Island Bazaar

If you are a uke player, this is your store. Quite literally. There are less than a handful of uke stores in So Cal and we are very lucky to have a place like Island Bazaar. I have bought a handful of ukes here including a Kanilea concert and a KoAloha concert. Of note, they have always had a decent stock of the higher end «K» brands whenever I have visited. They are also very welcoming allowing you to play them if you’d like. Both Dan and Shirley are very helpful and always willing to answer questions and give advice — even if it means stearing you to another store. Just yesterday, I was there looking for amps. They had one plugin one but I was looking for something more compact. Shirley recommended I check out a particular brand they have at one of the big guitar stores. Very cool. I’ve bought most of my ukes from Dan who is always patient allowing you to sample as many as you’d like — I’d never felt rushed or obliged to make a purchase.
Why not the full 5 stars? As a younger uke player and avid surfer, I’m more accustomed to a younger, vibrant scene. Island Bazaar seems to attract a much older crowd and it is evident in the atmosphere of the store. I struggled with that last star, believe me. But I just couldn’t get myself to give a full 5 stars because of this vibe that I find missing from this shop.
But again, if you are a uke player, THIS is your store. There just aren’t any other stores that have this kind of breadth and depth when it comes to ukulele.

Awesome! Want a great selection? Want great prices? Want personalized service? Need I say more?

Great selection and very friendly knowledgeable staff

A great store always filled with a great selection of ukes. Very friendly vibe and they have group gatherings almost every day.

Bought an awesome kala concert gloss uke here and traded for a kala tenor gloss. Awesome service from Shirley and George! They have an excellent stock of ukes and accessories and always give you service with a smile! Thanks for the great ukes!

The ukulele caught my eye at a festival in long beach one day so i decided to look into how to go about becoming a ukulele player. I have been with shirley o now for about two months and i just love it. Island bazaar has been a blessing to this nurse who was searching for some thing fun and relaxing to do. Thank You Shirley Orlando.

If I needed to provide a friend or family member a recommendation of a ukulele shop, Island Bazaar would be it. Beyond an array of ukuleles ranging from entry-​level Makalas to top-​tier K-​brands (Kanile’a, Koaloha, for example), Island Bazaar also offers an impressive selection of books, cases, CDs/​DVDs, straps, and so forth. The owner (Shirley Orlando) and her staff are happy to help folks with questions, and happy to leave folks be while they ponder their first uke or their tenth. While I.B. doesn’t have an on-​site luthier, so far as I know, staff have installed strap pins for me, at no extra fee beyond the cost of the pin itself I should add. For me, Island Bazaar’s sweet spot is the mid-​level ukulele. The selection of Ohanas and Kalas is especially impressive. Now if they just stocked some Mainlands … (hint).

Shirley was oustanding to deal with during my purchase of an amazing ukulele. I love my new Kanile’a Tenor. She then told me about a strumming group taking place that same evening. Well, I attended and had a blast. I am going again tonight. Thank you Shirley for all of your wonderful help.

My new passion, trying to learn to play a ukulele. I found good sources a little hard to find here in Utah, so while on a trip to California, we stopped to check out Island Bazaar. We found a great shop with knowledgeable people and a great selection of instruments. I suddenly had the opportunity to try several top brand name instruments and compare them side by side. I left with a Ukulele I will have for many years to come! Forget the other name brand chain stores that have no inventory… These guys have it all. I was very happy to find them. I just wish I could show up for their jam sessions.

Island Bazaar was recommend to me for following up on playing my ukulele. What a great find Ukulele Rocks, Kolohe, Thurs. Jam, Sat Strummers and Sun. Music is going on almost everyday. Ukuleles hanging every where. I have been going to Island. Bazaar for all my Ukulele needs playing music 3 nights a week, great people, and if you need strings and things This Is The Place

Purchased my first Uke at Island Bazaar this past year and found the employees super helpful, friendly, and got me the best bang for my buck. Many different Uke’s to choose from and Shirley gives lessons, group or private available. After a few lesson’s I found myself playing on Monday evenings with the beginner group and now I’m working at keeping up with Thursday evening group. Everyone, employees and players are very supportive and dang we just have a whole lot of fun.

Island Bazaar is simply THE headquarters for ALL THINGS UKULELE in So Cal!!! I stumbled into Shirley Orlando’s store about 10 years ago and probably swing by 3 – 4 times per week ever since. I have become involved in planning the 6 or so ukulele concerts that I.B. has every year. These concerts bring the finest ukulele musicians and groups from literally around the world! There are big sing-​along/​play-​along groups at I.B. every day but Friday. I lead a beginner group (EZ Dozen) the 1^st & 3^rd Mondays of each month and we have about 30 wide-​eyed NEW uke players filled with enthusiasm. The various groups bring in hundreds of clients every week. The store itself houses the finest collection of ukes (inexpensive to premium Hawaiian beauties) of anywhere on the West Coast. The employees are super-​helpful and knowledgeable, and Shirley Orlando is the benevolent, wonderful «den-​Mother» to all of us. Call and find out about a group (or class) that suits your needs. Then come by. It’s only a «small stretch» to say «your life will never be the same!» Aloha.

