Mele 6-string tenor

by Steve
(Fanwood, NJ)

Mele 6-string Koa double hole

I bought my Mele 6-string tenor ukulele in 2003 while on vacation in Hawaii. I knew it would be a special souvenir of the trip and, being a guitar player, I wanted to buy a decent instrument that I could actually learn to play.

I located all the stores that carry ukuleles on Oahu and Maui before the trip and made plans to visit them all. Initially, it seemed that all I could find were inexpensive low-end instruments for less than $200 or high-end instruments costing over $1000. I wasn't satisfied with the sound and playability of the low-end, but I didn't have the budget for the high-end.

Then I stopped in the Mele ukulele store and was pleased to find great quality instruments in a middle price range that I could afford. I was warmly greeted by Cheryl, who started the company with her husband, luthier Michael Rock. Also, there was an older musician, Peter, who was hanging out and was happy to play the different models of ukulele for me so that I could hear how they sound.

In the end, I went for a 6-string, double-hole Koa ukulele for $800 because of the sound and because I intended to use it primarily as a rhythm instrument. Seven years later, I still love my Mele ukulele and now I'm using easy ukulele's videos to expand my repertoire to include reggae songs.