""> <li><a href="http://www.ukulelesofkona.com/ukulele_building_class.htm" target="_blank">‘Ukulele Building Class</a></li> </ul>

More information available on the O Kona Ukuleles's web site.

Even more information, discussion and comments on this listing below.

Oscar Schmidt by Washburn

OscarSchmidt

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from the Oscar Schmidt by Washburn web site

The Oscar Schmidt Company was founded in 1871 and incorporated in 1911. By the early 1900s, the company had five factories in Europe and a factory on Ferry Street in Jersey City. They made all kinds of stringed instruments, guitars, banjos, mandolins, ukuleles, zithers, and Autoharps&reg;.

The company prospered through the early 1920s. Oscar Schmidt instruments were sold in many rural parts of the country where no music stores existed. Salesmen distributed the products far and wide, making them available in general, small town furniture and dry goods stores. Country guitar pickers and blues musicians living in areas of the South and in Appalachia, far from the city, frequently played Oscar Schmidt instruments because they were both inexpensive and available locally. But equally important, they were often chosen solely on merits of their superior tone and volume.

More information available on the Oscar Schmidt by Washburn's web site.

Even more information, discussion and comments on this listing below.

Orca Carbon Fiber Ukuleles

OrcaCarbonFiberUkuleles

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from the Orca Carbon Fiber Ukuleles web site

The Orca tenor ukulele prototype from the makers of Elixir Carbon Fiber Violins. We're a small shop located on San Francisco Bay in California. Literally on the Bay -- in a boat; a 60', 50 net ton steel trawler. All of our instruments are made one at a time, on the bench. When Robert Edney -- who developed the Elixir Violin -- got hooked on ukuleles it just had to happen: A new and different uke with great sound and maximum durability.

Even more information, discussion and comments on this listing below.

Orangewood Guitars

OrangewoodGuitars

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from the Orangewood Guitars web site

(from their site) We grew up listening to guitar music, spending hours learning our favorite songs, and playing in punk bands. Knowing the transformative influence of guitars in our own upbringing, we questioned how we can empower the next generation of musicians and create a community of music lovers. Our answer was to build a modern guitar brand that offers a simpler shopping experience to reinspire guitar culture. After spending 3 years researching, testing, and building, we released our first collection in April, 2018.

Even more information, discussion and comments on this listing below.

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Just browsing over both books, they look fantastic! I'm a guitarist and uke player for over 25 years and was thinking about writing a ukulele book but you've already written what I think are the best, most comprehensive and thorough books I've ever seen for the instrument. I just might end up buying every book you've written and I'll be giving my highest recommendation for your books to my friends and students. Thank you so much for taking the time to write such great books!Peter Rhee

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