Came for the ukulele and stayed for the free lessons! LOCATION & DECOR:  This shop is one of the first shops on your way from the parking lot/valet area. Then lessons were held up in the front lobby area right next to the valet. Full of ukuleles lining the wall and front window. Not really much other decor to be seen. Just shelves of ukuleles PRICE: $$-$$$ Prices for ukulele's depended on the size of the ukulele. The larger ones obviously more expensive. You could pay a little under $100 or you could pay $600. Depends on what you're looking for. They have cases as well. STAFF & EXPERIENCE:  Walked in here to check out the ukulele's We saw in the window and were greeted upon entry by the guy working. He knew everything about ukuleles. He was telling us about how different one sounded and telling us about the cases and the prices and he was especially excited about the daily free lessons. He told us that we didn't need to buy an ukulele for the lesson so that was cool. Then the lesson came and wow! This guy was really informative. Taught us about strings and frets and showed us how to tune the ukulele's, how to pronounce the name properly. He taught us some songs and we were able to take photos of the cords for the song so we could play at home. I don't think I've ever had that much fun learning to play an instrument in an official class. It rained a bit, but we were under the overhang so it wasn't too bad. Great time to take a lesson considering the inability to be outside while it was raining and cloudy. Think I'll come back for a lesson just because it's a good time. Highly recommend it. read more

The woman who helped me pick out my ukulele was very nice, and accommodating! She let me play several ukuleles, until I picked the one that was right for me. She even helped me compare two, by strumming chords on one uke after I strummed a chord on another uke, and my wife and I were able to hear the different tones immediately. They have very nice, high end ukuleles, but they also had more affordable ones, if someone is looking for a nice "starter" uke. read more

Ukulele Puapua - My Koaloha uke! - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Awesome friendly store with a lovely selection of inexpensive to high end ukes! They have a few that they make in Hawaii themselves even under the GCEA brand. Many very of their brand is affordable, made of laminate koa right there in Oahu! Jason (working the shop) was very very friendly and helped my friend pick out a cute little pineapple with a cat for a sound hole! Prob one of the best shops on the island to shop for a real (not a toy) uke. read more

Ukulele Puapua - Free lessons! - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Wow so cool! We were staying at the Sheraton and stumbled upon *FREE* ukulele lessons on the first floor! Well, yes it's one free lesson.. but it's so fun and worth it. Our teacher was nice, and very informative. The lesson ends up being about 45 minutes long, and not only did we learn a little bit of history/Hawaiian language.. we learned FOUR to FIVE SONGS! & got to take home a little sheet of chords. If you come to the class, you get %5 off a ukulele TOO! I'm an elementary music teacher so I was SUPER EXCITED to learn and buy a ukulele. The worker at the store was extremely helpful. I told him I didn't want to spend more than $100.. I ended up getting a beautiful NEW full size lol ukulele, a case, some picks, stickers, and sheet music for about $85. Yes that might sound like a lot, but it's nice to know that I got a ukulele from a legit shop and not a flea market. Thank you!! I've been playing LAVA from the Pixar short everyday since I've been home! read more

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Bought my very first ukulele from here and absolutely love it! They have prices (~$50-$4k) for all skill levels and I bought this one as a beginner and because the 5 turtles on there for my babies. Jason was super helpful and very friendly. They also offer free classes daily at 4! Todays class was taught by Jessica and she's all around the best! Win win! read more

Ukulele Puapua - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This store is amazing. We bought four beautiful ukuleles. Jason was amazing helping us buy exactly what we needed.

I've been playing guitar for about 24 years at this point and decided to try Ukulele while in Hawaii. These guys have an awesome collection of Ukulele's from professional grade down to beginner at extremely fair prices. I'm glad I went to them and bought a Hawaiian made Ukulele instead of a Chinese model. Far better sound quality and it supports Hawaiian local. If you're interested in playing Ukulele, you don't need to go anywhere else in Waikiki to try one except Ukulele Puapua! read more

Ukulele Puapua - My Kalana Tenor Ukulele from Ukulele Puapua - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Promised our 14 yo a ukulele as a souvenir for this trip which we have planned for years but was delayed by COVID. Got a gorgeous instrument made here by a small company. Helped by the nicest young man. Thank you for a great experience. read more

Ukulele Puapua - Girl playing ukulele - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We love their free lesson! Jason is very helpful and he awesome! We will come back! Thanks read more

Great people great prices!!! Experts on ukuleles Don't miss this place!!! They give great lessons,too! read more

