Despite – or, perhaps, because of – the pandemic and related lockdowns et cetera, many dealers and suppliers of fretted instruments (including ukuleles) reported very robust sales in 2020. What has been your experience with this trend? Have sales remained strong or have they levelled off or declined by this point?
Adam Gomes: Throughout the pandemic, it was hard to keep product on the shelves – especially ukuleles! Looking back, there were many people searching for a way to keep themselves preoccupied, and learning a new musical skill was that outlet and the much-needed release. With all the uncertainty going on with COVID-19, one thing was certain: learning to play ukulele was fun. With more time on our hands, sharing your progress with friends on social media was easy. In fact, we saw an entertaining uptick of social media users and influencers rocking their ukuleles across all social platforms.
Looking ahead to 2021, the ukulele trend is even stronger than before with consumers looking for what’s next. They’re thinking, “I’ve learned how to play, now what’s next in my ukulele journey.” And it’s up to us to give the people what they want.
Chris Martin: We’re coming into this thing later than a lot of other people, even though we were in it before pretty much everybody else. And what I sensed from my colleagues was, we’ve been so busy building guitars and chasing the demand for guitars that we sort of forgot about the ukulele. And every time someone would bring it up, somebody would say, “Yeah, if we had a really good $99 ukulele, we could sell a lot.” And everyone in the room would go, “That ship sailed 100 years ago. Martin can’t make a $99 ukulele. Let’s get over it.” So then we would stop talking about it. And I thought, “Okay, I’m going to retire. What can I tee up that’s in our wheelhouse?” Rather than I come up with some crazy initiative for my colleagues like, “Hey, Fred, let’s get into the solid body electric guitar business because there’s plenty of opportunity and the world is waiting for a Martin electric.” No…
But then I thought, “Wait a minute. We’ve been in this business for over 100 years. We doubled the size of our factory in 1916 to keep up with the demand for ukuleles.” It dropped off, thanks to the Great Depression, right? “The Roaring ‘20s” – I mean, we couldn’t make enough. We were making more ukes than we were guitars. And we were making fancy ones and making them out of Koa. Imagine trying to get Koa from Hawaii in 1922! But we did. It dropped off. And then we had to try and stay in business in the ‘30s and ended up changing the guitar and making it the modern guitar. And so that kept us busy through World War II, up into the 1950s when Arthur Godfrey goes on TV, plays ukulele, and all of a sudden, people start contacting us: “Hey, can we get a Martin uke?”
Who kept us in the ukulele business was our Japanese distributor. They saw the uke boom earlier, I think, than a lot of other people did. And they came to us and they said, “We want ukes.” “You know they’re expensive.” “That’s okay. We can sell them. We have high-end uke customers in Japan.” So we started to make them again. And someone from the shop came to me and said, “Chris, you know we’re using fixturing from the ‘60s?” I said, “Well, at least it isn’t the 1860s.” [laughs]
Fred Greene: What we did is, we took a picture of the best piece of Koa we could find in the factory and we asked the manufacturer if they would use that as the film print that we put on top of that HPL [model ukulele] Koa, And we’ve seen a big boon as soon as we did that. All of a sudden, the instruments started flying off the wall.
CM: And we cut the price, too.
FG: That helped.
Michael Schear: Sales have remained strong – in fact, some models have increased in sales. We have felt at an advantage, in that we have maintained our inventory levels and been able to deliver on our most popular models. Especially our entry-level models which have made the perfect instrument for beginning players looking to learn an instrument during quarantine.
Leanne McClellon: We saw a major increase in sales once so many people were forced to stay home and looking for fun things to do. Thankfully, many dealers already had presence online, and others were able to adapt quickly. Sales have remained strong as more and more people continue to look for things to keep themselves and their families occupied!
Billy Martinez: Growing our ukulele business has been an ongoing effort for the past four years. While 2020 brought on new challenges for everyone, we did continue to grow our ukulele business during a time when people decided to make the move to learn something new, and ukuleles proved to be a great outlet. We have continued to see success year over year, and we do not see this trend slowing down anytime soon. I firmly believe there are still more players out there who haven’t started their musical journey and ukulele has proven to be a great avenue for that when they make that decision.
For your brand, what are currently the “hot” uke models in terms of volume?
FG: I think all the new ones that we just introduced this year at the January show [Believe in Music Week 2021] that Chris had urged us to put into the line sold incredibly well, exceeded expectations. So we took probably over 700 orders in the first week on three new ukes – and these are not cheap. They’re not all very cheap ukes. Probably the one that did the best, I think, out of the group, was the StreetMaster. That’s a tenor and a little more serious instrument for someone that’s probably graduated from a soprano.
BM: At the end of last year we launched our Billie Eilish Signature Ukulele and it has done really well. We are also seeing a lot of success with our recent Fullerton series ukes that showcase our iconic electric guitar shapes and colors. It has been an exciting few years of new product launches in our ukulele business and we are excited to keep that momentum moving forward.
LM: Our original Sparkles series has been an exciting hit. Our Learn to Play, and really, any of our beginner models continue to exceed expectations.
MS: Our tropical series models have been the hot movers, especially the DDUK12, a custom designed Mermaid scale pattern. As well, we have seen an uptick in demand for tenor size ukuleles.
