ʻEkolu Vintage Soprano
ʻEkolu is the Hawaiian word for “three.” The ʻEkolu Vintage Soprano is an homage to world music instruments that also use three strings, like the sanshin of Okinawa and the balalaika of Russia. The 3-string design makes it the easiest possible entry point for learning to play the ‘ukulele. Conceptualized by GRAMMY® Award winning ‘ukulele virtuoso Daniel Ho and master luthier Pepe Romero.
Tuned C, E, A (highest pitched strings on an ʻukulele)
Designed by Pepe Romero & Daniel Ho
13” soprano length scale
12 frets to the body (17 frets total)
Saddle is carefully compensated for accurate intonation
Comes with an end pin for attaching a strap
Laminate mahogany top, back, and sides
Walnut fingerboard and bridge
High quality Gotoh 4:1 Planetary Tuners
Daniel Ho logo
Made in Japan
★ Comes with a soft gig bag
Since the ‘Ekolu Tiny Tenor debuted at the NAMM show in January 2024, it has become my new passion. It is comfortable to play in any key so it is great for jamming, and I love discovering new ways to take advantage of this musically concise instrument - three notes is all you need to play most chords.
The ‘ukulele is a wonderful introduction to the joy of making music as it is one of the easiest instruments to learn. However, the Bb chord is usually a stumbling block for beginners. The ‘Ekolu simplifies the fingering of this chord so it is as easy to play as any other chord.
While new for the ‘ukulele, the concept of a three-stringed instrument is anything but. The Mongolian doshpuluur, Thai phin, Japanese shamisen, and Russian balalaika are all traditional three-stringed instruments.
~ Daniel Ho