Very casual and relaxed store with a very causal feeling and look even with the employees but Probably the best Ukulele shop I have been to !!!!Located on the first floor of the Sheraton waikiki hotel lobby they range with many items from ukuleles, g shock watches, cds, T-shirt's, and much more. They have a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and brands of instruments. This is a perfect place to find a Ukulele perfect for you. Tip #1 They have a perfect little beginners package which includes an ukulele, soft case, tuner, and book all for $99.99 !!!!! What a deal !!!!! Tip #2 It may look like a tourist trap from the outside by trust me it's not. Majority of the staff know what they are talking about and are very informative. Tip #3 See either Usaburo or Noema they are very excellent sales associates. They will take good care of you and find the right instrument for you !!! Parking: The Sheraton Waikiki hotel does have its own parking lot but I'm not sure if the store validates parking. If not I know if you spend $25 or more at the bars they have at the hotel they will validate your parking for up to 4 hours. read more

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Came in in the morning before check out and received outstanding service. The gentleman working was very helpful in all my questions. Rhank you so much for making us feel welcomed. read more

I am SO impressed with this shop!!! They have a wide selection of ukuleles with detailed photos on their website. The prices are great. I bought a KoAloha Naupaka Tenor ukulele. This has been my dream ukulele for years. I had so many questions about the ukulele. Also, I live in Texas so it would have to be shipped. Jason was amazing and so patient! I asked for a custom set up. He went above and beyond. The ukulele arrived faster than originally expected. Seriously, the shipping was super-fast. It was packaged with such care, and it arrived safely. The ukulele is absolutely stunning and looks exactly like the photos shown on their website. The set up is perfect and it sounds so warm, mellow, sweet, and smooth which is exactly what I wanted. Included was a KoAloha hard case and a humidifier. What a nice touch! Jason knew what questions to ask me to ensure that I was happy. Thank you so very much Jason for everything! read more

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When I arrived in Oahu, I went on a quest for a uke (ook) and lessons to get comfortable with the instrument. Initially I went to a music store on Kapahulu Ave., and then chugged over on my mountain bike on Koko Head Ave. to a little uke studio that I was told Jake Shimabukuro owned before he hit it big. A really cool local guy by the name of Paul Iinuma mentioned Puapua down in Waikiki, by the hostel I was staying at, just right off the beach. He worked there, and so I went in one night, bought a cheap little Leolani with a hard case and little beginner book/cd for about $130 all together. A good deal for being in Waikiki, a place not known to be cheap for anything. I talked to Paul further, and decided to go to the free lessons offered between that store and their store at the Sheraton. After sitting through the very basic beginner classes, I asked Neil if he could set up some lessons. His teaching approach seemed to work the best for me, personally. Lessons were $40 for 45 minutes, and they take credit card only. Over the month I was on island, I had four lessons with Neil, and he even put out a strum technique a little advanced for me, but which helped my growth. It's a cool little store, prices are reasonable, and it was nice getting the feet wet learning on the island, from a local who could play it well. And the 'ya' after almost every sentence when he was explaining things was definitely island style. Definitely had a cool attitude, fun to learn from and work with. The central Waikiki location is good too, if you're limited on your mobility. As a note--Troy Fernandez of Ka'ua Crater Boys fame jams on the street at night in front of the ABC Store just outside of the Hawaiian Marketplace. Not to be missed. Aloha. read more

Ukulele Puapua - Japanese tourist-style photo! Me with Neil, my instructor - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Amazing selection high end Ukes! Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Would definitely recommend visiting their shop. read more

Both this Sheraton and the Moana Surfrider location, on a first glance, get your guards up. They're both in hotel arcades, right? You think: Ugh, probably a jaded, cynical, tourist operation, not at all a place for the real thing. Not so! This is a great store. Our 8-year old signed on with a free lesson just as something to do (she's been learning guitar back home), and we found the instructor/clerk to be genuinely interested in music, instrument, and helping others get excited about it. Very real aloha. We picked up a Kala KA-S starter set, with a case and book. Turns out Amazon carries the uke too, but these honest folks are much more deserving of your business. And you'd also have a cool instrument to strum through your stay in the islands! For the rest of our trip, we had the hotel staff everywhere compliment the instrument and share stories about how everyone took ukulele classes in grade school. read more

Ukulele Puapua - Bass uke! - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The store was really nice with many choices of ukuleles and the owner was very kind with full of knowledge about them! He taught me which ukulele suits the best for me and I was able to make a satisfying purchase. If you're looking to buy a ukulele in Waikiki, this is the store you're looking for! I was planning to buy only my friend's ukulele, but I ended up buying one for myself too. read more

All staff are so kind and the lesson at 4pm is great. Totally recommend coming here to get your ukelele

Bout lovely ukulele from Jason while on holiday. Cant wait to play! stayed for the lesson, every day at 4!

it is december 10th, 2022. on dec 7th i forked out $1200.00 for a kcm-00 concert ukulele to be sent here to idaho before xmas. i recieved a usps tracking # and was told by email that the ukulele would go out on dec 8th. i have recieved no updates from ups and found out that ukulele puapua is permanently closed and their phone number disconnected. i am hoping someone can offer me some information on this store owner who ripped me off. i have no names or any infomation at this time. please email at tomasisolomone@gmail.com. this wass a surprize gift for my fijian wife. now we've been swindled out of $1200.00. so much for a merry christmas. read more

