I'm a semi "regular" at Hale uke and Ric runs his shop with the aloha spirit. He's very friendly and laid back. His ukes range from the beginner to professional grade instruments. My buddy purchased a uke from Rick a few weeks ago. He noticed there was a buzz with the E string, so he brought it back. Rick offers to trade out the uke for a new uke off the rack. My buddy didn't have to say or ask anything. Rick backs his products and regular offers discounts even though people don't ask for them. Hale uke lives up to its name (Uke House) and the feeling of ohana (family) abounds. Ric is one of the good guys. That alone keeps me going back...oh, that along with the awesome uke selection he has. read more

Great great store. The owner Ric is a really nice guy, total pro, full of info (-that rhymes!). He - very patiently - taught me how to restring my ukulele for the first time. They have a WIDE variety of ukuleles, strings, and accessories. Many many options. This is the place to come if you're just starting out or you've been playing for years. Thanks! read more

This uke shop has great variety and you can try out as many ukes as you like to find the size, shape, and sound that you are looking for (or that you didn't know you were looking for). The owner is very friendly and definitely knows his stuff. My only criticisms are that the uke that I was interested in was priced about $50 over msrp and I also bought a set of strings, also priced over msrp. I know that small shops can't discount like those on the web, but this seemed very expensive to me. So you pay a premium to shop here - but that has to be balanced with the incredible selection and the owners helpful laid-back approach and vast knowledge of all things ukelele. read more

If you're at all serious about playing a Uke, go to this place. It's seriously the only place you should go to if you're within a hundred miles, or indeed on the west coast. I'm a somewhat casual Uke player but overall a pretty serious musician (classical piano is my background) and have always found it frustrating that it seems impossible to find decent uke's anywhere. I go to music stores all around the country (my job involves a lot of traveling) and even big music stores that sell all sorts of stuff tend to just have like 1 rack of Makala ukulele's or something even worse, and it's hard to find an employee at these stores who knows or cares about ukes. Basically, it's generally misconceptualized as a toy instrument, like the recorder or something. Needless to say, Hale Ukulele is the total opposite of that. It's the owner's passion project. I lost my Uke a few months back and have always been very particular while picking new instruments. It takes me forever and Ric was really helpful the whole time. It's obvious that he simply likes doing what he does - talking about Ukes, showing people prized and rare pieces in his personal collection, etc. At the end of the day, right as he was closing I was down to choosing one of 2 ukes (which was so hard - there are TONS of desirable instruments in that store) - a beautiful hardwood acoustic and an equally beautiful hardwood acoustic/electric and he helped me pick the right one, the acoustic, which incidentally was the cheaper one. He pointed out the several design superiorities of the acoustic and helped me make the right choice. Gave me some nice extras like a Hale Ukulele beer sleeve :D So yeah, if you're at all serious about ukuleles you'd be missing out if you went anywhere else for your instrument. But the cool thing is that even if you're not that serious about it, it's STILL the right place to go. While I was there playing basically everything, somebody came in asking him to change her strings - and without a trace of snobbery he cheerfully showed her how to do it and didn't charge the entire string changing fee. He has a few of the cheaper throw-around ukes you'd buy for your child, leading up to the world-class, never-leaves-the-house, made-of-20-different-woods-from-around-the-world uke's, with the bulk of his stock filling out the rest of that spectrum. His pricing is also totally fair. You can go to Guitar Center or something and get a uke that's a small step up from a child's plaything and spend $80-150 on your instrument. With the same expenditure you can go to this store and have tons more choices and end up with a decidedly nicer instrument. Needless to say, he also carries all the related accessories you might need - bags, straps, even pickups you can install, amps,sheet music, and a selection of uke strings from all over the place that I've never seen available anywhere else. read more

I bought my uke (tenor) for Christmas. After playing it for the past 7 months I realized that I never reviewed this place! I love my uke. This place is awesome. Good service and a great selection of instruments and books. read more

I was recently inspired to learn to play the ukulele. (I have ZERO musical skills) I was considering buying online when I discovered Hale Ukulele. I always prefer to support local businesses. Ric was SUPER helpful! It is a beautiful little shop, very relaxed. He showed me a couple of chords and let me get the feel of the different types of Ukes. He answered all my questions and there was never any push to make a sale. I'm excited to learn to play. and I'm sure I'll be coming back. Thanks Ric! read more

My friend who's been playing for years suggested a specific model to start out on. I went on Ohanas website and they were the closest dealer to me. If I can I like to shop at a small business. I called ahead and the owner Rick mentioned they were having a sale on the Ohana models. I drove up and stated my budget and left with a Uke and a case :-) Very pleased with my trip here. He also threw in a T-shirt. Thank you! read more

Hale Ukulele - My new Ukulele :-) - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - San Diego, California

I went to a couple music shops with no luck until I found Hale Ukulele. Ric, the owner was kind, friendly, and patient. I have been playing guitar for a long time but had never picked up a ukulele before. He took me through all the different options (I must have tried out fifteen different instruments) and he helped me pick out a ukulele that gave me a tone and price I was happy with. He even threw in a gig bag and discount just to be nice. Class act, beautiful and charming little shop, and a real gem in San Diego. I highly recommend checking this place out. The ukulele I purchased sounds amazing, and I haven't been able to put it down since I bought it. I will definitely be going back in the future. read more

I went to Hale Ukulele to buy sets of strings and an inexpensive tuner - and I was successful! Thanks to the kind help in getting the right products by the owner. I also fell in love with a Mango Wood Islander Tenor Ukulele. I might have to purchase it after I get back from London. Thanks for a wonderful experience! read more

Wonder little shop packed with ukulele. If you're a ukulele lover be prepared to stay awhile!

