Kamaka are the original pineapple ukuleles. Pineapple ukes were invented by Samuel Kamaka and patented by him in 1928. As a result, the only true vintage pineapple ukuleles are Kamakas.

The very oldest Kamaka ukuleles have feature a hand-painted pineapple design that covers the front and back. These were made in the 1920s and are very valuable today.

Slightly later, they have just a pinapple decal in front of the bridge (under the strings). These were made in much greater numbers in the 1930s

Later on, they produced the ‘white label’ and ‘gold label’ Kamakas. The ‘Gold Label’ era was around the 1960s. These ukes are not as expensive to buy as the earlier models but do produce a great sound.

But they are not all vintage ukuleles. Kamaka do still produce a pineapple uke: the Kamaka HP-1. A soprano size ukulele. Obviously coming from Kamaka it is high quality with an equally high price with an RRP of $650.

If you are looking for a more up-scale pineapple uke, the Pono is an excellent brand to go for. They are made by Ko’olau and have a great reputation.

Pono pineapples are made from spalted mango wood. Mango has a very distinctive flame-look grain making these ukuleles look great. The ukuleles come in two sizes:

- soprano: officially called the Pono PSMP Soprano Pineapple. The recommended retail price is $629.95. Although you can usually pick them up cheap than that if you shop around.

- concert: the Pono PCMP Concert Pineapple. With an RRP of $659.95. This is the ukulele that is featured in the video above.

Here are the specs for both these ukuleles:

Fingerboard: Ebony
Bridge: Ebony
Tuners: Grover geared tuners
Finish: Gloss
Frets: Soprano – 14 Neck joins at 12th fret.
Concert – 19. Neck joins at 14th fret.

If you are looking to get a pineapple ukulele as your first uke, the Hohner Lanikai LU-21P is a great place to start. Lanikai’s entry level ukuleles are great value for money and the first ukulele of choice for the well informed.

The price is perfectly pitched for a beginner. They are cheap but not so cheap that they will inevitably be a disappointment. They are well made and set up so that you can play them straight out of the box. It’s always a nightmare for a beginner if their first uke has construction problems as they can’t tell what is down to their technique and what is down to problems with the ukulele. So it’s worth investing that little bit more in a good quality uke.

LU-21P Specifications

Construction: Nato (laminated mahogany)
Fretboard: Rosewood
Bridge:
Neck: 12 Frets
Binding: White
Tuners: Geared.

The Kala pineapple ukulele is the right option for someone who wants to get a good quality, quirky and eye-catching pineapple uke at a reasonable price.

The uke takes after the originator of the pineapple (the Kamaka pineapple) with it’s all-over pineapple design (although it is silk screened rather than hand painted as the originals were). That makes it the center of attention when you pull it out. But if dazzle is a priority, you should take a look at Kala’s kiwi and watermelon ukuleles.

It is slightly pricier than some of the pineaplle ukes out there (such as the Lanikai LU-21P) but it is still within the price range of a beginner. And it does represent very good value for money.

Specifications

Construction: Laminated Mahogany
Fretboard: Rosewood
Neck: 12 frets
Tuners: Geared

Makala is the budget line of ukuleles from Kala. So this uke is a great option for those buying their first ukulele and want to make sure they get something of reasonable quality that they can learn on. And, as you can tell from Earlyguard’s video, they make a great sound.

Like the Kala pineapple it is well make. But, with the lower price, it is slightly lower spec. One of the big advantages is that musicguymic (on eBay) does a great beginner package which inclues the Makala pineapple along with a case (which can sometimes be difficult to find for pineapples), books and tuning pipes (everything you need to get started).

Specifications

Construction: Laminated mahogany
Fretboard: Rosewood
Neck: 12 Frets
Tuners: Geared

These ukes have exactly the same specifications as the pineapple so they are definitely a good quality ukulele (particularly as a starting point for newbies). They are players and not just ‘looking-at’ ukuleles.

Kala Kiwi Pineapple Ukulele Review

Specifications

Construction: Laminated Mahogany
Fretboard: Rosewood
Neck: 12 frets
Tuners: Geared