I have been to Honolulu twice now, and the one thing that I have wanted was an ukulele from this store in my hotel (Sheraton Waikiki). So, on my last day there, my family stopped in and allowed me to look at the ukes on display. I'd never played before, so I was looking for a cheaper beginner instrument, unfortunately the beautiful $350+ koa ukes were over budget. The extremely knowledgeable and pleasant sales clerk was showing me the expensive models, but when I told him my restrictions he gladly led me over to the imported ukes. I chose a tenor AmiAmi that was about $118, but I needed to get it home on the airplane to Chicago, so I also bought a case for $50 and a beginner book for $4.95. He explained that even though AmiAmis were made in China, they were designed in Hawaii, which made my purchase easier! Even though the prices are high, the staff is wonderful and knowledgable, and the instruments are definitely high quality. I'm saving up for a beautiful koa uke next time I visit! read more

A little less than a year ago I saw this video on YouTube of a ukulele master playing First Love by Utada Hikaru and I was convinced to order one and fall in love Randomly I find this Ukulele shop on Waikiki beach and turns out it's the same place in the video. Couldn't leave without taking a parting gift. Shop workers were very knowledgable , upbeat, and very welcoming. read more

Ukulele Puapua - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I purchased a C24G and Ken was gracious and helpful. Great customer service and very friendly. Would recommend 5 stars. read more

Ukulele Puapua - Leolani C24G - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Didn't bother to open even though their website, Google, and Yelp said they would be. Sucks to walk 30 mins to check a place out for them not to bother to open. read more

My friend was proposing to his girlfriend during our vacation in Hawaii, and I was planning to play her favorite song on the uke while he proposes. PROBLEM: I need to find a uke in Hawaii STAT! ========= LOCATION & PARKING If you're in the heart of Waikiki, just park anywhere and take a stroll towards the Sheraton Hotel. The ukulele store is NOT in the main shopping strip area that you see (with Honolulu Cookie Co). A bit hard to find...it's right at the entrance of the hotel stores INSIDE the hotel. If anything, ask for directions from people who look like locals / workers. If you're STILL lost (like we were), give them a call and have them walk you through getting there. ========= THE GOODS Ukulele Puapua has lots of ukuleles, and the store is divided into two sections: Hawaii made and imported ukes (some still US made tho!). Keep in mind that Hawaii made ukes are quite a bit more expensive than the imported ones, but it's all up to your preference! I am petite so I am fine with using a soprano uke, but my boyfriend (6'1" build) needed a tenor uke. Although it seems like you shouldn't touch each uke on display, they encourage you to test them out! Yay! ========= SERVICE I mentioned that I was in a hurry to buy a uke for a proposal that would take place within the hour (!!!). Knowing the rush for finding a uke, I told her my criteria + not a starter uke + larger size (to account for boyfriend's huge build & his fingers) + closer to $100 (but up to $150 if needed) + clean/crisp sound (If you play the piano, imagine the difference between a Steinway and a Yamaha. I want a Steinway.) She narrowed down my selection to a few tenor ukes and I played each one, using process of elimination to find the perfect one. After I found it, she even reminded me to buy a case so that it wouldn't get damaged when I fly home! After I kept playing, she could tell that I knew how to play the uke and told me to skip on purchasing the tuner. She kept us within our budget! Overall, great service that catered to my strengths and needs! In and out of the store in less than 10 minutes. ========= OVERALL + best variety of ukuleles at every price point + free ukulele lessons daily! (they provide the ukes!) + fast and thorough service Highly recommend for first time buyers! Don't get swindled at the swap meet or international market with the cheap-o $20 ukes. Get a quality uke and awesome service! read more

I wanted to buy a ukulele for a hundred. I am a beginner and wanted to practice first and try if I like it. I gave the seller my asking price right at the beginning of the call. This was ignored and I was told again and again that ONLY a ukulele from $ 1,000 sounds good. Walk 5 steps to the "Ukulele Store" on the upper floor in the Beachwalkshops on Lewers Street. There I was kindly advised and got a nice sounding ukulele for $ 100. read more

We wandered into this cool little shop while doing the tourist bit in Waikiki. The 8 year old with us plays the ukulele at school and was interested in checking out the goods. Wow. That's a bunch of ukuleles. Such friendly people in Hawaii. It's been awhile since I've encountered store clerks with so much genuine affability and a desire to help. It's almost disarming when you're used to the snooty snark that permeates the service industries in my hometown of Portland, OR. I also guess it would be hard not to be mellow and happy working in a ukulele store--listening to sweet, pleasant music all day long. I never imagined there could be such a wide price range for such a tiny instrument, but there were some very fancy, expensive ukuleles hanging on the wall. In any case, whether you're looking for a lower end model or the top of the line, I believe you'll find it here. read more

