Harmony Ukulele Company

All that fame meant there was money to be made and, eventually, the ukulele was created to cash in on the fame. The ukulele market was actually the entire reason that the company took off the way it did. Founded in the late 1800s, the company was bought out by catalog shopping giant Sears Roebuck and Co. The purchase was made in 1916 precisely because the ukulele had become popular and Harmony provided a way for Sears Roebuck to sell the instruments. They were popular with many performers at the time, but there were few serious performers in the mainstream consciousness.

There are numerous players who have probably strummed a Harmony ukulele. They are, however, prized for their collectability more than they are their playability. These instruments are considered among the most desirable among those who collect and some of them can command very impressive prices. This company was in the ukulele business for so long that there are an incredible amount of instruments available. The interesting thing is, however, that the basic Harmony ukulele remained relatively unchanged throughout much of its manufacture. The basic, plywood Harmony has become something of an icon in numerous different ways.

This ukulele makes a find collector’s piece, but the fact that they will inevitably become more and more rare makes them relatively poor choices for a main instrument. Because their playability is not remarkable, it makes more sense to take care of these instruments like the historically-significant ones they are. These instruments were not particularly expensive and, in some cases, they may be found in a forgotten corner of a closet and turn out to be worth quite a lot of money now. These instruments are more of the novelty type, but are important parts of ukulele history.

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