I would highly recommended to everyone who wants to be happier and enjoy playing the ukulele and sing, to head straight for Island Bazaar in Huntington Beach. I purchased all my instruments there: a ukulele, uke banjo, a guitar, and drums.
Shirley Orlando, owner of Island Bazaar, is a musical genius. She has been a part of the musical world all her life. Shirley will be happy to suggest the perfect ukulele.
There are abundant classes and groups to enhance your ability to play.
I am so elated that I found this wonderful place to spend time with individuals who love to play the ukulele.
Dolores F. Curry

stopped in this place after a meal. Hear ukuleles’ so we had to go inside! I don’t play this instrument, but after leaving this place I wanted to! The staff were helpful and welcoming and not pushy in anyway. I bought some guitar strings and will be back just to support this business!

My wife and I go there all the time to play ukuleles at their various music venues. We are always there it seems. Nice friendly atmosphere of folks who love ukulele and stringed type music. Young and old alike are always welcome there. We play Hawaiian music along with all the other varieties of music from tin pan alley to 20s-​30s-​40s and so on. They have ukulele instructions. Plus numerous music groups playing various types for all interests from rock and roll to all other eras on different days including evenings.

Cute store with the nicest owner. They have all kinds of ukes and were happy to answer all my questions. The uke I wanted wasn’t in stock so they placed an order for two and said I could pick whichever I prefer. I walked out happy with a few music books and am awaiting a call for when I can get my fabulous new uke!
UPDATE: I’ve been playing my ukulele ever since it came in and absolutely love it. Best purchase I ever made.

THis is an amazing place if you are into ukes. There’s a friendly family atmosphere, but don’t let it fool you. THese are professional caliber muscians who hold forth with clubs and classes nearly every day of the week. Can’t go wrong with the prices or the people!

After having lessons in Waikiki, I wanted to keep learning the uke back home in Huntington Beach, so I did the random google search. Low and behold, this little place that I thought was a tropical furniture shop all of the times I drove by was filled with a great collection of ukes, and offered class-​style lessons.
You basically pay for a month and a half’s worth of lessons – 1 a week, set at beginner, beyond beginner, and seasonally offered technical workshops for those who wish to shred the uke proper. So I sat in a beginner and beyond beginner class back-​to-​back, learning with a group of mostly elderly individuals from Shirley Orlando, a woman whose strum fills, as we sloppily worked our way through our chord changes to songs, left me jealous and wanting to learn more.
The group environment makes the learning fun, and there are groups that meet on other nights to learn island music (sat in the front row my first time so far, and was blown away by the full band, people randomly jumping up to hula in front of the class, and everyone singing the Hawaiian lyrics). Definitely a festive atmosphere – and the band leader was a good guy. I didn’t have the chord book, and when he noticed me completely lost, held his uke up so I could see the chord we were at. Too cool.
This place has a grip of ukes, too. From very cheap to expensive ones whose strings drip like butter off your fingertips. Man oh man. Fortunate enough to see one of the guests musicians passing through, as well. Cool guy from Wisconsin by the name of Li’ Rev. They’ve also had Aldrine Guerro of Ukulele Underground fame, who I would die to see jam live, and are about to have Herb Ohta, Jr. coming up – which I will sadly miss.
Shirley is very helpful, friendly and gives a lot of info out for those interested in learning. Wish I knew about this place waaaay back in the day after I bought that second hand $ 40 uke off a mahu at a pawnshop on Maui. Didn’t think you could find a place like this in So Cal. It’s here, so check it out. You won’t be disappointed.

I had been meaning to get a new ukulele since the one I bought from here didn’t quite fit my needs (as I thought it would). Instead of buying a new one all together and leaving the one I previously bought to gather dust, I figure I’d give a shot at asking for a trade.
And luckily for me, Island Bazaar does allow trade-​ups (key word: trade UP)! As long as you have the receipt from when you purchased it and the uke is in good/​excellent condition, it should be no problem getting a new one with the credit you paid for previously. I had also bought a bag to go along w/​my old one and was able to apply the credit from that to my new purchase too which saved me a load of money overall.

So I work across the street from Moe’s Music in Fullerton and walked into talk about the ukulele’s they carry and just try to get some more information on them so I could make an educated choice. Luckily for me no one was there to help me… the 2 people working just watched me pass by and stand in the small corner where they stock their ukuleles. So needless to say I left and checked Unilocal to see the different stores around, and I found Island Bazaar.
So I walked in and found a giant class of ukulele players (I think it was the surf city strummers) and they were going over a set list I believe. So I took a seat in the back and sat back and listened to the music and watched Shirley lead the group. Once the class was over I walked up and started to ask her about the different ukulele’s they carry and price ranges and such as well as my music background. Shirley was amazingly patient with me as I tried to decide between the Kamaka (that I now own) and another that was a little bit cheaper.
Once I decided on the ukulele she then set me up with a pretty good case and 2 awesome books which she recommended based on the fact that I’ve played a lot of music before (skill level and such)
When I look for a store to buy an instrument from I want to be able to talk to the sales people and be able to interact with them. Even the surf city strummer people were talking to me about their uke’s and about Shirley. Island bazaar has been there for 8 years, and there’s a reason for that. So if your in the market for a new ukulele and are anywhere in orange county or la it is definitely worth the drive to buy yours from Shirley.