My daughters wanted to buy a ukulele on our trip to bring home and learn how to play. We saw plenty of cheap plastic and tourist ukuleles for about $20 from street vendors. These were cheap tourist souviners. Researching on yelp and talking with a couple of locals sent us to Ukulele Puapua at the Sheraton. Lots of Hawaiian made ukuleles available - we were hoping for a ukulele made in Hawaii, however they were a little outside our price range (basic one around $350). Prices were high because of the wood used. They also had beginner models around $65-$85. We found a package deal that included a case, ukulele, tuner and small song book for $99. The ukulele was made in China. The clerk told us that they use a different wood to keep the cost down and are manufactured according to strict guidelines by the company. Staff was knowledgeable about ukuleles and worked with us to find one that met our needs. They offered great advice and didn't try to pressure us into buying a more expensive model. We appreciate honest sales staff. You could buy a simliar one on Amazon or Ebay, but you will not get a better product than here at this store! read more

I don't play the Ukulele, but if I did, I would love this spot more than I already do. Paul, you're the man. Don't let anyone ever tell you different. I walked up in this joint in search of an aloha shirt for an upcoming luau, and I wasn't about to been seen with that tripe they were selling at the Exchange. I also wasn't going to that place Anthony Bourdain visited with the $3,000 aloha shirts either. So imagine how my face lit up after I saw a bad ass ahola shit calling my name in this Ukulele shop, and I came to find out it was only $26. Sold and fucking sold, bro! I suggest everyone head down to this joint any buy you some! read more

Ukulele Puapua - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The Sheraton Waikiki offers free ukulele lessons to all ages during an hour long lesson. This is a tremendously fun thing to do for those who wish to learn and possibly purchase a Ukulele. I went with my traveling companion on a whim. The teacher was a very sweet young man. Our class consisted of a mish mash of students ranging from musically inclined, to tone deaf, like me. We were taught how to hold the ukelele, how to strum it, and finally a few cords that theoretically allowed us to play a larger number of songs. It was really fun! While the class is free, if you wish to purchase a Ukelele, they range from inexpensive to very expensive. read more

Japanese sale man is very bad vibes. I just bought Ukulele case yesterday try to exchange other color case but he said to me never come back here and just retun money...cant take lesson... read more

Knowledgeable and welcoming staff offer a comfortable environment to learn or try some beautiful ukuleles. Making the price range as $$$ because they have some high-end ukus that are well worth the price. read more

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wow. they're amazinggg!! they gave me a free case, pick , and shirt.The worker was super informative about the guitar. a must visit

The only place in Waikiki to by your ukulele, Was greeted as i entered the store, asked if i needed help, left to choose and look around at ukes. Then was very helpful when i needed to make a selection, even got a free uke lesson. Ronsin was s grest help and can rock a uke. Thry didnt care if i was buying or what price range i was after, just happy to help out. Highly recommended.. Bought my furst Baritone uke, even pluggedcit into the amp for me to try it out. read more

Bought our first Ukulele at this store. I went for the package deal and he was able to answer all my questions. The lady was very helpful and giving me tips. I really recommend this store. We went to 3 other stores in the area and they did not compare. We will definitely return when we visit again. read more

This was a cool little shop. We went in to look for a ukulele for my sons birthday to add to his strings collection. We were in the store quite a while, they were helpful and friendly and let us shop without being to pushy or hovering and my son found a perfect fit that was less than I was willing to spend. Score! read more

Came here for a free lesson and it was fun and informative for beginners. I didn't purchase from them but wish I had bought here instead of another place. Super friendly and no pressure to buy. Highly recommend!! read more

Although I bought something the reason for three stars is because I didn't feel the love in here. Felt like I was purchasing something from a tourist trap. I would recommend going somewhere not as touristy. When I find it I will let you know. read more

The staff could not have been more helpful in our purchase of my daughter's first ukulele. The sales person showed her how to try them on for size. One size does not fit all when it comes to ukes, after all. Because we were there at night and the free beginner lessons are in the afternoon, they told her she can come back after she practices a little at home first with her beginner lesson book. While they do sell quite often to tourists, being in Waikiki (inside the Sheraton, if you get lost like we did), they also seem interested in building relationships with locals. They gave me the name of a school near us and recommended advanced level books and training aids in the event that my daughter continues on. And how can you be sad when holding a ukulele? You just can't! I'm already eyeing one for my own birthday! I love the wide range they have and I know I'll find one that is just right for me. read more

Incredibly friendly and knowledgeable staff! Main interest is to help you figure out what YOU want and need and if they can help. Not pushy at all! Highly recommended! read more