The name “;Kamaka”; has been synonymous with fine ukuleles in Hawaii for 94 years. Beatle George Harrison owned several Kamakas and occasionally would visit a music store on Maui and buy all the ones in stock to give as gifts to friends.

In 2001, actor Tom Selleck ordered a four-string tenor Kamaka, which he used in his performance as Murray Burns, the lead character in the Broadway play “;A Thousand Clowns.”;

Adam Sandler serenaded Drew Barrymore with a custom six-string Kamaka in “;50 First Dates.”; A photo of the instrument appears on the 2004 movie's official poster and the cover of its DVD and soundtrack, although keen-eyed Hawaiian music buffs will note the ukulele was digitally modified to resemble a four-string instrument.

The late Arthur Godfrey and beloved island entertainer Auntie Genoa Keawe favored Kamaka ukuleles. Shirley Temple, Ziggy Marley and Dwayne “;The Rock”; Johnson own Kamakas, as do Na Hoku Hanohano winners Kealii Reichel, Herb “;Ohta-san”; Ohta, Peter Moon, Karen Keawehawaii, Paula Fuga and the groups Holunape and Alea.

Twelve-time Hoku winner Jake Shimabukuro plays Kamakas exclusively. In December, at the famed Opera House in Blackpool, England, the ukulele virtuoso performed the Beatles classic “;In My Life”; for Queen Elizabeth II with Bette Midler. The other “;star”; in that number was Shimabukuro's tenor ukulele, which Kamaka luthiers crafted of rare curly koa wood to his specifications.

Those are some of the fun stories you might hear on the tour of Kamaka Hawaii's 5,000-square-foot factory that 85-year-old Fred Kamaka leads four days a week. His father, Sam Kamaka Sr., opened the first Kamaka factory, Kamaka Ukulele and Guitar Works, in 1916 where Gyotaku restaurant is now, on South King Street near the intersection with McCully Street.

“;He only went to school from the age of 8 to 14, but he was way ahead of his time as a manufacturer of musical instruments,”; Kamaka said.

In 1926 his father designed an oval-shaped ukulele that produced a rich, mellow sound distinct from that of the traditional figure eight-shaped instrument. A friend told him it looked like a pineapple, and another friend painted a pineapple “;skin”; on it. Thus the “;pineapple ukulele”; was born. The Kamakas held the patent for that design for 45 years. Four years ago the original pineapple ukulele, a treasure in the family's private collection, was appraised as “;priceless”; on PBS' “;Antiques Roadshow.”;

During the first half of the tour, Kamaka displays and strums various ukuleles, including the vintage pineapple; recounts the history of the ukulele and his family's esteemed company; and presents an overview of the native koa, which he asserts is one of the best woods in the world for making musical instruments because of its beautiful grain, color, tone and resonance.

He then takes the group to a shaded lot in the rear of the factory, where koa planks air-dry for at least four years in stacks rising 12 feet high. “;You can't put koa in a kiln or leave it in the sun, or it'll crack and warp,”; Kamaka said. “;You don't want that to happen because koa is really expensive; it costs $30 a board-foot, which is 1 inch by 1 inch by 12 inches.”;

Koa is used for the bodies of Kamaka ukuleles, mahogany with a koa veneer for the necks, and rosewood for the bridges and fingerboards. The factory, which has been in the same downtown Honolulu location for 50 years, manufactures about 4,000 ukuleles annually.

Kamaka and his brother, 87-year-old Sam Kamaka Jr., literally have had their hands on the business since they were 4 years old. “;In those days if your father had a trade, you were expected to learn it,”; he said. “;You will learn it, you must learn it—that's the way it was.”;

While modern technology has produced equipment that has facilitated the ukulele-making process, the basic steps remain the same. Kamaka has performed every task, including cutting, bending and gluing the body; affixing the frets, fingerboard, bridge and neck; sanding and lacquering the instrument; and putting on the keys and strings.

As visitors pause beside the workstations, he explains the steps, often sharing personal anecdotes and showing samples of ukulele parts. At least 20 craftsmen are involved with the creation of every instrument, and before it is shipped to a customer, a member of the Kamaka family carefully examines it for sound quality, correct measurements, dents and hairline cracks.

“;Before my father turned over the business to my brother and me in 1954, he told us, 'Remember you're using the family name. Don't ruin that name by making junk,'”; Fred Kamaka said. “;He insisted the final check always had to be done by a family member. He taught my brother and me how to do it, and we taught our sons how to do it. They're now teaching the oldest of our grandchildren how to do it.”;

Although Kamaka and his brother went into semiretirement in 2001, they retain the title of vice president and president, respectively. Their sons manage day-to-day operations; Chris heads production, and Fred Jr. serves as business manager. Other family members make ukuleles and assist with repairs and restorations.

Authorized dealers on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island sell Kamaka Hawaii's nine models of ukuleles (call for a current list of stores). You also can order instruments direct from the factory; prices start at $650, and the wait time is about a month.

“;Choosing an ukulele is a subjective thing,”; Kamaka said. “;The best ukulele for you is the one that you enjoy playing and that makes you smile!”;

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based freelance writer whose travel features for the Star-Bulletin have won multiple Society of American Travel Writers awards.