Vintage Hawaiian Ukulele Masters

Manuel Nunes, circa 1925.

Augusto Dias

Augusto Dias was a Portuguese immigrant who arrived in Hawaii on the Ravenscrag. Most of his fellow passengers were coming to Hawaii to work in the sugar cane fields, but Augusto was a woodworker and was hoping to find work as a furniture maker. After working in the cane fields for a few years to pay off his contract, he eventually decided to make the new popular Hawaiian instrument. His are some of the rarest ukes to be found, and are very beautiful. They were often made with very intricate inlay and bindings and unusual headstocks. But since there weren't all that many made and because of the delicate nature of these ukuleles, they are very rare and when you find one are worth many thousands of dollars.

Dias was also a good musician and developed a friendship with King David Kalakaua. It was Kalakaua who became the 'patron' of the ukulele and helped it become Hawaii's musical instrument.

A very rare Dias Soprano Ukulele

Manuel and Leonardo Nunes

Manuel Nunes was also on the Ravenscrag. Like Dias, he was a woodworker, but had experience making musical instruments. Within a year of his arrival in Honolulu, Nunes opened his own shop, with a sign on the wall saying, "Independent Manufacture and Sale of Ukuleles". Augusto Dias was an employee of Nunes before he decided to start his own company.

By 1910, Manuel Nunes & Sons were making a full line of ukuleles and 8 string taropatch ukuleles, made exclusively out of Hawaiian koa wood. Nunes was the first to build a 6 string ukulele, with two of the strings doubled. Prices ranged from $10 to $35, an extraordinary sum in those days.

When Manuel Nunes died in the late 1920s, his son Leonardo took over and continued making ukuleles through the 1930s. Leonardo's ukes are some of the most beautiful and intricate ever made and are prized by collectors.

A rare Manuel Nunes Taropatch and a Manuel Nunes soprano (soprano from the collection of David Hurd).

Jonah Kumalae

Jonah Kumalae's smartest business decision was to take a booth at the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. Here, he showcased his finely crafted ukuleles and taropatch ukuleles, even bringing over Hawaiian musicians to play with his instruments. As a result, he was awarded the "Gold Award" (whatever that was), which he put on his headstock.

During his heyday in the 20s and 30s, Kumalae made over 600 ukuleles every month, employed 50 people and had a 20,000 square foot factory. He also made instruments for other companies, such as ukulele teachers Paul and Harold Summers. Kumalae ukuleles were known for their beautiful binding and very curly Hawaiian koa wood.

Unfortunately, like many other manufacturers, Kumalae closed his business in the early 40s due to a dropping off of business during the war.

A Kumulae Ukulele from the collection of David Hurd.