Low Budget Imports from (usually) China
There are lots of small companies around the world that import Ukuleles, usually Sopranos only but occasionally other sizes as well, from China, brand them with their own name and sell them on. They are not all importing exactly the same models but they are all of similar quality and cost. This is a list of the ones I have seen on sale somewhere outside China and that don't appear to be part of a larger distributors catalogue.
Academy (rebrand Aiersis with a sticker over the sound hole label) +
ADM +
Ala Mouna +
Alic (plastic bowl back, fretboard - with zero fret - and bridge; sometimes the soundboard is highly decorated) +
Ali'i +
Amahi +
Amigo (Possibly a KMC Music brand?) +
Amigo by Lotus a different manufacturer and made in Romania +
Apollo +
Arrow +
Ashley +
Austin (different logo to the Chinese made Austin Cavaco) +
BadAax +
Barcelona +
BC (Best Choice) +
BeBop +
Bismark +
Bontempi +
Brighton +
Bryce (House brand for Internet resellers Instruments4Music) +
Burswood +
C.Giant +
Cadenza +
Carioca +
Carlo Robelli (Sam Ash) +
Carols +
Chantry (use to be the brand of the charity Sue Ryder) +
Cherish +
Cherrystone +
Chord +
Classical Guitar(?) +
Classic Cantabile (maybe an own brand of Musikhaus Kirstein along with Rocktile and Beech Buddy) +
Clifton (was distributed throughout Europe by Lidl) +
Commodore +
Conrad (electricals) +
Corde +
Daisy Rock (Sometimes called DRG, A fairly budget range of instruments aimed at tweenage girls) +
Davidson (Guitars) +
Delta Ridge (might be better than I think?) +
Denver (Sopranos and a Concert; part of a multi brand distributrs range) +
DiMavery +
Djeco (largely plastic) +
Eleca +
Elevation +
Everdeen (comes as a Concert scale as part of a range of instruments) +
Ever Play +
Ferris (Ferris Music in Ireland) +
Firecracker +
First Act (plastic and the same maker as the plastic Disney range) +
Flight (Has some kind of deal with Gracelands over Elvis endorsements) +
Fortune +
Fredrick +
Galveston +
Gigsby +
Gitano +
Godman +
Godmen +
Golden Ton +
Gomez +
Gonzales +
Granada (only seen them on sale in India so possibly Indian made?) +
Green Hill +
Gremlin (nothing to do with the European distributor Gremlin Music) + Groov-e +
GSI +
Guitarist +
Hala +
Hape (Early Melodies) +
Harmonia +
Harmonica +
Harrington (marketed by Stuart Harrington in the UK in 2014 the website has now gone and facebook page not updated since 2014) +
Hawaii Kai +
Heavy Metal +
Hibiscus +
Hola! +
HonSing (Chinese factory brand widely sold through small internet outlets) +
Hula Beach +
Irin (Whore range of Chordophones including Guitars, Mandolins, Violins - and all the cases and accessories) +
Janod +
Jason +
K2 +
Kahana +
Kalos by Cecilio +
Kalua (only seen them in Malaysia and nothing to do with Terada Gakki) +
Kansas +
Kapua +
Karteer +
Kealoha (US firm founded 2015 selling rebranded plastic Concerts - nothing to do with the Australian Kealoha or any of the historic ones)
Ku Ku I Po +
Kukui +
Lauren +
Lawson (Tenor Taropatch with dolphin sound holes; very prone to falling apart!) +
Lazy +
Lisbeth Dahl +
LPD Music (US distributor who own Little Grass Shack reg. 2012, which just has a picture of a hut on the headstock and also Crestwood but they might not use this any more?) +
Maestro (Internet reseller based in Houston, Texas) +
Mad About Music +
Maika'i (from Japan and nothing to do with Jacy Inc.) + Malakai +
Malani (established 2010) +
Marlin (may be the latest incarnation on a name that has been around since the 1960's?) +
Martin Smith +
Maui +
Maxwell +
Merlin +
Monterey +
M.P.M. Instruments +
MSA +
Music Fidelity +
Nevada +
Octopus +
Okina +
Omalha +
Onyx +
P&P +
Pali +
Phoenix +
Pignose +
Playtech +
Polynesian +
Pro Guitar +
Pure Tone +
PylePro +
Rainbow Colours +
Ready Ace +
Reno +
Rich Music (made in Korea) +
Rio +
Rochester +
Rocket (nothing to do with the old Baritones or Norman Music's UK range) +
Rocket Dog +
Rose +
Rosetti (Large UK Distributor founded 1936 who also own the brand Adam Black - or just Black) +
Rosling's +
Rouge +
Royal +
Santa Rosa +
Santini +
Sassafras +
Sawtooth (possibly US music chain GoDps Music's own brand) +
Seedling (says its distributed "exclusivity by Harrods of London" and is a paint it yourself model) +
Sepia Crue +
Sheffield (the 2015 distribution for Lidl in Europe) +
Sherwood (from China) +
Shine +
Simpsons (Guitars - and nothing to do with the TV Show) +
Starfire +
Stretton Payne +
Strings and things (UK distributor who include Kona and Woodstock as their brands) +
Sunnylife (designed by Shine Instruments Australia) +
Sunwoif +
Tara +
Theodore +
Tiger +
Titeuf +
Tom & Will (some kind of European distributor) +
Ts +
Uilani (by Pignose) (I don't know when the brand started but looking at the current edition by Pinnacle Pacific Group Inc. I don't think they do date back that far?) +
Ukulele Workshop (Budget Ukuleles painted up, branded and sold through esty) +
Voggenreiter +
Volt +
Waikiki (looks like a different chinese maker to all of the other Waikikis around this really is a popular name) +
Westwood +
Wet (they are sopranino) +
WMC (was the own brand for Westside Music Centre now called Hartnoll's Guitars) +
Wikiwiki +
Woodnote +
Woods (Guitars) +
Woodstock Chimes (marketed by a US windshime Company) +
World Playground (a fairtrade ukulele made in Indonesia) +
And I sure there are many more!
|
Please contact me if you have any information or pictures that would improve the page
contact Web Administrator if you think your copyright has been infringed |
|
