Frequently asked questions

QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH:

What are the measurements of the different sizes of Mele Ukuleles?

Dimensions of our Mele ukes are as follows: (Since we built them from C.F. Martin's blueprints, the dimensions are pretty much identical to Martin's US-made models, which they produced from 1916-1971. The exceptions are the "Jumbo" Soprano and "Jumbo" Tenor, which are unique to Mele).
 
Mahogany soprano: Overall length: 21". Scale length: 13 3/4". Width at upper bout: 4 7/8". Width at lower bout: 6 3/8". Depth: 2 1/2"

"Pineapple" soprano: Overall length: 21". Scale length: 13 3/4". Width at upper bout: 5". Width at lower bout: 7". Depth: 2 7/16".

Koa "Jumbo" Soprano: Overall length: 21". Scale length: 13 3/4". Width at upper bout: 4 7/8". Width at lower bout: 7 3/16". Depth: 2 1/2"

Concert: Overall length: 23". Scale length: 14 3/4". Width at upper bout: 5 7/8" ". Width at lower bout: 7 1/2"". Depth: 2 1/2"

"Pineapple" concert: Overall length: 23". Scale length: 14 3/4". Width at upper bout: 5 7/8". Width at lower bout: 7 1/2". Depth: 2 1/2"

Tenor: Overall length: 26 1/2" (6 or 8 string-27"). Scale length: 17". Width at upper bout: 7 3/8". Width at lower bout: 8 3/4". Depth: 2 3/4"

"Jumbo" Tenor: Overall length: 28 3/8". Scale length: 19". Width at upper bout: 7 3/8". Width at lower bout: 9 1/4". Depth: 2 7/8"

Baritone:  Overall length: 29 3/4"". Scale length: 20". Width at upper bout: 7 3/8". Width at lower bout: 10". Depth: 3 1/4"

Neck (fingerboard) width is typically 1 3/8" to 1 1/2" (at the nut) on 4-string models (all sizes) and 1 1/2" to 1 7/8" on 6- and 8-string ukes. 

So, tell me about your "two-part production process". What part is done at your facility in the Philippines and what parts do you do at your production shop on Maui?

Good question! The work starts out on Maui, where head luthier Michael Rock selects the finest materials including genuine Hawaiian Koa and other choice tonewoods which he "stickers" and air-dries for a minimum of 2  years before cutting and shipping it, along with other materials including top-quality American-made adhesives and finishes, to our shop in the Philippines.

These fine tonewoods are then hand-carved, planed and hand-sanded by our staff, some of whom come from many generations of professional luthiers. The top and back are "graduated"; planed and sanded to exactly the right thickness for optimum tonal quality, something that cannot be done on an automated assembly line. The sides are then bent by hand and the parts assembled with traditional Spanish guitar building techniques, in which the sides are permanently glued into slots in the neck block. This makes for superior rigidity, strength and sustain compared to almost all other manufacturers. A lot of very painstaking inlay work is done by hand. The binding, fingerboard and headstock overlays are installed and the instrument is sanded and sprayed with several super- thin coats of nitrocellulose lacquer, just like America's finest guitars.

The partially-assembled ukulele "blanks" are now shipped back to Maui, Hawaii, where Mike and his highly professional crew carefully inpect each one, do the final finish work on those that pass inspection, then  install the bridge, (precisely placed for perfect intonation), the tuners, the dot markers, and fret work. Then, the stringing, precision nut and bridge saddle adjustment and final setup and inspection are all done before the Mele logo is applied to the headstock.

 

 What's the difference between Mele ukes and your competitors' products in the same price range? (Kala, Lanikai, Pono, Ohana, etc.):

 

First of all, when you look closely at a Mele, you can see that it is assembled by hand using traditional Spanish guitar building techniques, in which the sides are permanently glued into slots in the neck block. This makes for superior rigidity, strength and sustain compared to almost all other manufacturers, who use a separate neck block connected to the neck by a skinny dowel. Secondly, rather than a thick, glossy polyurethane which fills in imperfections and looks nice, but muffles tone and destroys sustain, Mele ukuleles are finished with several super- thin hand-sanded coats of nitrocellulose lacquer, just like America's finest guitars.

