Being on an island introduces unique challenges in acquiring the tools and supplies needed in creating ukuleles. Here's a list of some of our favorite places to acquire supplies. Please note that Big Island Ukulele Guild makes no representations to the any particular service on this list.
Contact the webmaster to add to this list. Include the site's URL, name and what supplies they offer.
- Suppliers of Tools, jigs, wood, binding, inlays, etc.
- Local Big Island Services
- Articles, Photosites & Videos of Interest
- Ukulele Internet Forums & Discussion Sites
Supplies & Suppliers
Ukulele Supplies on "Da Big Island"
- Pegasus Guitars Top, back and side sets. Tuning machines, slotted fretboards, fret templates, building plans, bending blankets, and more. Keeping it local!
- Aloha Plus Packaging Good place to get shipping boxes. At the time of posting this, a 36x12x12 #275 box was about $8.40. Thanks for the tip, Bob!
Full Service Merchants
- Stewart-MacDonald "Everything for building and repairing stringed instruments"
- Luthieriers Mercantile International Another full service merchant for building and repairing stringed intruments
- Lee Valley Tools Catalog of tools specific to Luthiers
Speciality Suppliers
- DePaule Supply, Shell blanks, pre-cut inlays, ABS plastic binding, inlay design book, pearl nuts & saddles and more, no minimum order
- The Composites Store Carbon fiber rods for strengthening necks. BIUG member Tom Parse provided us with this tip for inexpensive 24-inch carbon fiber rods. Type T723L2 in the search window.
- Klingspor Abrasives, Abrasives, sanding supplies (belts, discs, drums, sheets)
- Super super glue Starbond super glue or a BIUG Favorite GluBoost
- Gurian Instruments Supplier of “Artisan” components for musical instruments (Woodley mentioned in 12/5/2015 Minutes)
Wood Suppliers
- ON ISLAND - Ukulele & Guitar Sets
- Matsu Kaze Woodworking www.matsukazewoodworking.com, Offers ukulele and guitar sets in koa, mango and silk oak. 555 Kalanianaole Ave. in Hilo (near the cruise ship docks).
- Pegasus Guitars Beautiful Top, back and side sets.
- ON ISLAND - Wood Slabs
- Aloha Woods 808-329-5189. 73-4770 Kanalani St. inKailua-Kona. "Wood Lovers Candy Store". Located in the New Industrial Center.
- Hawaiian Hardwoods, 808-328-9329, K.D. Land Service & Olo Papa, 86-4180 Mamalahoa Highway in Captain Cook (about 20 miles south of Kona).
- Kona Hardwoods Roy Lambrecht Woodworking 808-329-2877. 73-5573 Kauhola Street in Kailua-Kona. Variety of native woods. Located in the New Industrial Center.
- Paradise Hardwoods 808-982-9192. 16-185 Kalara St. #E in Keaau.
- Ray McGee 966-4506 or 509/290-4432 cell, Instrument grade koa for sale milled at the Greenwell Estate
INTERNET SALES
- Exotic Lumber, Inc., Stocks over 140 varieties of hardwoods softwoods and tonewoods, marine grade timbers, veneers
- Exotic Woods Company Ebony, rosewoods, maples, inlays
- The Aviation Store A provider of spruce lumber. Do a search for "Spruce Spars" for spruce stock.
- Myrtlewood Gallery Good source for, er, Myrtle wood!
Tools
- Festool http://www.festoolproducts.com/, various woodworking tools
- Grizzly International http://www.grizzly.com/ One of the largest machinery companies in the United States. Order their catalog.
- Rio Grande Jeweler's saw blades, tools & supplies
- Widget Supply Hobby and craft tools. All kinds of knife blades, scribes hand vises, mirrors, clamps, magnifiers, dental tools, Dremel bits.....you get the idea--lot's of stuff! Cheap too.
- Bishop Cochran Precision Plunge Router Base Highly precise rosette channel jig. Also available is a Small Radius Attachment for luthiers REQUIRED for those wanting wanting a radius less than 4.5” and down to 1.25”.
Local Services
Blade Sharening Service - “Da Cutting Edge” - Kamuela Sharpens a wide variety of saw blades and Forrest and Frued. Right up in Kamuela and does drop off in Kona occasionally.
Blade Sharening Service - Kea'au 808-982-7065 Table saw sharpening in Kea’au on the Eastside by Mark at Sharp Point Services . Good work at reasonable prices.
Resaw Services 808-937-5452 Matthew D'Avella, a local woodworker, does re-sawing, when he has the time. He's in the same building as Aloha Woods, but it's always best to call him.
Bandsaw Blades 808-966-6323 In bulk rolls or welded lengths from Pegasus Guitars in Kurtistown. Best prices and best quality Hakansson Brand blades from Sweden with hardened teeth. Shipping by U.S. Mail available. 808-966-6323
Articles, Photosites & Videos of Interest
- Folding Ukulele Chris sent over this interesting video on a. Slick!
- Voyage-Air Guitar. A video showing this professional-level folding instrument.
- Wild Ukulele Playing! The Royals playing Ukulele in a new way! You need to check out this video.
- Wild Ukulele Playing, Redux! How about this video of the 5 people who make up the Royals playing “Someone that I used to know - Walk off the Earth” on a single guitar.
- Pinterest Smart Guitars http://pinterest.com/bbetsy0/smart-guitars/ An online photo pinboard of some very cool guitars. Wild embellishments, custom artwork, & gumballs!
- Ke Ola magazine article about the 2013 BIUG Exhibit, the Guild itself and a nice profile of some of our members.
- LMI’s Most Excellent Lacquer Spray Tutorial. The one everyone raves about.
Ukulele Internet Forums & Discussion Boards
BIUG Forum http://bigislandukuleleguild.org/forum/
Ukulele Underground http://ukuleleunderground.com/forum/