As a complete newbie to ukes (and really stringed instruments in general), I wasn't quite sure of what to expect when I came here today. I just knew that these happy little instruments had captured my heart and I wanted to know how to get started! Ric pulled a few different ukuleles of varying sizes down from the wall, taught my mum and I a few chords, and let us plunk down and pluck away to our hearts content- very low pressure, and very, very fun! He answered our questions, gave us all sorts of tips and pointers, some background on ukuleles, insight into the local ukulele scene/lessons/etc. And once we'd picked out our favorites, he rung us up, taught us how to tune and take care of our new babies, and threw in two T-shirts! Needless to say, we'll be wearing them proudly and coming back to Hale Ukulele for any and all of our ukulele needs. In summary: Ric is amazing, this shop is the best, and I highly recommend stopping by :) read more

This place was amazing! I know nothing about ukuleles, and my daughter has been playing for less than a year, but we were looking to upgrade. He let her try out so many instruments and gave so much info while answering questions that didn't make us feel talked down to. It was exactly what buying a ukulele should be, chill! I can't say enough good things about this place. I wish there were six stars. Support this local business!!! read more

I got a ukulele from my wife for Father's Day. Since I'm left handed, took my use in to get it strung for me. Ric was incredibly helpful and informative. Great little shop. I know I will be back. If you have a ukulele or are thinking about getting one, this is the place to go. read more

As a complete ukulele novice, I genuinely enjoyed visiting this shop. They have an excellent selection of instruments, and the owner is knowledgeable and friendly. More importantly, he let me plunk around for quite a while without pressuring me in any way. Have you ever noticed how the big music stores do that? It really takes the pleasure out of looking for a new instrument. I did find an instrument I liked in my price range, and I'm having a lot of fun learning to play it. I'm pretty sure I'll be back soon to buy an even better uke! read more

Hale's ukulele is a one of a kind shop in San Diego the store is small and full of ukulele that he (the store owner) will let you play with and can answer almost all questions about learning to play or what ukulele u should get first. read more

This is a great place and the owner, Ric, is very nice. He has a vast selection of ukuleles in all price ranges. I have been playing uke for a few months now on a cheap uke and decided I was ready for a better uke so I paid Ric a visit after seeing him on Yelp. I ended up buying a pretty nice uke but days later realized that the sound was a little to bright and it didn't "feel" right to me. I went back days later and explained to Ric. No problem he said and he agreed. He then brought me about a dozen different ukes, explained their features, and let me play each one while I sat in one of the big comfy chairs in his store. I think I was there for at least an hour and a half. He didn't mind. He told me that he wanted to make sure that I was happy with whatever uke I decided on. No pressure at all. I ended up going with a local hand-made Fred Shields uke. Wow! This uke is sweet! Not only that but he threw in a free Hale Ukulele shirt and a chordbook too. It's obvious that Ric loves ukes and wants to share the aloha. Do yourself a favor and come see Ric. His prices are good and he has ukes for any level of uke player. P.S. Ask to see pictures of his backyard! read more

I am an intermediate ukulele player and wanted to find a nice uke that would last me a while. I had purchased one from another store, yet the supplier did not come through, so I went down to Ric's shop. I told him what I wanted and Ric immediately gave me about 4 or 5 ukes to try out. I found the right one and he said how bad he felt about how the other shop treated us, so he gave me a free tuner and case with the uke! I am very pleased with Hale Ukulele and Ric and how friendly he was. read more

Amazing store. Took 2 1/2 hours to make a decision. Never once felt pressured. The people in the store are amazing and extremely helpful. I haven't put my new uke down yet. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Mahalo. read more

Ever feel intimidated walking into a store in which you know very little or nothing about what the store is selling? No need to feel that way when you walk into Hale Ukulele. It's a quaint, little "boutique" store at the end of a row of an eclectic group of store/office fronts (computer store, dentist, hair salon, property management office, etc.) Rick, the owner, immediately makes you feel like ohana ("family") . The first time I met him, he walked out from the back room, clad in shorts, sleeveless T, barefoot and a big welcoming smile on his face. How could I not release all of my anxiety and trepidation and leave them at the door? To speak to Rick, you can immediately tell that this guy knows ukuleles. He has a beautiful collection of instruments and he treats each one like one of his kids. He knows each one of his uke's personality: the sound, the artist who created it, the type of wood, the strings, and so on. You can immediately tell that he has a loving relationship with his ukuleles. I brought my beginner designed uke in which I got for Christmas to get a lesson in restringing for left-handed play (mind you, I don't know how to play a ukulele, have never restrung any musical instrument, but have always wanted to learn). Rick took the time to show me how to restring my uke, how to take care of it, how to strum, and even gave me a little personal history on how he started playing the uke and what prompted him to open his store. Talk about the personal touch. I even brought my uke back in for Rick to check once I restrung it, and he was more than willing to check my work (I passed for a beginner). But what will bring me back to this store again and again is this proprietor doesn't seem to be in it for the money (he can't be - I got a free t-shirt, strings and cloth to keep my uke clean and pretty. Plus he's got a basket of free snacks on his counter). This is a proprietor who just wants to share his love for the underdog of the string instruments, doesn't mind you sitting in one of the comfy chairs swapping stories and playing ukes, or picking his brain for information. Will definitely be back at this store (have already been there several times since after Christmas) for all my uke needs, and for formal lessons starting in February. Even if you're not interested in ukuleles, still check out this place. Ask him to show you his first uke (a gorgeous zebra wood) and to play a little something something for ya. read more