AG: One of the most recognizable designs, and our most popular model by volume, features the laser-etched tattoo design, most commonly known as the Uke Tattoo Concert Mahogany. This ukulele has an all-mahogany body and has been played on many stages by players of all skill levels. Next top seller is the banjolele – do not underestimate how fun a banjo ukulele can be! Most Luna instruments have a demonstration video and to this day, the banjolele demo is the most watched demo video on our YouTube channel. Finally, the Uke Starry Night Concert is another steady seller, adored for its historical artistic beauty. From the moment you first scope out this ukulele you’re already captivated by the artwork and detail.
Have you observed any specific marketing or promotion strategies adopted by dealers who are especially successful with ukulele sales during these unusual times?
BM: Our dealer base is really good at speaking to their audience. We have seen an uptick due to everyone staying home and looking to start playing and instrument. With our PLAY Through initiative we offered last year as well as our unique ukulele product offerings, the feedback from the dealers has all been very positive.
LM: There are so many great things dealers have done and have learned to do over the last year! A few successful things we’ve seen: Being present on social media and gaining participation from their followers via things like giveaways; offering unique bundles; offering extra service and care; and offering specials.
MS: We have noticed that dealers who made purchasing easier, either by online ordering or curbside service have been most successful during this time. Also dealers that targeted the ukulele as an inexpensive and fun instrument during quarantine were especially successful by making it a bundle with learning materials, strap, pick etc. We had heard some dealers mention that it was a less expensive instrument to stock than investing in an acoustic or electric guitar. Those dealers offering local same day pickup were at an advantage, especially with extreme shipping delays during the holidays. We have also seen that dealers are promoting the ukulele to schools as an ideal classroom instrument and we have noticed an increase in orders from dealers specifically for school programs.
AG: During these challenging times, we really had to lean on branding strategies including social and email marketing to provide our dealer network with the tools they need to help sell. While product at times was slow to arrive at stores due to setbacks from the pandemic, keeping consumers/Luna enthusiasts informed with all thing’s product content was essential for us as well as our dealers. We couldn’t be prouder of our Luna artists, as they played a key role in showcasing product in an entertaining yet professional way. Artists that were most active on social media found creative ways to feature their instruments via TikToks, Twitch, photography, travel posts, et cetera. Whether it was an artist demonstrating a ukulele through a looper on video or an artist doing a unique photoshoot, leveraging these fantastic musicians brought happiness to our followers and content for our dealers to share.
CM: Well, the one thing I had seen when I would get into stores, having a wall of ukuleles is pretty impressive. That gives the customer the sense that, “Oh, this is a real thing. This isn’t just something they have two of over in the corner.”
Are there any other significant trends with respect to the ukulele market that you’ve been noticing?
CM: What I’ve heard is that one of the reasons that the uke continues to be popular is that you can get a lesson on YouTube.
AG: As the ukulele trend continues, and grew significantly in 2020, many new and seasoned players are wondering what’s the next for them: “What are the qualities I should be looking for in a step-up or higher-end ukulele?” From exotic wood detailing to bevels, and solid tops to Fishman electronics, there are quite a few qualities to look for in a higher-end ukulele that can substantially increase tone, functionality and convenience.
For example, we introduced the Vineyard Series ukuleles in 2021 that meets the needs of musicians looking for a higher-end ukulele that will be a powerhouse performer. And the consumer response has been wonderful!
LM: Lots of schools have transitioned to teaching ukulele, so we’ve been able to capture more of that business. There are a surprising number of new ukulele companies jumping on the bandwagon that sell cheap ukuleles without the quality – over time this can hurt the market as a whole.
BM: We have noticed that more and more players like to have electronics on their ukes, even if they don’t plan to use them right away. Because of this, we have also seen a shift upwards in price. We are also seeing ukulele players who started out with a more entry priced uke looking to upgrade as they progress in their learning. That is exciting because we at Fender have spent a lot of time trying to lower the abandonment rate for first time players. Ultimately, that bodes well for the industry as a whole!
MS: It seems consumers are looking for unique models with more features for the lowest cost. We just introduced a new line of soprano size ukuleles called the Troubadour series with top and offset sounds holes that are priced affordably and have been moving very well. Rather than colorful designs or just mahogany for the entry-level price point, we offer 10 exotic wood choices like bamboo, spalted maple, Koa, and ebony. We have found that these designs appeal to adult beginners which is a growing segment of the ukulele market.
Expectations for this market segment in the coming months?
BM: We are excited to continue to deliver the best product possible for the new player segment as well as folks continuing to progress in their own musical journey. Who knows who will write the next hit song with a Fender ukulele.
LM: Ukulele and stringed instruments will continue to sell well! People will generally still be staying at home for a while, so beginner models will continue to sell. The new players from last year will also be looking for the next thing to continue learning and to help grow their collection!
AG: With summertime quickly approaching and the pandemic still looming, folks will want to get outdoors and do some traveling. Ukuleles have been a comfort instrument throughout the pandemic, and we anticipate the demand for more ukes to continue. If you’re anything like the Luna Tribe, adventure is a way of life. Who knows, we might just introduce a totally new product!
MS: We anticipate the growth of this market to continue to trend upwards.
CM: The thing I think that’s somewhat missing with the uke right now that I think will actually come back and help continue this demand is that thing, that phenomenon, where you see a bunch of people get together, physically, and get together and play the ukulele collectively. That’s missing right now, but that’s coming back. Those ukulele circles, whether you’re 60 or 16.
