In being on the look out for nice Ukuleles I see the work of a number of full and part time luthiers. The instruments they make look very nice and worthy of note.
From Kauai, Hawaii, He has been making stringed instruments since the 1970's and his catalogue includes a couple of models of larger scale Ukulele along with Guitars and Violins. He is fond of taro leaf shaped epaulette and other side based sound holes in his designs
From Kea'au, Richardor more usually Rich started out as a woodworker but in 1999 he attended a Ukulele making class. After a few Ukuleles for friends and the like, he entered a Ukulele in the HFIA Annual State Wide Juried Wood Working Show and won best musical instrument. This endorsement led him to start selling commercially, making mainly custom Tenor Ukuleles - I have seen some Concert ones too. In 2012 he retired from the fire service and is now a full time luthier. He uses a turtle as his headstock logo and when he first started selling Ukuleles they were made distinctive with a long point in the headstock. More recently he has switched to a more normal fenderesque style of headstock, (I don't know if anyone's eye was take out?)
Dr. Thornton Dilcher
From the North Shore, Oahu, he is a medical doctor by profession and makes Ukuleles in his spare time. He started in 2002 and won novice 1st prize in the HFIA woodshow expo that year