Thirdly, every Mele ukulele receives a professional fret job (level, crown and polish) before leaving our store. Each bridge (which is custom-designed to allow the use of a Fishman, Martin or other top-quality guitar transducer rather than the "cheapies" normally installed in lower-priced ukuleles) is placed and securely attached for best tone and intonation by a professional luther.

 Then, the stringing, precision nut and bridge saddle adjustment, and final setup and inspection are all done before the Mele logo is applied to the headstock.

The many extra steps and inspections we do at each stage of the process are what separates an entirely handmade Mele from any other ukulele anywhere near its price range, As far as we can tell, all our competitors' ukuleles in or near our price range  are mass-produced by unskilled assembly line workers in China and Indonesia and the quality and playability reflects that fact.  That's why you'll see more and more serious ukulele players, in Hawaii and worldwide, playing Mele. Mele offers the best value for your hard-earned $$$ 

 

 

SEND US YOUR QUESTION TODAY! (By Email, snail mail, fax, telegraph, carrier pigeon, or boat). If yours is chosen as next month's "QUESTION of the MONTH" we will publish it right here and send you a FREE set of Hilo strings for your ukulele.

1. What's the better tone wood: koa, mahogany or spruce?

It really depends on your tonal and aesthetic preferences. Koa wood offers a clear and brilliant tone with a "sweetness" unmatched by any other tonewood. Genuine koa wood is only found in Hawaii. It is very beautiful and can be an excellent investment opportunity, as it is becoming rarer and more valuable with each passing year. Mahogany wood offers a warm, mellow, round tone. Most of the great Mainland makers (Martin, Gibson, Harmony, Regal, etc.) built most of their ukes of mahogany. Spruce wood is a very fine tonewood popularly used for guitar tops. It offers a strong, bright, punchy tone. Cedar and redwood tops sound great, too; deep and rich. While koa and mahogany are the tonewoods traditionally used for the ukulele, spruce and western red cedar tops are also very popular today.

2. What's the difference between a Mele and a Hula Ukes ukulele?

Mele ukuleles, although partially assembled overseas, are entirely handmade, by experienced luthiers, of solid tonewoods. Each and every Mele is a professional-quality instrument, even the $249 soprano. Hula Ukes, on the other hand, come off an assembly line in China, just like Bushman, Lanikai, Kala, Mahalo, Vineyard, and others. The difference between Hula Ukes and all those other brands is that each and every Hula Ukes ukulele goes first to our production/repair facility on Maui, where our luthiers do fretwork, action and intonation adjustment, and whatever else is necessary to make them play easily and in tune (and qualify for the Mele lifetime warranty.)  Hula ukes models start at $59.99 (for the student soprano) and include both laminated (inexpensive but highly playable) and solid wood (great sounding but still reasonably priced) models. 

3. I'm a guitar player. What ukulele model would you recommend?

For guitar players and professional ukulele players the tenor and baritone sizes are the most popular. They offer the roomiest fret spacing, the most frets (usually 19) and the widest range of chords. The tenor uke is tuned AECG, (high to low), like the soprano and concert, while the baritone is tuned just like a guitar (EBGD) but can also be tuned AECG with special "baritone standard" strings. We stock them. For serious guitar pickers, a 4-string is the way to go. For those who both pick and strum, the 6-string tenor would be a good choice as it offers a fuller sound when strummed. And for those that mostly strum, the 8-string tenor offers the fullest sound (much like a 12-string guitar.)

4. I'm a beginner. Should I only pick from the "student models"?

5. How do I care for my ukulele?

Because our Mele Ukuleles are made of solid tonewoods, we recommend that you exercise the same care as you would any quality solid wood instrument, such as a fine handmade guitar, violin or clarinet. When relative humidity falls below 40%, be sure to "humidify" the environment of your ukulele. (Air conditioning or winter heating can cause very dry conditions indoors.)

We recommend keeping a "Herco" guitar humidifier in your ukulele case to maintain constant humidity. Also, avoid exposing your ukulele to extreme temperatures. Extreme heat, cold or dryness can cause your ukulele to warp or crack. We suggest you wipe your ukulele body, neck and strings with a soft cloth after each playing session. Also, if it is going to be put away for more than a week or so, the strings should be loosened. (Just tune 'em down a third or so - not necessary to entirely slacken them.

6. What's better, 1-hole or 2-hole soundboard design?

While the 1-hole soundboard is traditional, the 2-hole soundboard design is becoming very popular. The theory of the 2-hole design, (first seen by us on Keola Beamer's guitars), is that by moving the soundholes to the upper bout of the instrument a bigger, unobstructed soundboard is created. This produces a somewhat brighter and punchier tonal quality. Also, the general observation is that the 2-hole ukuleles project somewhat more loudly compared to the traditional design.

7. Can I put a pick-up on my ukulele?

We can install Fishman pickup systems in any Mele tenor or baritone ukulele. We carry the Acoustic Matrix ($250) and Prefix Pro ($300) systems and will install them for FREE. The Mele ukulele bridge is specially designed and dimensioned for easy installation of a 1/8" undersaddle guitar transducer, which for a number of reasons sounds far better than any other type or size. For other uke sizes or brands, we recommend using a microphone or a stick-on soundboard pickup. We offer the EPM model AG-100 ("The Cap") for $32.95.

8. When should I change my ukulele strings?

Nylon strings usually last a very long time. They wear but rarely break. However, new strings sound better and are easier to tune (after the first week or two of "breaking-in"). (Old classical guitar player's joke: "How do you know when it's time to change your strings?" "When they start to stay in tune!") When strings are visibly worn or sound lifeless and dull,, we recommend replacing them with new ones. For frequent players, this will be every few months. Our website offers for sale all the replacement strings for all the ukulele models we have.

8. Are there different tunings for the ukulele?

The Key of C which is the traditional tuning goes (low to high) G-C-E-A. Key of D tuning which is slightly higher tension goes A-D-F#-B. Some tune down their tenor ukuleles to D-G-B-E just like a guitar. (That's also the normal tuning for a baritone uke.) There are  also various "slack key" ukulele tunings, but these are less common and less useful than those for guitar.  

9. What brand of ukulele strings are the best to use?

We recommend and use "Hilo" brand ukulele strings for all our ukuleles, except for a few of the Hula ukes models, which come with GHS strings. Many brands are available, but we've had the best results with Hilo. Feel free to experiment, but NEVER use metal-core  guitar strings, as this will damage the uke and void the warranty. (Some uke strings are nylon wound with aluminum or silver-plated copper. These are OK.)

10. How big is your new "Jumbo Tenor" compared to a regular tenor ukulele? Is it as big as a baritone uke?

The Mele is about 28" long and just over 9" wide at the lower bout. (That's a couple of inches shorter than a baritone and a couple of inches longer than a tenor.) It has a 19" scale length, and the body is almost 3" deep. Several of our favorite ukulele players had requested that we build them custom instruments in this size range, so we decided to come up with a production version and make everybody happy.

The jumbo tenor comes with a special set of Hilo strings that are designed for best tone and playability with the regular GCEA tunng on a 19" scale. It sounds like a regular tenor, but a bit bigger and bolder. You can also use a regular set of baritone strings and tune it to DGBE, which also sounds awesome; slightly brighter and punchier than your typical bari without any loss of volume!

Try one today! If your local music store doesn't have one, tell them to order one!

We are now authorized distributors of Aquila strings, handmade in Italy of either synthetic or genuine gut. We highly recommend these for vintage ukes which were designed to be strung with gut strings. Many players of Mele and other modern instruments LOVE the Aquilas, so by all means try them out and see what you think.